Database profiles are important, but still they are
only one part of the myriad options for communicating with clients. Each
client will have a different preference on how they like to receive
submissions. Some prefer to receive old fashioned hard copy prints in
hand. Others like the “greener” option of online submissions, while some
clients still want to be able to do all the work themselves by sifting through
websites for faces to hire. Part of your agent’s job is to keep all of
these media options readily available to appease each client’s request.
Remember in an earlier blog going over the
importance of keeping an updated headshot/resume on file in your agent’s office
at all times? Your digital profiles and web presence are every bit as
important and should be updated regularly, too! Agency websites are used
daily by clients doing more research, discussing options with other decision
makers, trying to find talent they have previously hired again, etc. This
website is one more of your many marketing tools, so fees to keep this medium
accessible to clients will be passed down to the talent.
Agencies choose different ways to process these
costs, so check with your agent to get more information on their
guidelines. The point here is that any online presence incurs costs and
you can expect it to be a part of your business overhead. Even databases
or agencies that don’t itemize a charge for these services will pass the cost
along.
Fees range from a few dollars per month to hundreds
per year. Figuring out what these services are worth to you as an
individual will vary from person to person. My best advice is to trust
your agent’s guidance for at least three years. (It’s unlikely you’ll be
launched into superstardom overnight.) After all, you’re allowing them to
handle your career, so trusting their advice on the best forms of marketing
should be included in that trust.
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