Having More Than One Channel for Finding Work
September 22, 2023 2:53 pm Leave your thoughtsHaving more than one channel for sourcing voice over work is an important aspect of maintaining a thriving business. The truth is, there can be slow periods for companies and industries that you voice for. There can be changes on online casting sites (trends, algorithms) too, if you happen to use them. If you depend on one or two companies or one online casting site or agent to get you work, you may be limiting your opportunities. Let’s put in a more amusing analogy lest we get too serious here.
Think about owning a television, the big kind with amazing graphics or a little one in the kitchen that keeps you in a state of wonderment that it still works, keeping you company while you make your famous beef stroganoff. Here’s the thing, when it comes to your t.v., would you want just one channel? When a favorite show has a new plot line that isn’t quite working for you, “No! Why did the bachelor pick her?!”, we can turn to another channel for a program that excites us more, or at least doesn’t frustrate us. It’s the same with voice over work.
When one channel of work is slow, we can change channels. We can change back to the other channel later. They all still exist in our television set, a remote click away. It takes the pressure off of having only one way to source work, and stepping away from one channel can help us feel refreshed and inspired when we return to it because we’ve been active in another channel, “You know, I actually like her. I’m glad he picked her!”
So, how do all the channels not get crazy and cross streams like in Ghostbusters to where one person can’t hold it together alone? One at a time. Watch and commit to one channel (online casting auditioning) for an hour, and the next hour you switch to another channel (direct marketing.)
You may be thinking at this point, “Alright, enough already! What channels are you talking about?! I know I’m not getting voice over work from the star of The Bachelor! Well, let’s chat “channels,” shall we?
Here are some – but not limited to – “channels” to source voice over opportunites:
Direct Marketing: Researching companies that you’d like to work with and marketing directly to them via email or phone.
In Person: Meeting people in real life and talking about your voice over business, exchanging contact information and beginning to build a working relationship.
Online casting sites: Auditioning on online casting sites for jobs as well as having a place to share your demo for potential clients to hear and contact you.
Social Media Marketing: Creating content about your business or voice over work as well as connecting to potential client on social media.
Representation: Seeking out talent agencies, production houses, or ad agencies to get on their client rosters.
There are also those channels that help us be the best versions of ourselves before we reach out to potential clients. These are important too:
Branding: Spending time on your business branding, checking in with what works and what might not be working.
Practice, practice, practice: Yep, while we look for work we can also keep honing the very skills that can lead to more work! 🙂
Also, keep in mind, just like television you don’t have to love every show that’s on it! Meaning, you don’t have to work every channel! Some people focus more on two or three. For example, a particular voice actor may not want to do social media marketing at all and for the most part unsubscribe to that channel, preferring direct marketing efforts.
Just like the show The Bachelor (oops! I meant a television set) have more than one channel and change channels when you need to, knowing you can turn back to that program at a later time.
We welcome you to join us for an introductory Voice Over class HERE
Tags: finding work, marking, social media, voice actingCategorised in: Blog
This post was written by Simone Stevens
