Marketing/Branding

Voice Over Must Haves To Launch

Business Management, Client Relationships, Marketing/Branding, Voiceover

But do I really Need it…

As a voice over coach, I get a lot of questions like “Do I really need…” Or, “Oh, you think I should get…” and I am surprised by how surprised my voice over actor students are when I give them the simple answers. Yes, you do in fact need all of these things to successfully launch your voice over business. So, here is a quick check list of sorts to make it easy to know what is essential for you as a voice over actor and small business owner. Without all of these things, your business simple will not go:

Website

Your voiceover website is your virtual storefront. You need to be found. Last week we had Karin Barth from Voice Actor Websites on talking about all that is essential, but you want to bring potential clients and repeat clients to a place where they can hear you and only you. You want them to hear your demos, your booked work if you have it, and be able to contact you easily. Everything else on your website is gravy. If your website does not exist you as a voice actor do not exist. It’s that simple.

Source Connect

If you are a professional voice over actor in 2021, you need to have Source Connect for your home studio. Many agents send auditions that stipulate that the talents must have Source Connect. Moreover, those same agents will not even sign you without the paid version of Source Connect. Telling them you will get it when work comes in is not sufficient because the folks from Source Connect need to map your ports and you cannot do this yourself. Before you pitch yourself to agents, order Source Connect and get your ports mapped!

Pay to Play Memberships

You need a source of auditions. When you are starting out and have no clients, Pay to Play sites like Voice123, Bodalgo, and Cast Voices are a great way to find and book work. These sites are wonderful because they allow you to turn bookings into clients. There are other platforms that prevent interaction between the end user and the voice actor but still charge a premium for voice over actors to use. I prefer these sites as they allow you to build a rapport with the clients and do not interfere with direct interaction between you and the client. While some in the industry may scoff at paying money to build your business, the truth of the matter is that many in casting still want to present their clients with options, so they still prefer to use these platforms. These platforms have been around for a while and you can find some great clients on them. While I advise being selective with which platforms you go on, I also advise using Pay to Plays to get your business going.

Social Media Presence

At this moment in time, if something happened to you in your voice over career, and you didn’t post about it on social media, then basically it never happened. As professional voice over actors, we are only as strong as our last booking. If people don’t know what is going on and that we are working, then we have no “street credit.” There is no one other than you who can create a buzz around you. It’s your business, and you can either shine amongst the stars when you have something to celebrate or keep it quiet and wilt in the dark of your studio. Between Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, you can find the platform where you feel most comfortable and most relevant, but you need to put yourself out there. Much like your website, if no one knows you exist, you don’t.

Business Cards

Voice over is an unusual business. Anyone we meet could be a potential client. We are not just cast be casting directors and video producers. Often and accountant or a lawyer that we meet at a dinner party is just as likely to need us for their phone system as a talent agent it. Essentially anyone we meet who has a business can become a client. Believe it or not, other voice actors should be treated as potential clients as the more entrenched you are in the industry, the more we all refer other work to each other. So, make things simple. Have a business card on hand at all times. You never know when someone will be thrilled to meet you and will want to get in touch later. Your business card should include: your name, your best phone number, your email, your website, perhaps your Source Connect info, and perhaps the genres of voice over that you work in.

Why do Headshots Matter in VO

About Me, Client Relationships, Marketing/Branding, Voiceover

Recent Epic Mistake

When I started my voice over business years ago I had headshots done for my website. While a long time ago people used to say that voice actors did not need to show their face, as the VO industry has continued to evolve and we, as talents, now have to bring in the bulk of our own work, it is on us to run our business like a business. If we want our clients to connect with us, having current pictures is a must. So, about a year back, I was presenting at an online eLearning conference and I was super excited. When they asked for my head shot, I became for cognizant of the fact that the photo no longer resembled me. I was thinner, my hair was shorter, I always wear glasses… the list went on. I decided to take new photos and update them. While my old headshots had been done by a professional, I took the new ones in my booth with an iphone. I loved them and was thrilled.

I loved the photos so much that when I did my website refresh and rebrand this January they were featured in the banner. Do you sense the train wreck coming. Well, middle-aged me does not have perfect vision. I failed to notice that in my main photo I am sticking my tongue out. I tend to be both silly and flirty, and apparently I stick my tongue out. Often. Worse, I could not see that my tongue is sticking out and this photo is everywhere.

Fast forward to this summer. I was accepted as a presenter for the OneVoice conference in Dallas. They asked for a headshot. I send them this photo. I was so elated when I was listed on the page of speakers. I clicked on my photo to make it bigger, and for the first time realized in horror that my tongue was out. Clearly the photo had to be replaced.

Brand Awareness

It’s amazing that even in the NY metropolitan area it is really hard to find a photographer to do corporate branding work. Further, it is amazing how much range there is in their rates. Beyond that, it amazes me how few were even willing to respond. There are so many things that i think about when interacting with clients: rates, making it about them, speed of response, and yet finding someone who got what I needed AND responded AND charged a sane rate seemed like the Red Sea parting. I was delighted when I actually got in touch with a photographer who had an entire corporate branding page and took the time to look at my website. She was kind and flexible and her work is beautiful. She was not easy to find and I’m so thankful that I did!

For me, I wanted these pictures to help instill brand awareness, so clients really know what it’s like to work with me. This meant:

letting my personality come through
choosing colors like pink and avoiding other colors
including my kids and my dogs
showing details of my home and office life

This is all a part of what I have built my brand on…

Chance for Clients to Get to Know You

For these headshots, I put together three looks: formal, fun, and business casual. As I work in different genres of voice over, and deal with people with differing job titles, different looks work for different people. A head shot that is ideal for radio imaging is very different than one that is ideal for corporate narration. But, I wanted my happy, upbeat, fun vibe to come through in all of these looks. I wanted my youthful, millennial personality to shine.

Face of Small Business

While I am a solopreneur, I do run my VO business like a business, and I had very specific thoughts about these photos and their usage. Having been in the voiceover industry for so many years, I knew just how I’d use these pictures and could already envision their placement as soon as I got the proofs.

Opportunity for Social media

I also wanted to have much better images for instagram posts. This was really important to me. I was really excited to see what Erica came back with, because I immediately felt inspired and had tons of ideas. From posts about social media, to life as a working mom, to booth life, these headshots will be in the mix!

How often should you update them?

Basically, you should look like your pictures. Your hair should be relatively similar and no one should have to guess who it is. Likely every 5-7 years will make sense. It it’s more than that you have to question if you are doing yourself a dis-service. In this world where we zoom so often, people expect you to look like your photo. Using an old, out of date, or air brushed photo is almost worse than not having a picture because it undermines the foundation of your brand: you. So keep your headshots up-to-date, and have fun with them!

Talking VO Websites with Karin Barth from Voice Actor Websites

Business Management, Marketing/Branding

In Good Company…

Sometimes you are blessed with knowing the right people, and knowing Joe Davis and Karin Barth is a blessing indeed! While I am fortunate to have worked with them for years on my website and SEO, I am doubly blessed to call them dear friends and amongst my favorite people in the world. When I have important decisions to make about my business, I trust them not just because of their superior expertise, but because they are truly menches in every sense of the word. I have shared holidays and dinners out with them, they have been to my home and know my family, I share personal details of my private life with them, so when I tell you that I trust their guidance for websites… I mean that I fully and completely trust what they have to offer.

So this past Friday, even with just returning from Dallas and the Jewish holidays to boot, Karin Barth made time to speak with me and Diana Birdsall on our weekly Clubhouse “Ask the VO Coaches” about all that we could jam in related to websites and SEO. We had some great participation and all were dazzled by Karin’s brilliant insights. In case you missed it, here is a brief recap of some highlights.

Why Websites Are So Important

Karin put it simply: You want to get your voice heard, your demos heard, and people to hire you. I always tell me coaching students your website is your virtual storefront. She did not use those words but that is how I think of it, and your business really does not exist if your website is not up and no one can find you. A regular to our Clubhouse room, Vijayan, offered that people know that you value yourself and your work once you have a website. He also said that prior to his website, he had an issue with transparency in his country. There was alway a middle man. Once he had a website, he was able to interact with clients directly and could negotiate on his own. It was so refreshing to hear his reflections, as I had my own website before my business launched, and I had never considered this issue.

What Voice Actors Need to Start

Karin said in order to begin you need to have had some coaching and completed a professional demo. As a voice over coach and video demo producer, I cannot tell you how happy this made me to hear. She shared an anecdote about a woman who wanted to do a website and had no demos. This lady thought she could just record some stuff on her phone. Karin said in this scenario they advice folks new to voiceover to instead invest in coaching and then revisit a website down the road.

We then asked Karin if voice actors come to them with a Wix or Square space page if they can work that. The answer is yes, but there is an advantage to having a Word Press page. Since June, Google has changed its core web vitals. Word press makes it easier to comply.

Diana then asked Karin if we should be regularly changing our videos for our SEO. I was fascinated because while I typically add new videos, I tend not to delete old ones as I am really proud of the work I have done and get attached to my content. It never occurred to me to swap it out. I also like the idea, personally, of amassing a large body of work. Anyway, Karin explained that the idea is to train the google bots to come to the site. You want to continually add more relevant content so that your site continues to rank.

Features All Voice Actors Should Have

I of course found this interesting:

Demos: They should be downloadable, not just playable. Karin also mentioned you should be mindful of how you name them. For instance, don’t just label it “commercial demo” because a casting agent could be very confused if they download it and it does not have your name.
Bio: There are a few important details that Karin mentioned. First, be sure to have unique, original content and not to use the same bio on Linked In, your website, and other places! Next, while folks are often excited to share their backstory, Karin suggests starting with where you are now. What service do you provide? What are your selling points
Contact Form: I will tell you I have changed mine over the years but they do an awesome job setting this up for you and Karin also sets up “recaptcha” so you don’t get spam.
Testimonials: This is so important to help build your trust factor
Client List or Client Logos: Again, this helps with your street cred.
Videos: We chatted about how people like to take in information in different ways, and offering video to people wjo do video production just makes a lot of sense!

Insights From Google Analytics

We also spent a little bit of time talking about Google Analytics and what you cal learn from them. Your bound rate is how long someone stays on your site, and Karin explains you can actually look to see the behavior flow and try to see if there are trends in where they drop off. This can give you an idea if you need to add a different call to action. Basically, the longer they are on the sight the better. I found this fascinating.

Final Thoughts…

Those of us who work with Karin and Joe know we are lucky. They know their stuff and there is a reason so many of us turn to them.

Chatting with Voice Actor Katie Flamman

Marketing/Branding, Voiceover, working mom

A Lovely Talk

For 10 weeks now, fellow voice over coach and professional voice over actor Diana Birdsall and I have been hosting a weekly Clubhouse. It fascinates me how the energy of every panel is so different. It’s great that every week the guests in our room comment and asks questions, but depending on who are special guest is, the tone and the vibe is so different.

Katie Flamman and Diana Birdsall at the SOVAS awards in Hollywood — Katie Flamman and our very own Diana Birdsall at the SOVAS awards in Hollywood, from Katie’s instagram feed!

This week we were lucky to have the amazing British voice over actor Katie Flamman. Katie lives in a village south of London and like me was a stay at home mom for years and came into voiceover at the moment when it made sense for herself and for her kids. Katie has an academic background in English Literature from Cambridge University and a professional background in broadcast journalism, all things that serve her well as a voice talent. What made this week’s panel so unique, I think, is that even though Diana and I had a planned set if questions that primarily revolved around marketing and business, the genuine conversation kept shifting back to acting technique and the actual craft of being a working actor. I felt like chatting with Katie and the other guests we had fed me soul and it wad great fun.

Katie’s Take on Marketing

When speaking with Katie, what struck me was how genuine and authentic she is. I’ve been spending a lot of time this week working on keywords on my pay to plays, and these words seem to accurately describe Katie. While so many of us strategize and plan, Katie really is all about making genuine connections with people,

Katie's Clever Posts — Katie’s posts are clever and authentic, and always make me feel inspired.

both industry friends and clients alike. And the timing could not be more perfect, as she actually has an article out this week in Buzz Magazine put out by the Voice Over Network. Katie shared with us that when she first got started in VO, she was in a group called media parents. One of the other women in the group looked at her resume, and helped her find a common thread, and that was storytelling. Katie has worked story telling into all of her branding.

Beyond that, Katie says that when she has something that she things is funny or interesting, she shares it. Beyond that, she does not have a grand plan or strategy. Katie has had the opportunity to travel to the United States for the SOVAS awards and has been able to meet and connect with many people who she finds to be inspiring, and knowing her audience helps shapes her marketing and outreach. She always tries to share information about herself that is authentic and clever, and she uses hashtags as a vehicle to drive her audience connections.

The Work Katie Does

Since Katie had acting experience as a student, and then went into journalism, when she first went into voice over years go she was only doing corporate and commercial work. While for some that may be hard to book, with Katie’s skill set and talent she settled into those genres with ease. For Katie, while she was glad to book that, she still wanted to do character work. She studies with Dave Fennoy and even won a SOVAS for her video game demo. When she won, she thought the job opportunities would pour in, but they did not. She got feedback that she needed to put more physicality into her roles, and she needed to “become the character.” She began to study Alexander technique and started doing a physical warmup before each recording session. She even had her coach come to her studio to evaluate how she stood in front of her mic. I was particularly fascinated by this and now when my twins start back to school may give it a go. Katie has also gotten training in MoCap and PCap. She is really excited about how all of her efforts are helping her pursue work in the genres she is quite passionate about.

What She Wishes She had Known

One of our guests asked Katie what she wish she had known. I always LOVE this question because I think there are so few barriers to entry in our field, that sometimes folks jump into voiceover and are not always realistic about their expectations. Katie said she wished she knew about how to run a business and more about accounting. I loved this answer because anyone getting int VO needs to understand that as a working creative, while our art is part of it, we are running a business. In order to succeed it has to be treated like a business from day one. You need a CRM, you need to track outreach, invoices, expenses, and bookings. You need to pay quarterly taxes (at least in the US). And most importantly, you need to carry yourself like a professional. At the end of the day, being a voice talent is about many things, and our voice is just a small bit. Having Katie on was such a joy, and the chat could have gone on much longer. We are so thankful for her time, especially across time zones!

Voiceoverview: A Must Have tool for voice actors

Business Management, Client Relationships, Marketing/Branding

Do You Have a Tool You Can’t Live Without?

The first few years I ran my business, I used a CRM called Nimble. I’ve said this often, but as a professional voice actor, whatever genre we work in, we wear a lot of hots. As a small business owner, tracking our clients, prospects, and outreach is essential to our success. Nimble offered some features that I needed, but to be frank it was way more complicated than what I needed and it drove me a little crazy. I almost felt tormented by it.

About four years ago my world was rocked when Dani States created her amazing tool Voiceoverview. It’s a business tracker with a CRM component. At the time of its inception, Dani was then partners with my dear friend Joe Davis who everyone knows from Voice Actor Websites. That’s how I first heard of it. So, before I go into Voiceoverview’s amazing features and why you should sign up today, I should tell you a few other details.

Last Friday Diana Birdsall and I were lucky enough to have Dani join us on our Clubhouse panel. Dani answered our questions and those of our guests and I learned SOOO much! Even as a longtime user of Voiceoverview, who has VOV open on my computer everyday, I still learned from Dani during our clubhouse!

How Voiceoverview Began

Dani explained that she was home, on unemployment, and started working as a voice actor about eight years ago. In order to track her progress, she had created spreadsheets. Dani’s husband took it a step further, and actually created a dashboard for her. Dani began sharing this with her friends, and although they occasionally messed it up, Dani realized she had created something that would benefit the voiceover community as a whole! Dani then began chats with Joe Davis, who as I mentioned become Dani’s business partner.

The Beauty of VOV

Dani explained that Voiceoverview is a business tracking tool built so that voice actors can understand the scope and breadth of our business. As a professional voice actor and voice over coach, I cannot tell you how essential such tracking is to your success. As we chatted, Dani was saying that the difference between having a business and having a hobby is tracking and analyzing your data. Whether you got voice over work through rosters, agents, LOLB, and casting sites, you need to be able to see where you work is coming from, how your numbers change, and what genres you book from whom. VOV allows you to see and analyze just that. The biggest barrier to using this tool is failing to incorporate it into your daily routine. Dani explained that it should be open on your computer all the time, and Diana and I said that we both use VOV throughout the day every day. Finanaces should not be a barrier to use, as it is $9.99/month or $96/year and Dani assured us it will remain at that rate, so it really is quite affordable, especially relative to other CRMs.

VOV’s Special Features

One of the features I was super excited to learn about was the ability to duplicate a job! I had no idea that if you have another booking with the same client you can do this! Wow, my mind was blown. We talked about favorite features including integration with WavesApp for invoicing, allowing for seamless invoicing and tracking of payments. Dani said that Fresh Books and Quick Books are coming soon! We talked about the year to date and past year comparisons. We also talked about the top ten client feature. Not only can you see you work with your top 10 clients during this year and in years past, but when you click on it you can get a ranked list of all of your clients from all time! We also talked about the reports feature. As a user, you can run reports on any data: contacts, jobs, expenses. You can then export and extract the data. Lastly, we spent some time talking about job reminders settings, and as I go through me notes I realize that I need to log in and reset my own! These job reminders can be set to off, 30 days, 60 days, or 90 days. The features are remarkable and were created by a voice actor for voice actors.

Some Questions from our Guests

New voice actor David Jacobs said he is using Hubspot at present and asked Dani if he can import his contacts? David also wanted to know if he can connect his email for tracking purposes. Dani explained that if hi has certain components like full names and email then yes, she is happy to help import contacts. She also explained that at the moment there is not email tracking and she herself uses something called Cloze to do that. Diana and I chimed in and said we both switched to VOV from Nimble and are really happy with it as a CRM. Dani also offered sound advice that it is really important to start tracking your business as you build it so that when your business grows your system is already in place and you do not have to get used to a new one. You need to have the tools and systems in place to manage your business.

Philip Koloctonois wanted to know about contacts and if bulk reminders can be set to reach out every 30 days. Dani set at the moment that is not an option but she loved the idea and will implement it. She also said she is exploring integration with Cloze for such a feature, and it depends on their API.

How It Has Changed Dani’s VO Business

Dani said she is far more motivated since she has this in place. She also has a goal of doing at least 100 auditions per month to continue to bring in new clients, and it helps her track that ratio. She also said that the invoicing feature has been huge for her. I can tell you that Voiceoverview has been a game changer for me too. I am not guessing and as my business trends shift, I understand why and where it is going. It helps me make informed choices about my marketing strategy as well.

Advice for Other Entrepreneurs Thinking of a Side Gig

Diana asked Dani if given the opportunity, if she would do this again and without a moment of hesitation she said yes! Dani just finds this so valuable and really wants to help people. Dani did not start out thinking that she was creating something that she could sell, she created something she needed and it turns out others do to!

Hitting a Goal for Subscribers and What that Means

I was surprised to learn on our Clubhouse that Dani does not draw an income from VOV. Instead, she continues to reinvest into her brainchild, to make it better and better for the voice over community. While she describes its existence as being like a small country, she is building something and it isn’t about Dani, it’s about us. She is creating something for all of us. I can tell you it’s amazing and my business would not be where it is without it. If you are not using Voiceoverview, sign up today. You can get a 30 day free trial when you create an account, and if you were in the clubhouse you can get an extra month free!

Finding Voice Over Work on CastVoices

Casting, Client Relationships, Marketing/Branding, Uncategorized, Voiceover

Clubhouse Round 2

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/u39kitauzpzpzig/AADC1By9qOM1pBTJ6eJ-E6gRa?dl=0&fbclid=IwAR3sYhpM9uYnETOPUWcohM3HdIPwVYqMut_Ng8XcN3Z6AXpCOmvqZFXN_08

Put simply, our first Clubhouse with the Liz Atherton and Nick Krause of CastVoices left us wanting more! So many guests in our room “Ask the VO Coaches” had questions, that Diana Birdsall and I did not even get through half of ours. So we were lucky enough to have Liz and Nick back again. If you are not yet in the CastVoices user group, the timing could not have been more perfect. This week some paying members were getting a little antsy about when more bookings would roll out and the tone of the chatter was somewhat impolite, so having Liz available to answer questions meant a lot. The funny thing is that as some were raising questions, I myself booked two roles on a video game that I auditioned on only through the site. It will be an ongoing role with work that will likely last years. So, for these of you who are worried, I urge you to sit back and relax. The work is coming. Now, for my re-cap:

There Are Some Features Unique to Cast Voices

On this platform, if a casting director choses, they can give you feedback on your audition. This is not typical and is extremely valuable! There is a sound-byte feature in your profile. This is meant to give voice actors an opportunity to stand out regardless of your level of experience. This is where you can show the human side of you and reveal a glimpse of your personality. Nick is extremely proud of the code that he has built, he has worked hard to create a platform to highlight voice actor’s talents. I shared that I love the resume feature, and Liz commented that ultimately this will be interactive.

CastVoices has a Social Mission

Liz was thrilled to share that the entire CastVoices team is likeminded in their focus on service to others. When they did an Indiegogo campaign to launch CastVoices, they ended up donating 50% of what they brought in. Of those funds, 50% went to feeding America, and 50% went to Tim Friedlander and Jay Preston’s financial assistance program for all actors in need. This money was given not with the question of “should we” but a “how can we” from a place of “spirit and love.” This team is truly amazing.

A Lot of SEO has been Put into the Site

Nick explained that the goal is that if someone searches for your name, they want your CastVoices profile to pop up. If someone searches for a project you’ve done and it’s on your resume, your CastVoices profile should come up. Through dynamic site maps, you are indexed in google right away.

Differences in Membership Levels on CastVoices

Liz made it clear they are very transparent: the only way they make money on the site is through subscriptions, not through casting. The differences in membership levels include the amount of samples shown, logos posted, and booked work you can show. On all levels of membership, clients can reach you directly.

Getting Buyers to the Platform

Their entire team is working hard to create strategic partnerships every day. They are connecting with creative directors, advertising agencies, gaming companies, and more. They go at it as a project enhancement platform. Every single day they reach out to clients, just as we do as small business owners, and encourage them to use the platform. As of Friday they have 36 creative directors and 61 agents on CastVoices.

Some Questions That Came Up

Bev Standing asked for tips to set up her profile. Liz advised to look at the categories on her demos and to create a custom URL. Liz also offered that if people don’t have a website up yet they can use this custom URL. Liz also pointed out that we should specify the age ranges we can work in. Others asked if the CastVoices team will go over their profile and resume and Liz said she’ll do so as time permits. They also revealed that they have a huge client who needs translations, and already have business in 50 countries, so if you are able to provide translation please list that. Another topic that came up was etiquette. If you are contacted within the platform, it is appropriate to stay within the platform, not to track the casting director down outside of the platform. Another guest asked if they are looking for trends. Nick explained the ultimately they will, but at this juncture while they are doing certain analytics they do not have trends that will help voice actors yet. It was also asked if a profile can go stale. The answer is no. If you update it with new samples of booked work, so should be fine. If you are inactive, you can mark yourself inactive.

Conclusions

CastVoices is good for the voice over community. Their heart is in the right place and they have set us all up for success. How can we, as talent, help them take off? If you have clients who need to cast you can point them toward cast voices.

laura@volaura.com

973.747.6800

Talking VO Websites with Karin Barth from Voice Actor Websites

Voiceoverview: A Must Have tool for voice actors

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Laura

973.747.6800

laura@volaura.com