The 5 W’s (Plus a bonus H!)
When it comes to marketing yourself as voice-over actor, there are five very important questions that you need to answer before anyone even asks. Who are you? What do you do? When are you available? Where are you located? Why should I choose you? I call these the 5 W’s of marketing.
I’ve always heard of these 5 W’s in the context of journalistic writing but they can easily translate into your voice-over marketing story. According to Wikipedia, the 5 W’s constitute a formula for getting the complete story on a subject and in this case, that subject is you and your voice! The more people know about you, the more people will want to do business with you (at least, let’s hope so)! So let’s start crafting your voice-over marketing story by using the 5 W’s:
- Who you are: What is your background? What led you to this point? What is your inspiration to do voice-over work? What aspects of your personality shine through your voice? The answers to these questions can help define your voice and your persona. This is your product, if you will. The answers can also help you write your bio!
- What you do: What is your voice well suited for? What genres do you enjoy voicing? What emotions do you convey well with your voice? Personally, I’m great at happy and encouraging but my angry voice just comes out whiny. What about you? How about your character voices, do you have any? Dig deep and figure out what you do, then proudly own it!
- When you are available: This one is difficult. As a “solo-preneuer”, we have the challenge of setting our own hours and boundaries. With smartphones, we can be accessible 24/7, unless we choose not to be. You need to strike a balance between being available for your clients, and creating space for yourself. A couple of ideas include setting “office hours” and taking at least one day off per week. It is important to let your clients know what those “office hours” and days off are, so they are not expecting your immediate response. Managing client expectations is key to your marketing.
- Where you are located: Location, location, location! This can work for or against you, depending on whom you want to work with. The key is knowing your audience! If you are marketing yourself to smaller markets as a “bigger city talent” then by all means use your location as a selling point. If you’re local, use this to your advantage! If you happen to be in the smaller market and trying to get work in larger markets, you might want to leave off the “where”. I live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I’ve built a solid career with my neutral North American accent right here in the middle of the United States. I can send my work anywhere in the world (and I do), but half of my clients don’t know where in the world I live.
- Why I should choose you: What makes you unique? There are a ton of us out there with a mic and a demo. What can you bring to the table that no one else can? What is it about you that makes you worth hiring? Maybe your background has something that makes you more qualified, or you have a unique sound to your voice, or your customer service is outstanding, or your studio quality is top rate. Whatever it is, make it your story.
Using the 5 W’s can help you to craft your voice-over marketing story. Once your story is written, start telling it! In addition to the 5 W’s, there is an H of marketing – that’s the How. If you want to know more about the How of marketing, join my “Marketing Avenues for Getting the Word Out” on May 21st. As always, best wishes on your voice-over journey.
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Jillian Nielsen is an expressive voice talent with over 14 years of experience in radio and television commercial and promotional voice-overs.
