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Friday 24 October 2008

Voiceover Work in the Downturn

How is the looming recession affecting your voiceover business?
Some voice talents have reported a downturn of 30%, others not so high but some voice talents have been hit even harder. Experienced voiceover artists hope to weather the storm, but where does this leave the novice voice artist, and those just dipping their toe in the voiceover market.

Over the past 6 weeks, I've noticed a slow down in direct voiceover enquiries and online & offline audition opportunities. It may just be a blip or could indicate a more general trend for the coming months and years.

So what does this all mean?

1. Will new wanabee voice talents move quickly out of the VO business as VO jobs become harder and harder to come by? Will this leave more work for the established artists?

2. Will new VO talents who offer their services at lower prices than established talent pick up more and more work as clients cut their voiceover budget?

3. Will clients start using "John from accounts with the nice voice" to record their voicemail messages, telephone greetings rather than a pro voice artist?

4. Will established talent have to drop their rates to secure work?

5. Will potential clients be more alive to the benefits of using a professional Voice to create a professional brand and image for their company?

6. Will voice talents have to re-double their marketing efforts? Will we have to find new markets for our services as traditional voiceover markets retract?

7. Is amateur hour almost over?. Voiceover artists are now going to have to take their business seriously - invest in their marketing, their websites, SEO, analyze whether all or any of the online casting sites are worth the investment, work on promotion and discover their versatility and adaptability.

8. When will it all end - and how many of us will be left standing?

Tuesday 21 October 2008

6 Reasons to Use Audio on Your Website

1. A real voice encourages visitors to stay longer, which in turn improves your chance of your visitor taking action, whether it's buying a product, signing up for a newsletter, or filling out a survey. As they view your web page they can listen to the audio - receiving the information visually and audibly.

2. A real voice increases visitor confidence because they actually hear someone talking to them. It makes your site more credible as it shows real people are behind the website and the products.

3. A real voice can increase your conversion rate and therefore increase your sales. Audio adds a whole new dimension to your website that will captivate and motivate your customers. Hearing a real voice can have a big impact on your site visitors, making their website experience more pleasurable.

4. Using a real voice can help guide your visitors through the ordering process, helping answer their questions so they don't need to contact your customer support team, saving both parties time and money.

5. A voice shows emotion and personality. People like to do business with people they like, so a warm friendly voice should build trust and a rapport with your prospective clients.

6. Use an enthusiastic voice to create buzz about your products and services. Motivate your website visitors to take action with a motivational audio clip.