Affiliate Back Office
Welcome affiliates! Below, you'll find answers to just about anything you might be wondering . . . and more . . . regarding the upcoming Audition Psych 101 launch. If—AFTER reading below—you have further questions or need assistance from our team during the launch, email us at auditionpsych101@gmail.com and we'll be glad to help.
Wondering what the key dates are?
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May 8th (Monday): The first lesson of Michael’s free class is released at 10 AM Pacific.
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May 10th (Wednesday): The second lesson is released at 10 AM Pacific.
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May 12th (Friday): The third lesson is released at 10 AM Pacific.
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May 14th (Sunday): Registration for Audition Psych 101 opens for 6 days at 10 AM Pacific.
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May 19th (Friday): Registration closes at 9 PM Pacific.
Looking for your Affiliate Dashboard?
Looking for your unique referral link?
You’ll use that throughout the launch. It’s on your Affiliate Dashboard (link above), in the LINKS section. It’s labeled “AP101 Launch.”
Looking for sample “swipe” copy?
The section below this section contains sample email and social media post samples for use during the launch.
Want to know more about how to be an effective affiliate?
Below the swipe copy, you’ll find an extensive FAQ section that will answer any questions you might have about the launch itself.
Email and Social Media Post Samples
As we release each of the three videos in the free “Audition Myths, Tough Truths, and Logic” series, we’ll be providing some “swipe copy” (steal-able text) you can use when notifying your social media followers and email peeps. This is just in case you’re feeling uninspired; feel free to craft your own message!
You'll also find below the same type of sample swipe copy for when we open registration.
Here’s your collection of swipe copy. They are listed in chronological order:
Email 5/8 (Monday): First free lesson released
— Main Points to Cover —
— SEND THIS MESSAGE NO EARLIER THAN 10:00 AM Pacific on Monday, May 8th.
— Tell them who Michael is, how you know him, and anything you want to add about his teaching.
— This is a FREE three-part video series called “Audition Myths, Tough Truths, and Logic.”
— BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR AFFILIATE LINK
— Subject Line —
Busting the myths about auditioning
— Body of Email —
Hey friends,
Michael Kostroff is one of those actors you’ve probably seen a dozen times on TV without knowing his name. The guy works a lot. For years, his passion has been helping actors have a better time auditioning—something he was terrified of when he started out.
Today, Michael is releasing the first video of a free three-part mini course called “Audition Myths, Tough Truths, and Logic.” I’ve had a sneak peek and I can tell you, he’s really breaking it down for us in a way I’ve never heard before.
He covers so many of the issues we create for ourselves and how to think about them more sensibly. Best of all, his philosophy is based on real experience in the real world.
This free three-part series starts today. Take a look: PLACEYOURAFFILIATELINKHERE
Happy New Year!
YOURNAME
PS...Please feel free to forward this to any fellow actor you think might find better auditioning useful. I’m on a mission to help as many friends and colleagues as I can.
Email/Post 5/10 (Wednesday): Second free lesson released
— Main Points to Cover —
— SEND THIS MESSAGE NO EARLIER THAN 10:00 AM Pacific on Wednesday, May 10th.
— Remind them who Michael is, how you know him, and anything you want to add about his teaching.
— This is PART TWO of a FREE three-part video series called “Audition Myths, Tough Truths, and Logic.”
— BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR AFFILIATE LINK
— Subject Line —
The tough truths about auditioning. Yeah, there are quite a few.
— Body of Email —
Hey friends,
Today, Michael Kostroff is releasing the second video in his free, three-part minicourse, “Audition Myths, Tough Truths, and Logic.” In this one, he addresses some tough truths about the audition process that we need to embrace in order to be honest with ourselves and have a better time in the process.
Many of these truths were familiar to me, but there’s something about hearing a professional working actor say them out loud that really made them land. You should take a look:
PLACEYOURAFFILIATELINKHERE
Hope this helps!
YOURNAME
PS…if you missed the first lesson on audition myths, you’ll be able to catch up by visiting that same link.
Email/Post 5/12(Friday): Third and final free lesson released
— Main Points to Cover —
— SEND THIS MESSAGE NO EARLIER THAN 10:00 AM Pacific on Friday, May 12th.
—Remind them who Michael is, how you know him, and anything you want to add about his teaching.
—This is PART THREE of a FREE three-part video series called “Audition Myths, Tough Truths, and Logic.”
— BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR AFFILIATE LINK
— Subject Line —
Is there any logic to auditioning? At all?
— Body of Email —
Hey friends,
Today, Michael Kostroff releases the third and final lesson of his three-part mini-course, “Audition Myths, Tough Truths, and Logic.” This is the one on logic, and it clears up a lot of stuff.
He also answers questions from actors who’ve written in over the past few days. And it’s free! Click below to watch it:
PLACEYOURAFFILIATELINKHERE
To your success,
YOURNAME
PS...If you know an actor that would benefit from being more confident when auditioning, please forward this message to them. You'll be doing them a huge favor.
Email/Post 5/14 (Sunday): Registration opens
— Main Points to Cover —
— SEND THIS MESSAGE NO EARLIER THAN 10:00 AM Pacific on Sunday, May 14th.
— Thousands of actors all over the US have attended Audition Psych 101 and called it “a game changer,” “a must,” and “the most important workshop of my career.”
— It’s a workshop on the psychological side of the audition process.
— It’s taught by Michael Kostroff, a working actor best known for his roles on The Wire, Billions, Sonny with a Chance, The Blacklist, Law & Order: SVU, The Plot Against America, Wizard of Lies, and recently, NCIS.
— REGISTRATION WILL REMAIN OPEN THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT, 5/19
— BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR AFFILIATE LINK - PLEASE DON'T MENTION THE ACTUAL PRICE OF THE COURSE
— Subject Line —
Auditioning: take a new, refreshing approach
— Body of Email —
Hey friends,
If you’ve been watching Michael Kostroff’s mini-course on “Audition Myths, Tough Truths, and Logic” as I have, you’ll want to watch this follow-up video where he talks about Audition Psych 101, his popular workshop on the psychology of the audition process.
Michael is a working actor, best known for his roles The Wire, Billions, Sonny with a Chance, The Blacklist, Law & Order: SVU, The Plot Against America, Wizard of Lies, and recently, NCIS. For more than a decade, he’s been teaching this workshop on the psychological side of the audition process to actors all over the country.
Actors have called Audition Psych 101 “a game changer,” “a must,” and “the most important workshop of my career.” If you’ve attended it, no doubt you’d agree…and now, you have an opportunity to have your very own version of it.
To get Audition Psych 101 to more actors, it’s now being offered as an online course. And for a limited time, it’s being offered at a special registration-week-only price, with some very special registration-week-only bonuses that will help you reframe the often dreaded process of auditioning.
Check out the video to learn more!
PLACEYOURAFFILIATELINKHERE
To your success,
YOURNAME
PS: you’ll want to move quickly on this, as the special price and bonuses are only available through this Friday night. Then, the price goes up and the bonuses go away, so act now.
Email/Post 5/19 (Friday): Registration closes:
— Main Points to Cover —
— SEND THIS MESSAGE NO LATER THAN 6:00 PM Pacific on Friday, May 19th.
— This actor-recommended workshop is now available online.
— It’s reasonably priced and comes with great bonuses.
— Registration closes today.
— It’s taught by Michael Kostroff, a working actor best known for his roles on The Wire, Billions, Sonny with a Chance, The Blacklist, Law & Order: SVU, The Plot Against America, Wizard of Lies, and recently, NCIS.
— REGISTRATION IS CLOSES TONIGHT FRIDAY, 5/19
— BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR AFFILIATE LINK
— Subject Line —
Just a few hours left for Audition Psych 101
— Body of Email —
Hey friends,
Today is the final day to register for the online version of Michael Kostroff’s hugely popular Audition Psych 101 workshop. It’s the only workshop I know that deals with the mental side of the audition process, and everyone who’s taken it in person swears by it.
But here’s the thing: today is the last day to register. After registration closes in just a few hours, the price goes up and the bonuses (including a live monthly check-up) go away. So before time runs out, take a few minutes and see what it’s all about: PLACEYOURAFFILIATELINKHERE.
I don’t want anyone to say I didn’t give you fair warning, so follow that link to get in.
Hope this helps!
YOURNAME
PS: remember, the special price of $195 goes up to its normal $350, and the special bonuses go away in just a few hours. Here’s where to take advantage of this special opportunity: PLACEYOURAFFILIATELINKHERE
Frequently Asked Questions (And Answers!)
In this section, we answer questions that you might have about how the launch is put together and operates, what you need to know about being an affiliate, how you’ll get paid, how to optimize your email messaging, as well as maximizing how you tell people about the launch on social media and via any live event you’d like to do with Michael (subject to his availability).
We highly recommend that you take a bit of time and review this material – it will help you to be of service to your audience, and to maximize your effectiveness as an affiliate.
What is a launch?
A launch is simply a sequence of events that introduces a product or service to an audience, and makes it available for sale.
Launches can occur in many forms: a grand opening of a business, a new model year for a car manufacturer and the release of a blockbuster movie or video game are all examples of launches.
What they all have in common is a series of educational marketing messages, leading up to inviting the customer to purchase the product or service.
What is the pre-launch all about?
You’ve probably experienced the pre-launch of a movie: for months or even years, you’ll hear all about how it’s being made, who’s starring in it, and when it will be available in theaters or on TV.
That build up is the pre-launch for that movie.
The Audition Psych 101 pre-launch is a lot more compact.
Over the course of a week or so, we present a series of very useful lessons in a free course, separate from the main course itself, that offers training in some aspect of auditioning. We make sure these free lessons solve a specific problem currently facing the group of customers we want to reach.
Affiliate Partners like you play a key role during that week, messaging your audience about the free lessons.
After we present these lessons online to potential customers, we then open registration for the full Audition Psych 101 course. We include special bonuses with that offer that will no longer be available once registration ends.
Then we close registration, and start supporting the students who have registered. That process also takes about a week.
What do you offer during the launch that you don’t offer during the rest of the year?
We offer a much lower price for the course ($195 instead of $350), bonuses that include additional audition support material, access to monthly live Zoom support sessions and much more.
How long does the launch run for?
From the beginning of the pre-launch lessons to the end of the registration period, it’s 14 days for our launch.
What are the dates of your Audition Psych 101 launch?
The pre-launch begins on May 8th with the release of the first free lesson, the second lesson on May 10th, and the third lesson on May 12st; course registration will open on May 14h and close on May 19th.
What is an Affiliate Partner?
An Affiliate Partner (that’s you!) is someone who has a following or audience that could benefit from what another company’s product or service has to offer, and they happily and enthusiastically message their audience about the product.
Usually, that product isn’t something the Affiliate Partner offers themselves.
As their audience members purchase the product, the Affiliate Partner is given a commission on each purchase. For the launch of the Audition Psych 101 program, our Affiliate Partners are paid $50 for each sale.
But in the case of Audition Psych 101, it’s more than just money. We want to work with people who share our vision of empowering actors to find success and peace with the process of auditioning.
Who can be an Affiliate Partner?
Anyone who has an audience, followers, are influencers, teachers, enthusiasts…anyone. And we look for people in particular who want to be change agents in their audience members’ lives, helping them achieve success in acting.
And Affiliate Partners can pick and choose from hundreds of products and services that would be useful to that audience, that are of high quality, are useful to their audience and are complementary to what the Affiliate Partner has to offer themselves, aside from Audition Psych 101.
As an example, one of our Affiliate Partners teaches actors how to take care of their voices, maximizing their vocal health with natural practices and products. As a complement to what she offers, she partners with us during our launches, informing her followers about Audition Psych 101 to help them with the development of their acting career.
Are there conflicts that might prevent me from being an Affiliate Partner?
There are no legal conflicts, but if you feel you can’t message your audience about other offerings than your own, or if you just aren’t comfortable with (or don’t like) marketing, or you don’t like to be compensated for saying nice things about someone else’s offering, then being a partner might not be for you.
Affiliate marketing has a negative reputation for some, because the Internet is filled with people who promise things that their product or service simply can’t deliver.
We’re not like that. For over a decade, we’ve been helping our clients find success and peace in auditioning. And our Affiliate Partners aren’t like that. We prefer making an impact in the lives of our customers, but we know it’s also up to them to engage in what we teach. We make no promises of overnight success, and we make it very clear that there are no guarantees in the world of performance.
And all of our Affiliate Partners deliver our message with no promises or guarantees.
How much time will being an Audition Psych 101 Affiliate Partner take?
It depends on how quickly and painlessly you copy and paste, compose and send emails, post on social media, or organize and conduct a live event or podcast episode. On average, when Michael acts as an Affiliate Partner for his colleagues, he’ll spend about 20 minutes a day during the course of the launch preparing his messaging and sending it to his audience – on those days when he has something to send. On other days, there’s no time spent on this at all.
Your mileage may vary. But…it’s not even a part time job.
What is a referral?
A referral is the term used anytime one of the Affiliate Partner’s followers decides to join the audience of the company whose product they are promoting. That person is a referral. And you use a unique referral link to send them our way (more on that in a moment).
For example, if you message your audience about the free course, and one of your audience members signs up to watch during our pre-launch, that person is a referral from you to us.
Note that they haven’t purchased anything. They’re just doing a little window-shopping.
What is a referral link, and why is it unique?
A referral link is a special web link, unique to each Affiliate Partner (that’s you!), so we can keep track of which of our Affiliate Partners has sent us a referral, and know how many they have sent.
When a Partner’s audience members see that unique referral link in an email, in a social media post or on their screen and click on it, they’ll end up seeing our information (like our free class lessons, or the registration page to join Audition Psych 101) just like everyone else, but our affiliate management system will know it’s from that particular Affiliate Partner.
Where do I find my unique referral link?
When you applied for our affiliate program (run by our friends at SamCart), you filled out a form letting us know who you are and how we can contact you.
When we approved you, our affiliate program assigned you your unique affiliate link. You can find it by clicking on the Affiliate Dashboard (link also at the top of this page).
When you get that dashboard, scroll down to the LINKS section, and you’ll see this:
Copy and paste that referral URL (link) into your messaging whenever you send your follower our way, or use a redirection link you've created that sends them to that referral URL (as described below).
And don’t worry…that link will remain the same for the entire launch, so you can keep pasting it in the same way, every time you message your audience.
How do I test that referrals are being properly credited to my affiliate link?
To show you how to test that when someone clicks on your affiliate link, you get proper credit, David made a how-to-test video for one of his launches, and it will work exactly the same way for you – just test your Audition Psych 101 referral link in the same way he shows you here (you can also go full screen with this video):
I’m familiar with the WordPress Redirection plugin, and link shorteners like bitly and
tinyurl. Do you mind if I use those to make my referral link shorter and easier to read?
We’d love it if you did, because it will increase your engagement. David really prefers the Redirection plugin, but it can only be used if you have a WordPress site.
The others you mentioned work great as well (bitly and tinyurl).
You can turn a not-so-easy-to-say-or-copy-down link like this:
https://auditionpsych101.samcart.com/referral/ap101/5NxmASsVPTjUgrblahblahblah
into something like this:
bit.ly/ap101 (if your choice is available)
Go for it!
How does your affiliate program know I’m the one who sent you a referral?
First, we know because we can tell what link someone clicked to visit us. We compare that link to our list of Affiliate Partners, and we can see it’s from you.
But more importantly, our system places a cookie in the browser of your audience member (with their permission). That cookie lets us know whenever they come back to us that they came from you.
Of course, audiences are often shared among Partners, especially if they are in related fields, like the performing arts. If an audience member who has already been assigned to you then clicks on an affiliate link from another Affiliate Partner supporting our launch, they will be reassigned to them. That’s why it’s important to stay in touch with audience members throughout the launch process, and encourage them to visit us via your link.
(And the reverse is also true – if someone is sent to us by another Affiliate Partner, but then they click on your link after that, they’ll be reassigned to you.)
What is a conversion?
A conversion occurs when a referral becomes a customer, and buys the product or service being offered.
If a referral never buys that product, they remain a referral, and no money changes hands between the company and the Affiliate Partner (because no sale was made).
But if, in our case, a referral watches our free training and then decides to purchase the Audition Psych 101 course, that referral then becomes a conversion (they “converted” from someone just window-shopping to someone who went in and bought what was in the window), and you’re credited with the commission due on that purchase.
How can I track both my referrals and conversions?
If you click on the link in the menu at the top of this page, and visit your Affiliate Dashboard over at SamCart, you’ll see a number of things being counted.
You’ll see clicks, which is the number of times your referral link has been clicked on. This roughly translates to referrals.
You’ll see conversions, which is the number of referrals that have purchased from us.
And you’ll see other items, like conversion percentage, commission totals, payments to you and more.
What if I don’t generate any interest in Michael’s classes?
We take a great deal of pride in only inviting people we know align with our mission, our values and our content. Even the Affiliate Partners with the smallest followings (like, fewer than 25 followers or email list members) generate some amount of interest. In fact, one of David’s top affiliates from a recent launch got 5 conversions from a list of only 44 people.
And she did it because she spoke from the heart, related her experience with his course, with him and what he had to offer, then told her followers that he could help them create a better acting experience.
And she messaged them throughout the launch with different aspects of that story. Because she is authentic, believable, and takes terrific care of her followers in her own offerings (she helps actors with their social media brands), they trusted her and have been happy students ever since.
You’ll likely be surprised at how much interest you’ll generate.
What does a home run look like when you’re an Affiliate Partner?
It’s all about focusing on being of service, not sales. Even if you don’t achieve any sales on our behalf, you’ll find that when you can create change in someone’s life, you’ll benefit in the long run.
Of course, it’s usually better for your conversion stats and your sales if you take the path we lay out for you, and message your followers on the days during the launch that we suggest. Across two weeks, that’s a total of 8 messaging opportunities, including the 3 pre-launch lessons, and 5 messages during registration week.
For some, that’s an easy task. For others, not so much.
And you also want to strongly consider doing some combination of email, social media, live event, podcast, blog post, video or whatever you prefer.
But no matter what you decide, a home run for us is you being of service to YOUR audience, and we want to do the same. We don’t want you to promote us just to make some money; we want you to promote us because we can create change and make impact in an actor’s life.
That’s a home run for us.
What kinds of bonuses can I offer my audience in addition to the bonuses you’re offering?
Affiliate Partners can been really creative with this. In addition to linking to Michael’s free course and to the registration to Michael’s class when it opens, they’ve offered things like:
• A free hour of private coaching in the Affiliate Partner’s field
• A personal social media audit with suggestions on improvements
• An eBook that was filled with useful calming techniques
• An infographic that showed them how to set up an audition studio
• A group weekend with other converted referrals from their list
• and more
The only thing we require you not to do is to offer any sort of discount on our training, nor the sharing of your commission with your audience member who purchases from us.
Other than that, your bonus(es) can be anything, as long as they are useful and impactful. That’s the sort of bonus that makes a difference in someone’s life. But then…you already knew that.
I have a colleague who would be great as an affiliate. How can they sign up to be an Audition Psych 101 Affiliate Partner?
Have them email both Michael at auditionpsych101@gmail.com and David at davidlawrence@gmail.com. Be sure to tell them to mention you. We want to make sure that all of our Affiliate Partners are of service and are…like you!
What does it cost to be an Affiliate Partner?
Nothing. We don’t charge anything to be an Affiliate Partner. You do have to give us a W-9 (or the equivalent if you’re outside the US), so we can pay you.
What is the commission per conversion for this launch?
You receive $50 for each conversion.
Can I use part of my commission to offer a discount to potential conversions among my audience members?
No. As we said earlier, that’s the one thing we don’t allow. We want a level playing field for everyone, and we don’t want anyone discounting what is already an underpriced, premium offering.
When do Affiliate Partners get paid?
Once we tally up the final results after the end of the launch, Affiliate Partners who have earned a commission will be paid that commission, as well as any prize money, within 10 business days.
What if someone I refer to you purchases the course, and then asks for a refund? Do I have to give you back the commission on that sale?
Actually, that’s never happened. Ever.
We have a very clear no-refund policy on purchases of the course, as students get access to the entire package all at once. It’s as simple as that.
And there’s something else that’s really interesting about this policy: no one’s ever asked us for a refund. I’m sure it will happen someday, and we’ll point out the policy to them. But…it’s never happened. Make of that what you will.
(We think it’s because we are agents for change, and attract the best talent in the universe as students. But that’s just us.)
Should there ever be an exception made to that policy, yes, we’ll ask you for the commission back.
What if I don’t have a large mailing list?
That’s OK. You can be effective with a tiny list if they are truly fans. Or no list at all, if you’re totally active on social media, or you are a champ at holding a webinar or a Facebook Live.
It’s true that an entrepreneur’s number one job is to have a channel to connect with their audience, and that in most cases, email far and away outpaces any other channel.
But it’s not a deal killer if you don’t have thousands, or even hundreds, or even dozens of email list subscribers.
Do I need to use one of those email services, like Aweber, MailChimp or ActiveCampaign, or can I just email my contacts directly?
You can email your contacts directly (don’t put them all in the TO box, OK? BCC is the way to go), but you’ll find that it’s easier to manage the whole process if you use an email list management service. Michael uses MailChimp, and David adores Aweber and uses them for all of their email marketing.
What if I don’t know what to write to my audience?
We have faith in you. You’re an artist.
Take a deep breath, return to home base, and remember to be of service. Tell a story about your relationship with auditioning, Michael, the live Audition Psych 101 workshop you’ve taken or your struggle to be at peace with the audition process. These are universal themes that can be the bases for powerful storytelling.
We also have some inspiration for you in the form of swipe files. We’ll tell you what those are in an FAQ further down the page
How long should the emails I send out be?
An expert in this matter, Jeff Walker, has the perfect answer for this: your messaging should be no longer or shorter than necessary.
On average, a few short paragraphs telling your story or describing a problem your follower might have, and how we can help solve it, with your affiliate link in there, is plenty. And if you tell your story from the heart, you’ll find your writing will be just right.
Where can I find examples of the kinds of emails to send out?
We’ve got you covered. We’ve been collecting all of the emails that David has sent over the years as an Affiliate Partner himself, emails that Michael has used to promote the live Audition Psych 101 workshop, and have edited their content for this launch. You actually scrolled right by them at the top of this page to get here! They are displayed as email content you can swipe as examples and inspiration during the launch, again, by scrolling up to just above this FAQ.
There are new swipe files for each big day in the launch: the three free lessons during pre-launch, and peppered throughout the registration week that follows. They will appear a few days before the date they should be sent above this FAQ, and we will be reminding you about them during the launch.
What is a swipe file?
A swipe file is a collection of examples of marketing copy that has been tested and works, that you can use as inspiration for your own messaging. Sample emails, posts, tweets, even Instagram copy with all its emojis.
How do I use the copy examples you provide in your swipe files?
You could just copy and paste them into an email or post, replacing obvious text with your link and name, and send them off to your audience.
But we suggest something better.
Use them as inspiration. Copy and paste them into a blank text field, then change them to suit your needs. Tell the story that’s the theme of the sample email, but tell it your way.
Start changing around the words and editing the flow to match your authentic writing voice. Rewrite it your way, but…
…don’t forget to include your Audition Psych 101 referral link. (Don’t laugh. That’s been forgotten in the past.)
When exactly during the launch do I email my audience members?
There are 7 suggested days within the launch that you should message your audience, either via email, social media or both.
And you aren’t required to do this, but the message gets read if you do. Those days are:
• First free lesson (Monday, 5/8/23)
• Second free lesson (Wednesday, 5/10/23)
• Third free lesson (Friday, 5/12/2023)
• Registration opening day (Sunday, 5/14/23)
• Whatever day you hold a live event (if you do)
• The day before registration closes (Thursday, 5/18/23)
• The day registration closes (Friday, 5/19/23)
Again, this is suggested based on past performance. You should do what you’re comfortable with.
And should you be concerned about people unsubscribing from your list, you might also read the FAQ regarding unsubscribes below.
What time of day works best to mail?
There are a lot of very smart people who completely disagree on the answer to this question, and it’s hard to pin down as people consume their email in different ways at different times of the day and week.
David prefers to have email waiting for the follower in the morning when they wake up, but is also known to email about certain events in the early afternoon.
And the final day of registration, he emails 3 times in one day.
But remember…if you’re being of service, and giving useful information and frames of reference throughout the process, and your followers trust you, they are more likely to want to hear from you, no matter what time of day you land in their inbox.
Won’t people unsubscribe from my list if I email too often?
Yes. Some of them absolutely will. Heck, they’ll unsubscribe even if you don’t email them ever!
And do you know what else might happen?
You might gain subscribers as your current followers forward your message to their friends. That’s what happened to our number one affiliate a few years ago. She called him, amazed that she actually gained subscribers during that year’s launch.
Here’s a great sentence to use as a PS in your emails:
Please feel free to forward this to any fellow actor you think might find better auditioning useful. I’m on a mission to help as many friends and colleagues as I can.
That phrase is guaranteed to generate more referrals than not doing it, and won’t offend or tick anyone off.
Again, it’s all about being of service. If someone feels they are simply being used as a potential wallet that can be pried open, you’re going to see them leave. But if you’re of service and you write and post to them with their benefit in mind, amazing things can and do happen.
I just don’t feel comfortable emailing that often. Can I send fewer emails and still participate?
Absolutely. Again, we fully expect you to do what you feel most comfortable doing. We also want you succeed beyond your wildest dreams.
If I’m already emailing my audience members, am I allowed to also use social media to support your launch?
Of course. You want to support your email messaging with social media “look in your inbox” messages, or hints at what they’ll find when they do.
It’s not one or the other. And for all the major social media networks, we have content in the swipe files for each event day of the launch.
Can I promote the Audition Psych 101 launch on Facebook?
Certainly. Posting to your timeline, adding a quick video or image, or any of the other myriad ways you have of posting on your own profiles, pages and in your own groups…go for it.
What about posting in groups I’m a member of on Facebook?
Be very careful about that. If you are clear that the group owner is OK with you doing so, great. We are members of a number of very supportive groups that have actually asked us to post information about Audition Psych 101 in their groups.
But only do it if you have their explicit permission – and you’re always being of service to their members.
Can I promote the Audition Psych 101 launch on Twitter?
Tweet away. Adding videos of up to 2 minutes (that’s the limit on Twitter unless you’re very, very special) are extraordinarily effective, and make sure to place your referral link in the body of the tweet.
Can I promote the Audition Psych 101 launch on Instagram?
Go for it. Remember that IG loves square videos, photos that tell a story and emojis in your post.
And be sure to put your referral link in your IG bio so people can click on it (they can’t click on anything else except Instagram-purchased ads), and refer to the fact that the link is there in your posts and stories. Use the hashtag #LinkInBio.
Can I promote the Audition Psych 101 launch on Youtube?
Oh, gosh yes. YouTube is the second most used search engine in the world, and making a video for your YouTube followers is an excellent way to connect (and tell your story live on camera).
Your referral link should be shown on screen if you can add a title to your video, and you should also put it in the “show notes” below your video.
Can I promote the Audition Psych 101 launch on Pinterest?
Yes.
Create a board for the launch, with images around auditioning and acting, and keep your followers posted on how the free lessons and the registration weekdays progress.
Can I promote the Audition Psych 101 launch on other social networks?
If they allow it, please do. Just be sure not to spam boards or groups, and stay within all terms of service listings.
Can I purchase advertising on social media to promote the Audition Psych 101 launch?
You can, but you do so out of your own pocket, and we need to review and approve any ads you want to run.
It’s an advanced strategy, so please don’t do it if you aren’t totally comfortable with how ads work and are optimized.
Can I book Michael as a guest for a Zoom, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube Live event during the launch?
Subject to his availability, yes. Just pop him an email at auditionpsych101@gmail.com and ask him about his schedule.
How can I maximize a Zoom or Facebook Live/YouTube Live event?
Here are some things to keep in mind:
• Message your audience with direct links to the scheduled event.
• Remind your audience about an hour before you’re going live.
• Have a theme for the event around solving a problem.
• Engage your audience with questions.
• Monitor the comments. Place them on the screen if your software allows it.
• Don’t spend a lot of time waiting for people to show up.
• Say hello and get started.
• Ask for shares and likes several times throughout the event to draw more people live.
• Create a PowerPoint deck with the points you want to make and share your screen.
• Use software like eCamm Live or StreamYard to up your video look and sound.
• Be sure to have your referral link handy and show it often.
• Leave plenty of time for questions.
• Offer a special bonus if your followers sign up before the end of the day via your link.
• Place your referral link in the description of your Facebook Live or YouTube Live posting.
Is there software or are there online services that you recommend for running a live event?
Zoom, of course, because…Zoom, especially if you want to keep things just to your followers.
For public Lives on Facebook and YouTube, we really love eCamm Live – it’s for Macintosh only, but it’s amazingly well done.
Another option is StreamYard, which is rock solid web-based software.
And if you have to, BeLive.TV. If you have to.
I have a podcast. Can I promote the Audition Psych 101 launch on that, and possibly have Michael on as a guest?
That would be an extraordinarily creative thing to do, that no one has asked about, ever. So it’s a sneaky very-infrequently-asked-question that was slipped into this FAQ at the last minute by some hooligans in the neighborhood.
Do it, and produce it ahead of the launch, positioning its release either the day of the registration opening, or a few days before registration closes.