Actors and Musicians Gain Exposure Through Online Communities & Social Networks

As people lead busier lives with their part-time recession jobs, long commutes and familial commitments, the only time they have to reach out one another anymore is when they're online.

This is especially true for creative types, who spend most of their time getting by and figuring out how to follow their dreams. However, with the 24-hour accessibility of the Internet, aspiring writers, actors, musicians and artists of all types no longer have to mark their calendars to schmooze at every industry dinner and agents' event. Instead, entertainers, talent scouts and common interest groups are creating their own forums for networking opportunities.

In the U.S., Kickback Casting has created a custom-built site - with the help of social network maker SocialGO - to match actors and production companies with the right gigs. Since it's hard for actors in non-major cities to learn about auditions in California and New York, just as it's difficult for producers in smaller towns to find fresh talent for their productions, Kickback Casting draws from a pool of actors and background workers from coast to coast. This discussion forum saves everyone in the industry the extra legwork of finding and hiring the best person for the best job.

Musicians are also seeing the benefits of creating their own online community via a social networking site. MySpace proved that bands can garner a lot of attention and make a name for themselves by posting their music online. Unlike MySpace, however, where musicians don't retain all the rights to the music they upload, with SocialGO-made custom websites, bands can not only keep their rights, but they can also own their fans' details, which they can then use to market and sell merchandise to.

By being less restrictive, custom-built sites are reinventing the social networking model for creative types, and therefore, building a mutually beneficial community for artists, fans and industry heads to gather.