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SOCIAL MEDIA FOR SCREENWRITERS: The 5 Elements of a Strong Social Strategy

by Ty Budde on July 20, 2014

Well here we are -- the DIY era -- when a screenwriter can strike out into the digital world and take destiny by the seat of the pants.

And many have -- tales of writers going from the IT department in Illinois to Seth Meyer’s writer’s room in NYC on the back of a strong Twitter feed are becoming more frequent. Shows like @midnight are incorporating the genius of the social writer into their very fabric. It seems that the secret to breaking into Hollywood is no longer a secret:

In the words of the loquacious Seth Rogen, “Just make shit.”

If I could add anything to that, it would be to then post that shit to social media.

But posting to your social channels is not actually as simple as it seems. Good social media marketing is an art. Fortunately, it’s an art that derives from the same skills as screenwriting. It’s all about telling a story.

I came to LA two years ago as a playwright whose skills were quickly lapped up by the booming social industry. What I had that they wanted was an understanding of storytelling and the written voice. Since then, I’ve been fortunate to write for brands and Hollywood personalities both big and monumental (while still writing my plays by candlelight).

What follows is a distillation of what I’ve learned, written in a language that we all understand -- the language of screenwriting. My hope is to empower you to create a strong social brand that supports your work and gets the attention of Hollywood’s decision-makers. Maybe the next tweeter-turned-tv writer is in our midst!

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THE 5 ELEMENTS OF A STRONG SOCIAL STRATEGY

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1. CHARACTER: Who are you & why should I care?

As the main character of your own social story, you need to build a brand that is both unique and valuable to the audience that you’re trying to attract.

Spend time on this. What do you bring to the table that no one else does? Can you communicate that consistently in 140 characters, daily pictures, or short YouTube videos?

Don’t be afraid to hone in on certain aspects of your character that you’d like to emphasize, but keep it honest. Write what you know.

 

2. DIALOGUE: It’s all about building relationships.

Your screenplay is a piece of art meant to ignite conversation. Your social channels ARE that conversation.

If all you’re doing is putting your work out there, then you’re not going to succeed. You need to be actively engaged in your character’s community, building one-to-one relationships that will help you elevate into more and more influential conversations.

Here are ScreenCraft's lists of channels that all screenwriters should like and follow to get you started:

http://bit.ly/SCfblike

http://bit.ly/SCtwfoll

 

3. PLOT: No more aimless meme sharing.

This is a pet peeve of mine. Many view social as a stage for shouting about current trends in hopes of “going viral.” That’s not realistic, and it’s bad storytelling.

Your social character, just like the protagonist in your screenplay, needs to have a goal, and needs to hatch a plot to reach that goal. Then every post will have a purpose and your character will have a journey with a beginning, middle, and end that will compel your audience to follow along.

 

4. CONFLICT: Take chances, fall on your face, and try again.

In the digital industry we’re all about data data data and using it to measure a strategy’s success. Because if there’s one thing that’s certain, it’s that you’re not going to succeed right away. And that’s good. Because that would make for a boring story.

Instead, take chances. Then measure the data -- look at the posts that are getting liked and retweeted the most -- and adjust your strategy to include more of those. As long as you’re taking chances, you’ll be discovering ways to improve your strategy and move toward your goal.

 

5. RESOLUTION: You must resolve to be consistent.

The downfall of a good social strategy is the same thing that sinks screenplays: lack of consistency.

Perhaps the biggest struggle that a writer faces is getting up and writing every single day. But we must. Consistency breeds success, and without posting regularly on your social channels, your audience will lose interest.

In order to build your audience, I recommend posting to Facebook and Instagram at least once daily, posting to Twitter at least 5 times, and (for those of you brave enough to tackle video) once per week to YouTube. Choose a channel that is most important to your character and focus your attention there.

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If you have any questions or comments, leave them below and I’ll be happy to respond. I’d also love to hear from those of you who have already started crafting a social presence. What’s working and what’s not?

Thanks for reading. Let's go make shit.

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