VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

[Dayo]

Doug has summed it up very well: whatever works for you.

For my part it's been mostly word of mouth. The scary thing for me is when you look back and trace where the clients came from; it's often from a chance meeting or remark.

As an example, I had a long term client back in the nineties that brought me tens of thousands in billings. When I unravelled the string I recalled that this client came from asking another client an almost throwaway question at the end of a gig.
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Colin Day - UK Voiceover
www.thurstonday.co.uk

[Philip Banks]

Therein lies the real key ...Invisible visibility.

Full on marketing/networking/antiSOCIAL MEDIA does not work for most people because it tends to be inappropriately employed.

How do you .....? Step OUT of the circle.

[Jen Gosnell]

[Mike Harrison]

[jsgilbert]

I've seen many voice talent who have employed incredible marketing programs, and then they open their mouth.

It's for sure that any marketing to prospective clients is best done via content creation, or if not creation, then aggregation. When I send out emails, they tend to get read. I sent one out a couple of months ago to 600 audio engineers, which had quite a bit of helpful information, including a link and significant discounts to some audio plugins. The open rate was 27% and the clickthrough to that one particular link was 11%. Almost unheard of numbers.

Back in 2003 - 2005, I was responsible for compiling and mailing out monthly events calendar emails to the advertising community in the Bay Area. The forward rate was 5%, with 2% additional requests for opt-in monthly and a whopping 36% open rate.

I'm in the process of getting my mailing lists back in order and hope to have a regular monthly newsletter going out by October.
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j.s. gilbert

js@jsgilbert.com
www.jsgilbert.com

"today is the first day of the rest of the week"

[Jason Huggins]

I'd say, I need to get on your list. You are sure doing something right to get that kind of response.

[ConnieTerwilliger]

I used to send out a quarterly newsletter - with some interesting tidbit first, then some testimonials with links. Tried to keep it relevant and funny.

The send list was very targeted toward production companies. People kept them. At least some people kept them. I know this because I would get an email with a project that was a Reply To one of those newsletters.

At the moment, I have still evaluating my CRM and new ways of staying on the radar. So these discussions are always relevant. Right now it is individual emails as I work my way through my email list - checking out websites and confirming contact info.
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Playing for a living...
www.voiceover-talent.com
YouTube Channel: http://youtube.com/connieterwilliger

[DougVox]

[ConnieTerwilliger]

Yes - Doug - total agreement...that tidbit was something relevant to production. I subscribe to several media production blogs and newsletters in order to stay on top of stuff that might be of interest to my clients.
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Playing for a living...
www.voiceover-talent.com
YouTube Channel: http://youtube.com/connieterwilliger

[Jen Gosnell]

Mike, you don't know how incredibly, almost painfully relevant that particular clip is to my offline life EVERY DAY right about now. (Oh the joys of Momming a 2-yo and a 4-yo...)
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jen@jengosnell.com
https://www.jengosnell.com
Skype: jen.gosnell
971.258.2448

[Bob Bergen]

Today's audition is an insurance policy for another. There are many reasons a brilliant talent and a brilliant read doesn't book the job. But trust me, you will be remembered if you are brilliant.

Same goes for brilliant marketing. Most out there have no idea how to do it. But if your marketing is brilliant, and your talent is brilliant, you will be remembered. Dots are connected all the time. We haven't a clue when they are connected. But if you don't market, there are fewer dots to connect.

I myself am not a fan of the cold calling. I find that intrusive. But I spend every hour not working or auditioning on my marketing. Today's email campaign might be a job tomorrow. Or next week. Or next year. You just have no way of knowing when that seed you plant sprouts. It might shrivel and die. But it might bloom.

I think most need to better think through what and why they are marketing along with how. Let's face it, the majority out there haven't a clue what their product is that they are attempting to market. Then, they have no idea why they are marketing it. Sure, to get a job. But the problem is, so is everyone else. You are now amongst the rest of the herd out there walking in circles. You need to be ahead of the herd, not amongst them.

Take marketing classes at your closest college or university. Your marketing has to be specific and strategic. Think of yourself and your vo career as a product. You are trying to marry your product with the buyer's product. Just like Coke is trying to stay ahead of the Pepsi marketing game. Or how Toyota wants your business over Honda. Etc. You want the buyers to take notice of you over every other vo actor out there. What sets you apart? Why are you worth getting notice over anyone else? Most out there rarely, if ever think this through. Which is why marketing doesn't work for most. They are just amongst the herd with nothing of more interest or need to offer. Just another voice, or another out of work actor. Maybe the demo is well produced. Maybe the reads are good. But there's no "wow" factor. You need a wow factor, both in your talent as well as your marketing. And, you need a reason to market. To get a job is not the best reason. That keeps you in the herd.

The best marketing campaign for a voice actor is to promote your most recent impressive job. Notice I said impressive job. Think of this impressive job as an event that you are now going to market. But-you need to market it to buyers who are compatible with your talent AND this event. If you are now the voice of Lexus, this is not the event to market to audio book publishers. If you booked a new radio imaging station, chances are this will not curl animation buyer's toes.

I'm a huge fan of social networking. That said, we are all one google away from destroying a business relationship. I cannot tell you how many times I've heard from producers, casting directors, executive producers, etc., that they refuse to work with certain actors because of what they post online. Be it aggressive arguments, or just badmouthing others. Social network exposes. Forever. And no one wants to risk an actor will be detrimental to a product or company. In the old days, reputations were spread by word of mouth. Today, all a buyer has to do is google a name and they can see in print how they represent themselves and their career. How professional or how green they are, or even if they just seem like they will be a joy (or not) to work with. Do they represent themselves as beginners or a seasoned pro? There are seasoned pros who haven't a clue how to portray themselves. And, there are rank beginners who from the getgo present themselves as seasoned pros. Put yourself in the seat of the buyer, agent, producer, or casting director. Whom would you rather work with or take a chance on?

Lots to think about. The good thing about today compared to when I got into the business 30 plus years ago is that marketing is relatively cheap today. I used to spend $1000s in mailings. Today, marketing is, for the most part, free. Just takes time and a smart strategy. Sure, you probably need to create a platform for your marketing. But even this is a fraction of the reel to reel demos, packaging, and postage from the old days.

But the most important thing to think about is, you only need one person to change your life. Be it a life changing job, or viral career suicide.

[jsgilbert]

My recent strong numbers for email openings come from several things:

Double opt-in. Seriously, if you don't want me sending you something, I don't want to send it.

Having some sort of "relationship" with the recipients.

Making sure your subject line is relevant and will get them to want to open it.

Having content, whether unique or aggregated and high quality that really speaks to the core of your reader. Part of my content was that I actually listed job openings and other work opportunities for audio engineers.

Targeting to broadcast producers and ad agency folks is a bit trickier. My last email blast to this marketing segment was in 2012, and had a 7% open rate, which I am still told is an incredible number. (approximately 450 emails sent), which led to me doing one casting/ directing job and a new contact that I audition regularly for (no work yet though).

Consistency is very important, but given the choice of sending quality content or making a monthly goal, I choose the former.

Perhaps the biggest problem is when a talent spreads themselves so thin across various social media sites, that they tend not to develop ongoing engagement and presence in any one area. I suspect that LinkedIn and Facebook alone may be a handful for the average actor. Twitter, is also potentially important, but then throw in developing marketing lists, CRM management, putting together meaningful content for emails, and auditioning for 2, 3 or more agents, plus actually doing your v.o. work, as well as handle other responsibilities can be monumental.

Richeard Bolles, "What Color is Your Parachute" discusses this in a metaphor of juggling. Can you comfortably juggle 2 balls? Most people can. 3 balls? Many can with practice. But when it comes to 4, 5 or 6 balls, it starts gettig very tricky.

Looking at those balls as family, friends, work, health, etc., one can see how it can easily get out of control.
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j.s. gilbert

js@jsgilbert.com
www.jsgilbert.com

"today is the first day of the rest of the week"

[MooreVoices]

DougVox and jsgilbert, are you sure the two of you are not affiliate marketing double agents?

So much of the vocabulary and jargon you guys are using was ONLY relevant to affiliate marketers OR marketing specialists at corporations.

In just half a decade, the general public that possess a gift, skill, or trade, has had to adopt these vocabulary words, not only to be successful, but just to compete.

If you are not marketing, online and offline, then you're not working. It's that simple.

I absolutely love the information you guys shared.

Took me back down memory lane to 2005 when acronyms such as c, cpa, crm, seo, and sem were foreign.

Wow, the internet has come along way in such a short time.

Stay marketing my friends.
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Freedom is not knowing your limits but realizing that you have none.