Voice Over Jobs: How To Get That Gig

By Author: Priscilla Groves
Total Articles: 93
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This article will give you all the need-to-knows to become successful in this business and get as many voiceover jobs as possible. We've listed 9 insider tips in an easy-to-digest way.

Below is a list of clever marketing tips that can help you to get more publicity for yourself. These will take a bit of effort, but the rewards could be huge.

1. Get an agent
The more people you have promoting you, the better. See page 14 for a list of agents in Dublin.

2. You gotta be online.
There are voiceover listing websites that promote voiceovers to ad agencies. Even if you already have an agent, join up! The more people you have promoting you, the better.

3. Email marketing
Email all the copywriters and producers in ad agencies your personal link so that they can listen to your demo. See page 11 for tips on how to spam yourself.

4. Signature your emails
Set your URL as a signature at the bottom of EVERY email you ever send. You never know who might end up clicking on it. And what the heck, its free promotion.

5. Send out your CD.
Send a CD with your ...
... demo on it. The downside is that it's quite a pricey operation, and many copywriters don't even listen to CDs that land on their desks. The upside is you might get a gig or two out of it. Might. See the next point for a better way.

6. Personally deliver your CD
Go around to sound studios and introduce yourself to the sound engineer personally. Give them a CD with your demo on, and ask them to listen to it. Do something cute with the packaging - attach a chocolate or something. Call the receptionist in advance to get a contact name of the sound engineer. Always have a contact name. You could do the same thing with ad agencies. Rather go personally to 10 people than blindly posting your CD to 100 randoms.

7. Have a good photo
Do you have a good photo up on your voiceover site? People with photos get 5 times as many hits as those without! Don't have a cheap looking homemade photo from the 1980s. Have a fancy, black and white, professional one.

8. Have a photo on your business card
So when you're networking, those potential contacts will remember you when they look at your card again in a few weeks time.

9. Offer your services
If you're new to the industry and are trying to break in - offer to copywriters that you'd be happy to do a free gig if they have a personal script (not for broadcast) that they'd like to produce. (Copywriters often try to record their own personal work for their portfolios, as such they wouldn't have money to pay for it. This could make a great impression - even if they never take you up on the offer). You can send an email or call or go and see them personally.
http://www.piehole.co.uk and http://www.piehole.ie are two leading voice over websites. They are independent directories of voiceovers in UK and Ireland and are created by copywriters, for copywriters.