In
this Issue: |
| VO Marketing.............Get
higher Search Engine ranking. |
| More Marketing.........get
to heaven quicker. |
| Dean Trianos on .........Condenser
Microphones |
| Welcome
to the biz..........a few do's and don'ts |
| Why join CV?..........considerations. |
| Live Chat
now being tested.........drop by and say Hi |
| |
| VO
Marketing
This article is about the basics on how to achieve a higher Search
Engine ranking. This topic has been done to death over the past
few months in a plethora of Newsletters from many webmasters. We
all know the basics now. Submit your site to the major search engines,
scatter a generous helping of the right keyword phrases throughout
your site in real sentences, then get a lot of other relevant sites
to link to your site. That's it.
It's a slow process taking 1-3 months by the time
the spiderbots and such gobble up your keywords and relevant links.
Don't be disappointed if you only achieve a 3 or a 4 rank. Many
well known sites only get to a 5 but if you continue fine-tuning
your spot on the dial will improve.
If you have no idea what this is about I suggest
you download the free Google Toolbar here
and in addition to ranking info you get a nifty pop up blocker that
works very well. It will give you the ranking on every site and
page that you visit.
Relevant links, sites that are related to yours,
is a good way to get higher ranking. Inbound links (people who link
to you) is another tool to improve your SE status. CV has recently
added a links page with 3 categories to
help us improve. As a subscriber to our Newsletter you are invited
to link to us and we in turn will add you to our link page. Just
drop us a line here
and tell us where we are linked on your site and we'll hook
up with you as long as your site is associated with the VO industry
and you are not a competing single VO talent. In that category we
only offer reciprocal links to our members. A selection of pre-made
links are available here along with
instructions.
Next month we'll continue to discuss SEO (Search
Engine Optimization) regarding links.
Feel free to throw in your thoughts/comments here.
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More Marketing
Working the back end.
If you are a professional web site creator or even a quasi
one, and would like to be the VO person featured and promoted
on it here's a great idea to achieve brownie points and maybe
even get to heaven. Call your local charities, church group, or
virtually any charitable or non-profit or not-for-profit organization
and offer your services. They will appreciate your donation to
promote their cause and will be positively flabbergasted with
professional audio installed as well. Heck, you might even be
able to get a charitable receipt that you can use for Uncle Sam.
You don't have to create a large site, maybe 5-10 pages but if
they like it and you do a good job you can bet they will promote
it within their group and probably pick up some free publicity
about it. Can't you just see the halo now?
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Is there
such a thing as the “best” condenser microphone for
voiceover?
Just as a baseball player has a favorite bat or even a carpenter
with a favorite hammer, a voiceover artist usually has a favorite
condenser microphone in their own studio. The question has often
been asked as to what the best condenser microphone for voiceover
work is. The answers are plentiful but should always be taken
with a grain of salt. Many factors such as gender, age and natural
vocal range can significantly affect how a condenser microphone
sounds with different kinds of voice talent. For example, does
the scent of particular cologne smell the exact same in the bottle
as it does on one’s skin or someone else’s for that
matter? The answer is no and condenser microphones are no different.
The simple reality is that the best condenser microphone for voiceover
work is always the one that YOU sound the best behind. So how
does one get to that stage? Simply research a selection of condenser
microphones in the desired price range online. Then, visit your
local professional audio store to inquire if any of them are available
for rental that you can test drive in your studio. A few dollars
spend up front can literally save you hundreds later if you make
the correct choice.
Dean Trianos is a regular contributor
to the CV Newsletter.
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| Welcome
to the biz.....
1. Do I have a good voice?
Voice work is more than just the sound of your voice. It is the
ability to read, persuade and perform under the intense pressure
of the studio recording session, and to speak truthfully under imaginary
circumstances. Everybody has a unique voice. Few know how to entertain
with it.
2. How do I get an agent?
The best way to get an agent is to put together a high quality professional
demo which not only shows off your voice, but your sense of humor
and your ‘personality'. We want the agent to say "That's
the kind of performer I want to represent."
3. What's a good voice over demo?
A great demo will show off the range of your voice and your powers
of persuasion, fully produced with music and sound effects, professionally
voiced with elegance, clarity and wit. Your demo should show you
at your most persuasive, at your most charming
-Make your tape 90 to 100 seconds (aim for the 90).
-Your first piece should be your most natural voice.
-Aim for five to nine pieces within the 90 seconds.
-Stay away from accents and impersonations unless you do really
good ones. If you do use them, keep them short. -The trick is to
be able to read a lot of copy in a short amount of time. You'll
need to be able to speak quickly without sounding like you are.
Watch for "popping" letters (mainly ps and ts). -GOOD
COPY IS ESSENTIAL! -Humor is good. We love humor. -Most talent agents
prefer commercial copy; industrial reads are not necessary. -Smile
while you're reading the copy; it really does add warmth to the
sound. -Keep in mind variations in tempo, rhythm, energy level and
enthusiasm level, as well as pitch and volume.
4. Can I do voice work part-time?
Voice work is a business like any other which requires your full
attention 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. You must develop a strategy
of self-promotion by creating a relationship with recording studios,
or creating your own in-home studio because you will be forever
producing new demos for prospective clients and replacing old material
with newly produced spots. It is important to stay current. Things
constantly change in advertising. New trends demand new voices.
5. How much money can I make?
Call your local performer's union office or log onto their web sites
and ask for the union rate card for a :30 second TV voice over commercial
session and residual schedule. You'll be pleasantly surprised at
what you see.
6. Do I have to join a union?
No. Your local performer's union office will outline the requirements
necessary to become a member. While you are non-union, you can gain
valuable experience by voicing public service announcements, volunteering
at the local radio station, seeking non-union commercial work, reading
for the blind etc. Your payment and reputation will grow with repeat
business until you decide if joining a union is right for you.
Good luck and welcome to the business!
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Your
input
Are there topics or interests that you would like to see us cover?
E-mail
us here.
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Why Join
CV?
We've recently added a new information page
about this. Check it out here
and feel free to send us your comments or concerns.
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Live
Chat
We are doing a trial run of a Live Chat program. Queries can be addressed
immediately to a CV visitor as long as there is someone available
to respond of course. During the testing phase we have installed it
on our Producers+ page and on our "Join Here" page. Feel
free to drop by and say hello.
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