Continuing on for our “Marketing Yourself” section of ActorGuru.com, we’ll be discussing the importance of adding to your stylish wardrobe.  So, in case you didn’t know, how you carry yourself in public as an actor is very important. People’s first impression and/or perception of you, whether it be a director, a casting person, an agent or whomever, may be the deciding factor in you getting the part, you just never know in this business.

Having that “inner” confidence about yourself is most important and so while you’re working on that, you’ll have to work on your wardrobe, your “outer” appearance as well.  Remember, although you shouldn’t be “breaking the bank” to prove anything to anyone, and especially Hollywood (trust us, it’s not worth it), you should be continually adding to your (hopefully) stylish wardrobe. And yes, you can have a little “style” on your auditions as you’ll rarely be “dressing the part” anyway.

Girls, you’re a bit tougher and guys, you’re easy. A nice pair of jeans, clean socks and underwear (here’s that word ‘hopefully’ again), and a super cool t-shirt and you’re fine.  Okay, so maybe a Michael Kors leather jacket wouldn’t hurt, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be adding to your wardrobe arsenal as well.  You also should invest in a least one business suit or two just in case you’ll be auditioning for a lawyer or for the role of a business man, and our best guess is most likely you will, so go get that suit.

Ladies, you need not be too formal for auditions so you’re okay on wearing jeans, as you know–it’s not like you’re going to your high school prom or anything but try to look like you at least have some style when you start going out for roles.  Totes boots, some cool summer shades and a simple backpack purse will do you some justice and get you started.  Try flipping through the latest edition of tabloid magazines such as People.com, OK! magazine and others to see what other actresses are wearing.  What are they wearing that you think makes them look cool?  Maybe it’s something simple like a fashionable bracelet or a nice watch?

Don’t forget, we’re talking “casual” not formal attire, so see what other celebs are wearing when they’re “out and about.”  A lot of it is just simple pieces and can be really affordable if you know where to shop and look.  An excellent website to get you started is ShopStyle.

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I’ve noticed that more comedians than actors make use of this strategy to build relationships with their fans. Probably because they’re on the road more and have a greater incentive go fill seats. However, for the emerging actor, not taking advantage of this strategy this could be a mistake. Here’s why:

A strong fan base makes you more marketable

If you can demonstrate that you can bring more people to an event you attend, more online mentions of your participation in a project or generally leverage your fan base to help market whatever you’re involved in, you could get more gigs.

Having an email list of fans gives you the power to do this. For example, let’s say you were cast in a new theatre production. When the tickets go on sale, you could quickly send out an email to your list and, probably within hours, ticket sales will increase.

I’m not saying that actors get chosen for roles based on the size of their email list, but if there were two actors equally qualified for a role, wouldn’t you choose the one that came with greater marketing leverage for your project?

Fans become more loyal when they feel connected to you

Having the ability to keep in touch with your fans on a regular basis through email can help keep the “fan fires” burning, so to speak. If you have a lull … or maybe you’re busy behind the scenes … you can keep your fans abreast of what you’re doing so they won’t forget you.

The more loyal your fan base, the more they will support you and your career … thus, making you more marketable.

Of course, not all of your fan are going to want to keep up with you via email. Some will prefer Twitter or Facebook or even MySpace. Test the waters, see which channels get the best feedback. But, despite the power of social media … email will always be more reliable.

NOTE: It can be a little trickier, but you could also build a list of folks in the business who have the power to hire you. But that’s a more advanced strategy that takes a bit of forethought and in-person networking to make work.

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Would you like people to find your website?

Search engine optimization is a good way to attract visitors that are looking for you … without knowing they are looking for you in particular. Most likely, these people will be current or potential fans … but they could be someone who could offer you work, as well.

There is a lot to optimizing your website for search engines, but here are three simple ways that you can do yourself or ask your webmaster to do for you.

H Tags

When a search engine is evaluating your webpage, it takes a look a the text the lies between heading tags (“H” tags) and weighs those more heavily than text that lies outside of them. Therefore, words that are put between the H1 through H6 tags carry more defining weight than other words. For example, the subtitle “H Tags” above is between “h3″ tags.

So, you should be using these tags for all your key word phrase headings… not the “b” or “strong” tags. Many website owners miss out of this little bit of search engine optimization (SEO) by using bold tags instead.

Of course, text in between bold tags carry more weight than plain text, so that tag still can help your SEO efforts.

The “alt” Attribute

This little trick is especially useful for actors because people are more often than not looking for an image of you rather than text-based information.

The alt attribute is an attribute of the “img” tag for images and was created as an alternative for non-visual browsers when they come across images. In other words, the text is meant to be used when the image is not visible on the page. Instead, what is displayed (or read) is the alternative text.

But now that people can search for images on search engines, this attribute can contribute to your SEO, as well. So, include a key-word rich, but simple description of the image in your “alt” attribute and your site will show up on image searches, as well. This, in turn, can improve your overall ranking.

For example, lets say you’ve posted a image of you walking down the red carpet at a premiere event. A good alt tag might say “Actress Joan Thespian at Gala Event Name January 2010.” This alt tag is a good description, so if read it makes sense. But it also uses key words such as “actress,” your name, the name of the event and the date … all phrases someone might use to find such a picture.

Do this right and the images on your website will show up when people search for images with your key words and phrases. When the image is clicked, they go to your website and just might discover they like what they find!

Title Tag

The words you use in the title tag are what appear in the clickable text on the search engine results page. Therefore you want to make sure that this includes not only the name of your website, but also the key benefit (using key words, of course) you have to offer. If you don’t know how to add or modify your website’s title tag, make sure your webmaster does it for you.

For example, the title tag for this website says “ActorGuru.com – I Know Everything About Actors”. If you look up at the top of your browser window, you should see that statement across the top.

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What does that role need that only you can bring to the part?

If your acting career is going to thrive … and your website to help you achieve that goal … you need to know what you bring to a role that no other actor can.

This goes beyond the specific skills you have and training you’ve taken. It taps into what makes you special as a person, that core of who you are that you can bring up and use to bring the characters you portray to life.

You need to know what sets you apart from all other actors that some might see as similar to you.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you have to be completely different from other actors like you … just different enough. And you need to be very clear on that difference so you can communicate it on your website and when you’re networking.

For example, let’s compare Jet Li, Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung. They are all male, Chinese and known for their martial arts talents. But, can you see Jet Li taking the place of Jackie Chan in Rush Hour? Could Jackie Chan take the place of Jet Li in Romeo Must Die? Could Sammo Hung play either of those roles? Certainly not in the same way, and if they did these would be entirely different movies.

Each actor has his own unique energy he brings to a role. Jet Li has a gentle, subtle power to his presence that allows him to play innocent heros and calculating villains with equal ease. Jackie Chan is the Gene Kelly of martial arts, with his acrobatic abilities and innocent smile, enabling him to play lovable, affable protagonists. And Sammo Hung’s physical comedy has an entirely different flavor from that of Jackie Chan. He has the gravity required to play a cop but also the levity to play the buffoon.

So, dig deep and ask yourself, “What is unique and special about you?” Here are some ways that you can set yourself apart.

Is it your unique life story?

I’m not an actor, but one thing that sets me apart is the fact that I grew up in East Africa. My family move to Nairobi when I was 2 1/2 and I don’t remember anything before then. Also, the reason we moved back to the U.S. was that my sister was born disabled. These little facts affect who I am and how I perceive the world.

Do you have a unique upbringing or life journey that you could call upon to bring texture to a role? Include this information on your bio page.

Is it your special combination of skills?

Maybe you’ve been riding horses since you were knee high to a grasshopper. Maybe you were on the swim team in high school and can perform a near perfect double back flip. Maybe you speak seven languages. Be sure to include these unique, non-acting skills on your website, too. You never know when a casting director may be looking for someone with your unique skill set to play the role in their movie or TV show.

Seek out what is different about you and your life and play that up. Communicate your uniqueness with color, imagery and word choice on your website. Let it help you decide which head shots and clips to include. Highlight those roles you’ve already played that demonstrate your individual, signature style.

Yes, being unique will preclude you from some roles … but those were roles you weren’t suited for anyway!

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