The times they are a changin’
They say the only constant is change. For sure that seems prevalent in the voiceover industry lately. In addition to recent fears about AI closing in on our jobs, on September 9, the voiceover online casting site Voice123 announced that they had partnered with the entertainment casting platform Backstage, and it caused quite the stir. Many voice actors who had relied on V123 (and other P2P's) as a primary source of work were now faced with the uncertainty of what might happen next, causing anxiety and, dare I say - even panic.
“Where will I find work?” “What will happen to all that work I put in building my reputation on these platforms?” “How are my clients going to be able to find me?” Unsettling? It shouldn't be. It would be non-productive to worry about what happens next with the recent acquisition. After all, that's their business. And your business is - your business. Whatever Backstage decides to do with V123 shouldn’t determine your fate. Mind your OWN business, not someone else’s.
Let's look at it from a different perspective. What if you considered this a wake-up call to really evaluate where you are in your business, understand how you find your clients, and how they find you? This is an excellent opportunity to be proactive with your business, not reactive. Allow yourself to be open to finding opportunities in as many places as you can to grow your business.
All or nothing?
First of all, I think it would be an egregious error to demonize online casting sites. They can be a great resource for finding work. But they should only make up one piece of your marketing pie. And just in case you hadn't noticed, casting sites are not really interested in helping you build your business - unless it's done on their platform. You pay them for opportunities. As many have said before me - you don't want all of your eggs in one basket - because someday that basket may not be there anymore! (See above) Remember that you are their business. Your subscription fees. Understand and operate with this in mind and you’ll save yourself a good amount of worry and heartache.
It’s a beautiful day for new opportunities
What you have in front of you right now is an opportunity and a challenge. Let's grow that business! If you haven't done so already, start by highlighting that gorgeous voice of yours on your own website and writing all about it to boost your SEO. SEO doesn't just come from online casting sites, although most of them have great SEO due to their number of subscribers. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of saying it - your website.is.important. It's your storefront - the place where you can send everyone to hire you - and pay you too - without having to pay job management fees! Your website is your opportunity to showcase your abilities and create a connection with prospective clients. Make a point of writing great content that will help boost your SEO and get found. By the way, SEO works from any platform - P2P's, Social media accounts, online rosters, etc. to help get you found - meaning you should try to be everywhere your potential clients are, letting them know you are a voice talent in business who can be hired!
Reach out
If you don’t already have a method of direct marketing to leads, now is the time to start. There are several ways to go about email marketing. But first and foremost, no matter what method you choose, make sure you’re abiding by all the relevant spam compliance laws and regulations surrounding email marketing. If you use a list for your email marketing efforts, make sure it’s a vetted, permission-based list. If you’re sending direct one-on-one emails, learn how to do it the right way so you don’t burn any bridges and do more harm than good. Creating a personal connection with leads and potential clients can often produce fantastic results. And, there’s the added benefit of knowing that you’re in charge of generating and building your business.
Agents
Look, there’s a reason that the casting system of talent agents and casting agents works. Don’t ignore what could potentially be a very fruitful relationship. Agencies know the industry, they know how to fight for you, and they are great partners for building your voice-over business. The keyword here is partner. An agent isn’t a golden ticket for work. You need to continue to work and develop your skills and create your own opportunities. But having a partner out there is a great way of scaling your lead generation and audition opportunities. Check out my VO BOSS podcasts on agents for more information on how to get the most out of your relationship.
Make yourself better
One sure way to make sure you’re in charge of your own business is to become so good that you’re constantly in demand. When you are really good at what you do, it’s really not hard to find work. Make sure you’re constantly spending time improving your abilities. Take group classes, find a one on one coach. And absolutely consider business coaching or a mentor. Accountability groups can also be a great way to help propel your business and share ideas and inspiration.
Crystal Ball
I’m going to go out on a limb here and tell you exactly what is going to happen next. If you commit to always educating yourself on good business practices, diversify your marketing, and focus on building your OWN voice-over business, I would put good money on you becoming “future proof”. You may find that the work is difficult upfront, but you’ll have a stable, thriving voice-over business that YOU are in control of.
Much love and Keep on rockin' your health and your biz!
XOXO,
About the Author: Anne Ganguzza is a full-time voice talent and award-winning director and producer who works with students to develop their voice over and business skills - including VO demo training and production. She specializes in Conversational Commercial and Narration styles, including Corporate, E-Learning, Technology, Healthcare - Medical, Telephony, and On-Hold. Located in Orange County, CA, Anne offers private coaching and mentoring services to students in person and via Skype, ipDTL or Zoom.
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