Kimberly Faye Greenberg
Got talent? Don’t be shy — show it off!
Working consistently in this business usually requires not only talent, but a great effort to get seen. Overnight sensations are a rare occurrence. However, you can help the scale of success tip in your favor by showing off your talents and creating a following on the biggest, fastest-growing, most easily accessible and completely free interface of the world: social media.
Here are five tips for using social media to help be seen as a performer and, if you’re lucky, catapult your career toward stardom:
1. Create Video Content
Creating original content is probably the easiest and cheapest way to get your talent into the universe on your own terms. You have complete control over showcasing your best and most marketable performing skills that can get you hired.
The following are some examples of performance-related content you can create and post online:
- Writing and performing your own music
- Doing dance pieces
- Performing poetry
- Debuting theatre work
- Showcasing original standup material
- Creating fun and whacky characters
- Teaching others a performance skill
- Video blogging
However, don’t let this list hold you back! There really is no end to the possibilities, and your creativity is key. Wherever your heart and best talents lie, get creating and post away. Not only will your talents quickly go global, but you truly never know who in your audience could get you hired or share your content to create buzz for you.
2. Be Involved in Others’ Content
Volunteer to be part of friends’ content, or collaborate with other like-minded individuals to make some. Not only does this get your talents into the world, but there is even more of a chance more people will see it, since the others involved will also share across their social media platforms.
Web series, music videos and dance routines are all great examples of how groups of people can work together to create online content. Again, remember the options and ideas are limitless, so get collaborating, then get sharing!
3. Recreate Content
Reinventing others’ popular content that already has a good following can create an immediate and excited audience for your social media posts.
Musically speaking, mashups, remixes, covers and acoustic versions of well-known material are great examples of ways to recreate popular content. You can also add your own spin to well-known characters and public figures. Once you’ve created your work, post on as many social media platforms you can.
If you do decide to go this route, be sure to be aware of copyright. You may need to get permission or the rights to recreate someone else’s work. Do your research before you post.
4. Share Websites and Links
Not all your created content or performance-related material can be placed on social media. Instagram alone has a 60-second video time limit. When you can’t create content for a specific social media site, share your website links and/or photos of it instead. When posting photos, make sure you talk a bit about the project and link back to the original site in the comments section or another place where you can write a blurb.
In this fast-paced world, most go to social media first to get a quick, all-encompassing view of you and your talents. By remembering to post links to websites that showcase your talents, your social media will serve as a gateway to entice friends, family, fans and followers on your feeds to click on the links or look elsewhere on the web for more insight into your performing prowess.
5. Go Live
Facebook and Instagram, as well as several other social media sites, now offer the opportunity to go live. You can stream whatever content you want by just using the lens on your phone in real time with the press of a button. Whether you go live in your daily routine, rehearsal sessions or stage performances, your viewers will love the inside look at your performing life and keep tuning in for more. An added plus is that many of these live feeds allow you to interact with your followers, creating a positive buzz for you and your talents. You certainly can’t go wrong as long as you keep your livestream positive and performance-related.
