SAG-AFTRA

Summer 2019

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INFLUENCE in the DIGITAL AGE The Experts' Advice on BOOSTING Your T hanks to social media, even an average citizen of modest means can be seen and heard by people around the world. While most people use social media to share thoughts, feelings and other aspects of their personal lives, there is a growing group of often-young, dynamic "influencers" who have turned their online presence into a hub for the latest in lifestyle, social and philanthropic causes and much more. An influencer is defined as a person who has the power to affect the behavior of others through sharing their experiences and knowledge with an online audience. There are two types: "macro-influencers," well-known celebrities, athletes and public figures, and "micro-influencers," everyday people recognized for their knowledge in a specialized market. Macro-influencers tend to carry a lot of clout over online audiences totaling in the millions. Micro-influencers' audiences, however, tend to be smaller in comparison; many average between 1,000 and 100,000 followers, but their fans are much more engaged and, in some cases, develop a rapport with the influencer. Many micro-influencers have been able to transform their online presence into careers in public speaking, writing, podcasting — even acting. In a recent panel hosted by the SAG-AFTRA NextGen Performers Subcommittee in Los Angeles, digital marketing experts and influencers offered words of advice on how performers and other creatives can build and strengthen their online presence. Here's what they had to say. CONSIDER YOUR CONTENT While exploration is always a key factor in choosing a platform (or two), TSMA Consulting founder Ryan Walker points out that it helps to consider what you want your followers to see. After all, platforms offer users a chance to present their content in different ways, and it doesn't hurt to know what works where. "[For filmmakers], Instagram is the ideal platform for long- and short-form content, but if you are a writer or poet, Twitter is a better space," says Walker. "The most important thing is to find a platform that makes you comfortable." Jake Watchel, the head of digital for arts and literacy agency Innovative Artists, agrees. "The art comes first," says Watchel, "The digital [medium] is just a tool used to represent the art." PRESENCE and CONTENT GETTYIMAGES.COM

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