Where are you with Social Media? Are your voiceover demos on YouTube? Is your voiceover business on Facebook? Or are you personally on Facebook as a voice talent? Are you a freelancer? Do you have a voiceover company? (It’s okay if you don’t. Read Karen Commins post about having a day job at another person’s company – and pursuing your voiceover career on the side.) Do you regularly post personal observations on Twitter?  If your voiceover company is on Twitter, do you post comments about public relations or training seminars?

If you are still new to the area of voiceover marketing, check out a few sites of savvy marketers who’ve grabbed hold of social media and are running with it:  Voice Acting in Vegas and Social Media VO.

For freelancers, check out a previous post about the world of voiceovers here. Yes, that’s my ‘media assistant’ Scout. Grrr.

So I’ve been reading, observing and questioning everyone about the enterprise of social media.  And I ventured over to YouTube land, figured out (kinda – sorta)  how to upload, to favorite and come up with a  vlog on the YouTube site for spotcomm.

It was easier than I thought.

The other obvious reasons?  You do the work you enjoy whenever you want to work, forfeiting the 9 to 5 grind. Plus, even in a down economy, you’re in control, because you own the company.  Is turning a profit as a small business owner for you? According to an article by WSJ’s Sue Shellenbarger (Plumbing for Joy? Be Your Own Boss), ”’seeking out enjoyable work and finding a way to do it on your own terms, with some control over both the process and the outcome, is likely for most people to fuel satisfaction and contentment.””

So you’ve decided on your voiceover business, and it’s chugging along, making money, staying out of debt. But then came the downhill economy. You have your existing customers, and you’re doing all you can to keep them happy. Yet potential clients may be hesitant to spend any money. Still, how do you keep the momentum going - no matter what the economy may be saying?

Stay flexible. The reason you freelance/own your own business –  is so you can set aside some personal priorities, like spending time with family, continuing your education, writing a book or being a spokesperson for something you believe in.

Stay in touch with your customers. Even if you’re not currently working with them, connect with them – offer your services.  Continue to take classes in your field. Network at events – large and small. Voice over talent – get a voice coach if you feel you need one. (a good one is well worth the time and money!) Keep marketing to your current clients, past clients and potential clients. Find new ways to market yourself so that customers will benefit.

Cut back on expenses. Splurge - okay, just a little - when you get a new gig, re-up with an exsisting client, or complete a challenging project in the studio.

Spend a few hours a week with a charity. Non-profit agencies are having a tough financial time as well – a few hours from you could mean all the difference, and will give you a new perspective on life outside of the studio. You will benefit from the experience. Trust me.

Need more info on being a savvy business owner? Check out Freelance Folder and Entrepreneur for ideas on growing your company.

In any economy.

(reprinted from an earlier post) dbr

This week, Kyle Whitford helped me out – at the very last minute – from New York City, no less. (He has studios there and  in North Carolina). He’s a jetsetter producer who steps in and gets the work done. I’ve known Kyle to be there to help me out in production, voiceovers, project management – just about anything that goes on at any given time in the studio.  A client came in with a last minute copy change. A great client – and we wanted to be there for them. I sent the copy to Kyle in an email, followed by a phone call.  Could we get this done? Could we! He had the audio in an email back to me within the hour and I forwarded the voiceover back to the client. Voiceover talent Armando Plata, who helps me with Spanish scripts, is another professional I can count on with last minute requests. Always efficient with turnaround time.  To make deadlines easier for everyone, I usually get a script to Armando translated into Spanish and send it over to his studio, to make it easy for him when he’s recording. So of course when I need language translation, I count on a team of exceptional translators to provide scripts from English to Spanish. It doesn’t matter what the deadline is – or even if there is a deadline. The work gets done, and we’ve reached the goal.

Which is what any successful business/company – small or large -  is all about. Setting goals. Reaching goals. It’s what you do as an entrepreneur. Keeping the can-do attitude spirit going, even during moments of adversity; focusing on goals; and most importantly, knowing your team shares the same spirit of entrepreneurship.

Find your team. And thank them. Often.

(reprinted from an earlier post) dbr

We are currently working to restore our website and should have the site up in 24 hours. The ftp site is now operational, so we can now post your voice over projects. Please call us for the new usernames and passwords.

Please contact us if we can be of assistance.

Donna Reed
SPOTLIGHT COMMUNICATIONS
Voiceovers for TV, Radio & Film
p: 281.403.7811
ISDN – Source Connect – FTP
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