There are many great marketers out there creating memorable, moving, hilarious campaigns for print, radio, TV, and social media. Unfortunately, there are even more moronic marketers out there. Case in point; here’s an email I got last week…
I hope your week is off to a great start! I came across your article “Voiceovers And Your Comfort Zone,” while doing some research on acting tips. Great content! I appreciate you sharing your valuable insight. I’m reaching out because I’d like to get your thoughts on an infographic that my client, xxx, created to give tips on leaving a lasting impression during a voice-over audition. Check it out here: xxx. If you think it’s something your readers would enjoy we’d love for you to share it on your blog. I’d be happy to send over an original introduction to go along with it as well as the embed code. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
This was my reply…
Thanks for reaching out and for the blog kudos. I’ve been aware of xxx for many years. Companies like them are devaluing the voiceover industry by producing sub-standard demos as well as continually pouring unqualified aspirants into an already bloated talent pool who have little or no chance at a viable career, which make it even more difficult for veteran voice talent like myself to charge rates that are commensurate with the industry standard. With that in mind, I’m sorry but I can’t help you.
Even if I was willing to, me consulting on work that you are doing for another client should incur a fee of some kind, not just a blog mention. Are you aware that you just shared the unreleased content of one of your clients with someone that works for Edge Studio, one of xxx’s competitors? I’m curious how xxx would feel about that. In addition, how would xxx feel knowing that you are soliciting unvetted bloggers to give your client free publicity, something that they could have done themselves for free?
Shockingly, I didn’t get a reply.
A couple of days later, I was talking to my buddy Sara Waters of Abacus Entertainment and told her about the correspondence. She started laughing and told me that fellow voice talent Christian Rosselli got THE SAME EMAIL. The only difference was that the moronic marketer in question pasted the name of a recent blog entry of his.
To recap:
This marketer knows nothing about voiceovers and probably shouldn’t have taken on the client in the first place.
He cast a wide net hoping someone would be stupid enough to help him.
He didn’t vet me. Now his client’s competition knows about one of their marketing campaigns and can take steps to counter it. If Edge Studio cares, that is. Frankly, if this is who one of Edge Studio’s competitors hires to promote them, I don’t think they have anything to worry about.
He asked me to do his job. Screw that.
He asked me to help him do his job for free. Screw that times six.
TIP OF THE WEEK
Marketing is tough. It’s one of those skills that even people who majored in marketing find challenging, mysterious. and way too easy to get wrong. We as individual voice talents have to educate ourselves in this daunting prospect which is even more difficult these days since every yutz with a deep voice and a Fiverr account are trying to get into the game.
With all that in mind, remember these three things:
Marketing is the art and science of developing meaningful relationships. It’s about connecting with people. Make it genuine and sincere.
Do your research about marketing, lots and lots of it. The library is free!
Don’t be afraid to fail, but be afraid to offend. Use your head! What would your grandmother think of your marketing?
NEWS AND NOTES
The Jamie Muffett VO School Podcast episode I’m in is here! Click here to listen.
November 1st to December 15th: The ACA Enrollment deadline is only a few days away so get on that.
Thursday, December 14th: my next Edge Studio “Business and Money 201” webinar topic will be ‘Goals and Action Plans’. Click here to sign up.
Wednesday, January 3rd @7PM EST: My first-ever class at Abacus Entertainment! It’s called “Setting Your 2018 Voiceover Goals”. This class will be both in-person at their New York City studio and streamed live. Click here to sign up.
Tuesday, January 16, 2018: the next audio book I’ve narrated goes on sale! It’s called Stand Up! How to get Involved, Speak Out, and Win in a World on Fire.
HAPPY HAPPYS
Happy Monkey Day and Cupcake Day!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
From my village to yours; this is Tom Dheere, The H is Silent, but I’m Not.
Tom Dheere is a 20-year veteran of the voice over industry who has narrated thousands of projects for clients in over a dozen countries. He is also a coach at Edge Studio, voiceover business consultant known as the Voice Over Strategist, and is currently producing the comic book “Agent 1.22”.