Dave Courvoisier's Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Twitter’

.

At 3:54am PST, I ponder this issue.

How much more of my personal time can I afford to give over to Social Media?

That simple question begets a rash of other questions that belie the complexity of the issue.

• First of all is the question: “Can I afford NOT to give that time, if I want a successful freelance Voiceover business under today’s new internet paradigm?”
• Secondly: “Is it really a burden if I’m having fun?”
• Thirdly: “Is it really a waste of time if it’s bringing me clients?”
• Finally: “If I DO draw a line…WHERE do I draw the line?”

(There are even more caveats, but again, you have to draw the line somewhere.)

RETURN ON INVESTMENT

I’ve been especially pondering this issue on behalf of the upcoming attendees of June’s VOICE2010 conference in LA.  Along with voice-actor Terry Daniel, I’ll be expounding on the ROI of Social Media for VO’s in a morning general session, and I hope to have some darn good answers for people who paid good money to learn something.

‘Trouble is, Social Media is such a moving target these days.  There’s a lot of flailing around in a pushing-the-envelope environment that sees trial-and-error success and failure in weeks, days, sometimes even hours.

Yet, in this new frontier, there are gold mines to be found.  Luckily there are also volumes being written daily…mostly in the blogosphere…to help.

RESOURCES

HERE is an extremely helpful, informative article entitled 10+ TIPS FOR USING TWITTER TO GROW YOUR FREELANCE BUSINESS.

And for those of you brave enough to take on Google’s latest Twitter challenge called BUZZ,  HERE is a primer for getting around, called HOW TO DO EVRYTHING IN GOOGLE BUZZ (INCLUDING TURN IT OFF).

Will you be there in June?  It really will be fun and worthwhile. I hope you try to make it.  See the registration site HERE.

CourVO

Call me crazy, but lists fulfill me.

I’m sure it has something to do with my OCD tendencies, or  maybe it’s my inherited pack-rat genes, but there’s something about a list that seems so….tidy.

Well, I’ve been at it again, and this is a list you may want to follow on Twitter, especially if you’re interested in being an audiobook narrator.

But let’s recap:

First, I created the Twittgroup for VoiceActors VOICETWITTER…which is now almost 300 strong and has some very helpful ways of gleaning information from all of those who signed-up.

Then…when Twitter started allowing lists to it’s general API, I started the VOICEOVERISTS list, which has about 430 profiles of voice over people and a few studios.  This list is currently being followed by almost 80 people.

Last night, I started my 3rd list…for people and publishers in the business of audiobooks.  You’ll find that list HERE.  So far, it is following almost 40 Twitter profiles.

For the Twitter lists, all you have to do is get to that link, and follow the list like you would any person’s profile on Twitter.

Hey, I did all the work…all you have to do is sign-up or follow along to reap the benefits.

See?  My craziness works in your favor!

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

Well, ya’ll have strong opinions…I’ll say that…but everyone pretty much stayed civil and pleasant in their responses to my post about “Sharing or Show-off”?

‘Interesting that my cross-post of this blog on FaceBook garnered even more responses than direct comments to the article.  That’s a testament to the power of Facebook, for which I’m beginning to have a greater respect.

At any rate, below, I’m including some excerpts of  the comments in no particular order, and without attribution, as a sort of “digest” of the responses.

After this, I’m putting a fork in this topic (although I said that about voice synthesis, and had to swallow my words).

Now, the comments:

“I don’t see plumbers, doctors, lawyers or almost anybody else blow thier horn the way actors do on here and on forums. Sorry, but it’s less interesting to me than those stickers on the back of minivans that say “My son is an A student at Yakima Public School.” If you notice, the top professionals rarely if ever talk about what they are doing. If you’re a voice actor defintitely don’t ask me to be a “fan”. Now if it’s something unique, instructive, different, helpful – that’s a different story. Otherwise, it turns me off and I tend to think as someone who hires talent that this person is perhaps a beginner, too needy or a liar. It may backfire more than it helps.”

“I personally don’t see anything wrong in telling the world what you’re doing – that’s what twitter asks you to do, after all – and if we see twitter as a marketing tool then it’s a useful way of disseminating that information in a form that search engines can pick up on, too.”

“To me, social media generally feels like personal advertising to an unspecified audience. Maybe I’m old school, but I still think personal communication is a one to one event that requires participation by both parties – ideally in person, next level by phone and then by the written word.”

“As a person very new to VO, I enjoy hearing what people are doing and don’t take it as bragging. Some people come across overly confident, but thats ok. I do think my perception will change when I am working more in VO.”

“My absolute favorite is when you see a talent posting everywhere (FB, Twitter, blog, message boards, etc.) about how incredibly “busy” they are with work and how in demand they are. Just when you are waiting to see pictures of their new yacht you see a post from them like, “OMG!! Just booked a commercial for Bob’s Dog Grooming in Jackass Junction Alabama!! He says there may be more spots in the future!! So excited!!!”

“I think it can go either way . . . I like hearing updates from people & think it’s fun to keep up w VO friends who are genuinely excited about things they’ve done or are working on, but if someone’s posting about how they should win an emmy or just how fantastically talented they are it’s a bit much.”

“I like posting that I auditioned for a voice gig. I usually get a few people telling me good luck! And some of my friends like when I post a link to the web site of the station I’m imaging or the video I just voiced for a narration project. But I also think that a post or update shoud NOT just be about the work you do.”

“All work and no play makes status updates dull! I always try to mix in stupid stuff with my work stuff. “

“My bet is that nobody cares about auditions, unless it’s really huge and they know you well. They only want to know if they can hear you on something recognizable. The rest is pointless and makes you look like you’re trying to look cool.”

“Twitter asks “What are you doing?”, so if I’m about to do a promo for Kelloggs, I would tweet something like: “Next up is a promo for Kelloggs”. Two reasons: First, it’s because that would really be what I’m about to do and secondly, as a “networking” site, tweeting what I’m doing and for whom is not an arrogant attempt to impress someone, however if I’m a potential client and I read tweets like that, I’m probably more apt to hire that person than someone who only tweets about what they’re doing over the weekend or the movie they saw.”

“I don’t see anything wrong with people posting about what they’re doing in voiceovers. It’s much better than reading about what they’re eating every morning.  I, for one, am happy when someone else books a job. At times, I’ve even toasted and celebrated others’ wins as much as, if not more than, my own. With that said, my concern is that voice-actors seem to want to connect more with each other rather than with those that could actually hire them.”

“The occasional self-promotional blurb, in whatever form it takes, is a necessary and good thing to enlarge one’s business. Each tweet in your entry taken alone out of the context of the author’s stream means nothing to me one way or the other.”

“A little tolerance is in order.”Social media is what is is. It is different for each person so don’t sweat the small stuff.”

“I like to post video of projects that have some value as entertainment….I admit I am a bit guilty of the “love me! love me! love ME!” actor syndrome. But lately I feel enough love from real friends and the universe to kinda pull back on that. Maybe I should start posting about all the great jobs I DIDN’T get!”

“Information about auditions and bookings may be considered trade secrets by the producer or employer. I think you shouldn’t brag (even in vague terms) about your accomplishments on social networks until the work is released to the public by the copyright holder.”

“Honestly, I’d rather have someone else tell how awesome they think I am than to actually claim it myself! It makes me work harder to hear it again! Its great to have a mix of posts that show who you are as a person and not just as a professional too.”

CourVO

This is more than coincidence.  This is uncanny.

At least twice before I’ve blogged that a regular part of my business plan should be that I travel…like…all the time.  ‘Cause when I do..I invariably catch a boatload of sudden interest in my voice.

Wednesday, it took me 12 hours to drive from Las Vegas to Boise.  Don’t get me wrong, the drive was one of the more enjoyable I’ve ever taken.  Clouds, fog, rain, rainbows…very uncharacteristic weather for Nevada, and beautiful to see.

But when I finally made it to my room and opened up my laptop to check on things, I found at least four decent requests for auditions.  I know, I know, some of you get that and more EVERY DAY, and you love to tell us all about it.  (See MushMind…I’m not done with this topic yet!).  But four requests for audition – in my mailbox…as in, I DIDN’T have to chase ‘em down – THAT’S a good day for me.

Oh, and did I mention I had 300+ fresh e-mails waiting for me besides the auditions?

All of which brings me to the trouble with traveling.  Anymore, can we afford to be even ONE DAY without checking e-mail? (for some add Twitter, FaceBook, and LinkedIn to the question)

If the answer is “no”, is that good?  I mean, of course I’m kidding about traveling merely to prompt auditions…but I’m NOT kidding about the serious ball ‘n’ chain we have in the form of virtual communications.

If I took a day to enjoy my drive to Boise…then why doesn’t it feel like I was really free of encumbrances and cares? 

To me this underscores the fundamental dependence we in voice-acting have on electronic communications as an intrinsic part of our business plan.  If this bothers you…I think you’re in trouble..

CourVO

P.S. If you want to see a quick video of my trip…click HERE.

A Twitter Resume is not such a far-fetched idea considering the next twitter app will probably flush your toilet over the internet.

I’m not advocating this app (yet), but one must try to stay on top of these vectors…after all, just a year ago, most people scoffed at the basic Twitter app itself, now it’s a monster.

Twitsumé lets you build your online profile by sharing your resumé with your Twitter network.

See Twitsumé HERE.  Also, ‘nice little write-up on this app on Twi5.com HERE.  Yeah, Twi5.com.  Unbelievable, really, the flood of 3rd-party apps that come out every day for Twitter.

CourVO

You will notice a little something extra on the right sidebar nearest my blog articles if you scroll down a bit..

You’ll see an embedded Twitter Search column with live streaming posts from people everywhere who’ve used the word “voiceover” in their tweet.

Sure, some of this stuff is superfluous…but there are real gems among the many posts, including links to articles, sites, and information that may help your VO business directly or indirectly.

You can also scroll down, using a slider on the right side of the column to see older posts.

This is nothing you can’t see yourself using a twitter interface of your own, but this makes it kinda easy to take a quick gander at what’s happening while you’re visiting Voice-Acting in Vegas..

Embedded column courtesy of HootSuite.  If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a whirl.  You can read, post, and manage more than one Twitter profile at a time all from the HootSuite interface.

CourVO

Would that I could be there…but I can’t.

Dan O’Day is described generally as a marketing genius/coupled with an incredibly savvy sense of broadcasting, voice-overs, and how the world works.  He holds his “Summit” every August in LA.

Some wonderful VO blogging friends of mine are there, and have been twittering and blogging (with pics) about the event.

Here are some links and twitter profiles to follow:

Bob Souer:
Blog:  http://www.bobsouer.com/blog
Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/bobsouer

Bobbin Beam:
Blog:  http://blog.bobbinbeam.com

Blain Parker:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/blainparker

CourVO

Julie Williams was the connection.  When she began discussing Blue Microphone’s “Mikey” product I was intruigued.

Mikey is designed for the iPod and iTouch, but when she mentioned in her “VoiceOver Insider” newsletter that it also works with the iPhone, my ears perked up.

I took advantage of the discount she managed to negotiate with Blue Microphones for VO artists, and that knocked-off about $15 from the $80 price tag.

I’ve been using it in tandem with the iPhone App called TweetMic.  Together, I think the combo is a winner for getting out a quick audio to anyone who wants to hear.  Of course, Mikey works with any one of a number of other Apps for the iPhone, and in each instance is a distinct improvement over the mic that Apple has built-in to the phone (although it’s not that bad either, considering).

Wanna know what it sounds like?  OK, click HERE for a sample.  I give a brief description of the conditions under which I recorded this Tweet.  You’ll notice just below the soundfile that plays, a list of previous tweets I’ve also recorded with Mikey and Tweetmic.  Don’t look for any particular pattern with the subject matter.  So far, I’ve been mostly playing with the thing.  (BTW, you can download the file, too, if you want to put it under analysis)

I’d be interested in know what you think of the quality.  Would this be good enough to get a quickie audition out to someone who just HAD to have it NOW?

CourVO

P.S.  The company that makes TweetMic — Voice Tal –  also makes FaceMic…a similar App for FaceBook.

Have I already blogged about this?

‘Doesn’t matter, it bears repeating.

Microsoft’s recent answser the the search-engine wars (i.e. Kill Google!) had from the start integrated Twitter into its search results.  Now they’re going a step further with BingTweets.

Enter your search string, and you get two results…one from Twitter, the other from Bing.

Click HERE for an excellent article on this from Adam Ostrow on Mashable.

How does this help you with your voice over career?  Tools.  These are tools.  How you use them is up to your creativity.

CourVO