Hello and Happy World Toilet Day! No, I’m not kidding and it’s not what you think. World Toilet Day creates awareness for the 2.6 billion people around the world who do not have access to proper sanitation. Count your blessings every time you flush!
NEWS AND NOTES!
The latest audio book collection I’ve contributed to, “The Year’s Top Short SF Novels 3” is now on sale! This is the one where I got to play both Mark Twain and Nicola Tesla. That was fun! This is the sixteenth Infinivox project I’ve been privileged to be a part of and each story has been a blast to narrate. Thanks, Allan!
I had a pile of fun being Cat Smith and Melissa Byrne’s guest on their radio show last week. I’ll post the link as soon as it’s available. And yes, wearing pants in the booth is optional.
There are only two Tom’s Tiki Lounge sessions left! Come hang out with me at Voice Over Virtual on Tuesday, November 19 and Monday November 25 @7:00 PM EST.
I’ve been on a real marketing kick lately. I think it’s because I see so many voice talents doing the same marketing things over and over again and wondering why they’re not standing out. I get caught in the same rut myself from time to time so I’m always looking for new ways to promote myself without looking like a yutz. Yes, I said yutz. Look it up.
One thing I’ve noticed is how difficult it is to measure one’s marketing efforts. Does having a bunch of connections on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter mean you’re a successful marketer? Absolutely not, especially if you don’t know what to do with them.
Here’s an exercise: go to Facebook right now (but make sure you come back when you’re done!). Look at your last five posts and see who liked or commented on them. Now go look at your Twitter feed and see who Favorited or Retweeted your last five Tweets. What percentage of them are voice talents? How many voice talents visit your website, listen to your demos, read your blog & newsletter? What effect does that have on your marketing analytics?
So what does this mean? A few things:
Voice talents are wonderful, supportive people who are happy to contribute to our online presence and be our cheerleaders.
As a result, voice talents artificially inflate our numbers. Think of the Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter connections you’d have left if you got rid of all the voice talents, friends, and family. How many of them are current or potential clients? How often and how effectively do you market to them?
I think a large part of many voice talents’ marketing efforts (including my own) is ego-driven, especially when it comes to social media. It’s nice to see all the connections and supportive comments, but how much does it really help? Are we lying to ourselves? Are we afraid to do hard-core marketing? Do we even know how?
TIP OF THE WEEK: Take a long, hard look at your marketing plan, if you have one. How much is fluff? How much is busy work? How much involves true engagement and developing strong relationships with both potential and current clients? If your marketing plan truly is paper-thin, thicken it. Deepen it. Strengthen it!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
STUFF!: I’ve seen two Natalie Portman films in the past week – Thor 2 and Black Swan. It was almost like watching two different people! BTW I’ve added Black Swan to the list of “Movies that Blew Me Away but I Never Want to See Again”. It’s right up there with Trainspotting!
From Tom Dheere’s apartment, this is Tom Dheere: GKN News…