Dave Courvoisier's Blog

Posts Tagged ‘social networking’

Why am I such a sucker for this stuff?

It just FINDS me.

Simple, harmless, helpful FREE.  ‘Takes minutes to set-up.

Check out FLAVORS.ME.  It aggregates all your social networking sites into a sublimely plain, customizable interface on an easy-to-find page.

To see mine, just click on the pic above.CourVO

Cyber Monday is here, and some pretty special offers from a few of VO’s best are certainly worth considering:

VOICE2010.  It’s gonna be here before you know it!  The other thing you know:  budgets are tight…that’s why you should really look at this one-day offer from James Alburger and Penny Abshire.  Browse around the Website…the conference has a pretty incredible line-up of seminars and instructors.  They’re even gonna let me and Terry Daniel do a session on Social Networking.

Also, the following specials are courtesy of Julie Williams, and her helpful “VO Things of Interest” Newsletter

VOCareer.com is offering $100 off a demo. (Regularly $700-$900)Click HERE. Or go to http://www.vocareer.com/home/Demos.php

Deb Munro is offering several discounts, including, $25 off private coaching sessions, , and $50 off her Creating Voices home study course. Contact Deb at chantidm@telusplanet.net.

Julie Williams is offering $50 off How To Make Money in Voice-Overs Even If You Don’t Live in N.Y. or L.A.  Email julie@voice-overs.com

Rob Sciglimpaglia will offer a free legal info mp3. Email Rob at robscig@usa.net

Visit Julie’s free forum at www.voice-overs.com/forum

CourVO

For about an hour-and-a-half this last Saturday, I waxed eloquent on the topic of social media for a few score VO-types on a teleseminar sponsored by VoiceOverDirectory.com.

Ironically enough, my audio was so-so…(bad phone connection), but apparently the content was engaging enough that quite a few of the participants wrote with requests for a hard copy that I promised to compose.

It strikes me that  many of you may glean a little something from my ramblings too (or not).. 

You can see a copy of the newsletter: LEVERAGING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR VOICE OVER BUSINESSES HERE.

Please let me know what you think of the content.

CourVO

When do you become an “expert”?

That word makes me uncomfortable.

That’s why, when I started my teleseminar Saturday morning  (Leveraging Social Media for Your VoiceOver Business) on behalf of the VoiceOverDirectory, I began by saying I’m a fan of Social Media, I enjoy Social Networking, I’m familiar and comfortable with New Media…I’m drawn to its potential…but “expert”?  Nah!

Social Media is too new, and so ever-changing for anyone to be able truly be an “expert”…at least by my definition, which I’m conveniently not stating here.

My talk was more about trends, indicators…mapping out a few directives that seem to be working FOR NOW…and why voice actors really shouldn’t ignore the opportunities afforded by New Media for furthering their brand, their personality…the relationships that may lead to enriching their personal lives, and advancing their business.

Amazingly, I talked almost non-stop about that for almost a half-hour, and still felt there was much left unsaid.

I’m a geek at heart, which means I’m a genetically hard-wired metal detector, perking up when a wayward  fragment of social media metal shows up on my radar.  But I know (that’s right, keep telling yourself, Dave) that Social Media is only one of the tools in my job-searching toolbox.  It just happens to be the one that captures my fancy (hey!…I found a gold doubloon!).

Maybe I’m on to something.  Maybe not.  Maybe it’ll bring me more VO jobs…or not.  Or maybe — just maybe — all this flailing around may lead me into an unexpected career vector that has little to do with voice-acting.  All I know is along the way I’m learning a ton, and meeting some of the savviest people on the planet.

Below is about a 2:30 excerpt of my teleseminar.  I recorded the whole thing on a trusty Logitech webcam…and the audio you hear is from the onboard Logitech mic (not the greatest).  On this segment I blatantly break a number of my own rules, stated so smugly on my new website: OnCamTips.com. But, there may be some value in watching this anyway: a segment on the rationale for voice actors to consider authoring a blog of their own.

I have no idea how many listened in, but quite a few responded afterward to say they’d like the resource material I promised to make available if they’d just send their e-mail address to me.  I think they were just being polite…;-}

BTW, write me at CourVO@CourVO.com, and I’ll put you on the mailing list for that resource material, too.

My thanks to Mark Davidson and Austin Alexander of VoiceOverDirectory for asking me to speak, and arranging this teleseminar so professionally. 

Also my gratitude to a couple of voice-actors who are social media VO giants in my eyes:  Trish Basanyi (@Trishsvoice) and Terry Daniel (@TDaniel39).

CourVO

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This I could not have predicted.

In the search for better ways to market my VO services, I’ve stumbled upon a lot of insights about Social Networking and New Media.

People actually seem interested in knowing how I do that!  AMAZING!

Anyway, Mark Davidson of VoiceOverDirectory.com noticed, and asked me if I’d mind conducting a teleseminar on that topic.

Of course I said yes, and there’s room left for you.  Wanna join in?     Cool!

It starts this Saturday at 1pm EST and will last an hour, hour-and-a-half maybe….check out the specs HERE.

CourVO

Still eight months out, but already starting to get pretty stoked about the upcoming VOICE2010 conference being held in LA by James Alburger and Penny Abshire.

Today, they released the slate of presenters, along with the schedule of the conference.  You’ll note that Terry Daniel and I are the General Session presenters Friday morning on the topic of Social Networking.

Click HERE to see the matrix of presenters and days/times.  You will not want to miss this event…the talent, resources, and networking possibilities will boost your VO career in ways you never imagined.

C ya there!

CourVO

  Insecurities are not one of my strong points…

…and by that I mean I’ve worked hard, found a certain measure of success in my family life and my professional career.  I have lots of friends, and food in the fridge.  At 56, I find self-assurance comes easily, ‘cause I feel I’ve earned it.

So when I wrote the blog about Synthetic Voices recently,I really wasn’t trying to sound the death knell of Voice Acting…nor was I terribly troubled by its implications.

JUST OVER THE NEXT HILL…

But that, along with other things happening in the world right now could almost begin to convince me that there may be cause for concern – long term – for opportunities in voiceover.

Here’s why:  yesterday, 4 more good people lost their jobs in our newsroom.  TV news, and TV stations in general are REALLY hurting.  Our General Manager likes to quote how many millions of advertising dollars are just “gone from the market”…and the number is in the tens of millions.  Car dealers (the core of TV advertising support) are folding.  Revenues at TV stations everywhere are down anywhere from 20% to 60% (conservative).

Have you listened to radio lately?  Formulaic.  Impersonal.  Repetitive.  Shrill.  They’re hurting too…but they’ve had years to adjust to life-after-TV.

TV is just getting accustomed to the juggernaut incursion of the internet. (more like whacked in the head!)

So…have you listened to radio lately?  I haven’t.  Millions of commuters are listening to their iPods or talking on their iPhones instead of the drivel that passes for entertainment on (most) Radio stations.

CAN’T IGNORE “THE CRUX” OF THE MATTER

So, my point is:  Radio and TV.  Hurting.  Ad dollars going away….and just where do you think the lion’s share of a voice-actor’s best jobs are?  Yep.  Radio and TV. 

At least that’s the paradigm to which we still pay homage. 

Folks…that paradigm is changing.

“Not to worry”, you say, “my bread ‘n’ butter VO niche is in medical narrations, audiobooks, and websites.”

God bless ya…I’m not talking to you.

YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE

I’m talking to the entire COMPLEX of agents, unions, casting directors, advertising & PR firms, buyers, media-as-we-know it.  It’s all changing right under our noses!  Sure…slowly…. no doubt about it, and in fits and starts, but if you’re into the world of social media at all, you clearly see the pell-mell change of stream-of-conscious thinking, sharing, and marketing that is New Media.

“Wait a minute, Dave,” you say…”This recession thing will be over soon enough, and we’ll all be back to profitability.” 

AAaaaactually, no.  It’ll never be the same again (my humble opinoin)

 Because of the immediacy, the interaction, the I-want-what-I-want-when-I-want-it nature of  social media and the internet, TV viewers are switching allegiances.  Heck, the internet is where I’m getting MY news these days.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE

Here’s the silver lining, and then I’ll shuddup.

Good content, quality writing, excellence of endeavour, and solid presentation will never go out of style…no matter the medium. 

Your golden tones are still needed…but…well….you may just…maybe wanna start not depending on the promise of Radio and TV as much.  Again, I could be totally wrong, but I don’t think so.

CourVO

‘Coupla days ago, I shuffled out loud through a few rambling thoughts here on this blog — like I NEVER do that! (see “…MushMind…”)

Surprisingly, comments from three people I really admire, immediately popped up.

My original musing was:  “Does it help you or hurt you to see other voice actors posting prodigiously about the work they’re doing…or just completed…or must knock out before the end of the week?  I’d really like to know what you think about that.  Personally, I’m undecided.  I’ve been hurt AND encouraged by it.”

Peter O’Connell wrote to say: “…if you’re a VO marketing to other VO’s (and you may be if you’re a coach or something) then that plan works. But if you’re just spouting off to anyone of your followers your daily tasks, I think one risks a bored board of followers.”

Karen Commins was effusive in her response, but mostly ’cause she reprinted an article she’d written before on related themes:

“Comparing yourself to other people is a guaranteed formula for feeling BAD! Without too much effort, you can always find someone who apparently:

* has more credits and/or more impressive credits
* has booked more jobs recently
* makes more money
* has better equipment
* has more agents and/or more aggressive agents and/or agents in more markets
* has higher search engine rankings
* has a better demo
* has more training
* has better marketing promotions
* has more audition opportunities

You get the idea. By comparing yourself and your achievements to anyone or anything, you more than likely will find fault with your own situation.”

Finally, Derek Chappell followed up with: “…This post and the responses are so timely it’s scary. I was just thinking these same thoughts about all of those who REALLY crank out the daily spew of how many jobs they’re working and how “important” they are…”

I’d really encourage you do return to the comment section of that blog article, and read the responses in their entirely.  Click HERE.

Does this in any way settle my mind on the question?  No.  And believe me, I’m not knocking anybody’s motives or action here.  But nothing we do is in a vacuum.  We DO affect others.  Proving that is a WIRED Magazine article about relationships, and how the interaction affects behaviors. Click HERE. It’s an eye-opener.

But we also need to take responsibility for our own feelings and reactions, and not blame them on someone else.  No one controls how you feel about yourself but YOU.

OK, the armchair psychologist is off-duty now.

CourVO

No, it’s not a misspelling.

Utterli.com is a social networking site that is gaining more popularity…at least in my mind, ‘cause it’s new to me.
Serious journalists intent on mastering the new vagaries and vicissitudes of social media glommed onto Utterli months ago. Yes, glommed…that’s a technical term.

Utterli is similar, I suppose, to Posterous, or Tumblr, or Ping.fm.  Postong to Utterli prompts cross-posts to other social media sites (if configured correctly)…even to your blog.  You can post to it from your phone, from the web, by emailing, and by calling in a voice message… maybe that’s why I like it better than the others…’cause it involves audio.

If you scroll down far enough on this blog home page, on the far right side-bar, you’ll see a spot for my Utters on Utterli. It’s a widget that rotates through my most recent utters.  You can click and listen, or go to my Utterli site, and see more.  There aren’t many right now, ‘cause I’ve only been discovering what it can do, but audio is definitely one of the cool things about Utterli.

I’m seeing a general interest in social networking like never before.  But…the approach is more from the fear that “…if I don’t, I”m gonna be totally left behind…” Not: “…I really find this tool engaging and useful.” See what I mean?

Some of us have to be dragged kicking and screaming into new challenges.  Often it’s a good thing…remember cell-phones when they first came out?  I can recall those who scoffed at them.  Oh, you don’t remember that?  Am I THAT old?

CourVO

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‘Heard that one before? 

Think about it.

We Google EVERYTHING indiscriminately, and come on…admit it…you’ve Googled yourself just to see what turns up.  In fact you should — regularly.

Why?  Because your brand, your reputation, your integrity, and your image on the internet could be the most telling statement about your life from this point on.

Remember the old saying:  “The only words you can take back are the ones never spoken?”  Well, the internet is that way now with images, words, impressions, videos, and references to you. 

My wife and I have tried to impress on our kids that every single image and video they post on FaceBook is gone to the ages, the moment they upload it.   And yes, even “unfriended” people can manage to see your profiile with the right hack. 

Why do you think employers feel they’ve found such a bonanza with the online social networking sites?  They don’t need your resume — you know…that document you’ve carefully crafted to make you look good from HS graduation ”to present”.  If they want to know what you are REALLY like, they Google you.

Hence, Google is your resume.  Guard it.  Protect it.  Guide it.  Heck, you can even manipulate it to your advantage.  Uh-huh, it works both ways.

Thursday morning, I spent an hour with a group of UNLV college students in a class called:  “Introduction to Interactive Media Design”.  The professor had invited me to speak to these mostly Junior and Senior Journalism students about real-world application of social networking sites.  How does a working journalist apply New Media to traditional media?  Do they mix?  Can they work together?  Should they?

Here’s a short clip.

I enjoyed being there for an hour, ’cause many of the same concepts I shared with the UNLV students, I’ll be expected to articulate to my co-workers in the KLAS-TV newsroom next week.  My boss has tapped me to help my news colleagues understand how all these social networking sites can have ANY possible relevance to news gathering.  I think it does, but I digress to my night job.

Voice Acting as a business is largely conducted online.  Hence, the “GOOGLE IS YOUR RESUME” concept applies. Your website, your profile on pay-to-play sites, your participation in forums, LinkedIn, YouTube, shared e-mails, Voice-Over Universe.  All that contributes to your online, hence your real-world personna, because until they visit your home town, that’s all people have to go by.

So…again:  Guard it.  Protect it.  Guide it.  Heck, you can even manipulate it to your advantage.  Uh-huh, it works both ways, and I’ll get into THAT in my next blog.

CourVO