Branding & Marketing Yourself

Telling your brand story is also about telling your business story. People want to work with real people who they feel they have something in common with or who they admire. Telling your story – who you are, what you do and why – helps people to get to know you and to see where their values and passions align with yours. This is how people are choosing one competitor over another these days.

A large part of encouraging your target market to work with you is the online experience you create through visual elements and user design.

4 Key points to consider for online content…

1. Showcasing visually engaging content embedded in intuitive and eye-catching design will set your business apart and create an experience that will both inform and delight. 
   When using images from past productions you have worked on, it is important that you have cleared the rights with the owner of the images/footage.
2. Making it easy to find the information your future customer needs, with most important brand messages reinforced throughout, will make it much more likely they’ll click through to enquire or enquire further.
3. Adopting a strategic design approach to your website creation will encourage people to remember and share your content, which means you’ll reach more people! 
4. Showcasing an engaging business story and fantastic products or services through great imagery, illustration, colour palette and design, repeated throughout your brand, gives people a strong impression or ‘feeling’ about your brand that is consistent wherever they connect with you.

Social media is a fantastic way to market yourself (free of charge), to network, and to keep up to date with what’s happening in your industry. Whatever your purpose and, consequently, what social media networks you choose, avoid mixing personal and professional social networking. That is, have different accounts for your professional and personal endeavours.

The social media landscape is constantly evolving, particularly aesthetic content trends. However, some facts remain unchanged even when it comes to vogues. For instance, short videoclips are the most engaging type of content across social media networks.

In the creative industries at large, the most popular network to gain visibility and engagement is Instagram. In terms of general popularity, the indisputable leader is YouTube, and in recent years, TikTok has become a key player.

For networking, Facebook Groups are a key resource to connect with people in your industry, where members exchange information, engage in discussions, foster collaboration, and post relevant opportunities, including job roles that might not be advertised through formal platforms; consequently, these can be a vital source of opportunities.

Depending on your sector, LinkedIn is also a key network. Although it is more formal than Facebook, LinkedIn groups offer a space for professionals in the same industry or with shared interests to exchange insights and experiences, seek advice, and establish meaningful connections.

Last but not least, to keep up to date with organisations and industry news, X (formerly Twitter) and BlueSky ⎯ X’s emerging contender where many organisations in the creative industries have migrated in recent months ⎯ are good social networks to engage with your peers and sectoral interests.  Make sure to follow relevant organisations / companies and peers on social media. You’ll find the different networks where they have a presence on their website (see industry links).

Social Media Marketing

In terms of marketing yourself properly using social media, that is, selecting the right network(s), first you need to identify your purpose, your audience, and then your content (these will be in alignment with the values you ascertained in your business plan and branding identity).

• Your purpose: do you want to use social media to showcase / have a portfolio of your work, to amplify your networking opportunities, or to create general engagement? Depending on your purpose, you will have to assess which platform might work best by doing some research. For instance, Vimeo is the preferred network among filmmakers to showcase their work, whereas ⎯ as mentioned already ⎯ YouTube is the most popular network of all. 
You might also want to tap on all of these purposes… but bear in mind that, to do so, you need to keep all your social media networks active and up to date, and post in a consistent manner. Consistency is important but it does not need to be overwhelming. You might choose to share content twice a week or twice a month. But make a conscious decision and stick to it. That does not mean you can’t break your own rules and redefine them as you go along. The most important thing is to be realistic in terms of the time you can dedicate to your professional profiles, as keeping a consistent brand on social media is time consuming! 

• Your audience: once you have defined your purpose, which in turn will partially define your audience, you need to decide if you want to have general engagement, peer engagement, professional networking, or all of them? Depending on your audience focus, you will have to choose the network that will best serve your interests. Again, some research will be necessary in order to find out where your audience(s) reside online. And, again, you will need to assess if you want to be present in different networks or just in one or two (as mentioned above, keeping an active presence is laborious time-wise).
  
• Your content: content depends highly on the chosen social media network. Instagram is primarily a visual network; you can share high quality photographs or graphics on your timeline, short videoclips on your stories, or longer videoclips in your reels.
  On Facebook and LinkedIn you can share written content, such as news articles relevant to your industry / sector, or blog posts (yours or otherwise).
  TikTok is strictly based on short videoclips. YouTube is useful for tutorials, and Vimeo to showcase high-quality video work publicly or privately (whether it is strictly film-making or a recording of a theatre or dance show). 

  Many people in the creative industries use Instagram as both a portfolio and a platform to share opportunities, articles, blog posts, and more. They do this by creating visuals for their timeline or stories (or both) and directing their audience to the link in their bio for access to the content. More info here.

Whatever content you decide to share, make sure to follow the guidelines on branding and sharing content online.  A few reminders:

• Keep your branding consistent across all formats.  That means logo design, colours and fonts as a basic start point.
• Contact details should be the same across all formats
• Emails should be easily identifiable to you or your business name.

Hashtags

Hashtags, words preceded by a “#” symbol, are used for categorisation and discovery on social media platforms like Instagram, X, and TikTok. You can also use them on LinkedIn and on Facebook but they are not as effective.

The use of hashtags is a source of confusion for most.  Here are a few tips that can help you focus your efforts and bring more visibility to your work.

The most common mistakes people make when using hashtags include:

• Using too many – this can be annoying to your audience and say nothing about your brand if it’s too broad
• Using words that are too gimmicky – hashtags that might work for some brands will not necessarily work for yours
• Not specific enough to your content, product or service – it’s great to include hashtags that are searched by many, but if you don’t balance these with some that are more specific to your business, you will be competing with very large numbers

Hashtag Tips

• Search Instagram for hashtags that have less than 500K following (these are low volume hashtags that help your brand stand out against less competition) and choose some from there
• Choose some hashtags that are ‘unique’ to your brand – that audiences can start to associate with what you do
• Instead of quantity, prioritise using relevant and targeted hashtags that align with your content, your brand and your audience
• Be aware of the optimum number of hashtags on different platforms: X has a limited number of characters per tweet (256) so use sparingly; Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags, and TikTok has not limit, but experts advise using 3-5 relevant hashtags to avoid appearing spammy and to help your content get discovered by users interested in specific topics; best practice for LinkedIn suggests using 3-5 relevant hashtags per post to maintain a professional tone
• Avoid scattering hashtags throughout your post text. Instead, keep them separate for better readability. Many people use three vertical dots to create a visual break, while some experts recommend placing hashtags in a comment instead

Consider your CV as a window into who you are.  A snapshot of your work experience and qualifications. It’s a chance to market yourself to potential employers and let them see at a glance how you might be able to help them.

However, it is advisable to avoid using a generic CV. Best practice is to tailor it to each job, highlighting your relevant skills and experience.

In that sense, common practice is to include a professional summary at the top of your CV, that is, a concise paragraph that describes you (typically 3-4 lines), highlighting your key skills, achievements, experience and long-term goals. It also sets the tone. It’s up to you to decide what balance of personality and professionalism is right for you and the position you are applying for.

Your CV should include:

• Your name & contact details (it is a good idea to include this in the header of your document, so it shows in all the pages if you have more than one)
• A professional summary (as per above)
• Your key hard and soft skills.  You can list hard skills as bullets points, including any software you are proficient in, as well as any language (using the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages to indicate your level of proficiency. For you soft skills, try to provide examples of when you’ve used them (if relevant to the role).
• Your work history*
• Your education, qualification and training*
• You may also want to include whether you have a valid driving licence or other similar licences
• Current visas where applicable.

* Use reverse chronological order: list your most recent work experience and education first.

Helpful tips:

• Make sure you keep your CV concise: no more than two A4 pages
• Try to use a clear, professional layout and spacing, and be consistent. Use the same readable font, spacing and formatting, with clear headings.  
• Check your spelling and grammar – and then check it again. 
• Avoid using long sentences. 
• Incorporate keywords from the job description. Employers will be looking for skills, experience and any new ideas or insights that you can bring. 
• For film, TV, and some professions in the performing and visual arts, your credits are your calling card so there’s usually little need for explanation as to the exact duties on each role. 
• If you are starting out and, with few credits to list, it can be unclear what role you might be looking for so make sure it is clear in your personal statement.

Unless a specific format has been specified by the company, label your files in a clear way such as “First Name Last Name CV.doc” and “First Name Last Name Cover Letter.doc”: as companies often receive hundreds of applications, this will ensure they will find you quickly and your documents will always be filed together.

Finally, get a friend, family member or career advisor to review your CV. 

Your cover letter accompanies your CV.  If you are emailing a potential employer, write your cover letter in the body of your email.  If you are applying for a job online, have it as a separate pdf (unless otherwise indicated). This is your opportunity to talk directly to the employer about why you want to work for them, so spend some time getting it right.

Try to keep your cover letter brief, and in three sections:

• Your reason for writing (e.g. “I am writing to apply for your vacancy in…”)
• Your selling points (skills or experience that show you have what the employer is looking for)
• A prompt for further action (e.g. “I’d welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss my suitability for the role…”)

Helpful tips:

• Make sure you tailor your letter to each company or individual that you contact. Use the person’s name. Don’t write, “To whom it may concern.” 
• Like your CV, you should adapt your cover letter to fit the needs of each organisation/company you send them to. For example “ I understand that you are looking for a (insert job role)” or “you are recruiting a team for….. I am a (insert job role)”
• Show that you have researched their company, either by referencing their recent work or by making it clear you know the sort of projects they are involved in.

Getting an interview is exciting, but for some, it can also be disquieting. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing—it simply shows that we care. The best way to manage any anxiety is to prepare as thoroughly as possible.
As a general rule, think of an interview as a two-way process where both the interviewer and interviewee evaluate whether they are a good match.
While the potential employer or client assesses your skills, experience, and cultural fit, you also have the opportunity to determine if the role, team, and organisation align with your values, expectations, and career goals. Asking thoughtful questions and observing workplace culture can help you make informed decisions, ensuring the job is the right fit for you as much as you are the right fit for the job.or them, so spend some time getting it right.

Helpful tips before the interview:

• Research: Thoroughly research the company, its mission, values, and recent news. Understand the job requirements and how your skills align with them. 
• Practice: Start by rehearsing your answers to common interview questions, and also to questions related to specific achievements using the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result. It’s always a good idea to practice with someone who can give you constructive feedback.
• Logistics: Plan your route to the interview location, ensuring you arrive on time or even a few minutes early. 
• Dress Professionally: Choose attire that is appropriate for the company culture and the role you’re interviewing for. 

Helpful tips during the interview:

• Make a Good First Impression: Smile, maintain eye contact, and offer a firm handshake. 
• Listen Actively: Pay close attention to the interviewer’s questions and respond thoughtfully. Do not hesitate to ask for clarification if a question is unclear, or to state that you need a few seconds to think about an answer. That shows confidence.
• Communicate Clearly: Use clear and concise language, avoiding jargon or overly complex phrasing. 
• Ask Thoughtful Questions: Prepare a few questions to ask the interviewer (generally they will prompt you at the end of the interview), demonstrating your interest and engagement. 
• Show Enthusiasm and Positivity: Express your genuine interest in the role and the company, and maintain a positive attitude throughout the interview, even if you encounter difficult questions. 
• Body Language: maintain good posture, make natural eye contact, and avoid crossing your arms, as this can appear defensive. Nodding occasionally and leaning slightly forward can show engagement, while controlling fidgeting helps convey confidence and professionalism.
• Close on a Positive Note: Thank the interviewer for their time and reiterate your interest in the position (if relevant). 

Helpful tips after the interview:

• Send a Thank-You Email: do so within 24 hours, reiterating your interest and thanking the interviewer for their time. 
• Review Your Performance: Reflect on your interview and identify areas where you can improve for future interviews.