Top Tips for Creators on How to Gain a Following

By Anya Willis

When you’re first starting out, developing your style and attracting the right clients is often an intimidating challenge. However, when entertainment is in your genes, you’ll do anything to jump these hurdles to put yourself on center stage.

Today, Elias Caress shares a quick tip sheet to help other entertainers and creatives get their unique skills noticed.

Start with a plan

Never lose sight of the fact that your entertainment skills are a business. As such, you must draft a business plan so that you know what you’re doing, how you are going to do it, and how you’ll navigate the bumpy road to success. A business plan should outline everything from your business structure to a full and detailed description of the services you offer.

Develop your style

There is no right or wrong way to develop your style. From the clothes you wear to the way you carry yourself on stage or in a crowd, your style is your own, and it will help differentiate you from others. When you find your signature style, stick with it as much as possible, which strengthens your brand.

Hone your marketing skills

Speaking of brands, you have to start thinking of yourself as a brand. This includes marketing what you do to the people that want to see it. It doesn’t matter if you’re a musician or a magician, start with social media. You can find banner design online via sites that allow you to customize text, colors, and other elements to create a banner – a banner may contain images and gifs/short animations – to post when you have an event, idea, or news to share.

Create a portfolio

When you work in the arts and entertainment industry, a portfolio is an important part of each gig. According to Steve Gagnon, your portfolio's goal is essentially to showcase your skills. This could include photos, videos, or a website with prior client testimonials.

Participate in community events

When you’re just starting out, participation in community events can help you get exposure. Further, when you volunteer your services at an event supporting a special cause, you associate yourself as a supporter of this cause, and you may find that other supporters flock to you when they need an entertainer for their own event. Leighton Broadcasting acknowledges the importance of community involvement and gently reminds us that volunteering is a great way to build relationships within your community.

Network with other artists/entertainers

Community involvement is a great avenue by which to gain exposure. However, you also want to plan to network with other artists and entertainers in your area. Instead of looking at everyone as competition, get together with a few like-minded folks to see how you can complement each other. If you’re a musician, for example, you may be able to showcase dancers on stage.

When your goal in life is to bring joy and happiness to others through your entertaining endeavors, you won’t let anything stop you. But, you will need to handle a few business steps first, such as writing a business plan and learning how to market with banners and other online elements. Once you have these mastered, you’ll have a more organized business and can focus on the fun.

To book Elias Caress, call 801.783.6058.