Social/Professional Networking | Dave Courvoisier's Blog

New…More Social SoundCloud

December 11, 2012 By CourVO Leave a Comment

Everybody’s doing it. EVERY internet presence is being leveraged into any and all social networking opportunities. SoundCloud too.

Everybody’s favorite online audio storage and sharing site adds a new slick user interface, improved search, and the ability to repost. You an also curate a collection, and engage in continuous play of your selections.

The site has a nicely refurbished look that still has the unmistakable feel of being SoundCloud. There are attendant changes in the iOS and Android apps with this roll-out as well.

See SoundCloud’s blog for the full details…along with some 469 comments.

While you’re at it, listen to the collage of voice-over contributions to Christmas put together by Terry Daniel on HIS SoundCloud site:
Terry Daniel’s Third Annual Voice Talent Holiday Greeting.

And in the spirit of sharing from the new SoundCloud…here it is without having to leave my blog!

CourVO

Filed Under: Social/Professional Networking, SoundCloud, Web Resources Tagged With: SoundCloud, soundcloud.com, Terry Daniel, VO, voice, voice acting, voice actor, voice artist, voice over, voice talent, voiceover, Voiceovers, voices

G+ VoiceOvers

December 6, 2012 By CourVO 1 Comment

Since Google+ came along, there have been various predictions of its demise.

That hasn’t happened.

It’s not the runaway hit like MySpace or FaceBook was at one time, but the strength of Google itself makes this a social network no one should totally avoid.

Google Hangouts are becoming a huge challenge to Skype video conf calls, and with the integration of virtually every other Google tool you’ve come to love (Gmail, YouTube, Google Docs, Google Drive, etc), Google Plus continues to show value.

Now Google+ is adding ‘COMMUNITIES”. Can anyone say Groups?

Although many will claim it’s a copycat feature, really this is a natural progression for G+, and a step above “circles”. Now, anyone can start a public or private community to which they can invite anyone they like, and can launch into discussions, threads, and conversations. You can initiate a hang-out from “communities”, and the admin can further customize the place to make it theirs.

Wanna join my “community”?

I’ve started a Google+ community called G+ VOICEOVERS. It’s private, and just for voice actors. When you arrive at that URL, you can click a box that asks if you want to join. I’ve been inviting people left and right, so you may have already rec’d your invite.

Why ANOTHER online group? I know…I know…there’s plenty already…but there’s room…and there’s room for more. Google offers some features and functionality that FaceBook does not.

I’ve examined this issue in an article entitled: Can VO Be Too Social? The bottom line is that any culture reaches a maturation where these sorts of manifestations of community become inevitable. You’re not expect to, nor COULD you join all of them. Pick one. Pick two, and get comfortable.

Some people prefer Google to Facebook. I’ve been spending more and more time on Google+, and am never disappointed.

If you feel more comfortable doing so, just send me an email, and tell me you’d like to join: courvo@courvo.com. Please be sure you already have a G+ account. I can’t bring you in unless you do.

CourVO

P.S. I”ve also created a G+ Community for audio book narrators called THE AUDIOBOOK NARRATORS CLUB. ‘Love to see you there!

Filed Under: Social/Professional Networking, SociaMediaVO, VO Community Tagged With: G+, Google, Google Plus, GooglePlus, VO, voice, voice acting, voice actor, voice artist, voice over, voice talent, voiceover, Voiceovers, voices

Seminar Preview

May 31, 2012 By CourVO 4 Comments

The month of May is gone, and I’m still trying to figure out where February went.

June brings with it the VOICE2012 Conference. There’s still time to sign-up, BTW, although travel costs are starting to get expensive at this late juncture.

During the event, I’ll be presenting on the finer points of social media as it pertains to your VO marketing plan. My cohorts in the seminar are Terry Daniel and Trish Basanyi. Terry is presenting on FaceBook, and Trish will be explaining how she’s made Twitter work in her favor.

I’ll be presenting on the LinkedIn social network. I’ve talked about this before this week here on my blog (LinkedIn Lip Service), and I’m hammering away at it, ’cause I think there’s a lot of value here for any voice talent in her/his search for new clients.

I’m also working hard on gathering resources for the presentation, and you’re my guinea pigs. Below is a brief video I’ve recorded that profiles a particular tool on the LinkedIn site called “LinkedIn Signal”. It’s a great way to sift your way through the stream-of-consciousness on your social networks.

Take less than two minutes to watch:

I hope that tips you off to something about LinkedIn you were not aware of before. The entire LI platform is riddled with opportunities to refine and advance your search in this manner…almost from every screen.

CourVO

Filed Under: Social Media/Networking, Social/Professional Networking, Techniques, Training/Education, VOICE 2012 Tagged With: LinkedIn, LinkedIn Signal, LinkedIn.com, social Media, social networking, Terry Daniel, Trish Basanyi, VO, voice, VOICE 2012, voice acting, voice actor, voice artist, VOICE conference, voice over, voice talent, voiceover, Voiceovers, voices

LinkedIn Lip Service

May 27, 2012 By CourVO Leave a Comment

“Oh yeah!…I’m on LinkedIn…I just don’t use it much.”

(‘Wish I had a Neumann for ever time I heard that!)

In about three weeks and three days I’ll take the stage with Terry Daniel and Trish Basanyi at the Disneyland hotel during VOICE2012 to talk Social Media strategies.

Terry will present mostly on FaceBook, and Trish mostly on Twitter (although we will all chime in throughout). That leaves me to talk about LinkedIn, Google Plus and Pinterest.

I’ve long been an advocate for LinkedIn, so I’ve got a lot to say about this social network. In the last month, I’ve gotten job-producing connections out of nowhere on LinkedIn without even really trying, from people I’ve never met.

I get the sense (although I have no hared numbers), that there are thousands of voice talent, producers, agents, casting directors, audio engineers, studio managers and others related to the production of voice-work on LinkedIn. They’re in the discussions, the groups, and best of all, their profiles are available for anyone to see and search.

Because of LinkedIn (and other social media)…you should never have to make a “cold call”. Information on just about any client prospect is public and free.

Resource material on LinkedIn is everywhere, but not all of it is legit, so let me save you the time. At the bottom of this blog, I’m posting a link to a document with some of the best resources I’ve found for LinkedIn. The .doc also includes the following list, which I’m posting here as well, along with the source.

The 7 Habits of highly effective LinkedIn Members:
(http://www.socialmediafaststart.org/)

1. They invest their time strategically by putting fresh content on Linkedin when it’s the best time to do so. Let me explain, for me weekends are times to prepare Linkedin content, but as you will notice most collaboration does not take place on weekends. So hold the great Q/A’s, the awesome discussion topics, or the great status updates until Monday and never late Friday. Think about what your audience is doing and be strategic.

2. They use their status update to post something new every 24 to 48 hours and 80% of those updates include a link that gives a call to action. Such as signing up for your next webinar, promotions to visit your blog, to visit your resume, or visiting your corporate website etc…

3. They answer target specific questions that are related to their target market. This is great exposure for your business that Linkedin Pros are doing everyday!

4. They use the “saved” search “alerts” option for both advanced searches and job searches. By doing this you can be alerted instantly when opportunies become available such as new prospects or jobs. This allows you to reach out before the masses.

5. They answer every Linkedin email/inmail. Maybe not timely, but they never waste an opportunity!

6. They post their company events on the events application provided by Linkedin and use this as a way to measure interest and involvement for such things as conferences, webinars, or seminars. The events application has only been recently used by Linkedin Elite, but many are beginning to wise up to its amazing potential.

7. These highly successful members have identified their target markets on Linkedin, their goals on Linkedin, and are executing their plan every single work day. Social Media can be measured, but most don’t understand how to begin measuring their Social Media efforts because they have never identified their goals for using the Linkedin space. Once you have identified your goals then you can build a measurable matrix to anaylize your efforts. for voice talent.

Click the following link for the list of of other LinkedIn resources I’ve compiled for you.
LinkedIn Resources. doc

CourVO

Filed Under: Social Media/Networking, Social/Professional Networking, Web Resources Tagged With: LinkedIn, LinkedIn.com, social media for VO's, Social Media/Networking, social nettworks, social networking, VO, voice acting, voice actor, voice artist, voice over, voice talent, voiceover, Voiceovers, voices

Eleven LinkedIn Leads

January 31, 2012 By CourVO 2 Comments

Time and time again I get questions about LinkedIn.

People gush over on FaceBook, and they play on Twitter, but they just aren’t sure WHAT to do with LinkedIn.

Like the other popular social media platforms, LinkedIn has been smart about constantly morphing their platform to accept new trends. In that sense, LinkedIn encourages a lot of interaction and inter-relations between it’s members…and it pays to stay abreast of their tweaks.

But make no mistake about it, LinkedIn is the more serious sibling of the Social Media family…and LI does much to encourage and strengthen that reputation. No other Social Network gives you the deep and wide search tools that LinkedIn offers. The other huge strength of LI is its groups. If you’re not maximizing your 50 possible group subscriptions, you’re not taking advantage of one of its richest features. And here’s the thing…while you may want to add the various popular VO groups to your list…make sure to join some other groups where you might make relationships and find work (i.e…audio professionals, e-learning groups, audiobook publishers, etc).

Below is a list of 11 sites I have built-in to my Google Reader list for LI tips. I try to visit most of them several times a week for tips.

1) http://linkedintelligence.com/

2) http://www.chrisbrogan.com/five-things-to-do-on-linkedin/

3) http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Leveraging-this-group-LinkedIn-open-3341869.S.86266352

4) http://www.socialmediainformer.com/2012/linkedin/social-media/

5) http://linkedintelligence.com/smart-ways-to-use-linkedin/

6) http://www.cio.com/article/697424/5_LinkedIn_Tips_for_Career_Success_in_2012

7) http://linkedin.alltop.com/

8) http://www.booleanblackbelt.com/2012/01/how-to-see-full-names-of-3rd-degree-connections-on-linkedin

9) http://www.chrisbrogan.com/power-up-your-linkedin-profile/

10) http://blog.linkedin.com/

11) http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/

CourVO

Filed Under: Social Media/Networking, Social/Professional Networking Tagged With: LinkedIn, social Media, social networking, VO, voice, voice acting, voice actor, voice artist, voice over, voice talent, voiceover, voices

Should You Embrace Branch Out?

August 2, 2011 By CourVO Leave a Comment

The notices just don’t stop coming. I delete scores of them every day from my email.

Is BranchOut really the LinkedIn of Facebook?…and what exactly does that mean, anyway? I’m skeptical, but also interested in any legitimate and well-orgainzed online site that allows me to market my services.

Disclaimer: I’m on Branchout (I guess)…but I really have no idea what that means, so I set out to find some resources that can help you and me decide if it’s worth it to invite others, fill out the recommendations, and whether it can actually help you find work.

When you log into the BranchOut website, you enter your Facebook log-in, and alla sudden you find yourself on the FaceBook BranchOut page (it’s a FaceBook app). Alternatively, you can just search for BranchOut while you’re on FaceBook, and end up at the same place. I find that confusing…but it’s a non-issue, really.

BranchOut (the service just celebrated it’s one-year anniversary) is one of those online sites that requires you to build your own profile by hooking in other people. The easiest way to do that is to open up one of your email addresses and start sending wholesale invitations. BranchOut makes this easy, and that’s why you’re getting so many mentions in your email. Once the buzz gets going, people are like lemmings, joining ’cause it’s easy, free, and they don’t want to miss out.

Then, to “complete” your profile, you need to offer recommendations (endorsements) of others, and collect badges. The reward system urges you to make it to 100% completion of your profile. Great! Now what?

BranchOut claims to be: “… the largest professional networking service on Facebook. Hundreds of thousands of people use BranchOut to accomplish one of the following important tasks:

Create a safe and professional profile.
Search 3 million jobs and 20,000 internships.
Get sales leads, top candidates, and interviews.
Build a powerful network of professional connections.”

You can find their helpfiles on the site itself. BranchOut’s FAQ Page. BranchOut also has its own blog.

OK, all find and good, Dave, but what does it DO?? I was afraid you’d ask that. So I did some more digging, and found a pretty good, recent article by someone who writes for entrepreneurial women. Among her discoveries…BranchOut has: “…A super cool new feature allows Facebook Business Page owners to add a jobs tab from BranchOut that shows jobs you are running ads for on the site. Great connection tool.” OK, that’s legit, I guess. See the rest of the article, complete with a YouTube video on Decisive Minds.

What else? I went looking some more and found lots of other articles…but all were part of the BranchOut website or help files.

In fact, most of the 3rd-party articles about BranchOut start out like THIS blog…wondering exactly what BranchOut does. The Next Great Generation website actually comes closest to offering a fairly objective summary.

THE BOTTOM LINE

BranchOut is a nascent FaceBook app with a nebulous idea, and a slick interface, trying to decide what it wants to be in the competitive world of online business relationships. Whoever’s running the show keeps tweaking (not a bad thing), and obviously people ARE making connections there. Can you get VO work from this site? Probably, if you work it long and hard enough.

My advice. Once you get signed-up and complete your profile, start clicking on every last thing you can find on the page. In other words, do a discovery for yourself. You may be pleasantly surprised, or you may find you’ve wasted your time. Like most other Social Media sites…you need to find your threshold of participation to determine your Return-On-Investment of time.

Let me know what your experience on BranchOut has been like.

CourVO

Filed Under: Social/Professional Networking Tagged With: Branchout, business connections, FaceBook, lemmings, social Media, social networking

5 Reasons Why VO’s Should Use Google+

July 17, 2011 By CourVO 8 Comments

Take Twitter, FaceBook, YouTube, & FriendFeed, and integrate them with a host of free Google apps… then stir in some creative new organizational designs, and some Skype functionality, and you have the new Google+.

This is the internet giant’s third and best attempt to be a Social Media player. (The others, were — forgettably — Google Wave, and Google Buzz, now both discontinued).

Officially called the Google+ project, and still in limited Beta, “G+” as it’s coming to be known, is available to private individuals on an increasing basis, now, if you can get someone to invite you. Send me your (preferably Gmail) email at courvo@courvo.com, and I’ll send you one.

In the first two weeks of limited membership, G+ has grown to 10-million members — mostly guys, geeks, early adopters of Social Media, and no business accounts.

While FaceBook is not shaking in it’s boots at those numbers (FB is closing in on 800-million),FB CEO Mark Zuckerburg is noticeably silent on the upstart social network (BTW, he IS on G+ and has more followers than anyone…even more than Google’s founders).

NO MINUSES
Google+ developers obviously did their homework, and the platform had a host of polished features right out of the chute. Google employees are visible everywhere on the site, and are listening. In fact, you could almost think they’ve been assigned as monitors of the site to help answer questions and concerns. They deny that, saying they’re only proud of the new project, and want to make it successful. Either way, there are daily tweaks and improvements to the site — many from the suggestions submitted by new members.

At the bottom of this blog you’ll find a bunch of links I’ve been collecting to give you a lot more hints and tips to make your Google+ experience easier.

You may wonder whether another Social Network would be of value to you when FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube are challenging enough. That’s a fair question, and one only you can ultimately answer. There’s only so much time in the day, so G+ may be just another time-suck OR the perfect combination of features that you’ve been looking for to best utilize your time in Social Media. I wouldn’t mislead you on this… G+ is worthy of your evaluation. Just remember, it will require some effort to get things as you like them…which can foster a “start with a clean-slate” attitude — OR — a “here we go again!” roll of the eyes.

5 WAYS TO APPLY G+ TO YOUR VO BUSINESS

1) Near-perfect format for furthering the conversation. G+ has a timeline like Twitter, without the 140-character limit. Not only that, you don’t have to go digging for others’ responses and your comments…all those are just stacked below your original post in chronological order (a la FaceBook). Furthermore, unlike FaceBook, you can go back and edit your original post all you want. No more of that “OMG, I typed the wrong word…delete the post….and post again.” Even more, you can choose whether to even allow comments to your post, or whether other can re-post it! Lots of options for engaging…and engagement is the new buzzword in social media. Without engagement, you’re just blowing hot air…and no one wants to listen to a blowhard.

2) Pictures, Videos, Links, Geo-Location. G+ just makes it easier to include all this in your posts. For instance, while FB lets you add pics, vids, or links to your posts, G+ automatically connects to your Picasa photo library, and lets your choose your uploaded pics (not on Picasa?…you’ll want to be with G+…it’s free, and Google has big plans to build new features into this picture-sharing service very soon). Geo-Location? Not everyone wants to be nailed on a map, but this can come in handy…and that’s a feature FB does not have. And when it comes to linking your videos to a post, don’t forget Google OWNS YouTube, so you know that’s gonna be a cinch! G+ also lets you upload pics and vid from your phone (so far, only Android).

3) Circles. The most noticeably different feature on the G+ interface is CIRCLES. It’s an easy concept to grasp. As you add friends, you drag and drop their profile into categories or “circles” designed and named by you. I have a circle for people I know in Vegas, VoiceOver, Social Media, Family, and so forth. Great. Now what? As you post, G+ gives you ultimate control over who sees your message. The default is “public”…but the decision can be yours to only send the message to your family…or to all your friends in VoiceOver…to several circles at once…or even one individual. Imagine how this may work in your favor to get the word out to all the people in your “Clients” circle when you need to tell them something like you’ll be gone for the next two days. Instant newsletter!

4) Google Integration. In case you haven’t noticed, Google is coming on strong. Its integrated suite of online tools is growing, and finding influential partners. Just the other day, Box.net announced its already successful service will be shared with Google Docs. Google will be weaving their many apps into Google+ in ways that will make your mind swim. Look for the G+ interface to be seamlessly integrated into Google Docs, YouTube, Maps, Google Reader, Google Analytics, Picasa, Google Translate, Calendar….OMG…I think you get my drift. In this sense, Google has it all over FaceBook, which has to go out and curry or even pay for these relationships with other providers, and the integration is not always pretty.

5) Hang-Outs. Talk to 9 other people from any of your circles in real time, with video and sound… instantaneously. Skype and even Fring offer this, but it costs. With Google, it’s just another free feature of the platform (built on their Google Talk technology). It works. It’s easy. It’s addicting. During the session, you can type memos to anyone in the Hang-out, and all of you can simultaneously watch videos or share information that any of those attending want to call-up. Hang-out is getting probably the most positive feedback from early adopters, and this may also be one of the key features you can incorporate into your VO business. Collaborate in real-time together with your client, your agent, your editor, your producer, and another talent on a shared project, and it’s not just a phone call…you can see all the nuances of body language during the Hang-out. I’ll let your imagination run with this one.

Honorable mention: Development, 3rd-party software, apps, and free plug-in contributions were immediate, helpful, free, and innovative. More stuff is coming out by the day…Chrome extensions, widgets for WordPress, methods for porting over your contacts from FaceBook, add-ons to the interface. In other words, geeks have spoken, and they’re enthusiastic. They like the direction Google is going here, and there appears to be tons of support in the online and social media community.

Caveats: Google is carefully controlling their baby. No business accounts (yet), no open advertising or promoting allowed. There have been a few application glitches, but they seem to be mostly minor and quickly fixed. No add-on applications like FaceBook’s rich offerings (yet). This means — for instance — that your SoundCloud app doesn’t work here…but you can still post a link to your shared Sound-Cloud mp3′s. No Groups…a feature I find quite worthy on FB. I don’t quite see how “circles” offers the same functionality.

In short, G+ is quite engaging (engagement…remember?), easy-to-use, enabling, and just…fun!

Below, now, my aggregated list of G+ online articles that help explain a lot of the detail and offers a few add-ons. Let me know of other resources you’ve found…or tips and tricks that I’ve blatantly missed.

CourVO

Google+ Grows Quickly

The Great List of Chrome Extensions for Google+

Collaborative Google+ doc – Online guide

Official Google+ Project Support

Google+ Statistics

The Best Google+ Tutorials

Why Bloggers Should Consider Engaging on Google+

Inside Google+ – How the Search Giant Plans to Go Social

The Google Cheat-Sheet

5 Chrome Extensions that Improve Google+

How to Make a Google+ Desktop App

How to Upload iPhone Photos to Google+

How to Get Your Own Google+ Vanity URL

How to Import Your FaceBook Contacts on Google+

Google+ WordPress Plugin

Filed Under: Social Media/Networking, Social/Professional Networking, Technology, Trending Tagged With: engagement, Google, VO, voice, voice acting, voice actor, voice artist, voice over, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover talent

Part III, Your VO Social Media Plan

June 7, 2011 By CourVO 16 Comments

Repeat after me: Voice Acting is a business…Voice Acting is a business…Voice Acting is a business.

Yeah, it’s a fun business. There are real ego-boosting moments. It’s performance, it’s technology, it’s rubbing up against Hollywood. All that.

But above all, it’s a business.

Getting down to…er…BUSINESS

Self-styled Social Ecologist Peter Drucker was famously attributed with saying: “…the purpose of a business is to create a customer…” Notice he didn’t say: “grow” the business, but “create a customer.”

Uh-huh. What exactly does that pie-in-the-sky gobbledygook double-speak MEAN, Dave? It means you better give some serious consideration to what you will be doing for roughly 80% of your time in this business: marketing, sales, finding a need to fill, convincing the prospect you can fill that need, and then providing customer service better than anyone else at a competitive price you can live with and still feed your family. THEN you can get behind the mic.

Where Social Media Fits In

So you’re willing to spend most of your time finding clients, and not just play around in your studio. Great! You’ve found the financing, sketched out a business plan, read Peter O’Connell’s Voice-Over Entrance Exam, and perused through all the links on my blog article: Advice for Newbies, part II (just making sure…if you’re an experienced VO, and just want the Social Media tips, skip that last part).

Yes, Dave…I’m ready to do the work. How can Social Media help me?

You’re alive at the right time in the history of humankind. The kind of marketing tools that Twitter and FaceBook and YouTube provide have NEVER been available before in history. They’re FREE. They reach more people than you could handle if just 1% of them offered you a job.

Great. But how do I find them? Well, some of them will come to you in time by doing your social networking right, and that’s Part IV tomorrow.

The Holy Grail of Leads

But how to actively seek out qualified prospects? There’s a free social media tool for that, too, and it’s called LinkedIn.

Using their basic free membership, and working its deep, broad, and advanced search tools, you can find more names, addresses, descriptions and information about specific companies seeking voice talent…or studios who use voice talent than you can possibly contact for the rest of this year. For a mere $24.95/mo you can upgrade to a “business” account and have access to even more extensive resources!

I’m not going to do a step-by-step tutorial right here…that would be an insult to your intelligence, because you’re smart enough easily navigate the intuitive and rich LinkedIn interface and make your own way. Right? I kid, but seriously…it’s not hard, and I don’t want to (1) give away too many of my secrets, nor (2) limit the unique style YOU will develop in mining the deep veins of golden prospects on this social media site.

Nonetheless, watch the video below I put together about a year ago on this very subject. It’s still totally germane to this topic.

CourVO

Filed Under: Networking, Social/Professional Networking, VO Community Tagged With: LinkedIn, LinkedIn searches, social Media, social networking, VO, voice, voice acting, voice actor, voice artist, voice over, voice talent, voiceover

Part I, Your VO Social Media plan

June 5, 2011 By CourVO 2 Comments

Each day this week, I’ll contribute a new blog article in a 5-point plan to benefit your VO business in the Social Networks.

This is not daunting, nor difficult. It will require some time, esp. if you haven’t started yet, and it WILL require the real YOU to step forward. Not some proxy personality. Social Media is nothing if your contribution does not reflect a genuine you. That’s the whole idea: be real — warts and all — so the actual person online becomes the trusted you — and the trusted you gets jobs.

800 lb. GORILLA

No wonder the Winklevoss twins wanted a piece of FaceBook. It’s the monster on the block. One of these days, it may go the way of the Atari, but right now there is no Social Media presence without it. Sign up, and enter a profile. It’s free. Put up a picture. Fill out the personal information to the extent your comfortable, and take the time to configure the settings so people can see you or not see you according to your wishes. Browse around. Personally, I find FaceBook to be a non-intuitive interface, but it’s deep and broad, and it changes all the time. The more time you spend here, the more you’ll understand it. But above all, respond and contribute to whatever conversation you decide to be part of. Be businesslike if you’re constructing a business page, but be you. Be friendly if you’re doing a personal page, but be you.

THE BIRD

Even FaceBook is looking over it’s shoulder at Twitter. Just about everyone from Microsoft to Google has been rumoured an attempted buyout of Twitter. Twitter confounds lots of people. I get that, but once you try it a little, you’ll at least see its value. Twitter is also free. Sign-up and fill out your profile. Be honest, but maybe a little mysterious or provacative. Or not. Your choice. Above all, be brief (you HAVE to be). Put up a picture, not an avatar. Don’t change the pic a lot. Let people get used to who you are. Include the URL to your VO site. Now—-> start “tweeting”. Again, be serious, mysterious, fun, zany, mad, or not. Just be genuine. Retweet other’s posts. Include links. But don’t spam, and don’t waste people’s time. (I’m being purposely brief…a primer on how to do Twitter this is NOT).

VIDEO

YouTube is the second biggest search engine on the planet..which means the top two are both owned by Google, ’cause Google owns YouTube. YouTube keeps breaking records. A couple of months ago it had–over 2 billion video views per day; over 35 hours of video uploaded per minute (Source: YouTube Statistics: 25 Jawdropping YouTube Facts, Figures & Statistics http://www.reelseo.com/youtube-statistics/#ixzz1OTt8XS7v)

God knows what it is today. As much as you may hate appearing on camera, these are trends you just can’t ignore. At least set up your account. Use your Google username and password. It’s easier that way. DON’T start browsing videos. You’ll end up like my daughter who spends 28 hours a day laughing at stupid cat videos. :) See what other people are posting. Most of it is junk. But people are watching. Just think how many hits you’ll get if you practice a little, and put up something compelling. See my site: http://www.oncamtips.com for help.

THERE’S MORE

I’m going to suggest LinkedIn as honorable mention here. Some would put it higher than YouTube. It deserves it’s own blog article (I think) for the rich mining you can do on the site for companies (Studios! Agents! Prospects!) and people. I’ll just say please sign up (again: free) and start your profile. Put up a smiling but mostly serious bio pic, and start seeing who else among your friends are on the site. You’ll be surprised. There are thousands (yes, thousands) of voice-actors on LinkedIn, even if they don’t want to talk about it. You can be on as many as 50 groups. Join some…especially Ed Victor’s “Working Voice Actor” group, and my “Setting VO Rates” group. Send out invitations. Write and seek recommendations to your profile. Use the extensive tools to research potential leads here…that’s what this site is all about.

OK, that’s the basics. TOMORROW: Part II of your VO Social Media Plan will help you strategize your overall approach. Why are you on Social Networks? What is it you want to achieve? What part of my VO business can most benefit from a Social media Plan?

CourVO