Happy Jackie Robinson Day and National Eggs Benedict Day! I think it’s always fun to celebrate both a hero and breakfast at the same time, don’t you? The real heroes are the men, women, and children that were affected by the events in Boston yesterday. Hopes & prayers to all!
NEWS & NOTES!: I sent out my quarterly newsletter last week and thanks to those of you who replied which such kind words. For those of you who aren’t on the mailing list, here it is.
The Anne Manx comic book release is almost here!!!
I’m super-uber-mega psyched and I want to thank everyone for their support. Click here to check out the Facebook Event, which is where we will post the link at noon on Wednesday April 17 so you can get your own copy! (if you are so inclined). Both digital and print versions are available…
One of my many passions is marketing. I find the whole thing fascinating! You put something out there and pray that people like it & respond to it; ads, events, mailings, even blogs like this here one. Who knows what works? Marketing is all about making a big honkin’ guess, right?
As cute & clever as that may sound, there is a bit more to it than that. I’ve learned that there are three things you have to do to achieve any level of real success with your marketing:
Set Specific Goals
Spend Money
Analyze the Results
For example, last year I decided I wanted to book more Explainer Videos. So I paid my webmaster to update my website (added keywords and a new page with samples), hired an administrative assistant to collect data, and paid for both a postcard mailing and an email campaign. The result? I went from narrating four Explainer Videos in 2011 to 56 in 2012: a 93% increase!
TIP OF THE WEEK: Remember, vague goals will get you vague results. Specific goals will get you specific results. Just deciding “I’m gonna get more voiceover work” without having a plan, a budget, and a means to collect & track data won’t get you far! Having a Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter account isn’t enough. That’s social media, which is an important part of your marketing plan, but not the only part.
Some of you may be thinking, “But Tom, I don’t have that kind of money.” To be a successful voice talent is to be a business. All business needs Cash Flow to function. Money needs to go out for money to come in. If you want it badly enough, you need to find a way to make that happen!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: I couldn’t wait for success, so I went ahead without it. Jonathan Winters
STUFF!: For those of you who enjoy my Quotes of the Week, I never assign specific quotes to blog entries. I just go down the list and add whichever is next. This time I made an exception. We lost the great comedian Jonathon Winters last week. He was a favorite of mine and some of yours as well. That quote was one of many things that inspired me to get out of the corporate rat race and be a full-time voice talent. I got tired of working in thankless jobs, biding my time while I was waiting for that only-happens-in-the-movies “big break”. So thank you Mr. Winters, and thank you friends & family who have supported & encouraged me for so many years!
From Tom Dheere’s apartment, this is Tom Dheere: GKN News…