They say owning a boat is like owning a hole in the water into which you pour your money.

Kinda’ reminds me of voice over websites which can be like a hole in cyber space into which you pour your hard earned cash not to mention your precious time.

But for the voice over micro-entrepreneur an expensive designer website is definitely overkill.
Here’s why:

Unless you plan to spend a fortune on Google and search engine optimization, it’s almost impossible for you –a solo voice over artist–to secure a place at the top of the google rankings when someone searches for voice over talent.

That means people will only see your website if you personally invite them to go there, which at best will be probably only a few hundred people per year

Web designers are going to hate me for this but I believe your voice over website is one place where you can skimp and pay as little as possible to have a website that looks professional but is still “good enough.”

Heck, you can even do it yourself on one of the free services like WIX or web.com and end up with something that’s perfectly acceptable. Add your demo on a free Sound Cloud player and you’re in business.

In this week’s Inside Voice Over video training blog, you’ll discover where you should invest and where you can skimp to grow your voice over business.

In addition to websites, I’ve identified 4 other places where you can really save and I think some of them will surprise you!

So what’ll it be? Skimp or invest?

This week I’m going to talk about how to save you some money on your voiceover career and where you really should invest. So skip or invest. So let’s start on the skip side where you can save your money and the first thing is on your recording software. A lot of people get great results with the free where Audacity, you download it and you learn how to use it and you are good to go. Second place you should save and you can save is to do your own website. Use Wix, which is free. Some of our students are getting great looking websites on Wix by doing it themselves. Some other peripherals, like a pop screen, it’s almost no money, about 20 bucks, a mike stand, 20 bucks for that as well or a copy stand if you even need one, it’s about eight to $20.

For sound treatment. Now a lot of people build studios cause they’re into it. They can do it, they do it as a hobby but to start out and if your room is relatively quiet, you might be able to get away with just hanging a moving blanket behind your microphone. You might get some really good sound treatment. That way you just have to check it out in your space and see if that works for you. It’s almost nothing to go down to Home Depot and buy one of those moving blankets. Microphones, USB Mike’s relatively inexpensive for about $100. You can buy a Blue Yeti or a similar mike and where you should invest is definitely in your coaching. Because voiceover is one of those things where it’s very difficult to hear yourself as others hear you. And you will save yourself a lot of time by getting some quality coaching on your technique, not to mention your demo, which is the other place where you should really invest.

When we work with our students, we have a class and a demo package where we work with you by Skype. And when you’re doing your demo, you’re actually recording it at a local studio under our direction, and then we’re doing all the post production for you. So at the end you get a high quality professionally sounding demo, which you really need to be competitive in this business. When you don’t have that, it’s like trying to be a fashion model with a picture that you take on your iPad or iPhone. It just doesn’t work. So there are some suggestions for you. Where you can save and where you really should invest to get the professional best for your voice over career.

Watch this week’s short training video Here Now

After you watch the video be sure to leave a comment. I always love to hear from you so I can support you as you grow your voice over career.

To your voice over success,

Susan Berkley,
Founder, The Great Voice Company

PS

P.S. If you hurry I’ve got a few seats available in our next Voice Over Accelerator Bootcamp March 24-26 at our studios in Englewood Cliffs, NJ. This exclusive Bootcamp for voice over newcomers and emerging talent is strictly limited to 10 people for maximum personal attention. It’s the best place to start and grow your voice over career in 2017. Interested? Call us at 800-333-8108 www.voaccelerator.com or email talent@greatvoice.com

Here’s what Bootcamp grad Agnus Gunn had to say about the experience:

“I participated in one of The Great Voice Company’s weekend Voiceover Boot Camps at the end of 2016. The experience was fantastic. It persuaded me that this voiceover dream that I’ve wondered about for so many years could indeed become a reality.. You emerge with a clear road map for advancing your voiceover career. It’s up to you what you do with that toolbox but the Boot Camp definitely equips you with everything you need. All of this is somehow achieved in the span of a thoroughly enjoyable long weekend. Considering the quality and extent of the instruction, the Boot Camp is a bargain. If you’re looking for the right on-ramp into voiceover, The Great Voice Company’s Voiceover Boot Camp is second to none. Just do it!”