Narrations and jingles can have a strong impact on customers!

In today’s fast-paced world of internet communication it’s easy to forget about the success of “old-school” advertising. Today, marketing is driven by websites, blogs and email; such as, podcasts, vlogging, and multimedia on the internet. This means your business needs a marketing strategy that includes voice overs, creative photography, and videos.

Before the internet and T.V., the world tuned into the radio to get their daily news as well as the advertisements that accompanied them. Voice over actors were in high demand back then since many businesses turned to radio to advertise and promote their products and services. By the time T.V. arrived, everyone was already used to ‘hearing’ a lot of advertisements; television took this to a whole new level with images and even more sound.

Fast forward 50 years and the public is turning to a new medium for entertainment and information; the world wide web has grown to become one of the leading technologies for marketing and advertising, and encourages many people to simply read pitches and sales letters as oppose to listening to them. Never the less, this is quickly evolving with the introduction of other multimedia such as online video, podcasting across the internet.

Now that podcasting and blogging are becoming ubiquitous, every company needs a powerful message that sticks with listeners and readers so they can remember the brand for the long-term. The same effect that the radio had on the listening audience in the 1050’s is coming back in full swing with online advertising, video commercials, and podcasts. Voice actors and actresses now play an important role in delivering your business’s marketing message, slogan, and can even elevate your brand. Hiring the best voice over talent (with the assistance of a voice over agency) is a simple approach to creating advertisement that attracts new prospects immediately.

Voice talent can be applied to little commercials, introducing products on a web page, podcasting, or creating a radio ad. If you’re thinking about producing a television commercial, you will need a voice over actor to perform the narration so that it is professional and produces the type of result you need.

For businesses that want a competitive edge on the web - voice overs are becoming more and more vital to their success. Musical narrations, songs and jingles can still have a strong impact on customers and visitors, and are necessary when you’re advertising on the radio as part of your marketing plan. Introducing voice overs into your advertising messages helps to strengthen your brand, create an identity, and even build stronger relationships with new customers.

As more people turn to audio and video segments on the web, print advertising may have less and less impact. Why bother investing your marketing budget in an area where people are evenpaying attention? Commercials and audio segments that are produced with voice actors can produce the result you desire to make your marketing message soar above from the competition.

Use a voice-actor to announce yourself!

The work of voice-over artists is everywhere. In fact, your world is filled with it, and chances are, you don’t even notice it. At least you didn’t before you started thinking about hiring one of them. If you’re wondering why you never thought about voice actors before, it’s because you typically aren’t supposed to. One of the most interesting things about being voice talent is the ability to grab someone’s attention while simultaneously redirecting their attention from yourself to the product or service being sold. That might sound a bit odd when you start to actually think about it, doesn’t it? If you attempt to create these results yourself, you’re going to end up drawing the listener’s attention to you and off of your service, which is not good. That’s the main reason you want to hire a professional if you are in need of a voice over.

Consider the large number of places that voice overs wind up, and that is after crossing off television promotions and jingles. But you can use voice talent to introduce your event or your commercial website. Heck, you can even use a voice-actor to announce your personal website if you want it to be known badly enough. Many people those types of projects for themselves. Perhaps it is because they do not think of them as important enough to hire an actor. In that case, why are they doing it at all? If it is worth your attention, it is worth doing right.

For example, if you want to produce an audio book, why would you even think about voicing it yourself - unless, of course, you’ve got a professional-grade talent. And most people simply don’t. Then there are corporate videos and educational videos, which are very useful and can be highly lucrative - if done properly. If you have a good script, and people enjoy hearing the speaker, then you have a message that can bring you a measure of success. But if people can’t stand hearing the voice for one reason or another, then you are out of luck.

“But I’m talking to people with this voice all the time!” you may say. That may be true, but people can deal with a lot more in person than they will put up with on a recording. And are there people paying to actually to have you speak at this point? Probably not. If they are, then stop reading here. This article is not for you.

You could be of the opinion that hiring an amateur or doing it yourself will save you some dough. In the beginning, yes, but if this is a business venture, it will actually cost you money in the long run. Sounding cheesy can cost you the respect of the buyers you’re attempting to impress. Customers are more likely to spend their money with people who give them the appearance that they know what they’re doing. If they hear you confused in a voice over, as so many wannabes do, then they’re going to reconsider spending their money with you.

Reaching Your Buying Audience With a Voice Over

 

Reaching your buying audience is the main purpose of your marketing plan, but knowing which avenues will work is often a bit of a crap shoot. Now that webinars, online advertising, and podcasts are creating new avenues of communication, more businesses are developing high-impact slogans and messages to increase the presence of their brand. Television and radio advertising still offer a lot benefits, and all of these sales and marketing channels are enhanced with the use of a voice over.

Combining voiceovers to your advertising campaign will help to differentiate your brand and create a unique message. Whether you are intending to persuade your buyers to buy something, deliver news, or just entertain an audience, a voice over can deliver your message in a unique way. An effective delivery of you message assists in creating a powerful presence for your company; think about how effectively a slogan, a jingle, or just one sentence can work it’s way into pop culture. Having the right voice behind the message will definitely make or break your sales and marketing campaign.

 

The 1st thing to think about with a voice over is what your target market is like. Consider profiles like age, ethnic background, and location. If you’re marketing to customers in the South, for example, you may choose talent and advertising concepts that have key elements of Southern culture and a Southern accent. When your clientèle can resonate with the tone and message, they are much more likely not to forget the message, slogan, and most importantly, your company.

 

The second idea to ponder is how you will hire the most appropriate voice over talent. Voice over actors might be represented by an agent, or they might have developed their own website and profile online. Some voice over artist directories will also help you narrow down your quest; these can be searched by keyword, age, type, and background so you can find a strong match with very little effort involved. If you do decide to use a talent agent, you might paying a fee for services. Still, the agent can help you to track down a professional voice over actor with experience in the field, and also a good list of recommendations.

 

The 3rd thing to consider is how long you will need to contract your voice artist for. If your’re creating a marketing strategy that involves various sales messages and advertising for longer periods of time, you’ll want to develop a contract with your talent. Since you don’t want to continuously switch voice artists and ruin the true “voice” of your image, think of how you will negotiate payment for the long-run, and count on hiring the talent for more than just one project at a time. In many cases, costs can be negotiated, and you can research current fees online in order to make a compelling offer.

 

Voice over actors are a great way to enhance your image and create a professional image with your marketing campaign. From online-radio to online webinars, voiceovers play a critical role in delivering the right message to your customers.

Sooner or Later You’ll Need A Voice Over

From TV commercials and radio-ads, locating the best voice over talent for your marketing and image is crucial part of your marketing efforts. A voice over plays a role in educating, persuading, entertaining, and creating interest from your target-market. No matter what kind of advertisement or message you are looking to promote, a voice over artist can assist you in creating the dynamic message you need.

Locating the best match for your voice over artist is essential in modern societies competitive market; you must create and advertising message that resonates with your clients and helps to ensure that your business stands above the competition. The hiring process can be lengthy, but finding a voice talent agent can help make it easier to locate the best fit. Still, there are several ways to find someone who can assist you in developing the right marketing and advertising message you need. These are some basic do’s and don’ts when hiring voice over talent for your marketing campaign.

Do request references. Learning how the voice artist has worked with other companies and clients can supply some wisdom on how well they might fit with your company’s goals and objectives.

Don’t listen to only one example. Ask for at least three to five different samples that show how flexible and adaptable the voice over talent may be. Professional voice over artists should be able to create a bunch of voice overs and customize their style to meet the needs of your desired communication.

Do request more than the initial interview. The first interview may just be to cover the person’s qualifications and learn about their background. The second and third interview may include some additional evaluations, so plan ahead and create a series of interviews to focus your choice.

Don’t skip the talent that’s online. Many talented voice over artists can now be found online, and have developed their own webpage and portfolio for your review. This can make hiring much easier, and you will have a far greater understanding of their background with the audio files and related-links that are available on their website.

Do select a voice that complements your target audience. Customers in your target market are much more likely to resonate with someone who sounds like their own neighbors and coworkers. Take the time to locate at least three unique qualities or characteristics of your target market, and look for voice over artists with the same traits.

Don’t forget to request ask for demo tapes or CDs. You can review these after your meeting, and having them around can help you compare them to all the other voice artists with ease. Keep track of those demo-tapes and audio snippets so you can do an ‘apples to apples’ comparison when it comes time to choose your finalist.

Choosing the right voice talent is vital part of presenting your sales messages, and you will need to do some research in your market to determine what your clients will resonate the most with. Finding a voice over artist with experience can make the process of developing your project much nicer; make the time to interview and review each candidate to determine just the perfect fit for your needs.

Voice Overs Command Authority For Your Business

Think about it logically, you know how important it is for your commercial or presentation to have the correct voice behind it. After all, voices are a great tool. Even though they often take a backseat in our minds to the way a person looks, without the right voice, looks ain’t nothin’. And if the voice is all a person has to go on – for instance, in a radio commercial – then the voice becomes the most important thing in the world.

A person who comprehends just how to use their voice can control another person just by speaking. This is a startling concept the first time you consider it, but when you consider some of the most famous voice over talent in the world, you will understand how true that is. Consider, for example, the actor Michael Wincott.

He’s a good-looking guy, but of course in the world of acting that doesn’t mean a whole lot. It’s just too common. But this guy gets role after role after role based on the power of his voice. He has a voice that can keep you looking over your shoulder, long after the movie is over, because you’re just a little worried that the latest Michael Wincott character may just be waiting to pounce. Remember the movie, The Count of Monte Cristo? He was the warden with the whip and the gravelly voice. Fans of the movie weren’t quite sure which was more frightening, the whip – or that voice. That voice is what gets him contracts.

Consider, also, Clint Eastwood. Of course, that unflinching, squinty stare of his is something to write home about. But what do people do when they’re attempting their best Eastwood impression? They give some love to the stare, but mostly they love the way he said, “Come on punk. Make my day.” Like Wincott, Eastwood has a gravelly characteristic in his voice. But once upon a time, he knew where all the pauses were supposed to be, and that made him something worth watching. He was worth watching because he was worth listening to.

Another actor who knew what to do with his voice was Marlon Brando. Now this guy had a nasally cotton-mouth voice that, untrained, would have grated on the ear. But he became an actor. He learned how to speak. He took something that stood out and made it a trademark. The rest, my friend, was timing. When he said, “I made him an offer he couldn’t refuse,” as the Godfather, he didn’t just say a cleverly written line – he said it with emphasis. With weight. What we are responding to isn’t something these guys do because of who they are. They’ve had training. Therefore, when they delivered those lines, the audience never knew what hit them. But they knew that it was important.

Unfortunately, Michael Wincott, Clint Eastwood and Marlon Brando won’t be available for your project, but they make great models to study when you are studying about how voices affect potential customers. You want to use some of the same principals in selecting your voice actor, or in deciding whether to use one. You are not the only business-person with a message for the public. There are thousands of other messages out there as well. You will have to seduce listeners, and that means getting and holding on to their attention. A powerful voice can do that.

What It Takes To Be Voice Talent These Days

To be a voice over artist these days you must make it easy and even pleasant for someone to hire you. As a new voice talent there are many things to consider. Think about the following list, which is by no means complete, but a place for you to start:

* Will you have a website? If so what will it be and how will people find it? Who will design and maintain it for you?

* What services will you offer? (advertising, dictation, translation, narration, auction, sound tracks/background music or sound, transcription, creating copy, etc.)

* What do you have to put on your résumé already and how can you build credibility going forward?

* How will you accept payment? (checks, credit cards – how will you process the credit cards, personal account – how will you manage those personal accounts and billing)

* Will you collect testimonials, if so, how and where?

* How much do you cost – what are your minimums per hour or per project?

* What guarantees will you offer (quality, privacy, security, re-takes, confidentiality, expedience etc.) and how will you fulfill on them?

* What is within your technological capability and/or what limitations do you have? (computer, memory, software, microphones, mixers, pre-amps, recording booth, phone patch, etc.)

* What formats will you make available to your clients and how will you get the final product to them (email, CD, MP3, FTP, WAV, AIF, ISDN/phone patch)?

As I mentioned, the easier it is for someone to use you, the more likely they are to do so. As you grow your business, it is best to have as many options available to your clients as possible to make the experience great for them.

Tips For Working With A Voice Over Artist

If you’ve never sent a script to be read by a voice over artist before, you’ll want to know a few basics first. Consider the following items before you begin:

Do you have any time constraints? If so, what are they? Or how long do you want the piece to be? (30 second ad, 2 hour book, etc.)  How much material do you need to cover in that amount of time? (for quick advertisements, measure by number of words) Are there any unusual or technical words or regional names that may be troublesome for the Voice Over Professional and/or the end-listener?

All of these are factors that must be communicated to your voice talent before any work is done. Preferably mention them at the time you’re getting the quote for best accuracy. If there are technical terms, be sure to include their phonetic spelling so that they are pronounced correctly.

Although re-takes are typically free, the extra time involved and waste of resources is simply unnecessary. Normal human speech runs at 130 to 150 words per minute. Auctioneers, at the extreme, can run up to 250 words per minute. If your material is entirely new to the listener, consider going a bit slower and repeat the concepts at least a few times.

The Adventures of Voice Over Man!

A Humorous Audio Podcast of the “Super Hero” - “Voice Over Man”!

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Thinking Of Hiring Voice Talent?

For any sales presentation or advertisement, I recommend always interviewing no less than several voice actors for the part. You will find that, although there are many aspiring orators available, only a few will have the training and experience required to fulfill on the most professional jobs.

The truly professional voice actors train for years to develop their vocal abilities, often studying under numerous voice coaches and teachers and sometimes even start their voice lessons at a very young age. Inevitably one can pick them out in a crowd, as they will be the ones with the impressive lists of fortune 500 companies on their résumé. If they are trained, savvy and professional enough for this nations powerhouse companies, then you’ll usually find that they’re gong to be experienced enough to adapt into just about any format.

Just make sure there are plenty of samples for you to listen to and in a variety of styles, and they should be able to quote you an estimate on any work before the job is ever started. If they cannot give you a free quote, it usually means that they are not experienced enough to know how much work a job will require and that should be a red flag to you.