Alright, time to come clean on something most of you have noticed for some time, now.
I've become the world's most exuberant social media geek.
It's true. Just look over my last few blogs, and you'll see it emerging.
I'll admit I'm having a harder and harder time focusing on Voiceover stuff here on "Voice-Acting in Vegas", instead I tend to fringe over into digital uber-relationship universe.
This is dangerous. I'm by no means shirking my voice-acting business. Not even. But I'll admit it's cutting into time that could be spent in more traditional marketing methods (cold-calls?) or even time spent auditioning.
'Probably not good.
In one sense, it's perfectly understandable, though. Most all of us have been sold the bill of goods that says: Forget traditional media and marketing techniques…online marketing, new media, SEO, Google Analytics, social networking…THAT'S where the future is!
"Well it can't hurt…" I told myself. How hard can it be? How much time can it take?
Very and lots.
Just look at when I post blogs anymore: between 3-4am PST. So what am I doing between when I get home at midnight and when I finally post a blog?…social networking: Twitting on TweetDeck, Fooling around on Friendfeed, Loitering on LinkedIn.
Has it brought me one verifiable, certifiable, paying client yet?
NO.
I still think the promise is there, though, so the crux of my blog today is this: the deeper I delve into social-networking-new-media-whateveryouwanttocallit…the more I see it's possibilities. I mean, choruses of angels, sunrays shooting over the horizon, 200-watt lightbulbs going off in cavernous craniums.
Lord help me, don't let this be just a greater waste of time! 'Cause the fear is that the paradigm is SO new that the flailing around in its nascent gene pool will sink 99% of us, and the other 1% will decide that newspapers are where it's at…not the internet.
The hope is that like early prospectors in the land of plenty, playing in this new frontier will produce dividends Rockefeller would be jealous of.
The truth is probably in the middle somewhere.
Just a taste though: Here is what one-day's worth of Twitter-diving brought me.
Cligs. Not just another strange name. Short URL's with analytics. You have to visit the site to see the wisdom, and don't ask me….yet…I'm still playing in Clig-land.
Pipl. The most comprehensive people search on the web. The idea being, find out the most you can about your cold-call prospect before you call, and it'll be more of a…. warm call. See HERE.
StandupKid's Blog. Here's a guy who's blogging about "…what’s happening in local tv (the layoffs, the cutbacks,
the “content centers”), and to provide an open platform to discuss
what’s happening now, what’s going to happen next…" His blog dated today (1-23-09) is titled:"FADING FORTUNES FOR LOCAL TV NEWS: IT'S NOT JUST THE ECONOMY, STUPID.
Boy! That makes me feel safe in my traditional-media day-job!!!
See? This is the kind of stuff that is prompting decisions, demanding answers, pushing envelopes.
Forces are afoot that bid us to jump in or lose out. Sure it's risky. I'm risking time and opportunity elsewhere. Am I trying to moderate? Yes.
OK, I made up the "uber-relationship universe" phrase….think it might catch on?
CourVO
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I’ve heard that Obama built his grass-roots army of supporters online. Any idea specifically what he did online to get the ball rolling?
Dave, this is a great “transparent” post. I very much appreciate your willingness to say that it’s not clear if this newer method of meeting folks will positively influence somebody’s bottom line. I know that, while the new contacts are nice, the intent is to drive business. And without that eventual bottom line improvement, it’s a challenge *from a business perspective* to argue that the time being invested towards these various online areas helpful.
Here’s what I do know. In talking with you, you are on the right track. There is no question in my mind that your efforts will certainly pay dividends. Hopefully, I’ll be able to contribute to that!
Dave,
Anytime I sit back and wonder if all the time spent social networking is making a difference, somthing shows me it is. For example- I connected on Facebook with an old friend from Texas. One of his long-time friends saw my name and remembered meeting me years ago. He clicked on my profile and saw that I was a voice actor, which he had forgotten. It turns out he owns a comapny that uses voice actors all the time, and immediately shot me a message. We’ve since chatted, and I’m thrilled to know that future work is on the horizon from this new client!
I think of social networking as an extension of my brand. Ironically, a good portion of my work comes from other voice actors (they recommend me to one of their clients, or they are producing a project and need extra voices, etc). So- staying front and center is important to me. Oh, and social networking IS really fun! So- a win-win-win in my book :)
Great blog Dave!
Kara
Hi Dave, thanks for the post.
I’ve been asking some of these questions myself, lately! And you’re right: what seems like it should only take a tiny bit of time can indeed expand to fill all of (and more than) the time available, if you don’t keep tabs on it.
It seems we’re living at a time where this social media technology is ballooning: every time I log on there’s another feature or site to try out, promising something to trump the one before. For example, it’s not enough anymore to “tweet” – I now have to check my “Twitter Grade” (http://grader.twitter.com) too!
As an aside, I rushed off to check out both Cligs and Pipl, but found myself disappointed in both cases: Cligs wouldn’t let me register and kept asking for my email address (which I’d supplied) when I tried to sign up; meanwhile Pipl promised more than it delivered. Its “deep search” failed to find me, though a Google search for “Mike Cooper” in “London, GB” finds virtually everything I have online: website, blog, Facebook entries, business listings and so on, and easily runs to a page of results. It’s a great idea though!