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Facebook... Bah, Humbug... Or?

 
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Rick Riley
Flight Attendant


Joined: 12 Aug 2011
Posts: 807
Location: Portland, OR

PostPosted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 8:14 am    Post subject: Facebook... Bah, Humbug... Or? Reply with quote

A couple days ago a Facebook message popped up saying that I have page at Rick Riley Voice. Well of course I do. I don’t really, but it’s waiting for me if I want one. I ignored it.

Then I was getting my haircut and I was talking to the woman who cuts my hair about the change in my business. Because of the Voices.com buyout of Voicebank and everybody avoiding them like the plague, my agents are struggling with the change and how to cope with it. One of my agents, a really good on in Minneapolis, after years of success, just closed their doors.

I told her I recently read the book, ‘Who Moved My Cheese’, and how finding new cheese when I already have a good supply, has never been my strong point. I’ve been fortunate enough to move to the upper tier of what I do, first in radio and then in VO, only to have my cheese yanked away in both fields, Clear Channel and now Voices.com, and me, not being ready for it.

She said it’s the same in her profession. She’s changed salons twice and has to market herself in order to keep her business flowing. She uses Instagram and Facebook and probably a couple other social media things I forgot. But she says in this day and age, it’s imperative that you move into those neighborhoods because that’s where a certain amount of business lives.

I’m old school. Enjoying what I have until I don’t have it anymore and slow to change. Not good traits to have when a family of four depends on their daily cheese.

So, I’m wondering if those here have homes in those neighborhoods and if so, what’s the property value? I don’t do audiobooks or eLearning, but do just about everything else.

Comments? My Facebook page awaits.
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ConnieTerwilliger
Triple G


Joined: 07 Dec 2004
Posts: 3381
Location: San Diego - serving the world

PostPosted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 8:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

In case anyone doesn't know the book - here is an animation I voiced a bazillion years ago when the book was fresh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txy6DwbwZ9g

As to your question...try "networking" with online video production groups - I have had some success with that.
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YouTube Channel: http://youtube.com/connieterwilliger
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Bob Bergen
CM


Joined: 22 Apr 2008
Posts: 937

PostPosted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 9:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think voice actors need to understand how and why social media is necessary. The confusion comes from the term "social." Why would posting grandma's birthday party matter to buyers?? They don't. That goes on a personal page. Your vo business belongs on it's own page. Yes, it needs some personal touch. But to really understand the value, you need to think like a buyer or agent.

First of all, get out of your head the idea of an immediate job from a social media posting. I keep seeing, "I never got a job from social media." 1) You don't know this. 2) You haven't used it properly for your career.

Social media is vital for fan based vo, like games and animation. Buyers, networks, studios want to see a large following as that ups the odds of content viewers. And for those who poo poo the concept that it should all be based on talent rather than followers, get over it! Social media followers are today's Nielsen Ratings. Followers have been a factor in the hiring of fan based actors since media began. It's just the media that has changed.

But why is social media important for, say, the commercial vo actor? Today's buyers surf potential actor's social media pages before hiring. Not all, but most. They are checking everything from how they promote to their day to day social media behavior. I will address behavior later.

Let's start with promoting. Why is this important to the commercial buyer? Well, it's free and additional advertising.

A voice actor does a commercial. They post a link to that commercial on social media. No comment, no BS thank you. Less is more when it comes to PR. Too much and it becomes bragging. Let the conversation from your post come from your connections. "Nice work/is that you as the announcer?", etc. It's your followers who actually perpetuate the PR dialogue, not you. By promoting the gig by virtue of posting a link to the spot, you draw eyes and consumers to the product, which makes the buyer very happy. Let's say the buyer has narrowed it down to 2 actors for a gig. One has little to no social media activity. One has a history of promoting past gigs, and has substantial followers. The latter brings more value to the buyer.

Let's also explore the different social media platforms. LinkedIn vs Facebook/Instagram/Twitter, and how to use them for business.

LinkedIn:
You do a job. Let's say a commercial. With every job, connect with all buyers whom you worked with on social media. The producer, writer, etc. From that one commercial surf the writer/producer's LinkedIn page. Connect with their other connections. You will see they are probably connected with dozens, maybe hundreds of other ad buyers. Connect with them as well! Drop a note with your connection invitation regarding whom you just worked with so there's a direct business connection. Spend a day doing this. You will reach out to perhaps 250 plus people. If you get 10 accept you, that's 10 more than you started out with. Eventually promote this new spot with these 10 buyers by posting a link to the spot once released.

Do this with every vo job you have ever done, in every genre of vo. Eventually you will electronically create an organic synergy of PR. It's a constant that occurs daily by virtue of your social media presence.

LinkedIn is great for connecting with producer buyers. Once you establish a working relationship with them there, connect with them on the more social platforms of Facebook/Twitter/Instagram.

Facebook/Twitter/Instagram:
These are less corporate but no less important. Promote there the exact same way you do so on LinkedIn. However, on these you add a more personal touch. The occasional picture of you in the booth, lil behind the scenes of your day to day, etc.

You are as good as the company you keep. Spend a weekend and connect with actors, agents, producers, etc., who run in the vo circles you wish to. Again, as you promote your vo career, you create the same day to day organic electronic synergy.

Social media probably won't bring immediate work. The odds that you are right for something a buyer has at the same time you promote are slim. But all of your connections will see your activity, your PR. They see your career in progress. Getting started and organizing the synergy is daunting. Just spend a weekend starting with one gig. Trust me, it will take on a life of it's own. Tend to it everyday. Even if you just put in a half hour, as your connections grow and grow, as your PR touches each and everyone daily, you have created a self running PR machine.

Behavior:
What you say and how you present yourself matters. You have every right to be opinionated on social media. You risk pissing off someone. If that risk is worth it, keep it up. No one has a clue my political views on social media. My ego is not big enough that I need to let the world know my politics. And let's face it, much of this kind of social media behavior is ego based. This is why most out there are not accepting of different opinions. Proving someone wrong is the motive, and it alienates. A buyer does not want to work with anyone who alienates.

I have also seen actors lose out on jobs just by posting, say, a movie critique. Or a "don't shop there" warning to your social media followers. Potential buyers will see this behavior and fear you will do the same with one of their properties, perhaps even without knowing a past buyer had anything to do with the property.

Keep all negative comments to yourself!

You may not like, or even understand the value of a strong social media presence. But it is vital. And, for the most part is is 100% free! The amount of buyers we can reach out to on social media every day voice actors used to spend tens of thousands of dollars in snail mail mailings.

Followers, connections, whatever you want to call them, they are all relationships. These e-relationships matter. And as time goes on, we are going to eventually have a generation of buyers who only know e-relatiobships.
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Rick Riley
Flight Attendant


Joined: 12 Aug 2011
Posts: 807
Location: Portland, OR

PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2019 8:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey Bob!

THANKS!!!!
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Never do anything you wouldn't want to explain to the Paramedics

www.rickrileyvoice.com
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audiblyandrea
Contributor


Joined: 05 Apr 2013
Posts: 32
Location: Midwest U.S.

PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2019 1:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah.... thanks!

I feel like I owe Bob a few bucks. Laugh
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craigsvoicetalent
Contributor IV


Joined: 04 Oct 2016
Posts: 149
Location: South of Houston, TX

PostPosted: Fri Apr 26, 2019 3:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bob is absolutely correct when he says that the future buyers will only have E-relationships. The world is at their fingertips on their devices. You can deny it, but you will eventually be left behind. I work with millennials in another capacity and they are constantly driving everything to be online, responsive and easy to use. This is not going away!
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Reading, talking and listening.

British Voice Over
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Art
Contributor III


Joined: 27 Sep 2017
Posts: 78
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA

PostPosted: Sun May 12, 2019 1:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bob Bergen wrote:
I think voice actors need to understand how and why social media is necessary.


Excellent post (I've copied and saved it) and I'm happy to read your input here again!
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