Still Having Trouble Building Your Voice Over Brand?

Voice over work sounds like a great deal of fun to many people.  There certainly are a lot of advantages.  Most voice over performers are able to do a lot of their work out of their homes, which means making their own schedules and not having to contend with a daily commute.  There is also a lot of fun to be found in the work, which can be both animated and informative at times.  However, just as is the case with every other job, voice over work is not all sunshine and rainbows.

One of the most difficult aspects of the voice over profession is coming to understand how much self-marketing is involved.  This is the number one cause of failed voice over careers.  Building a business is not easy, and voiceover is no exception to that rule.  You may have the best, most enticing voice in the world, but if you don’t know how to market your skills, then it is essentially worthless.

So, how do you take your business from stagnant to stellar? The first thing you must do is build up a product that you believe in.  If you have self- doubt and don’t trust yourself to be the best candidate for the voiceover job, then you don’t stand a chance of convincing the potential employer that you are just that.  So, be sure that you have armed yourself well.  Create a great demo that showcases all of your strengths.  Read the advice of the pros and take as much as you can from them, so you avoid rookie mistakes.  Take acting classes, which will serve you well in the recording studio, but also improve your confidence at casting calls.  And, practice.  Practice regularly.  When business is slow, don’t play games on your computer, watch the telephone, or call a friend to complain.  This is the time that you should be using to hone your skills and to seek out potential voice over opportunities.

Once you are feeling confident about your skills and your abilities, it’s time to get creative.  You must have a marketing strategy, a road map of sorts.  This will change over time, undoubtedly, but you should lay out your goals, your budget, and your plans for the short term, so you have direction when you invest in marketing campaigns.  Look to services like Facebook- and Google Ads.  These can be inexpensive ways to get your name in front of potential customers. 

Also, call on connections that may be willing to introduce you to some of the big players in the field (after all, it’s all in who you know, right?).  Create content and ads that people can’t ignore, and you will find that your name is mentioned more often, hopefully in the right circles.  But, don’t just create content, comment on others’ articles, social posts, etc.  Share, comment, and like your way into new relationships.  And once a common thread is discovered, keep the conversation going because this is how loyalty is established.  Once those relationships are formed, those people will be more apt to recommend you when someone mentions the need for a voice over talent.