Connecting with your buying audience is the main purpose of your advertising campaign, but discovering which avenues will work is often a bit of a crapshoot. Now that webinars, online advertising, and podcasts are opening new avenues of communication, more companies are working on high-impact slogans and messages to boost their brand. Radio and television advertising still offer a lot benefits, and each and every one of these sales and marketing channels are made better with the use of a voice over.
Combining a voice actor to your marketing strategy will help to create a unique message and differentiate your brand. Whether you’re intending to persuade your customers to buy something, deliver news, or just entertain your audience, voiceovers can help you deliver your message in a memorable way. An effective delivery of you advertising message assists in creating a powerful presence for your company; consider how often a jingle, slogan, or just one sentence can work it’s way into pop culture. Placing the right voice behind your message can definitely make or break your sales and marketing campaign.
The first item to think about with a voice over is what your current target market is like. Consider demographics such as age, ethnicity, and location. If you’re marketing to customers in the South, for instance, you may choose voice talent and advertising concepts that have the components of Southern culture and a Southern accent. When your clientèle can resonate with the tone and message, they’re much more likely not to forget the message, slogan, and most importantly, your company.
The second thing to ponder is how to hire the right voice artist. Voice over actors can be represented by an agent, or they might have created their own website and online profile. Some voice over artist directories can also help you focus your quest; these can be searched by age, type, background, or keyword so you can find a strong match with less legwork involved. If you decide to use a voice over talent agent, you might paying a fee for services. Still, the agent can help you track down a pro voice over actor who has experience in the field, and maybe even a strong list of references.
The 3rd item to think about is how long you will need to contract your voice artist for. If you’re creating a marketing strategy that includes different marketing messages and advertising for extended periods of time, you’ll want to develop a contract with your voice actor. Since you don’t want to keep switching voice actors and destroy the memorable “voice” of your image, consider how you can negotiate payment for the long-term, and plan on hiring the voice actor for more than one campaign at a time. In many cases, costs are negotiable, and you can research current fees online so that you can make a compelling offer.
Voice overs are an excellent method to enhance your image and extend a professional representation with your sales campaign. From online-radio to podcasting, voiceovers play a essential role in projecting the best message to your clients.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Some Things You Should Know About Hiring A Voice Over Artist
From radio-commercials to podcasts, locating the best voice over talent for your company and image is crucial part of your advertising efforts. Voice overs play a part in persuading, entertaining, educating, and generating interest from your target-market. No matter what type of message or ads you are looking to promote, a voice over artist can assist you in creating the dynamic message you need.
Locating the right fit for your voice over artist is crucial in today’s highly-competitive marketplace; you must create a marketing message that jives with your clients and helps to ensure that your business stands above the competition. The process of hiring can be slow, but finding a voice over talent agent can make it easier to locate the best fit. Never the less, there are many ways to track down someone who can assist you in developing the right advertising and marketing message you need. These are some basic do’s and don’ts when hiring a voice artist for your marketing campaign.
Do ask for references. Finding out how the voice over talent has been with other customers and clients can provide some insights on how well they may fit with your company’s goals.
Don’t just listen to only one sample. Ask for at least 3-5 different examples that demonstrate how flexible and adaptable the voice over talent may be. Professional voice over artists should be able to create a bunch of voices and adjust their intonations to meet the demands of your message.
Do request more than one interview. The 1st interview may be strictly to review the person’s qualifications and discover more about their background. The second and third interview might include tests or evaluations, so plan ahead and devise a series of interviews to focus your choice.
Don’t skip online talent. Many talented voice over artists can now be found on the web, and have their own homepage and portfolio for your review. This can make hiring much easier, and you’ll have a far greater comprehension of their background with the audio files and related-links that are accessible online.
Do select a voice that complements your target audience. Customers in your demographic are much more likely to appreciate someone who sounds like their own friends, neighbors and coworkers. Don’t be afraid to invest the time to find at least three distinct qualities or characteristics of your demographic, and seek out voice over talent with the same traits.
Remember to request ask for demo Mp3s. You can review these after the interview, and having them on hand can make it easier for you compare them to all the other voice artists with ease. Don’t forget about those Mp3 or demo-tapes so you can do an ‘apples to apples’ comparison when it comes time to make the final decisions.
Hiring the right voice artist is vital part of creating your sales messages, and you will need to do some research in your market to find out what your clients like the most. Finding a voice over artist with a good track record will make the process of developing your campaign much nicer; take the time to interview and review each applicant to determine just the perfect match.
Locating the right fit for your voice over artist is crucial in today’s highly-competitive marketplace; you must create a marketing message that jives with your clients and helps to ensure that your business stands above the competition. The process of hiring can be slow, but finding a voice over talent agent can make it easier to locate the best fit. Never the less, there are many ways to track down someone who can assist you in developing the right advertising and marketing message you need. These are some basic do’s and don’ts when hiring a voice artist for your marketing campaign.
Do ask for references. Finding out how the voice over talent has been with other customers and clients can provide some insights on how well they may fit with your company’s goals.
Don’t just listen to only one sample. Ask for at least 3-5 different examples that demonstrate how flexible and adaptable the voice over talent may be. Professional voice over artists should be able to create a bunch of voices and adjust their intonations to meet the demands of your message.
Do request more than one interview. The 1st interview may be strictly to review the person’s qualifications and discover more about their background. The second and third interview might include tests or evaluations, so plan ahead and devise a series of interviews to focus your choice.
Don’t skip online talent. Many talented voice over artists can now be found on the web, and have their own homepage and portfolio for your review. This can make hiring much easier, and you’ll have a far greater comprehension of their background with the audio files and related-links that are accessible online.
Do select a voice that complements your target audience. Customers in your demographic are much more likely to appreciate someone who sounds like their own friends, neighbors and coworkers. Don’t be afraid to invest the time to find at least three distinct qualities or characteristics of your demographic, and seek out voice over talent with the same traits.
Remember to request ask for demo Mp3s. You can review these after the interview, and having them on hand can make it easier for you compare them to all the other voice artists with ease. Don’t forget about those Mp3 or demo-tapes so you can do an ‘apples to apples’ comparison when it comes time to make the final decisions.
Hiring the right voice artist is vital part of creating your sales messages, and you will need to do some research in your market to find out what your clients like the most. Finding a voice over artist with a good track record will make the process of developing your campaign much nicer; take the time to interview and review each applicant to determine just the perfect match.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Voice Talent Makes Stuff Sound Better
When you begin to think of it logically, you know how important it is for your audio project to have the best voice behind it. After all, voices are powerful. Even though they often take a backseat in our minds to a person's appearance without the perfect voice, looks ain't nothin'. And if the voice talent is all you have to go on – for instance, in a radio commercial – then the voice becomes the most important thing in the world.
A person who knows just how to use their voice can control another person just by talking. This is a startling concept the first time you consider it, but when you think about some of the most famous voices in the world, you will understand just how correct that is. Consider, for example, the actor Michael Wincott.
He's an attractive 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 lurking in the shadows. 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 work.
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 doing 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 happen, and that made him something worth watching. He was worth watching because he was worth hearing.
Another actor who made great use of his voice was Marlon Brando. Now this guy had a nasally cotton-mouth voice that, untrained, would have been unpleasant. 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 been schooled. Therefore, when they said those lines, the audience never knew what hit them. But they knew that it was important.
Of course Michael Wincott, Clint Eastwood and Marlon Brando won't be available for your commercial, but they make great models to study when you are learning how voices affect audiences. 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 one 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 keeping their attention. A powerful voice can do that.
A person who knows just how to use their voice can control another person just by talking. This is a startling concept the first time you consider it, but when you think about some of the most famous voices in the world, you will understand just how correct that is. Consider, for example, the actor Michael Wincott.
He's an attractive 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 lurking in the shadows. 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 work.
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 doing 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 happen, and that made him something worth watching. He was worth watching because he was worth hearing.
Another actor who made great use of his voice was Marlon Brando. Now this guy had a nasally cotton-mouth voice that, untrained, would have been unpleasant. 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 been schooled. Therefore, when they said those lines, the audience never knew what hit them. But they knew that it was important.
Of course Michael Wincott, Clint Eastwood and Marlon Brando won't be available for your commercial, but they make great models to study when you are learning how voices affect audiences. 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 one 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 keeping their attention. A powerful voice can do that.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Have You Ever Seen A Voice Actor At Work?
Have you ever seen a Voice Actor or Voice Actress at work? If you have you’ll notice that even though it’s only their voice being recorded, they will utilize their hands, face and what ever other body parts are necessary to create the mood, not only for themselves, but for the listeners. Even such subtle effects as nodding or shaking ones head can often be ‘felt’ in the final work.
The subtle variations in sound as the head moves away from the microphone and back, away and back are not consciously picked up, but are a subtle reverberation shift in the final product.
If you are someone looking to break into the world of being a Professional Voice Over Talent, take the time to train yourself, train your breathing and voice to be the best of the best. With the abundance of competition, only the VOPs with the most professional and polished product to offer will get the good jobs in the end.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Tips for Creating Online Voice Audio
If you are looking to create audio for some copy (narration, audio book, or other set-length piece of material), you may have no time-constraints at all. If this is the case, there are a few other factors to think about in the audio recording part.
If the material is to be posted online, consider that the size of the download can affect the speed of retrieval for the end user. If you cannot reduce the size of the file to acceptable levels, you can choose to break the audio into sections (or chapters) for individual downloads.
Also choose how the data is to be stored, or what format you want it sent to you in directly from the voice over artist. Most people choose to receive it via email in MP3 format or FTP to a website via MP3, WAV, AIF, WMA or AVI/MPEG audio. But most VO Professionals can also simply burn a CD and send it to you, or schedule an ISDN phone patch session.
If the material end-product is to be recorded onto CD for distribution, keep in mind the average space on a CD is around 700MB, or 80 minutes (the equivalent of about 12-16 songs). If not all material will fit on just one CD, you can obviously use more than one CD, in which case you should balance the material on the CDs so there’s not one 80 minute CD and one 20 minute – preferably have two 50-minute discs.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Pro Vs. Amateur Voice Overs
When creating a work of spoken art and selecting the “voice” that will represent the target product and/or service, it is of the utmost importance to consider the length of script that will be recreated.
Voice artists of today are all very different. They have different ranges, tones, pitches, volumes, different styles and accents, different timbres and moods and it is imperative that he/she be matched integrally to the piece of work. You would not, for example, hire someone who specialized in high-speed auction-style (or disclaimer-style) speaking for the purposes of recreating a delicate story or somber mood. You would also not choose that person for most narration or anything longer than a few seconds. Although they will be highly skilled in their niche, the actual act of doing a voice over will not be their forte.
For lengthier productions (30 seconds or more) it is wisest to consider actual “voice actors” as they will be the ones trained in recreating and speaking from particular emotions in order to portray the actual mood required. Especially if the oration is geared towards selling something, given that the vast majority of purchases are made on emotional decisions instead of logical ones, it is absolutely vital that someone trained in that art be the one doing the speaking. You need only watch the television ads for a few minutes to see shining examples of professional vs. non-professional creations.
Voice artists of today are all very different. They have different ranges, tones, pitches, volumes, different styles and accents, different timbres and moods and it is imperative that he/she be matched integrally to the piece of work. You would not, for example, hire someone who specialized in high-speed auction-style (or disclaimer-style) speaking for the purposes of recreating a delicate story or somber mood. You would also not choose that person for most narration or anything longer than a few seconds. Although they will be highly skilled in their niche, the actual act of doing a voice over will not be their forte.
For lengthier productions (30 seconds or more) it is wisest to consider actual “voice actors” as they will be the ones trained in recreating and speaking from particular emotions in order to portray the actual mood required. Especially if the oration is geared towards selling something, given that the vast majority of purchases are made on emotional decisions instead of logical ones, it is absolutely vital that someone trained in that art be the one doing the speaking. You need only watch the television ads for a few minutes to see shining examples of professional vs. non-professional creations.
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