Finding Networking Opportunities

Networking is critical to your success as a voice over talent so it pays to become a master networker.  While networking is necessary it doesn’t have to be a grueling experience.  Here are some tips to help you become a master networker.

Think of people who you know and businesses you frequent.  Do a bit of research to find the appropriate contacts and find out what their experience has been with current voice over talent and if they are open to accepting new voice over talent submissions.  Pay attention to any clues that may help you to serve them better than their existing talent base.

Look for networking opportunities in your local community where potential decision makers gather.  Chamber of Commerce meetings, marketing and advertising gatherings, and local business MeetUp groups are good places to start.  Attend these gatherings, introduce yourself and, in the course of the conversation, find out what you can do to help them accomplish their goals better with your voice over services.  Then make sure to follow up with these people within 24 to 48 hours after the event using the information you gleaned from your initial introduction.

Contact charities or causes for which you feel a passion.  The Animal Humane Society, The American Red Cross, The American Cancer Society, and so many more are wonderful and worthy organizations which you may offer to volunteer your voice for a commercial or event.  This gesture has also led to future paid voice over work for me.  Attend their events and you will meet other contacts of companies who support these organizations too.

Social Media Marketing is only growing and the people who are hiring voice over talent are using it as a tool to find talent.  If you are not yet taking advantage of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube you need to do so.  Check out SocialMediaVO.com to see what is new in Social Media and Voice Over.

Set a realistic networking goal for yourself and schedule networking events and activities into your calendar.  What gets scheduled gets done!

Finally, relax.  People are not thinking about you as much as they are thinking about themselves, their challenges and how others perceive them.  Make it your goal to make them feel comfortable and important. See how you can help them and they will respond in kind.

Put these tips into practice consistently and you will build a fabulous network and momentum that will continuously feed your business.

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Getting Voice Over Work Through Social Networking

Who knows you? The answer to that question is priceless! In business, as in life, it is not so much who you know, but who knows you! Your success depends upon it. Harnessing the power of Social Media Marketing can propel your business and personal exposure to enviable levels, providing a medium with which to engage others all over the world who share similar interests, develop crucial networks, and formulate powerful relationships, leading to increased traffic, leads, and Search Engine Optimization.

Michael Stelzner shares these results from a 2009 study on Social Media Marketing and how marketers are using it for business growth, “By a long shot, Twitter, blogs, LinkedIn, and Facebook were the top four social media tools used by marketers with Twitter leading the pack at 94%. You Tube and similar video sites came in 5th” (2009, p.19). Like it, love it, or lump it, Social Media Marketing has clout and so can you!

Here’s a brief synopsis of Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Oh, and lest I forget to mention it, all of these sites are free! Twitter is a phenomenal tool that makes connecting with others easy while keeping content short and to the point. Micro-blogs, called “Tweets” are limited to 140 characters in which people respond to the question, “What are you doing?” or simply state what’s on their mind at the time.

Twitter also allows “ReTweets” in which others can repost “Tweets” that may be of value to their followers, making your message go viral. Twitter also has fantastic applications to enhance your Twitter experience and is simple to access and use via texting, instant messaging, or the web.

LinkedIn is another terrific networking vehicle, connecting professionals all over the world. Your network becomes infinite, consisting of your connections, the connections of your connections, their connections, etc. You create and manage a profile depicting your experience and accomplishments. You can invite, search, and recommend people. Professionals use the site as a means to network, collaborate on projects, recommend potential leads, post job listings, and find talent.

Facebook has taken Social Media Marketing to a new level! Users can search for, become, and confirm friends. You can post everything from your thoughts, to demos, photos, videos, blogs, and more. A fantastic networking tool, Facebook allows users to create a personal profile, create and join “Fan Pages” promoting various interests (ie. your voice over business), and is a wonderful medium to connect with other entrepreneurs. It can also be accessed and used via texting or the web.

YouTube is an awesome tool that is used to create and share video footage with others. YouTube video links can be shared via Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook, making it a potent medium for exposure! The videos on YouTube span the entire spectrum from ridiculous, to entertaining, to instructional. Why not post a video of you recording a voice over for a client?

The voiceover business is highly competitive, and as a voice over talent, it’s imperative to effectively and efficiently market yourself and your business. The only investment required is the time you are willing to spend engaging others, sharing your personality, and providing value. You get what you put into it. So go ahead! Take advantage of every opportunity to network with other voice talents and potential customers, make some new friends, and find some old friends along the way too.

Stelzner, M.A. (2009). Social media marketing industry report: How marketers are using social media to grow their businesses. Retrieved online August 13, 2009, from http://www.whitepapersource.com/socialmediamarketing/

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