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VOICE OVER MARKETING
As the VO Strategist, a guy who literally teaches voice actors how to use social media, I did something that sounds like career suicide. I walked away from most of my social media profiles. I didn’t just stop posting on Twitter/X. I parked it. I didn’t just leave my Facebook Group to wither. I’m shutting it down. My Instagram? It’s basically just for hobbies now. My Discord server? Gone. Sounds crazy, right? It might even sound a little hypocritical. But it was one of the most powerful, data-driven, and mentally freeing business decisions I’ve ever made. It wasn't quitting. It was a strategic firing. And it’s a lesson every voice actor needs to hear. MYTH OF 'BEING EVERYWHERE ON SOCIAL MEDIA' As voice actors, we think we have to be everywhere. We need a Twitter presence, a Facebook page, a slick Instagram profile, a YouTube channel, a TikTok blah blah blah. We spend hours crafting posts, finding the right hashtags, and engaging with content, all because we’re terrified of being invisible. The problem is that we get so caught up in being present that we forget to ask if we’re being effective and relevant. Does doing all this nonsense on social media actually move our business forward? I looked at the hours I was pouring into these platforms and realized I was just doing busy work, administrivia. I was shouting into a digital void, and the analytics proved it. Most of my posts were getting a handful of views, almost zero meaningful engagement, and - this is the kicker - they were not leading to business. I was on a hamster wheel, running faster and faster just to stay in the same place. It was exhausting, and it wasn't moving my career forward one inch. DATA FORCED A CHANGE If you don't measure it, you can't manage it. So, I did a cold, hard audit of my social media ROI. The results were…illuminating to say the least. Exhibit A: The Ghost Towns My Facebook Group, with 1,500 members, was a ghost town. A good post might get 30 views. That's a 2% reach. Over 9 months, my videos had a grand total of three 1-minute views. Three! All that effort for a level of engagement that was statistically zero. It was the same story on Twitter and many other platforms. All effort, no reward. Exhibit B: The Thriving Hub Then I looked at LinkedIn. The contrast was night and day. Some of my more popular content was getting tens of thousands of impressions. I had hundreds of comments throughout this year - real conversations with potential clients and colleagues. And most importantly, this year I have over 200 high-intent clicks leading directly to my websites. It was a place where my efforts were being rewarded with measurable results. The Verdict Was Clear Looking at the data, the decision was simple. My time and energy on these other platforms weren't assets; they were liabilities. They were draining my most valuable resource - my time - for absolutely nothing in return. So, I fired them. 3-STEP GUIDE TO STRATEGIC QUITTING This isn't just my story; it's a lesson for you. You have my official permission as the VO Strategist to stop doing things that don't work! Here’s how you can run your own social media audit... Step 1: Track Your Time For one week, be brutally honest about how much time you spend creating content for and (doom)scrolling on each platform. The number will probably shock you. Step 2: Check Your Analytics Don't just look at Likes. Dive into the numbers. Look at meaningful metrics:
Step 3: Ask the Hard Question Look at the data from steps 1 and 2 and ask yourself: "Is the time I'm investing in a social media platform generating a measurable return in conversations, leads, or auditions?" If the answer is no, you have a choice. You can keep running on the hamster wheel, or you can reallocate that time to something that works, whether that’s doubling down on a platform that is working, doing more direct marketing, or doing more auditions on casting sites. STOP CHASING POPULARITY. START CHASING PROFIT The goal of social media for voice actors isn't to be popular; it's to build connections that lead to paid gigs. By cutting the dead weight, I haven’t become less effective. I've become more effective. The time I used to waste on platforms that ignored me is now invested in LinkedIn, where I’m building real relationships, and in creating high-value content for my blogs. I'm not saying all of you should quit every other social media platform and flock to LinkedIn. That's what's working for ME right now. Look at your own social media strategy, if you have one. Are your platforms working for you, or are you working for them? It might be time for you to do some strategic quitting of your own. Your voice over business - and your sanity - will thank you for it. Web: www.VoiceOverStrategist.com |
By Tom Dheere
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