Short-form video content is more popular than ever; many online fanbases have exploded, thanks to the nature of its quick-fire exposure.
Content creators, influencers, and businesses are discovering the power of short-form video content. It’s an exceptional way to market yourself, grow your brand, and increase your video views.
But what about voice actors?
Cultivating your brand as a voice actor can increase your fanbase and even lead to more gigs! However, this only works if you take the right approach.
In this article, we will explain how and why you should ride the wave of this new trend to develop your brand and boost your voice-over marketing strategy.
Branding Matters
Social media branding isn’t just about trending topics – it’s at the forefront of modern marketing, especially in a creative medium like voice acting. So, ignoring it is no longer an option.
Most importantly, branding yourself is all about becoming memorable and recognisable to audiences and potential clients. You want them to think of you the moment they need a voice over.
Developing your brand and social media following will give you more to work with when approaching big clients for those life-changing projects. If you develop a sizeable audience on a social media platform, that’s a guaranteed audience for any project you get involved in, at least promotionally – this is highly valued by producers.
But… what does this mean? Well, your demand will skyrocket. Keep reading to learn how you can develop your voice over marketing strategy as a voice actor.
The Power of 30 Seconds
Short-form videos are dominating the content game – from YouTube shorts to TikTok videos.
In an age where we are being barraged left and right by people vying for our attention, those only looking for a small amount of it will be appreciated and easier to give our attention to.
It feels less costly to sit through a 30-second video, even if we consume more seconds of short-form than long-form in total – it’s less commitment.
Since YouTube introduced Shorts, their viewership has gone up by 131% – more than double. Even then, YouTube marketing is still beat out by TikTok, which accrues 17 billion daily views, 2 billion more than YouTube.
Instagram Reels aren’t doing too bad either – they generate 67% more engagement than regular Instagram videos. Instagram Reels are also less competitive for now, giving your short-form videos 8% more space as they prioritise short content. If your reel is successful, it will also occupy a large portion of a user’s discover page.
So why create videos that are only 30 seconds or less?
- Human attention span is only 8 seconds after being initially hooked – you are much more likely to have high viewer retention with a short 30-second video.
- The most popular TikTok videos are this length – the top 100 most popular TikTok videos of 2019 averaged 16 seconds, 80 of which were between 11-20 seconds. Also, the time that TikTok recommends as optimal for engagement is between 21-34 seconds.
- Capture the future generations – According to snapchat, 86% of Gen Z watch more than 1 hour of short-form content daily.
Massive Brand Growth for Voice Artists
Okay, so we’ve established that short-form video content is a big deal. But how can voice actors use this for voice over marketing?
Adam “Noble Son” Kirschner is a great example of a voice artist who has exploded through the power of short-form content.
He started making videos on YouTube in 2015, with 4.2k views on his first video. This is certainly respectable, but many of those views may be from newer fans watching his old content.
@noble_son send to someone who should be a voice actor 😏🎙🔥 #voiceover #voiceactor @Vessi #vessiambassador #audi #peptobismol ♬ original sound – Noble Son
After all, 4,200 views pales in comparison to the magnitude of his first TikTok video in 2021 which accrued 662,000 views.
His video Where Commercials Come from boasts a whopping 774k views and 131k likes – remarkable for someone’s first few videos.
This shows us how hungry the TikTok and short-form video audience is for talented voice artists.
Convert Fans into Paid Gigs
Having an online fan-base is great and all but how does that help you get work?
If you’re not camera-shy, using platforms like Cameo.com or Memmo.me might be for you. These platforms allow you to take paid video requests in a casual context, and it’s a prevalent strategy for voice actors.
@mirandaohare #greenscreen LINK IN MY BIO #cameo #voiceover #actor #valorant #skyevalorant #twitch #youtube ♬ original sound – Esteve <3
Fans can click a link to your profile and pay you to read a script they have created. This is commonly used for birthday messages or funny lines – you can post to engage with your fans, build a stronger connection with them, and promote your brand further!
Link your agency or website
If you want to focus on converting your audience into more professional work, we recommend linking your Voquent profile or your agency’s point of contact.
Big clients might be browsing TikTok for popular voice actors to hire for their upcoming project, so you’ll want to show that you are serious with a professional point of contact – the last thing you want is people spamming your email address, so a link to your profile is best.
Redirect your audience to more lucrative platforms
Alex, a professional voice actor who has been featured in Demon’s Souls and Telltale’s Game of Thrones chooses to redirect his fanbase to his Twitch page to engage with them on a more personal level and take donations/requests live.
@alexjordanvoiceactor #voiceactor #cyberpunk #cyberpunk2077 #cdprojektred ♬ original sound – Alex Jordan
He utilises his talents to create fun D&D live streams – a live audience is likelier to donate and engage with you at a higher value.
Sponsorships
If your voice over marketing is successful and you grow your audience to a substantial level, you will find that brands will reach out and offer you sponsorship deals to promote their product or service to your audience.
Therefore, it’s useful to have a business email on your profile, but we recommend putting it in a linktr.ee or beacons.ai. This way, you can use the fan-focused options listed above as well.
How to Grow Your Brand
To grow your online brand through short-form content, it’s all about staying up-to-date with trends within your industry.
So, we’ve piled together some of the most popular trends in the VO industry that we’ve seen on TikTok right now:
Voice Over Challenges
Collaborate with another creator via TikTok Stitch and take advantage of the Voice Over Challenge trend.
@inkamagnaye #duet with @noble_son HELP ME IM SWEATING #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #voiceover #voiceoverchallenge ♬ original sound – Noble Son
This allows you to leverage a pre-established creator’s audience to grow your own while having great fun!
Character Impressions
Celebrity and character impressions from popular media are the most popular option for heightened engagement.
So, if you can do a few celebrity impressions, you can create some videos right now!
@shelbyhyoung Cartoon characters turning into different cartoon chatracters! #voiceover #voiceactor #impressions #fyp ♬ original sound – Shelby Young
You’ll notice Shelby (above) switches character every 6-10 seconds (which is nicely nestled in the optimal time window for audience retention).
It’s as if she is recapturing your interest in the video for another 8-seconds repeatedly to ensure you watch the whole thing!
Accent-switching
This is great for the voice artists that don’t do character voices, smoothly switching between a few high-quality accents is also a great way to drive engagement on TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels.
@_theaccentguy Wait for the BO’LE’OH’WA’ER… #accents ♬ original sound – TheAccentGuy
This will help show casting directors and potential clients your versatility – especially if they’re still undecided on the accent of their characters!
Abridged Re-dubs/re-reads
Taking popular media and putting a comedic spin or applying your own style to it is also a good option. Long-form abridged content is also an option if you get a few voice-actor friends together and make an abridged dub of your favourite TV show, game, or anime.
The concept of this has been around for decades, but TikTok has given it a new lease on life. Anime dubbing with the intention of making characters say ridiculous things is a great way to connect with voice actors and anime fans alike.
Conclusion
Now that you can see the whole picture, hopefully, the value of short-form content is clear. There is limitless potential for a voice actor to amplify their brand through the exposure that modern social media brings forward, which has the potential to help you connect with new audiences, land jobs, and boost your voice-over marketing strategy.
Take the lessons from this blog and make the most of popular trends to enhance your voice acting journey now! Just remember us when you get to the top.
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