Let your voice be heard in the #socialnetwork

So, you’re determined to make it big in the VO industry? You’ve created your demo, sent it to agencies, taken voice-acting classes and are confident, eager and ready to go…and now you’re just playing the waiting game? Well, while you wait for that ‘big break’ phone call here’s a tip that’s seemingly obvious yet often overlooked or misused – get yourself more involved in the social network.

There are so many social platforms these days that can be overwhelming if you don’t know what is best for you (personally or as a VO artist), so we’ll break it down for you!

3 SOCIAL MEDIA STANDARDS…FOR VOICE OVER

Facebook – It’s SO blatantly obvious that it’s almost not even worth mentioning *however* it happens to be the most used social platform worldwide. But you knew that already, right? You’d have to be living under a rock to not have a Facebook or at least not to know about it. But the question is, how can you use Facebook to your voice acting advantage?

‘Friend’ other voice talent
When updating your status, alternate between professional updates and personal ones – your friends need to know you’re human!
Avoid over-posting – don’t spam your friends with ridiculously consistent links to your work
Add ‘Like’ and ‘Recommend’ buttons to your Facebook – this is how visitors advertize for YOUR Facebook
Update your status with pictures and funny/interesting videos relating to voice over
Introduce topical, relevant and appealing conversation to encourage your friends to be interactive
Take active part in other voice talent’s status conversations

Twitter – If you don’t know how to use it, it is definitely more confuzzling than the ol’ Facebook. What are hashtags? How do you write statuses with only 140 characters? How much tweeting is too much? And how do you use it in an effective way as a voice over profile? To those outside the Twitter world it may seem self-indulgent and annoying, but it is a proven effective marketing tool when used correctly for all businesses…including your voice-acting gig.

Keep your tweets as interactive as possible – asking general questions or starting debates is a good way to ignite conversation. Who knows, maybe you’ll help out a fellow VO artist or pick up some tips yourself!
Use trending hashtags in your posts. The more you hashtag with something general like #voiceover at the end (or in the middle) of your posts, the more people that are likely to see it. Likewise, the more hashtags you include the better!
Be involved in other artists’ tweets. Join in the conversation, or retweet something funny, interesting or even promotional that they posted. They will recognize this and return the favor
Mix up your tweets between personal and professional posts, retweets and replies
If you’re struggling to keep up both your tweets and Facebook updates, link your Twitter account to your Facebook. That way you can avoid manually doubling up on posts and use Twitter as your one stop shop
Ask specific questions to artists by tagging them in a tweet – more than likely they will reply and then you can get a conversation rolling

SoundCloud – If you’re not signed up with SoundCloud yet I suggest you get around it ASAP. It is the perfect social platform for voice over artists such as yourself to showcase and distribute your voice over demos and projects.

Follow other voice over artists – check out what others, from beginners to professionals, are up to
Acknowledge when other users comment on your work (especially if it’s positive or constructive criticism!)
Likewise, leave positive comments or constructive criticism on other users’ works and demos
Link your SoundCloud to your Facebook and Twitter accounts, that way when you upload new projects they will automatically be spread throughout all your social networks

So there you have it. You may notice similarities between the three platforms discussed, and that’s just because this is how social media works these days. Make your presence known and BE NOTICED! People love talking about themselves, so talk about them and they’ll eventually take notice return the favor. Your work and talents will be showcased across the social board – and you know what they say, it’s all about WHO you know in this business! We only scratched the surface of social networking possibilities and platforms, but it’s a basic start for you to get the ball rolling. Make your professional voice acting accounts separate to your current personal ones and you’re on your way!

#goodluck #voiceover #socialmedia #toomanyhashtags