In business, it's always nice to meet the people you serve.

It's especially wonderful when they want to meet you too.

Read more about our afternoon with Lifetime Achievement Voicey Award winner Derek Partridge and get to know another one of your peers.

It was shortly after 8 a.m. when the telephone in our hotel room started to ring.

The date was Thursday March 29, 2007.

Carol and Laurynda headed off to the vendors table and I stayed behind to pick up the call.

Who should it be but Derek Partridge on the line!

We have been privileged to serve Derek for a number of years now and jumped at the chance to sit down for a half hour and get to know someone who has given so much of his life to the business of voice overs, presenting on television and more.

It was easy to pick Derek Partridge out in the lobby as we raced in from lunch at a local pizzeria. If you have ever been to Derek's website, you'll know that he is originally from England and has one of the most velvety British voices on the planet.

It's amazing how quickly a half hour can go by. Before we knew it, we had to jet upstairs to James and Penny's first lecture and say good bye to Derek.

This trip has been full of great opportunities, and this is definitely one to remember.

Enjoy,

Stephanie

The first iPod Shuffle has been drawn for!

This is the first of three iPod Shuffles, so if you haven't put your business card in our special box yet, be sure to do so before the conference is through.

Find out who won the iPod Shuffle and put a name and face to one of your colleagues.

Jeff Gelder is the first winner of the iPod Shuffle draws that we're holding over the next couple of days.

Jeff chose the blue iPod. I must admit, blue is my favorite colour and I think he picked well indeed.

We took a moment after the draw to have a photo taken. Now you have another face to put to a voice!

Stay tuned to find out who the winners are of the remaining iPod Shuffles...

Best,

Stephanie

At the halfway point for the conference, there's been lots to celebrate!

Find out what's going on at the VOICE Conference at VOX Daily, and remember...

What happens in Vegas, doesn't have to stay in Vegas!

It's the end of another jam-packed day here in Las Vegas at the first ever VOICE Conference!

Each day has brought with it amazing presenters, exciting door prizes and the glorious opportunity to meet people within the industry, putting faces to the voices we know so well.

Let me start off with the opening of the conference on Tuesday night. Those of us who arrived early had the chance to register and pick up our goody bags, which I must say were quite impressive.

A part of those bags included an AFTRA lanyard for our name tags. I've included a picture of mine here for you to see.

Everyone has a red AFTRA lanyard, so it is really easy to find people who are associated with the conference. As you can see, our team took the liberty of designing our own name tags for the event - pretty spiffy, eh? You have to know the back story :)

Highlights from the first full day of lectures included a crowd pleasing performance by Rodney Saulsberry, a thorough and candid overview on developing your voice over career and self-evaluation by Connie Terwilliger, and some marketing "Love Notes" from Frank Frederick, whom I might add is an avid hugger (all of you here can agree with that!).

I plan on meeting with AFTRA while I am here to ask some key questions. Now by the way is your opportunity to let me know what some of yours are so that I can bring them to their attention and get some answers for you!

The evening carried on with a touching tribute to Lennie Weinrib, an actor, voice actor, and most importantly, loving father and grandfather. Linda Weinrib, Lennie's daughter, and also a voice talent, was present to share her memories and give us a different perspective into her father's illustrious career and personal life. I'll be posting more about Linda and Lennie Weinrib in the coming days.

Day two, which we've just completed was also one for the books.

Highlights included a lecture by Chris Wagner about voice over and the web, Pat Fraley and his slick tricks smuggled out of Hollywood (you really need to see this one when it comes out on DVD!), and an afternoon with Penny Abshire and James Alburger, teaching everyone about the art of voice acting and the seven core elements of voice over that when combined, create the sound and style you need to get work in voice overs.

The man of the hour later that evening was The Don - that's right, Don LaFontaine. AFTRA sponsored his visit with us and many were taken aback by meeting such a legend in person. I got to meet Don and he's agreed to an interview via email (we ran out of time for questions). I'll get more on Don's visit and eventually the interview up for you as soon as I can :)

By far, it's meeting our customers that has brought us the most excitement. To name a few that come to mind this late at night (it's now 11:50 p.m. PST), Bob Souer, Kara Edwards, Jay Buck, Rob Young, Liz de Nesnera, Bobbin Beam, Moe Egan, Kera O'Bryon, John Pruden, Rick Reid, Connie Terwilliger, Penny Abshire, Curt Byk, Dan Lenard, Michael Rhys, Mike Forrester, Bettye Zoller, Amy Snively, Melissa Frank, Derek Partridge, Gregory Best, and T David Rutherford. Please forgive any omissions at the tolling of midnight - they are not intentional - you know me :)

Tomorrow night, we're being treated to a performance by Bob Bergen, the current voice of Porky the Pig. Again, I hope to bring you more insider info on the show and of course, a conversation with Bob Bergen to share with you.

I just wanted to make sure that I got something out to you. It's been a bit of a drought these last couple of days, eh? I thought to myself that come what may, I had to get something out to you tonight.

I can't wait until I post more for you. It's been such a blast. Carol, Laurynda, and I have been taking notes during each lecture and have so much to share with the rest of the team when we get home and also with you here on VOX Daily.

I'll be blogging individually on each lecture - just give me some time for the dust to settle!

If you're here at the conference and want to leave a comment about how your experiences have been thus far, please do so!

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

Just how big is the voice over blogosphere?

Discover the who's who of voice over blogging!

Take the opportunity to meet some of your colleagues who blog about the voice industry, business, and their lives in general.

You might just find a new friend or a great blog that you can subscribe to about your craft.

Just who are the bloggers in the voice industry?

Here you will find a list of many bloggers known to me in alphabetical order by surname. Take a moment to check out a few of these blogs and let the bloggers (your fellow voice talents) know that you support their efforts in this endeavor.

Bobbin Beam's Blog

Fran Capo - Fran's World

Dave Christi's Voice Daily

Joe Cipriano

Caryn Clark

Karen Commins, A Voice Above The Crowd

Adam Creighton

Kara Edwards

Rich Gates

Ron Harper Voiceovers

Ralph Hass - Has the Voice

Brian Haymond... Behind the Mic

Brian Haymond Business Blog

Tom Heere - The Rognog Blog

Elie Hirschman

David Houston's Do That Voice!

Jeremy Jacobs British VO Blog

Jeffrey Kafer Voice Blog

Bill LeVasseur

Tim McLaughlin

Mary C. McKitrick MCM Voices Voiceover Blog

Dan Nachtrab - Nachtrab's News - Voice Over News

Peter O'Connell Audio'connell Blog

Rory O'Shea's IMedge Communications Blog

Doc Phillips

Joe Rodriguez

Elaine Singer Sounds Great

Bob Souer's The Voiceover Boblog

Dave Temple

Gary Terzza

Voices.com Blogs:

Marc Cashman's "Ask The Voice Cat"

Dan Lenard's "Master VO"

Casting Voices

CEO David Ciccarelli's The Biz

VOX Daily

If you have a voice over or voice acting blog that is not listed here, please let me know so that I can update this list.

You can email me directly to add your blog or comment here on the post.

For those of you going to the VOICE Conference, see you in Vegas tomorrow night!

Cheers,

Stephanie

While there are many ways to communicate a message, the art of voice over is tops for delivering the human touch.

Which role suits your voice?

Learn more about five different styles of voice over used for commercial and industrial use and leave a comment about the style you work with the most.

Over the centuries, the art of communicating with other people about a given purpose and the transmission of the spoken word, the most powerful, persuasive, and distinctly human tool in any marketers arsenal, has evolved to the degree that you don't have to be in the same room to get a message across, even the same country for that matter.

Geographic locations and time zones afford little to no obstacle for communicating with others in a meaningful and cohesive way.

With all of the advantages this new world and new media bestows, it is very important that a message received is a message that is understood, believed and acted upon.

Much of this depends on the copy writing and voice over skills of the messengers, which brings us to five different character roles you can perform as a voice talent to get the message of your client across in a direct and effective way.

1. Instructor (formal, didactic voice over)
2. Real Person (informal voice over)
3. Spokesperson (advocate, authoritative voice over)
4. Narrator (omniscient storyteller)
5. Announcer (sets the stage and calls for action)

Let's explore these types of character roles in detail.

1. Instructor

When teaching someone on what to do, for example, a corporate training video or children's game, the voice over best suited for this kind of project is a straightforward, didactic and educated voice. The role of this particular voice talent is to instruct or provide information to fulfill a specific goal or purpose.

2. Real Person

Projects requiring a more casual approach often benefit from relatable, genuine voice overs. These voice overs are referred to as "Real Person" voice overs, commonly known as the "regular guy" or the "girl next door". The character is homegrown, sensible, and friendly with a touch of familiarity and provides a more intimate interpretation that instills trust.

3. Spokesperson

A Spokesperson can be on camera or off camera depending on the medium you are using. The role of a spokesperson is generally played by a confident, charismatic person able to promote a cause, product, or service with ease and authority. A voice over of this nature needs to be driven, optimistic and assured.

4. Narrator

Storytelling is where the Narrator is most at home. Omniscient, courteous and honest, a Narrator's job is to provide an audio landscape for a listener, briefing them on background information, posing questions, and providing solutions as they guide their audience through a program or documentary. Narrators can be male or female, and the most important factors are that they can communicate clearly and engagingly.

5. Announcer

The Announcer, often heard live at events, on commercials, promos or introducing segments for podcasts, is a product of the broadcast age, most celebrated at its height in the Golden Age of Radio and early television broadcasts. Announcers can introduce an idea and assertively make a call for action at the conclusion of a commercial advertisement or short video. One common misconception is that an announcer has to sound like an announcer from decades ago, however modern announcers act more like Narrators, and in many cases, adopt the Real Person approach.

Do you find that you are hired for a particular kind of read? Which of these five roles do you identify best with?

Leave a comment and let the discussion begin!

Best,

Stephanie

Are you an agent who represents voice actors?

Do you represent voice over talents?

If so, we want to work with you!

Find out more about how voice over agents partnering with Voices.com can help to make the world of VO a better place.

Voice over agents are a special breed of professionals. They work tirelessly to promote their talents and prove to be quite lucrative and essential to many voice acting careers.

This post is in celebration of agents and what they can do to increase the amount of work a voice talent receives, whether the talent is represented by a union signatory or a non-union talent agency.

While other web marketplaces choose to sever ties and burn bridges with agents, we prefer to work together to help get the job done.

Many agents who have discovered Voices.com not only use our website to cast voices, they also sign their own talent up for membership subscriptions to spread the net a bit wider and gather up job opportunities that may not have presented themselves otherwise.

For instance, a local agent based in Detroit could easily land their client (the voice talent) a gig with a firm in Europe, Asia, Australia, or Africa by applying for job postings listed at Voices.com.

In addition to broadening horizons through auditions, talent agents who do not have their own website to host their talent and audio have setup shop at Voices.com to give their clients the best possible web hosting, customer care, and marketing opportunities on the Internet for voice over services.

Another way agents can work with Voices.com is by contributing educational resources while establishing their areas of expertise within the industry via the blog network and the VOX Talk podcast. Participating in a vibrant community keeps the agent involved and abreast of the goings on in the marketplace, able to impact decisions that are made by our team and join in the conversations that continue to inspire and grow the voice over industry.

If you are an agent who uses Voices.com to help promote your voice talent or you cast voices here, we're pleased to have you on board :)

Of course, if you are an agent and just discovered how we can work together because of this article, send me an email to introduce yourself. You can reach me at stephanie@voices.com.

Looking forward to hearing from you! Leave a comment if you like on this post.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Ever wonder how the Dutch fare in North America for voice overs?

Check out this exclusive interview with native Dutch voice talents Hans van den Nieuwendijk and Christa DeRidder of DoDutch.com, a Dutch pair living in the United States of America.

I had the fantastic opportunity to touch base and interview Dutch voice talents Hans van den Nieuwendijk and Christa DeRidder of DoDutch.com.

I contacted Hans after reading a recent press release DoDutch.com distributed last week. Here's a delightful interview with two people who literally "Do Dutch!"

Stephanie: I've always wanted to go to Holland and have relatives living there. Tell me, which part of the country were you from originally?

Hans: I was born in Dordrecht, grew up in the southwestern part of The Netherlands (Terneuzen), studied in Tilburg (Brabant) and lived in Amsterdam, Almere, Boskoop and Veenendaal.

Christa: I was born in Vlaardingen (near Rotterdam) and grew up in Melissant (south of Rotterdam) and in Bonaire (The Dutch Antilles, near Aruba). I also lived in Germany for a couple of years and also with Hans in Boskoop and Veenendaal.

Hans: In October 2002 we were relocated to the DC area, and when my contract expired, we were lucky enough to win two Green Cards in the lottery. Last December we moved to beautiful Colorado and are both freelance voices, translators and producers.

Stephanie: How hospitable have you found the North American market to be for Dutch voice overs?

Hans: You know, I am still amazed by the fact that a lot of Dutch narration is being produced and edited here in the US. You think they would outsource it to The Netherlands. But all-in-all, it's has been a fun ride. Somehow we Dutch are looked upon as nice and easygoing people and even during (ISDN) sessions technicians and clients listening in come with with stories of their time in The City of Sin (yes, that is Amsterdam) making those sessions sometimes feel like you're in a bar yourself. Doing business here in the US has been extremely pleasant.

Stephanie: Do you perform your voice overs as a duo (both male and female voice used in the same project) or is most of your work recorded separately for different clients?

Christa: We do. Mostly we work on projects by ourselves, but every now and then we do voice projects together. We once recorded a GPS system together, that was a lot of fun. I can only imagine someone who knows us, buying that GPS and just can't get away from us. It sure makes us laugh out loud every now and then. "Oh no, that's Christa telling me where to go... let's change to the male voice... Oh no, that's Hans..."

Stephanie: That must be pretty comical!

Do you perform in English as well as Dutch? I've heard that in Holland you have to learn English at school in addition to Dutch. Are you both fluent in English as well as Dutch?

Hans: We are fluent in both languages and yes, even before birth in Holland you are susceptible to the American-English language since we do not dub movies or TV shows into our own language but use subtitles instead. The downside to that is that we hardly can speak British-English, but we are increasingly recording in English. One American client told me that having an European-English accent voice over, improves the credibility of its product. You just have to watch the American commercials to see proof of that.

Stephanie: What kind of projects bring you the most Dutch voice over work?

Christa: For me, the most work right now comes from a work safety project. Most of it is multiple choice questions... abcd... abcd.... abcd....

Stephanie: What are your favorite projects to work on?

Hans: I have been doing news voice overs for over 12 years now and that still is a lot of fun. But playing different roles and exploring my voice outside the straight narration perimeter is a great challenge and I hope to have the opportunity to do that more often. It is always good for voice talents, however experienced you are, to keep playing with your voice.

Christa: I would just LOVE to do a voice acting for an animation project. So far it never came up, but I would just love to do that. I once had to do a child's voice for PADI, just a very short piece... I love that.

Stephanie: Do you have a client base in The Netherlands? If so, how do you find working for those clients with the time difference?

Christa: We have clients all over the world, also in The Netherlands. Time difference is not a problem, since most of our clients do not work through ISDN. But if necessary, I would not mind to work in the middle of the night for a client to deliver a project through ISDN.

Stephanie: Do you network with other Dutch talent in North America? How many Dutch speaking voice talent would you say there are in the US?

Hans: There must be more Dutch people doing voice overs here in the US but somehow I only met one. A number of times we have been asked to three to four different voices for the same project, so that kind of makes me think there are not many Dutch professionals out there. And that's weird, since Dutch folks tend to seep and creep everywhere they can.

Stephanie: What is the most interesting or most meaningful project you have ever worked on?

Christa: The most interesting project for me was for the GPS-system. It is so strange to have to speak neutrally, and record small and short words that "hover" in the air, because they need to be able to put those words in the middle of a sentence. I learned a lot on that project. We recorded in a professional studio, and the technician took us out to lunch at a great Thai place. And that was another lesson... do not eat very spicy Thai food before a recording. My mouth went dry, my stomach was burbling... thirsty, thirsty, thirsty!

Hans: That has to be singing for a Jimmy John's commercial. I must be the very worst singer on the planet (I would be on re-re-reruns of American Idol as that Dutch guy singing like a wooden shoe). I was required to sing way out of tune and with a very heavy Dutch accent. It was an ISDN-session and we had to take several breaks since the client didn't stop laughing. Boy, did I nail that session! Christa had to take the dog for a walk, though, she just couldn't take it anymore. Neither could the dog.

Stephanie: What would you say are the greatest benefits that you are receiving as a result of being a member of Voices.com?

Hans: Well, eh... that's kind of a tricky question, since, eh... I have not yet landed a project through Voices.com. But aside from that, Voices provides talents with an excellent and broad array of tips and tricks, valuable documentation and guidance. That helped me a lot. So, even if I don't land a job on Voices, I will still renew my subscription.

Stephanie: What are your upcoming projects? Any goals that you are striving toward?

Christa: As I said before, I would love to do an animation voice, or a commercial. I love to act, so that would really be great.

Hans: I am working with Chris on a huge Microsoft project, will do an English narration for Holland America Line, something for the European Union and some voice prompts. And we will record our new demos pretty soon. But I would love to watch "24" on a Monday night and hear myself during commercial break. Or play even the tiniest part in a movie. One can but dream.

Stephanie: If you do land a spot in the commercial breaks during 24, please let us know! There are many fans of the show that read the VOX Daily blog.

Thank you for answering my questions Hans and Christa. To your continued health and success.

Hans: Thank you for the opportunity!

Christa: Thanks :)

P.S. If you're a Dutch VO living in the US or Canada, introduce yourself to everyone here by leaving a comment on the blog.

P.S. I have an update from Hans! After this interview was conducted, Hans and Christa landed an interview with a local newspaper (Reporter-Herald). Here's a link to read the article at DoDutch.com

Remember that campaign slogan we asked for your feedback on?

Check out our web commercials and share them on YouTube!

We're really excited to release a series of videos to you and the world on YouTube!

As part of our continuing effort to market to people who need voice over services (and those who are just discovering that voice over is a great investment in their company, products and services), we developed a number of videos that demonstrate the importance of voice over in a fun, interesting and versatile way.

The actors and VO talent are just fantastic. I think you'll find them quite entertaining and be able to relate to a lot of these scenarios.

The first two videos that we'll be introducing to you are already on our Voices.com Video Blog. We'd love to hear your feedback and encourage the sharing of these Videos on YouTube with your friends, family, associates, and or clients.

The theme of this campaign is "What If Life Had a Soundtrack?".

Want to watch the videos?

Visit the Voices.com Video Blog by clicking here to watch the new commercials!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Adam Fox, producer, musician and voice actor, launches corporate podcast audio production services.

Learn more about Adam's journey as a voice actor and producer at the VOX Daily blog.

Adam Fox recorded his first commercial voice over at the age of seven for a political campaign and has been recording and producing audio masterpieces ever since.

Bit early on by the acting bug prior performing in local theatre, voice over was a natural progression for Adam.

When his first professional commercial session had concluded, fond memories of the recording studio equipment in the radio station fed his imagination and defined Adam's future career in audio production.

In addition to offering full line audio production packages complete with music and sound effects, Adam Fox, the president of Defiant Digital Productions, presents clients with new and exciting solutions to help them reach untapped markets via podcasting, one of the hottest technological trends in entertainment and consumer outreach endeavors to be embraced by the populous to date.

When interviewed about his podcast production services, Adam volunteered, "I like to push the limits of what podcasts can do. Many podcasts these days are dry shows. There's not much production in many of them that I'm seeing. I specialize in tailoring the client's podcast to fit their needs. My clients get a fully customized piece of work from the music, effects, ambient sounds and of course topnotch voice over talent that can make a message stand out, and that's the point isn't it?"

Adam's production expertise for new media applications such as podcasting generates unique audio experiences for clients who want to reach their audiences in a new and innovative way. In addition to being a genuine voice actor and podcaster himself, Adam's passion is firmly rooted in helping others to get their messages out, crafting client projects while promoting their business ventures and achieving successful results.

When asked what inspires Adam to produce quality productions for others, he said, "Just do what you're meant to do in life. Some people are accountants and some people make coffee. I am a producer, musician and voice actor; that's what I do best, that's what makes me happy, so that's what I do."

Adam Fox's ability to inspire, teach, and create has identified him as one of the leading audio producers in the corporate podcast production field. Adam puts 110% into every project he designs, guaranteeing satisfaction and a personal touch.

In the near term, Adam's company Defiant Digital Productions will merge with Bob Oakman Productions.

Bob Oakman is the most recognized voice talent in the audio industry, recording for a wide spectrum of applications including commercials and promos that air on broadcast radio and television stations all over the country for musical artists such as Bon Jovi, Metallica, Kenny Chesney, Bob Dylan, Kid Rock and hundreds more as well as being a noted voice connected with sports such as boxing, wrestling, and motor events.

With Bob's experience in commercial voice over performance and Adam's production background and technical savvy, their merged company will be able to offer clients a turnkey solution to their advertising needs. Services to be provided include audio production and voice over for radio and TV advertisements, podcasts, new media, and web strategies.

A solid team with complementary skills, Adam Fox and Bob Oakman will elevate audio projects to the next level.

Have a story to tell but don't have the words?

We can help you to share your news with the world in a professional and concise manner - let us do the public relations work for you while you do what you do best - voice overs.

Have you ever sent a press release out about your voice over business or achievements as a voice talent?

A part of what we do best is tell stories in a unique and encompassing way that highlight your specialties and strengths while introducing your services in a fresh, captivating manner.

Press releases can also be used as part of your marketing materials.

Here are five ideas that will help to stretch the mileage of your press release:

1. Cite quotations from the press release in the signature of your email, including tags like "As seen in Google news".
2. Send it to your client base via email in a newsletter
3. Post the press release to your blog
4. Submit the press release to trade magazines
5. Share your news with other voice over publications online

If you like the style of the posts you see here at VOX Daily and the press releases that we have created for others, this could very well be the best investment you'll make this year marketing your services to the media in efforts to gain priceless publicity.

To read recent press releases written and distributed by Voices.com for professional voice talents, check these links out:

Robert Jacobs Voice Welcomes New Clients

Adam Fox of Defiant Digital Announces Podcast Production Services

Voiceover Dynamic Duo Jessica Gee-George and Grant George Sweep Listeners Off of Their Feet

Ralph Hass Shoots and Scores as TV Imaging Voice of the Buffalo Sabres

When Bryan Cox Transforms His Voice, Hollywood Listens

Brian Haymond, EA Sports’ “NFL Head Coach” Voice, Renews Contract with Voices.com

Kara Edwards Wins Voicey Award for Best New Voice at Voices.com

Adam Behr Wins Voicey Award for Best Male Voice at Voices.com

Those are just a recent sampling of the dozens of press releases we have written over the years for voice talents and voice actors to help them promote their voice over businesses.

The next story we tell could be about you!

Here's what one of our customers, Adam Fox, said about his experience:

"I was absolutely amazed that the information I gave to Stephanie was so well understood and interpreted. I was absolutely floored by the level of understanding of what I do, and what I am trying to accomplish that was so skillfully woven into a great press release. I HIGHLY recommend this service to anyone. I mean anyone."

A. Fox - President Defiant Digital Productions

If you're interested in learning more about this opportunity, visit this page for more information about the Voices.com Press Release Package.

If you have questions about the process, you can email me directly at stephanie@voices.com and I'll be happy to answer your questions.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

Whether you wear your union status proudly on your sleeve or prefer to stay among the majority of folks working freelance and setting their own rates, we want to hear from you!

The age old question of Union VS Non-union has reared its controversial head again, but there's a different twist this time.

We want to hear why you are or are not a member of AFTRA, SAG, ACTRA, EQUITY, or other unions that represent artists for voice over work to help conduct a study.

Interested?

I received a request from a student writing a paper about the differences between union and non-union in the voice over field. Quite the topic, isn't it?

How can you help? By leaving a comment on this post (or sending it to me confidentially) about your experiences as union or non-union voice talent.

To get right to it, we need to build a list of the pros and cons of being a union member and also the pros and cons of being a non-union voice talent.

Looking forward to your thoughts on this very passionate subject.

Let the comments roll,

Stephanie

Image removed at the request of AFTRA.com

Will the wrath of the Spanish speaking Simpsons voice actors thwart a Spanish dubbing of the Simpsons Movie?

What does the Spanish Mr. Burns have to say about it?

Find out at VOX Daily!

Sources say that the Spanish voice actors who give voice to the Simpson’s cartoon are threatening to boycott the Simpsons Movie.

If you remember, these individuals are the same talent who were dissatisfied with the status of their pay going back to issues that rocked the Simpsons boat in 2005.

Will the statements of Gabriel Chavez, who provides the Spanish voice of Mr. Burns, stop the movie from being recorded in Spanish?

What do you think about this?

Leave a comment!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

P.S. Visit cinematical.com for more information.

Image of Gabriel Chavez courtesy of: 512 Megas

Your favorite Buffalo Sabres Imaging Artist has just been interviewed and the footage is up on YouTube!

Watch this thrilling interview with Ralph Hass of Kelowna, British Columbia here.

Bob Souer congratulated Ralph Hass on this already, but I thought it would be wonderful to bring this video to our audience at VOX Daily as well.

Ralph Hass, the imaging voice of the Buffalo Sabres, was recently interviewed about his role as the Sabres imaging talent on MSG as well as how his voice over career meshes nicely with his home life.

Watch the video by clicking on the play button below:

Again, congratulations to you Ralph :) It's always a novelty to see people you know on YouTube!

Cheers,

Stephanie

P.S. Happy birthday Ralph (March 14).

Any Canadian voice over coaches in the house?

From sea to sea to shining sea, this land was made for voice over and the teaching of it!

If you teach the art of voice over in Canada, leave a comment on this post for potential students!

Many of you are now aware of Harlan Hogan's voice over coaches list. That being said, we received a request from Blair Wilson (and others in the past) about where to find Canadian voice over coaches.

In this great country of ours, surely there are dozens of you... there just hasn't ever been a "list" for Canadian coaches as such before until now :)

Get on the Canadian voice over coaches list at Voices.com by introducing yourself at VOX Daily.

Leave a comment with a link to your website, the city you teach in and business contact details.

Looking forward to meeting and working with you,

Stephanie and the Voices.com Team

What do you do after you're finished recording for the day?

Share how you unwind or reward yourself after a long day in front of the mic with your friends at VOX Daily.

Voice recording demands a certain amount of give and take where your own comfort and wants are concerned.

For instance, you might have to hold off on having that warm cup of cocoa or forfeit particular foods for the sake of your throat or to minimize mouth noise.

When I am done recording as host of the VOX Talk podcast on Monday and Wednesday evenings, I treat myself to some some potato chips and a glass of pop (Monday's only to watch "24") or perhaps depending on my mood, a caffeinated tea (Orange Pekoe).

There's an example for you, but keep in mind that my recording schedule is not nearly as frequent or packed as yours is.

If I am thrilled to indulge after two half hour recording sessions a week, you must find your free time away from the microphone even more precious :)

Do you strategically plan your menus around your recording schedule and save the best for last?

Perhaps you do something completely different with your post session time that doesn't involve food or drink but still signifies the end of a long day of work.

Either way...

Let us know! Leave a comment here on the blog.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Best,

Stephanie

An automobile is only of use if you know how to drive it! The same can be said of using your voice as a vehicle to acquire voice over work.

Find out why it is important to hone your voice over skills before you set out to get work - and also how go about doing it.

Before you drive a car you need to learn how to drive. While that may be obvious, starting out as a voice actor presents its own stipulations such as learning how to use the instrument (your voice) and the talents you were born with.

Just because you have been talking all your life doesn’t mean that voice over will come naturally to you!

Voice acting is an art, and very truly, it is acting. Although most voice work is recorded in the privacy of your own studio away from the glare of the cameras, a voice over will serve as a performance for the hundreds if not thousands of people who will receive the message you are giving voice to.

Studying with a voice over coach who will help you to assess your talent and develop your skills is the best preparation and nourishment that you can invest in to build a solid foundation for your voice over career.

Before the home recording studio, calling agents for representation and approaching the union for membership, it is more than advisable to consult a teacher of voice over who will instruct, mentor, and prepare you for a lifetime of using your voice to make a living.

When you are ready, your instructor will encourage you to record a professional voice over demo. A voice over demo is a brief sampling of your capabilities that demonstrates your personal style, brand and highlights your natural talents.

Over the years, we've featured several voice over instructors on the VOX Daily blog and recently on the VOX Talk podcast.

If you are looking for a voice over coach in your area, one of the best places to start searching is at voice talent and presenter Harlan Hogan's website where a wonderful list of voice over coaches resides. Harlan has gathered dozens of contacts and segmented them geographically in the United States as well as international voice over coaches.

Voice Over Coaches List

Maybe you've already discovered Harlan Hogan and his voice over coaching list...

Did Harlan's resource help you to connect with an instructor? Leave a comment!

Best,

Stephanie

The ways of the past are no barrier to success for savvy voice over entrepreneurs of the new Google Era.

The search giant has brought more to our fingertips than any other web portal on the Internet, corralling relevant websites and taming the Wild West of the World Wide Web.

Free career resources and advice is available, job opportunities are bountiful, and the costs associated with getting started and building a home recording studio are at the lowest they have ever been thanks to online marketplaces and the global village.

Bearing this is mind, we thought it wise to help equip you with some information to help you to capitalize on using Google to the fullest to promote your voice over business.

Broadcasters from the old school of presenting are using their highly developed instincts and production skills to land jobs from other radio and television stations around the world.

Singers and stage actors from the theatre are exercising their vocal versatility, performing as voice actors in animation, film, and documentary narration as well as producing music beds and jingles for commercials.

Salespeople, former telephone marketers, and educators with great voices are flexing their persuasive musculature in commercials, telephony, and educational voice overs with the gusto and ambition of jockeys at the gate, waiting to unleash their voices on the world.

These are just some of the people who make up the voice industry.

This guide will help you succeed in the Google Era, one Google service at a time.

Let us know what you think.

Best,

Stephanie

There's a new voice over chat group online at Yahoo! Groups called Voice Actors United.

Click to join voiceactorsunited

Want to join?

Voice Actors United was founded on March 4, 2007 by Jonithan Patrick Russell. I found the group via a Google Blog Search query and the rest is history.

This morning's episode of VOX Talk covered Voice Actors United in the Loop segment with an invitation for anyone who is interested to join.

You may need to register for a free Yahoo! account first or confirm your account before joining.

Here's a link where you can click through to sign up as a member of Voice Actors United:

Click to join voiceactorsunited

Doug Turkel has already joined because he heard about the group this morning on the podcast. Elie Hirschman is there too.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Stephanie

You can view jobs in two new ways at Voices.com. Introducing "View My Jobs" and "View All Jobs".

We're pleased to announce that you can now view jobs in two unique ways at Voices.com.

Here's a snapshot of what the "View My Jobs" option looks like (this is the default, by the way so that you don't see jobs that are not applicable to you).

And, here's one that shows ALL open jobs at Voices.com, known as the "View All Jobs" option.

This view is particularly helpful if you have not yet selected your preferences or completed your Profile at present as it shows you all jobs that are open for auditions:

So, now that we've established that there are two ways to go about looking at the jobs, I'd like to give you a tip.

Make sure that you pick your languages!!!

For instance, if you speak English (regardless of dialect), you need to have that language selected in addition to the dialect of English that you speak.

If you do not pick "English", you'll be missing out on all sorts of jobs and get the impression that there is less work out there for you at Voices.com than there really is.

Please take what I am saying to heart.

If you follow these directions, you will receive notifications that you expect to receive.

If your Profile is incomplete, it makes it very difficult for our system (and also clients) to know that you are qualified to audition for a particular language if you did not select it as one of your languages.

The same can be said for skill sets. Filling out your Profile completely will save you energy, give you peace of mind, direct more opportunities to you, and will make it easier for us to continue to provide the personalized level of service that we do.

The issue of filtering jobs at Voices.com has been solved within less than 4 days of your feedback.

So, now it's up to you to make use of the new features and update your Profile if necessary to make sure that you're receiving the proper job notifications and viewing jobs that you expect to see in your "View My Jobs" option.

As Julie Williams said in VOX Talk today, a lot of what you need to succeed as a voice over professional rests in the constant self-promotion of your voice over business.

One significant aspect of self-promotion is completing your Profile at Voices.com to make as much information about your voice, skills, talent and experience available to people who are considering hiring you!

This includes little things like years of experience, who you've studied with, the equipment you use, past clients, industry experience, language capabilities, special skills, and of course, MP3 samples of your voice over work.

Little rant, but very important:

MP3s are critical! Please upload all audio that you intend for clients to hear on your website in MP3 format for easier playing in the flash player! If you've uploaded demos in other formats such as WAV or AIFF, etc., clients have to click on the name of your demo to download them.

If you have an MOV file, be sure to say "Click here to watch this video" when you name your demo in your Studio. If you're hosting a word document or PDF, you have do to the same as if it were a movie for proper downloading of your file.

If you don't make it obvious where clients should click to retrieve your file, be it a video, text document or otherwise (these are files OTHER than MP3 files) clients will get the impression that your audio files are 'broken'.

For the sake of the clients and the successful hiring of your voice, stick with MP3s!

Without a demo, how will anyone know what a voice talent sounds like? If you have a demo(s) but are not uploading files at Voices.com demonstrating your talent, you need to upload a demo or as many as you can to your Studio today.

While you're in your Studio, double check to see if you have featured your demos in the Featured Voice Talent Directory. It's as easy as checking a box and you're included in the category of your choice. As Premium and Preferred members, you need to be in those categories.

Clients often search through our Featured Talent Directory to find what they are looking for quickly.

For instance, instead of requesting generic telephone demos from talent to get a simple telephone job recorded, a client will go to the Featured Talent Category related to telephony work and listen to the demos of talent who have featured their demos there. The process is faster for many clients and results in talent being hired based upon their stock demo without even having to do an audition.

***

Another little known but incredibly interesting fact:

For every job that is posted at Voices.com, 10 unique clients will visit the website and hire someone directly for work opportunities either through the Featured Voice Talent Directory, the search or Voice Rank

***

When you have all of these ways to promote yourself at Voices.com and the benefits of doing so are this obvious, it doesn't hurt to take a second look at and update your Profile, upload and tag more demos, and select critical language and skills sets that you possess that will bring you more work naturally through the search engines.

I hope this has helped to clarify the new job viewing options as well as given you a plan for updating your Profile to ensure that you are seeing and receiving job invitations from Voices.com that truly match your language skills and abilities.

If you need any help updating your Profile or would like some information about website optimization, contact Laurynda via Live Chat, phone or email. She's more than happy to help!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

It's 2007... is your commercial demo out of date?

Bobbin Beam recently whipped up a new commercial demo and posted a link to it from her blog.

What are the indicators that you need to update your commercial demo? Find out here.

Whether it's just a bit of spring cleaning for you or if you're in for an all-out demo overhaul, updating a commercial demo from time to time is necessary.

The lifespan of a commercial demo is determined by a number of factors.

Common indicators that your demo or parts of a voice over demo may be past their prime are:

• Dates and Times mentioned in the ad copy

• Music Selections

• Voice Age

• References to Pop Icons and Events of Yesteryear

Dates and Times

Marc Cashman received a question on Ask the Voice Cat about how often a voice talent should update their commercial voice over demo.

Marc focused on the issue of dates and times, saying that if a product is mentioned to be older than two years, try to edit out the date or leave the dates out altogether when recording initially.

For instance, if you have a commercial read in your demo about a model of a car that was 'new' in 2005, it might just be time to update that demo :)

Music

Let's look at the music factor now.

• Does the music sound retro?
• Are the sound effects in line with what you would expect to hear today?
• Are there cheesy synthesizers in the background?

Music often sets the tone for a voice over demo and helps to establish your personal branding style.

Don't let styles of music that have been shelved for too long give clients the wrong impression of your production or music selection skills.

There are many royalty-free music libraries out there that you can purchase updated music and sound effects from to keep your demos current.

Voice Age

If you recorded your commercial demo in the 80s or even the early to mid 90s, the demo itself may not only sound aged, but your voice may have matured since that recording, too.

Voices age, just like your bodies do.

A good example is the hesitation that the directors for the Transformers movie due out this summer had with guaranteeing that the original voice actors from the cartoon series in the 1980s would be cast again in their roles.

I'm not certain if the vocal aging process is as noticeable in men, but the voices of women continue to mature until you are forty years old. That's a lot of changing and readjusting to your voice and vocal technique in the span of a voice over career.

Ladies, your voice will peak around the age of 40 - it will be your signature sound and technically, you'll be in your vocal prime. That's something I've always been told by singing teachers over the years when questions arose regarding longevity of a career. Their advice in that department was nearly always accompanied by the fact that women have years of vocal growth ahead of them and not to worry about postponing a singing career in your twenties.

And finally, we find ourselves again in ad copy refinement...

References to Popular Icons and Events of the Past

If you have a spot that mentions a Beatles reunion with Paul, George and Ringo, it may be time to cut that bit. George Harrison passed away in 2001. If you have a reunion tour of a band or anniversary reference in the ad copy on your demo, make sure that it is still relevant or at least accurate.

Perhaps it isn't something in the popular realm but a political ad campaign. If the person isn't currently running for office or did not succeed in their attempt, strongly consider removing that spot. It may confuse people who are listening to your demo, and of course, reveal the age of the demo.

So, now you have the tools to evaluate the state of your commercial demo.

Take the time now to listen to your current commercial voice over demo and let us know what you dig up!

Leave a comment with some of your discoveries!

Best,

Stephanie

If you think there's something wrong with that subject heading, you should read Kara Edwards' blog post called Worm Poop VS Voice Acting.

I did, and it makes perfect sense to me ;)

Today when I was reading Bob Souer's blog, I found a kudos link to Kara Edwards' blog post about a very interesting parallel drawn between the excrement of worms and voice overs.

Kara's posts are always entertaining and often feature an organic spin.

I thoroughly enjoyed this article as did many others including Peter O'Connell (read the comments on the worm poop post, and you'll get the inside joke!).

Without further adieu, here is a link to Kara's blog post Worm Poop VS Voice Acting.

Enjoy :)

Stephanie

P.S. If you like seeing links to articles on other voice acting blogs every so often on VOX Daily, leave a comment and let me know. Gotta spread the link love!

Before you get in front of the mic, do you have anything special that you do to get in the 'zone'?

Even the VOX Talk Podcast has a story to tell!

Share your "pre-game" rituals and recording session routines with your friends at VOX Daily.

I thought of writing this post a couple of months ago when we started the VOX Talk podcast (18 episodes and counting - yippee!) because at that time, I had instituted a recording session ritual for myself.

Before I recorded every episode of the VOX Talk podcast, I would do all of the usual things (warm up, drink water, eat an apple (thanks Julie), rehearse, etc.), but to me at the time, the real clincher for a great session character-wise was all in the footwear.

The routine was simple. Put on my boots, sit down, pick up the microphone, hit record and click back to my Word doc with the show notes.

For a number of episodes, I recorded wearing my podcast boots (don't laugh, that's what I called them!), and found that they helped me to ease into hosting the podcast on psychological and artistic levels.

The boots also gave me:

• A mix of inspiration and extra confidence
• Something unique that I only associated with recording
• Artificial height. When you're 5'2", you'll take whatever you can get!

Regardless of what I thought the boots did for me, one night, I didn't feel like wearing them. I think it may have even been when we recorded the Voicey Awards.

Bryan Cox said it was a pity that I didn't mention the dress I was wearing in the podcast. Well, I was wearing pants and a shirt, not a gown created by Valentino, and to have admitted then that I was also bootless (in stocking feet) on top of that would have been too much!

Since that fateful night, I have not worn the boots during recording sessions for the podcast, and truth be known, I don't need them. Everything that I had inside me was there already, and not because of the boots.

Until now, only a handful of people were privy to the fact that I was wearing the boots to get into character. Now, it's out in the open!

I'm hoping that my story will encourage you to share any silly or meaningful recording session preparations or rituals you observe.

What do you do that makes a recording session special for you?

Cheers,

Stephanie

This could be the beginning of a new adventure for the voice marketplace.

Angels will be watching and listening in Toronto, perhaps making a decision that will significantly change the way people think of voice overs and potentially, your voice over business.

As I write, David is on his way to Toronto where he will be presenting Voices.com for Angel Investment at the Canadian Venture Forum.

While I'm waiting on his call to confirm that he has arrived safely, let me tell you a bit about the Canadian Venture Forum and how we came to be involved with this organization of people who could help to dramatically grow and raise awareness for the voice industry overnight.

It all started with our relationship with the TechAlliance. Carmen Gicante suggested that David enter Voices.com for consideration to present at the Canadian Venture Forum. Upon Carmen's strong recommendation, we were entered and after a very thorough application process, were subsequently selected to present.

The people presiding over and lecturing at the forum (conference) are Angel Investors, Venture Capitalists and Venture Capital Firms comprised of top tier investors from across North America.

In total, 60 companies in Canada were handpicked by a panel of North America's finest to present their case for investment in one of three streams: Angel Investment, Venture Capital, and Public Streams.

Even to be invited to present is an honour. The Canadian Venture Forum touts this event as a national showcase where the brightest and best, carefully screened quality investment opportunities meet top tier North American investors and angels.

To put it in lay terminology, this is a big deal, folks, for us and for you our stakeholders.

The opportunity is huge. For the right investor, Voices.com is a dream company to invest in.

You may recall that a while back we were quoted in the Globe and Mail in an article by Sean Wise of Wise Mentor Capital about picking a business partner.

You may also recall that it was Sean who invited David to Toronto last year to audition for the CBC program Dragon's Den.

Sean Wise also happens to be chairing the Canadian Venture Forum.

It will be nice to see a friendly face at the event.

Another friendly face from the Mesh Conference last year at the Canadian Venture Forum is key note speaker Dr. Paul Kedrosky, lecturing on the Future of Tech Investing.

As we were talking about this opportunity last night, I came to one of the same conclusions that we usually advise to you as voice talents, and for many of you, the same concept that you already agree upon and subscribe to:

We are not competing for investment, we are being selected for investment.

That statement is short and it has everything to do with attitude.

We also know that our company is worth investing in, just as you know that your voice talents are worth employing.

Sure, there are many companies in the Angel Investment stream other than Voices.com, however, each Angel Investor is a different person looking for a unique opportunity that is in line with qualities and ideals that they had conceived of investing in before this event.

The same goes for voice talents and work that is out there for voice overs.

We also have our own thoughts and stipulations about the kind of investor we prefer working with. Just as much as we are presenting to them, the angel investors are presenting to us.

The weather has been just awful, and it's a comfort to receive a call confirming David's arrival in Toronto at midnight.

Ice has been a problem in Toronto lately on the highways, most notably the closure of the Gardiner Express Way due to falling ice from overpasses and interestingly enough, the CN Tower itself.

As I've been typing, I was thinking about the very real difference between writing a press release about something and actually blogging about it.

A week ago, I wrote a press release announcing that Voices.com would be presenting at the Canadian Venture Forum and I have to wonder if even a handful of you may have read it via those channels.

Sharing this with you here at VOX Daily affords a different perspective and writing style as well as feedback to be received. It's also more personal and candid this way as is generally always the case when you are comparing public relations fare with blogging.

I feel privileged that I can do both and that you are reading this post!

If you have any encouragement for David, please leave a comment for him here on the blog. Your support is much appreciated.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

Voices.com is home to all English dialects, aye mate, even British.

Learn more about how Voices.com has worked to promote British voice overs, British voice over talents, and the reasons why more North Americans are hiring British voice talents online.

Ready to go?

I'd like to address something that has been coming up in comments on the blog regarding British voice over jobs.

First off, I'd like all British voice talents to know that Voices.com has been working very hard to promote the hiring of British voice over talents.

Over the past couple of years, I have written articles on the subject and sent out press releases pertaining to the unique attributes of the British accent and various dialects throughout the British Isles.

One recent article is about Why North Americans Hire British Voices.

A press release that went out less than a month ago focused on how British voice overs are carving a niche in the North American market and how British voices can be found and hired at Voices.com.

Check out these Google search results for British Voice Talents and keywords related to that search:

British Voice Talents
British Voice Talent
British Voices

As you have observed, Voices.com materials dominate the search engines for British voice talents, whether it be in article form or press releases we have written and distributed on behalf of British talent.

Some British voice over talents have found a large degree of success at Voices.com, although in accordance with tradition, are not people who are prone to tooting their own horns, so to speak.

Derek Partridge, for instance, the winner of the Voicey Awards Lifetime Achievement Award (and a British voice talent living in the US) happens to rank quite high for British related voice over keywords largely due to a press release we wrote about him over a year ago.

While there are some who have voiced their opinion that we don't receive as many British job opportunities, the proof is in the pudding.

Depending on how much a talent promotes their Voices.com website, applies for work, or makes complete use of their Profile to their advantage highlighting their skills (and English dialect), the more contact from clients and work opportunities they will receive as a result.

The attitude that everything (jobs, etc.) has to be delivered on a silver platter is what gets voice talent in general on the road of apathy, leading to undeserved sentiments of sour grapes directed towards services such as Voices.com that work hard to get their (the voice actors) voice talents out there for people to hear.

This attitude can run through all types of voice talent regardless of gender or ethnicity.

People who put the effort in will be rewarded.

Those who would rather sit passively and not participate fully (auditioning, completing their profile, uploading audio samples, promoting their website, etc.) will reap what they sow.

In truth, there are more "English" jobs posted at the moment than specifically "British" jobs. That is because the default language is currently set to "English" (which to many clients encompasses any dialect including British English, Australian English, South African English, etc.).

Changes are being made to the pull down menu to encourage people to "select a language" instead of defaulting to "English", thereby making it easier for clients who have British voices in mind to outright pick that dialect.

This, in my opinion, will make a significant impact on the visible need for British voices.

Something I'd like to revisit is the idea that many clients are happy to receive all English dialects (including British) if they have selected the language "English".

While this may seem obvious from the client point of view, many British voice over talents have made the conscious decision to NOT audition for English jobs because they feel that since their specific dialect was not selected, they are not qualified to audition.

That's not the case!

The market and subsequent demand for British voice overs is immense in North America. The perceived prestige, authenticity, charm, and intelligence that goes along with an English, Irish, Welsh or Scottish accent is a popular commodity among Canadian and US companies. It adds a touch of class and dignifies; it establishes a heritage and suggests financial success.

Many British voice over talents are hired through our search engine, likely due to the fact that so many choose not to audition for work that they may be the perfect candidate for.

Clients looking for British voices either search directly or mention their dialect requirements or preferences in their job posting details.

If a client is open to receiving auditions from North American voices as well as British voices, selects "English" as the language that the voice over is meant to be recorded in, and notes that they are interested in receiving British samples as well in their details, that's a golden opportunity for a British voice over pro to answer the job posting with confidence.

That being said, we will continue to promote other dialects of English as well as languages other than English.

Next on my personal list of dialects to cover is Australian English, another popular dialect for those who desire a distinct and colorful voice over different from the norm here in the US and Canada.

If any of you out there are Aussies and would like to share interesting facts about your dialect with me (if it varies across Australia, how you feel you are different from the somewhat-close but not-the-same-exactly British accent, let me know! I'll source your website in my article :)

Looking forward to your comments.

Best,

Stephanie

Friday's post was necessary for a number of reasons, but I want to share the most important one with you now.

Find out what makes the staff at Voices.com tick.

Find out why we do what we do.

When we compared Voices.com to voice123, we wanted to highlight the differences and give you a chance to state the differences in your own words.

We do what we do because as Adam Fox said, we care about you.

Every action, every advertisement, every response, and every job posting is thoughtfully researched and crafted with your best interests in mind.

Whenever we make a business decision, we ask ourselves what you our customers would think of it, would want and benefit from.

This may sound cliche, but it's something that we live by; your success is our success.

That's why we have a Buzz blog, that's why we have an awards section, and that's why we ask you to share your stories, leave comments on blogs and get involved with your community at Voices.com.

This passion for voice over goes further than just Voices.com. We want to help unite the entire industry, and one of the best ways to do that is to recognize people for their efforts, include people in events and opportunities, and develop careers one person at a time.

We truly want to help you, so if you have a question to ask us, leave a comment, send an email or give us a call. Our number is toll-free in North America (1-888-359-3472).

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes,

Stephanie and the Voices.com Team

Highlighting the differences between Voices.com and voice123 from a customers perspective.

It's your experience and your career, so choose wisely and choose the best!

What makes Voices.com different from voice123?

I've never directly answered this one on the blog, but after receiving a question earlier this week asking if Voices.com was the same company as voice123, the proverbial straw finally broke the camel's back and in Canadian speak, the gloves are off!

I feel that I can be open with you (as a company should) when speaking with their stakeholders.

As our customers and the people who use our service, you deserve to know all of the facts and have the necessary information at your disposal to make decisions that best benefit you and your voice over business.

That's why I along with the team decided to come forward and give you a direct comparison between Voices.com and voice123.

Download the Voices.com vs. Voice123 Comparison Chart (PDF)

Download the Voices.com vs. Voice123 Comparison Chart (PowerPoint Slide Show PPT)

Download the Voices.com vs. Voice123 Comparison Chart (PowerPoint Presentation PPT)

How do you think we're different?

Leave a comment and let us know.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

With mobile technology really taking off, cheaper wireless Internet access and a host of tools such as maps and recommendation engines, local search is a hot topic and one that you should build into your marketing program.

First off, what is local search?

Google lets you search for local business listings by name, keyword, or location with satellite maps.

Local search is becoming a very popular tool for people who want to get things done locally and support local businesses.

A good example of local searchers include people who only purchase local produce within a certain radius of their home. For consumers concerned about helping local farmers and contributing to the prosperity and economy of their city or region, local search has become a blessing in many ways for both buyers and sellers.

Here's a regional search for Voices.com:

To demonstrate how Google can "zoom in" with local search, check this out this result for Voices.com:

The web has a host of useful local search articles for additional reading on this subject, but for now, let's jump right into how you can quickly optimize (position) your Voices.com website for local search queries.

5 Tips for Increasing Your Local Search Results

1. Add your address to your Voices.com profile. Check the box that says "Show my contact information on my Voices.com website" and click "Save" to ensure that your mailing address ( i.e. your location ) is displayed on Voices.com.

2. Submit your Voices.com website to the Local Search Engines. Remember that just because you're in their main "Web" search results doesn't mean you'll be in the local search results too. Add you name to the local search results to ensure you'll be listed.

3. Trade links with other local businesses. Comment on blogs that cover local news and link back to your Voices.com website, which states your address. This will give Google, Yahoo! and MSN the necessary information for creating a clear picture of your physical location.

4. Write an article about how you serve your local community. Two websites you can submit to for fast inclusion are eZineArticles.com and GoArticles.com.

5. Join local organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce or the Better Business Bureau. These organizations validate your mailing address and link to your website.

Here are some helpful links to add your business to for listings in Local Search Engines.

Google Local Search

Yahoo! Local Search

AOL Local Search

Ask Local Search

Hope you find these tips helpful!

Best,

David

If you've been sitting on the fence, it's time to make a decision before the costs go up! Learn more about the Early Bird extension from the organizers at VOICE 2007.

Recently, AFTRA signed on as a sponsor for the VOICE Conference to be held from March 27 - 31 in Las Vegas, NV. The union has just notified their members of the conference today, so...

As a result, the organizers of the VOICE Conference have extended their early bird pricing for the conference, saving you potentially hundreds of dollars on registration.

If you thought you had missed out on the savings by not registering by the deadline, you have until midnight, March 10th to register at the early-bird tuition of just $497.

Register to take advantage of the savings.

On March 11th, tuition increases to $597.

If you'll be coming to the conference, let us know by leaving a comment!

See you in Las Vegas :)

Cheers,

Stephanie