Sure!  Where?

Demand Media’s Talent & Experts Network

HARO founder Peter Shankman gives great tips every day in his newsletter, and this is one that looks enticing.  HARO is “Help a Reporter Out” (see my blog: HAPPY GRASSHOPPER), and it’s geared to journalists, but when you subscribe to his daily feed, you get interesting leads like this one.

Demand Media’s Studios help you  “… promote yourself and your business to the 100M people that visit their sites each month. Once approved as an on-camera expert, you can choose topics that suit your expertise to create video projects, which are then directed by an approved filmmaker in your area. There’s no fee to join or create projects and when your videos are completed, they can be featured on one of their popular websites like eHow, LIVESTRONG.com or typeF. You can also use their video embed codes to add the HD video content to your blog or business website. They are looking for experts in Fitness, Drawing/Illustration, Mathematics and Home Improvement, but experts in any field can apply….” (Haro Newsletter)

100-million?  Yeah, seems like incredible exposure…but I’ve never known Shankman to link to duds.  I think I’m gonna look into this.

See you there?

CourVO

I really wasn’t sure, so I did a little digging.

VoiceBank.net and VoiceRegistry are run by the same people.

According to their website:  “The Voicebank.net system connects over 150 of the top voice over Talent Agencies to over 1600 Ad Agencies, Animation Houses and Production Houses around the world. “ 

And VoiceRegistry:  “The purpose of voiceregistry is to continually educate actors (novice to seasoned) about all aspects of the voice over industry and provide actors, when ready, with an opportunity to seek representation or additional representationy.”

All cleared up?  Yeah, me neither.

This whole mental exercise started when my fellow Vegas VO bud William Brady told me that he signed up for VoiceRegistry and was attending the “weekend workouts”.  He even got some personal feedback from seasoned pro Bill Ratner.  Bill talks about it in his blog.  Bill says he was told that since he didn’t have agency representation yet, he could not be listed on VoiceBank, but could sign-up on VoiceRegistry.  Further, that if he participated in the workouts, he could end up being scouted by the agents.

All this got me to thinking.  I keep running into VoiceBank at Faffcon Unconferences, ’cause they’re the major sponsor.  Amber Dahlin of VoiceBank is wonderful, and The VoiceBank Blog is mandatory reading.

But being a true lunkhead…I still wasn’t clicking on what was the reason for the two sites.  I’m listed on VoiceBank through my agent, but I can’t really log onto the site.  Wassup with that?

So, I wrote them and asked.  Chris Miyamoto of  ‘support’ replied:

“Voiceregistry is the site specifically for actors and gives platinum members access to the weekend workout. 

We all think we should be paying attention to the opportunities the online world presents.  Most of us voice actors do the preponderance of our work on the internet, so it’s only understandable that we’d turn to the web as a means of building out business too.

But Holy Buckets, there is just so much flailing around out there!  Who to trust?  What direction to go?  Where to put your assets of time and money?

I’m not here with the Holy Grail of answers…as far as I’m concerned, there are no “experts” or “gurus” of social media, only students, advanced students, and graduate teaching assistants.

MEASURING

One thing I think deserves your attention, though is metrics.  Measuring your impact on the virtual world.  Do I check my blog-viewer stats everyday?  Uh-huh.

What’s the best way to keep track of your presence on the web?  There are some decent (what I call) “approximators”.

Not long ago I blogged about the upset I felt with a diminished KLOUT score (which purports to measure your “engagement” in Socioal Media).  Commercial TV lives and dies by the Nielsen numbers, which set ad rates.  Everybody everywhere is struggling to find a similar metric that measures your online impact/reach.

Growing followers/friends in Social Network platforms (Twitter/FaceBook) is a rudimentary way of gauging your success.  But bigger numbers don’t always equal succesful marketing, as they dont’ reflect the quality of your relationships.

If you’re deep into SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or SEM (Search Engine Marketing), then your rank in a Google search is also a rough estimate of how well you’re doing.

Measuring your presence inevitably leads to “tweaking” your approach to build the numbers.  This is not a bad quest.  Any quantification that’s worth its salt will prompt you to do the things you should be doing anyway.  For instance, building a KLOUT score means you should be engaging your followers, contributing solid content, participating in meaningful conversations, and consistently being in the mix while paying it forward.  All admirable social media exercises.

But we’re a society driven by numbers, and analysis, and assessment, and it’s nice to have some figures to point at once in a while.

THE NUMBER CRUNCHERS

To give this any justice, though, requires bringing in people who make it their profession to crunch the numbers.  Typically an outfit like that also offers consulting on how to make the numbers better.

I like HubSpot.  They’ve been around a while.  They offer great information in their newsletter, blog, free materials and resources.  They also offer a 30-day free trial for their service.

Here’s a recent .pdf file they’ve made available for free, called The_Essential_Guide_to_Internet_Marketing.

Also, below, you can watch a quick video they’ve provided.  I’m not getting any kickbacks.  Just passing along info that could be helpful, and that I feel is legit.

What services do you use to quantify your presence on the web?

CourVO

Yes.

I’m talking about “Aha!” moments.  The simplest thing can trigger it.

I feel the same way about marketing gurus as I do TV consultants.  Their suggestions may not necessarily work for you, but they get you to thinking.

Peruse the following articles for ideas.  Pick up a thought.  Test out a theory.  Incorporate a suggestion.  Tuck away a tip for later use.  Sometimes, something just…clicks.

Why You Need a Local Search Strategy – Free Marketing Tips Blog

Seven Steps to Sure Fire Marketing Success – Duct Tape Marketing Blog

Job Searching with Social Media – eRocketFuel.com

12 Tenets of Relationship Marketing Success – MariSmith.com

Your #1 Competitor is Status Quo – Personal Branding Blog

Honorable Mention: Five Tips to Engage Your Followers – LinkedIn Blog

Got a favorite marketing blog or website or article you’d like to share?

CourVO

For instance, I would’ve never had the vision to conceptualize Twitter, but I’m a machine at working it’s function.

I know this about myself…so rather than work creative angles at marketing, I work what works…and one of the things that works is relationship.

Over the years, I’ve curried a style that is welcoming.  I engage people.  I offer help.  I suggest connections. I enable, I start conversations.

Jim Kukral

One day when Jim Kukral walked into the room, I started a conversation.

Jim Kukral makes his living on the internet.  He’s a self-styled Internet Business Coach.  He consults.  He builds online promotions.  He’s a sort of hustler, but in a nice, virtual way.  He does videos, he instructs.  He was the first one to introduce thousands to the Flip-cam.

I’ve seen Jim speak at various conferences (BlogWorld Expo for one) in Las Vegas, and he is also a welcoming personality.  Eventually he asked me to be the subject of one of his many podcasts featuring entrepreneurs.  That was months ago, and I’ve had only sporadic contact with him of late.  Little did I know, I’d planted some seeds.

Did I mention Jim is also an author?  He is, and his latest book includes his podcast interviews with budding entrepreneurs.  Guess who made the final cut?  Yep.  Yours truly.

Now, I still have no proof that this exposure will directly lead to voice over jobs.  I hope Jim’s book sells a million, and I get lots of calls.  I know for sure it’s exposure to many many more different people than I would’ve reached in my normal marketing stream…and isn’t that one of the things you would hope for somewhere in your marketing plan?

Jim’s book gets announced today (I think).  I’m waiting for his final word to be able to publish the link, so check back.  In the meantime, here’s the link to the interview I did with Jim:

http://internetmarketingforbusinessanswers.com/internet-marketing-expert-interviews/

…and it all started with a conversation.

CourVO

The site is TNW. Heard of it? It stands for The Next Web.

Go there, and click on the RSS icon, and make sure it’s listed in your feed reader, then read it everyday.

Why?  Hey, you wanna get good at the Next Big thing right?  Then you gotta read The Next Web!  TNW is international in flavor, and in its own words, covers:  TECHNOLOGY NEWS, BUSINESS AND CULTURE.

Now, on to the useful article on TNW:  The CEO of ME: 10 Personal Online Branding Tips.  I write about branding and marketing a lot on this blog.  The most talented voice artist in the world will fail without self-promotion of some sort.

Why do I love THIS PARTICULAR article on branding?  I dunno…it’s got  nice pictures.  No, wait…it’s because it has 10 great points that are easy to understand, make sense, and can be implemented every day.  I personally like #3:  Communicate with Consistency, and #10: Bring Your Personality to the Table Every Time (that’s also true for your auditions, BTW).

Seriously… click here, and read this for 5 minutes.  It’ll be the most beneficial 5 minutes of your day.

CourVO

I sunk some money into this venture on a hunch that it would offer unique exposure for a voice actor.  My “any lucky day” was this last Wednesday…July 6th.

I promised in my blog last week, that I would return a verdict on the deal…whether it got a response, and whether it was worth it.

No & No.

I still like the concept behind Any Lucky Day, I just don’t think it’s well-suited to the sort of freelance service product that we offer in Voice Over.  Products you can see, feel, touch, and use are likely better represented by this sort of promotion.

Maybe I’ll be surprised in the weeks to come with residual opportunities…but I didn’t get one single email or phone call from the exposure, and I think I got all of 3 more visits to my website.

I’m going back to another service I recommended, but never tried, called Happy Grasshopper.  VO friend Bill DeWees tried it, and said he was VERY pleased.  I wrote about Happy Grasshopper in March.

CourVO

Somewhere…and I can’t remember where, now…I saw a link to AnyLuckyDay.com, and on a whim, decided to go with it.

It’s a fun idea.  You and your company become the focus of a day-long marketing blitz.

Back when I first signed-up, I provided them with logos, links, videos, pics…all kinds of stuff for them to build a “day” out of. I paid the flat fee, and chose a day on the calendar.  It’s a week from today:  Wednesday, July 6th.  You can see it right there on the AnyLuckyDay calendar page.

On “my” day, the site author launches a social media campaign for me.  Visitors come, watch my video, visit my site…comment, and in doing so, get the chance to win the free product/service I promised for this day.  In my case, it’s voicing a :30 or :60 spot.

If it’s a rousing success, I’ll boast here on July 7th, how little I paid for this amazing marketing tool.  If it’s a bust, I’ll complain here on July 7th how much I paid for a marketing black hole.

Wish me…er…uh…LUCK.

CourVO

That’s why the title of this blog.  It brings out the contrarian in me.

But sometimes, the perception that I’m so booked, actually might add value to my service in some instances.

It’s the principle of scarcity.

What it boils down to is, the harder something is to get, the more people want it.

Now, obviously, you’ve gotta have the goods to back it up…

Read a great explanation about this very principal: THE AMAZING POWER OF SCARCITY…on the Free Market Tips Blog.

CourVO