What is Industry Inbox?
Industry Inbox is a platform that enables performers to send customizable digital ‘postcard’ announcements to Casting Directors, Talent Representatives and other Industry Leaders who have signed up for an Industry Inbox virtual mailbox.
We are excited to announce a portion of our annual proceeds will be donated to our charity of choice, THE ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITY FUND! Formerly known as THE ACTORS FUND, they offer social services, career counseling, help with finding the right health insurance, housing, support for young and senior performers, financial wellness courses, financial assistance and so much more! The ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITY FUND is set up for people who work in all forms of entertainment. That means you!
Why was Industry Inbox created?
Actors and other performers need a way to create and maintain professional relationships with Casting Directors, Agents and Managers (Industry Inbox refers to them collectively as Industry Executives).
With traditional physical mail-in postcards, it is always hit or miss if you have the most current address, not to mention the amount of paper and energy wasted. In addition, with remote work now commonplace, many professionals will not be giving out a work address, as it is often the same as their home address.
There are Actors who try to promote themselves on a Casting Director’s personal social media page, which is the epitome of spamming and will lead to a negative impression…exactly what you DON’T WANT.
Also, if you are able to obtain the email address for a particular Casting Director, you must know that the email address is reserved for their personal and business use and should not be clogged by Performers trying to market themselves. That is a sure-fire way to get blocked. And again, your goal is to create a positive professional relationship where you are not intruding on their workspace or time. You want them to be happy they can learn about you, and not feel burdened by unprofessional attempts at notoriety.
What is a campaign?
Each time you create a digital postcard, you choose a campaign type. These “campaigns” can be sent to one or many recipients in a single market (LA, NY, etc.). To cover multiple markets you’ll need to send multiple campaigns.
Examples of campaign types are:
• NEW IN TOWN
• INTRODUCING MYSELF
• UPCOMING PERFORMANCE
• UPDATE
• EXCITING NEWS
• THANK YOU
• CONGRATULATIONS
Periodically campaign types will be added for special events, holidays, etc.
‘Thank You’ & ‘Congratulations’ are examples of personalized cards, which are intended for just one recipient. These are great ways to continue building and fostering relationships with Industry Executives who may have recently invited you to audition or who you’d like to congratulate for an award nomination or something they’re recently achieved.
When your card is received by the Casting Directors, Agents and Managers on your target lists, they are sorted by campaign types to aid in the navigation of their inbox and to help prioritize what is most relevant to them at that moment.
*More about how to understand and utilize campaigns in our ‘articles’ section of the website, located under the ‘community’ tab.
With Industry Inbox, you no longer need to worry about stamps and old addresses to make a statement!
What is a youth performer account?
Young people will always have a place in the entertainment field, so being able to market a young person's career is important.
Industry Inbox is focused on safeguarding minors’ privacy and who can communicate with them. With that in mind, everyone under the age of 18 years old must have a parent or guardian create and manage all aspects of the account.
We encourage young performers to sit with their parents/guardians and create campaigns together. Talking about your progress, crafting your messages, and selecting your photos can be constructive as your career grows and can help assure you are all on the same page.
Furthermore, all Youth Accounts will be notated so the recipients of the card will be aware the communications originated from the parents/guardians of the performer.
What is customizable on my postcards?
You are always allowed to change photos, links, background color and the text you want on a particular campaign. You may also choose any current campaign types.
Your photos and links will need to be approved by Industry Inbox to ensure they are professional and align with our terms and conditions.
Your links should be a personal performer webpage, your IMDB profile, your Actors Access page or the casting site you most like to use, etc. You may want to link to Instagram, Tik Tok or other social media site which works fine as well.
*Performers who purchase the annual membership option will be able to embed their demo reel, an Inbox Intro, a taped monologue, a dance performance or other appropriate video.
What does Industry Inbox consider appropriate as far as postcard content?
We encourage performers to talk about their careers, their hopes, their work, and anything else professionally relevant. Including recent work and moving to a new community.
You may not discuss religion, politics, apply pressure for a meeting or in any way make the Casting Professional or Talent Rep feel uncomfortable. A violation of Industry Inbox terms of service could result in removal from the platform without notice or refund.
All Industry Executives will have the ability to BLOCK a sender if they feel they are being spammed or approached in a rude manner or for any other reason. Members will not be notified if individual professionals have blocked them. Use your best judgment to ensure this does not happen to you.
If the Industry Executive feels you have really crossed a line, then they will BLOCK AND REPORT you to Industry Inbox, who will investigate the complaint. If the Industry Executive has mistakenly reported you, or staff determines your actions were not inappropriate, no action will be taken. However, if staff learns your actions and campaigns contained harassing or inappropriate content, your membership will be revoked without refund and you will be banned from further use of the site.
Will the Industry Executive actually view my postcards?
All Industry Executives who sign up for Industry Inbox do so knowing Performers like yourself will be sending marketing material. How often they check their inbox, and what they do with the postcards is completely up to them. There is no time pressure applied to the professionals, just like there would be no way to control when your physically mailed postcard would be viewed. We guarantee it will reach their inbox and we will periodically send them reminders to check the postcards they have waiting.
Will the Industry Executive respond to me personally?
Industry Inbox is not a social media site.
We do not facilitate communication outside of your postcard campaigns. However, the professionals will have the ability to send back an emoji if they wish. These include messages of encouragement and appreciation.
Will I get representation or auditions through my membership with Industry Inbox?
We do not promise representation or any auditions.
It is important to learn about this business. Industry Inbox allows you to market yourself in a professional manner to Industry Executives. We hope you amplify your number of auditions and meetings by creating and maintaining relationships via the platform.
Will I be spammed if I become a member of Industry Inbox?
No.
We are totally against wasting people’s time.
We will send you periodic updates, let you know when someone has sent an emoji in response to your campaign, and inform you about exclusive special events for members, if you are a current member in good standing. We also keep all email addresses private and never market them to 3rd party companies.
If one of our Casting Directors or Talent Reps has a class or book they would like you to know about it, you can get that information in our STORE FRONTS tab instead of your personal email.
How many Industry Professionals have inboxes with Industry Inbox?
Launched in 2023, after realizing remote work may become standard in entertainment, Industry Inbox is engaging the Casting Community in Los Angeles as well as other markets in the U.S and across the globe. Keep checking back to see who else has created an inbox!
How do I know the Casting Professionals and Talent Reps who have inboxes are legitimate?
All Industry Executives on Industry Inbox have gone through a thorough vetting process. We make it very hard for someone to get an inbox if they do not have professional credits and a reputation in the community.
If someone erroneously obtains an Industry Executive account, they will promptly be removed and banned from the site.
We are serious about protecting the community from fraudsters.