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.
5. Business Plans are Fluid
So different voice actors in the industry use different CRMs. As a voice over coach, I can tell you that it matters less which one that you use and more that you use one!! I myself started with nimble and switched to Voiceoverview. I love 
As a soloprenuer, you need a business checking account. Even if you are not an LLC, you might be able to get away with depositing work checks or transferring money into your personal checking account for a little while.It is, however, better for you to actually have a proper business checking account. I’ll share a little story. When I started out in voice over I was luck to be added to multiple rosters pretty early on. One of those rosters sent me work weekly and paid me monthly. One day I went to the local branch with the check as this was before the days of mobile deposits. I had been depositing monthly checks from this client for almost two years in what I thought was a “business” checking account. It was a separate account that I had opened for my business at my local Chase. Somehow, Chase had just opened another checking account, but it was never designated a “business” account. Instead, it was just a second “personal” checking account. So that this does not happen to you, if they do not ask for you business’ legal formation papers, it is likely not a business account. That day, the bank refused to deposit the check. Instead, I had to gather all the documents I had for my business which happens to be an LLC and at that point, several years in, I opened both a business checking and a business savings account.
I wish someone had told me when I started, as I did not think of this until several years into my career. Think about all the bills you pay. Some day, when you stop working, don’t you want to have something for yourself? Every single month I auto deposit a nice amount into my 401k, and I am proud to say that I am setting aside as much as my husband does every month. Now, if you are a union talent, you will retire with savings. For those of us who are non-Union, all you have to do is set one up and then go to your bank where you have your work checking account and auto fund it. I have my 401k at Charles Schwab because I was advised that their fees are low.
When I started my business I spent a lot of money very quickly. I invested a lot and planned to be a huge success.
Yes, even in the midst of the mounting news about the delta variant, with great enthusiasm I am packing my bags and flying to, of all places, Dallas, TX for the OneVoice Conference. Why? Because the amazing J. Michael Collins and his team have worked hard to create a lineup that is great for both newcomers and established professionals alike. And if you think I’ve been flying about so what’s one more trip, this is actually the first flight I am taking since the pandemic began. So I want to explain up front why I am comfortable and what your options are before we delve into the details about the conference.
The conference is being held at a Hyatt on airport property. Consequently, masks are required while in all common spaces. This would not have been true had they chosen a different site. I plan to mask up while indoors except for at meals and when I am presenting. Next, J. Michael explains that there will be about 300 people in attendance at OneVoice. Last week there was an anime conference at our venue. They hosted 1000 guests and that dod not feel crowded, so with only 300 voice actors, we should have ample room to distance. It is also important to note that it is the policy of the conference that you have up until the day before to cancel for a full refund or switch to an online pass with no questions asked. J. Michael explained that because he, Hugh Edwards, and Peter Dickson
When they could have had the conference anywhere in the country, I was curious how J. Michael came to choose Dallas. He explained that its central location was a huge draw, making it easy for everyone to get to. JMC explains that it is much more cosmopolitan than people realize, and that it has Diana Birdsall who now lives in Dallas conquered that it has become quite a melting pot. In addition to the vibrant culture, the restaurant offerings, and the sports, it’s a city that has grown up and a place we would all be excited to visit. When we asked J. Michael if he plans to keep the conference there going forward he said he yes, he loves building a relationship with a venue and he wants us to be treated well going forward.
There will be a TriBooth available for use. With the exception of the awards night, all meals are on your own. There is a restaurant in the hotel that will be open 3 meals a day. Pastries and coffee with be out in the morning in the conference area. About 5 minutes from the hotel by car there are several great restaurants. Attendees and presenters ca park for free in terminal C which connects. Please note, there are two Hyatts at the Dallas airport hotel. The conference is at the Hyatt Regency across from terminal C. There is a shuttle. For those who need more assistance J. Michael recommends 
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.
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.
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.