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G+ VoiceOvers

December 6, 2012 By 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: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Drawing the Line

October 29, 2012 By 4 Comments

#1 Question I get from people at VO Social Media seminars:

“When do you sleep?”

What they really mean is…”I don’t have enough time in the day to be present on all those social media sites, and do it justice.  How do you do that?”

To be even more succinct, their concern is that:  “I don’t have enough time in the day to be present on all those social media sites, and not feel guilty that I’m missing an opportunity, or some information, or a relationship that could benefit my VO business.”

Intrinsic in any and all of those statements, is that one NEEDS to be present on Social Media these days to:
a)  keep up with trends
b)  find work
c)  maintain relationships
d)  not miss something

For the record, yes, I believe you MUST be on Social Media these days to do all of the above, but the fair and balanced journalist in me knows there are plenty of voice actors who are NOT on Social Media (or just barely), and are quite successful in their freelance business (now).

When automobiles were first coming on the scene, plenty of farriers (horseshoe blacksmiths) kept busy for many years.   ;-)  But where are they today?

So maybe the better question for all of us is: “What should be the proper balance of existing and proven (legacy) marketing, & relationship-building vs. developing (progressive) methods?”

Like choosing a microphone, this is a very personal decision for all voice-actors.

I was speaking to a peer well-known to all voice-actors the other day about his perceived absence in Social Media lately.  He acknowledged that he was, indeed, purposely scarce on the social networks of late, saying:  “…I just decided to lay low, lurk around, and just focus … customer service…”

He’s not the only one who’s expressed that sentiment to me lately.  Social Networking exploded on the scene several years ago.  Some find (found) it fulfilling and productive, others come and go, ebbing and flowing according to their commitment & passion for it, and their perceived priorities.

Where do you fall on this issue?

Here’s a quick checklist for deciding whether you’re judiciously using your time on Social Networks:
1)  Have you set some sort of parameters for spending time on social media per day? (much like you would schedule time for answering email, voicing projects, or being with your kids?)
2)  Do you have goals, a vision, and/or a business plan for using Social Media?
3)  Have you researched, studied, or rec’d coaching on best use of Social Media?
4)  Did you decide whether time spent on Social Media is work or fun for you?  (If work…persist because of it’s ROI.  If fun,…don’t let it run away with your time).
5)  Have you established methods for measuring the results of time and effort spent on Social Media? (admittedly, this is a new and developing field, but not without options).

This is by no means an exhaustive list, nor have I dealt with this topic in its full scope here.  But begin with the above 5 points, and let me know how it goes.

Despite its seemingly nebulous nature, Social Media IS finding useful focus for businesses and freelancers.  I believe there are many reasons to stick with it for the long haul…just make sure you get enough sleep.

CourVO

Filed Under: Social Media/Networking, SociaMediaVO Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Part I, Your VO Social Media plan

June 5, 2011 By 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

Filed Under: Networking, Social/Professional Networking, SociaMediaVO Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Who Are You?

September 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Lately, that question has not come up much.

In Las Vegas, that’s understandable…but among VO people I’d never met in person at events like VOICE2010 or FaffCon,  it also didn’t come up much.

In fact, one of the FaffCon attendees I’d just met for the first time with a handshake in Portland, OR, quickly blew me off when I offered my name.  ”You’re CourVO,”  he said.  ”Everybody knows who you are!”

That wonderful affirmation to months of  social media work was a balm to my soul.  Whether through hard work, luck, or obsession, I continue to mount a presence on the web that has only benefitted my VO business.

Much of my process comes through trial ‘n’ error and discovery.  I’ve freely shared much of it on the SocialMediaVO website.  I also share free YouTube video-making tips on another site called: OnCamtips.

Paying it forward is part of the deal.  You have to offer something of value with no strings attached.  There are a million other suggestions from so-called Social Media and Social Networking  ”gurus”.

7 Ways to  Acquire The right Kinds of Links to Your Site is another of THOSE articles.  I like this one, ’cause it’s written by a proven performer: Duct Tape Marketing’s John Jantsch, and because it could easily be my own mantra.  I do all 7 of these things.  I’m not saying you should.  Each to their own, and Lord knows, I fall short in a number of online tricks (metrics and SEO to name two).

Check it out, though, John’s article is a quick read, and it all makes sense…whether you know him or not.

CourVO

Filed Under: Social/Professional Networking, SociaMediaVO Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

New Frontier

August 23, 2010 By 1 Comment

Every day I’m reminded that we live in swashbuckling times.  Not that we should have parrot on our shoulder, or a snarl on our breath…rather a swashbuckler — in the truest sense — is an adventurer.

Every generation has it’s opportunities for adventure.  Think of the explorers, the railroad or oil barons, even Bill Gates.  Each met a challenge on the frontier — be it Cape Horn, the Wild West, or a threshold of digital technology.

What is the world-changing opportunity lying right under our noses, that history will look back on in 50 years and say:  “Ya know, it really began in 2010…starting small with _________.”?

THE OUTBACK

The last such frontier was computer technology, the internet, the dot.com bubble…each building on the platform of the technology preceding it.  Microsoft and Apple were revolutionary outcomes of electricity, the phone system, and vacuum tubes.  And THOSE advances were built on advances in metallurgy, glassware, and the assembly line.

Make no mistake, THE NEXT BIG THING is forming right now…right here in the US…its nascent stem cells so defying prediction that we can’t see the thing-it-will-be.

Here’s my take on it anyway:  that “next big thing” will be some sort of paradigm, cultural revolution, or gizmo that binds us even more to one another — almost telepathically…and it’s being born in Social Media.

Ah…so that’s what you’re getting at, CourVO!!!…too many late nights on FaceBook!

…JUST AROUND THE CORNER!

But hear me out.  Three little recent developments — perhaps just insignificant baubles in the corporate world — that will be swallowed up by a Google, or a Lenovo, or a Zappos, may be the harbingers.

Gist.  This golden little software/cloud/assistive chunk of digital awareness will help put online social connections in perspective.  You can join online at Gist.com.  You can download the add-on version to MS Outlook, and you can further utilize Gist on your smartphone.  Gist is quietly amazing.  In Outlook (which BTW is not-so-slowly embracing social media itself: see the new OutLook Social Connector), Gist immediately adjusts to each email highlighted, telling you more…much more, about the person who just sent you a message, in the form of links, contact info, and social media sites.  Another great program of this ilk is XOBNI (inbox backwards).

StumbleUpon, Digg, Reddit.  I group these together, ’cause they share a similar approach, which is to let YOU choose the headline, the trend, the hot topic. NewsVine is in this category.  Digg — a surprising survivor of Social Media competition — is about to launch a whole new site revamp that everybody is anticipating, and StumbleUpon just launched it’s new iPhone/Android app.  Actually, mobile is EVERYTHING.  Forget, radio, TV, computers…the trend is all towards personal info & communication on the go.

THE NEW WORLD

Which leads to the capper of my little diatribe today:  GeoLocation services.  This sector is going wild. Yelp and Loopt and a hundred other start-ups launched into this sector, built upon the capabilities of  GPS (remember the history lesson above?)   FourSquare popularized it, but over the weekend, FaceBook got on the bandwagon, and Google is right in the mix too, with “Google Places“.

Detractors caution about too freely sharing your whereabouts.  But advertisers are lovin’ this one…offering incentives, coupons, and special buys for those who check-in, reach out and take-advantage.  Amazing stories are emerging of people finding the very person they’re looking for (!) in the next store over, all because they both checked into FourSquare within minutes of each other on their smartphones.

WITHER VO?

Don’t ask me this question!  I’m just a blogger, not Rasputin…but let’s brainstorm for a minute.  Gist is easy:  it puts lots of handy information about possible voice clients and leads right where you can use it… on your computer and your smartphone.  StumbleUpon, Digg, etc. are like mini RSS readers that keep you up on business trends, and might give you ideas for warm-calling certain leads.

But Geo-Location?  I’m coming up blank on this one.  I gotta call my VO bud Terry Daniel who is absolutely rabid about this technology, and have him explain the big advantage for my voice-over business.  Will it help me to know, for instance, that the production supervisor hired by McDonald’s advertising agency is having coffee at the Starbucks just down from where I’m picking up my dry cleaning?  Hmmmm.

Will there be “places” barons in our near future?

CourVO

Filed Under: Social Media/Networking, Social/Professional Networking, SociaMediaVO, Software, Technology, Web/Tech Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Still Think Social Media’s a Waste of Time?

August 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

All trends are pointing to the contrary.

Don’t believe me?..then maybe Roy Wells’ article on the website Social Media Today will convince you.

It’s titled:  Social Networking is Dominating Online Activity.

…and while you’re at it, take a moment to read some of the related posts at the bottom like:

“I only use email to communicate with old people” -and- “Four Things That People Do Online” (very thought-provoking)

Don’t forget our specially-designed web page for voice artists who want to get a handle on social media:  SocialMediaVO.com.

CourVO

Filed Under: Social/Professional Networking, SociaMediaVO Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Social Savvy

August 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Social Media and Social Networking is at the heart of my VO Marketing plan (heh), and if you haven’t yet seen or visited, my friend Terry Daniel and I offer a resource site on Social Media techniques for voice-actors HERE.

Below, I’m repurposing a single page of content from a publication heralding the upcoming Affiliate  Summit in NYC  in a couple of weeks

(already sold out!).  I’m not an affiliate marketer in the truest sense, but the successful ones are staunch apostles of good Social Networking techniques.

Lots of people claim an expertise in Social Media, but over time, you look for the ones that tend to make sense, have good referrals, and offer consistently good content.  Brian Solis is certainly among those who fit that criteria.

He lists below 21 “Best Practices” to navigate almost any Social Media Platform.  Do these, and  reap the rewards!

CourVO

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Social/Professional Networking, SociaMediaVO Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Be Yourself

July 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Ever since VOICE2010, and the wildly acclaimed presentation I did with Terry Daniel on Social Media for VO’s (I lied about the wild acclaim thing, BTW), I’ve had many questions about what a person should “DO” when they finally get somewhat established on these sites…like Twitter, FaceBook, and LinkedIn.

The answer — written succinctly — and explained better than I’ve seen anywhere, is summed-up in THIS article by @thatdamnredhead for Social Media Today.

She expands on everything I’ve tried to say over and over.
.
BE YOURSELF.

CourVO

(P.S. see this link and more tips about Social Media for your VO business on the website http://www.SocialMediaVO.com)

Filed Under: Social/Professional Networking, SociaMediaVO, Twitter Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Ettiket

June 30, 2010 By 1 Comment

…purposely misspelled in the spirit of texting.

For a while during my hour-long teleseminar on Social Media sponsored by Edge Studio June 22, 2010…I waxed eloquent on the suggested do’s and don’t's of social media…that is, if you want to get and keep friends and followers.  Otherwise, it doesn’t matter what you do.

The whole teleseminar, of course, was based on the supposition that you DO want to get and keep followers and “friends”.  Furthermore, extending your brand onto those social media platforms may even garner you some new clients.

These concepts are not new, but apparently — with a teleseminar attended by the maximum allowable 100 listeners — a good many voice actors have a hunger for learning more about social media tools.

I set up my trusty FLIP video cam to record some of my end of the call, and the clip is below.  Mind you, I took NONE of my own advice for how to set up a good shot, as stated in my helpful website: OnCamTips…so forgive the terrible angle, and the news map of Las Vegas in the background.

To hear the full hour’s teleseminar session click HERE, and scroll down to the subheading ‘Marketing’.

Also, visit SocialMediaVO to see a more complete resource on leveraging New Media for your voiceover business.

CourVO

Filed Under: Social Media/Networking, Social/Professional Networking, SociaMediaVO, Teleseminar Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Just a Coupla Quick…

June 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

….links to stuff I’m finding.

First, Edge Studio posted the audio of my teleseminar with them about a week ago on the topic of Using Social Media for Your VoiceOver Business.

Click HERE….then scroll down to the Marketing section.  It should be the top link under that heading.

Also, as you’ll find if you’ve visited the SocialMediaVO.com site at all…I’m a big fan of SocialMediaToday.com.  They consistently publish some good material for staying on top of social media trends.

I love this one:  TOP TEN WAYS SOCIAL MEDIA IS TEACHING US TO BE HUMAN AGAIN.  Good reading…and all true, especially when building the your brand on social media for your VO business.

CourVO

Filed Under: Social/Professional Networking, SociaMediaVO Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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