When I first joined LinkedIn, I only did it because I thought I had to. I also started a Twitter account, a business Facebook page and, as of a few months ago, an Instagram account (though I resisted as long as possible for that one). Every one of these platforms has its own purpose and demographics for who uses it and why, but I’m not ashamed to admit that when it comes to using social media for business and marketing purposes, I play favorites. And LinkedIn is my chosen one. Below are five reasons why LinkedIn is my favorite when it comes to marketing your voice-over business:1) People join LinkedIn for professional reasons.
With over 500 million members and counting, LinkedIn may not be the most popular social network, but it is the largest and most actively used professional network. And since its users are typically there for professional reasons, they’re more open to receiving communication about business opportunities on this network than, say, Facebook. It’s considered normal and acceptable to directly approach LinkedIn members in a non-spammy way to offer your voice-over services.
2) It’s harder to waste time on LinkedIn.
Don’t you just hate it when you intend to jump on your social media accounts just to check your messages and notifications and then get sucked into the endless news feed? Well, it’s harder to do that when you’re surfing around on LinkedIn. Articles, produced videos, and discussions on LinkedIn tend to be more professionally-driven which means that the general expectation is to ixnay the posting of cute animals, chubby babies, or mouth-watering deliciousness unless it pertains to your career. When you spend time liking and commenting on LinkedIn, it holds more value because you’re truly networking with other professionals instead of just goofing around.
3) Showcase job experience and work examples at a glance.
No more hunting through endless feeds trying to piece together who someone is on a professional level; it’s all right there in the profile! And on the flip side, you can show potential clients who you are as a voice actor by including all the information you’d like to share with them via your profile. Also, only about 50% of LinkedIn users fill out all areas of their profile, so you’ll have an advantage over the competition if you do complete yours, though there are definitely guidelines for how to do it right.
4) It’s easy to find exactly who you want to work with.
LinkedIn has excellent search functions that allow you to find potential clients based on job title, geographic location, company name, or even where they went to college! With so many ways to search, the possibilities of finding great marketing leads are literally endless, and you can always combine your search efforts with Google if someone has neglected to provide a needed piece of contact information. However, many people list phone numbers, email addresses, and URLs in plain sight which means you don’t have to waste time on an internet search once you’ve connected.
5) Your message will definitely reach your target.
One of my absolute favorite things about LinkedIn is that when you send a message to one of your connections, you know it will reach that person. Unlike an email, it can’t get caught in the spam filter. It will get to potential clients and eventually they will see it. Even if they only login once a month, that message will be there for them when they do. In fact, chances are that they will be notified of that message from you twice: once as a notification when they are in their LinkedIn account and another time as an automated email from LinkedIn along with a message preview, sent to their email inbox, to let them know they have a message waiting for them. Haven’t we all had times when we meant to take action on something but forgot? In this case, potential clients get a second “reminder” through a different channel and are more likely to respond.
Now that you know why LinkedIn is, in my opinion, the best social media platform for marketing your voice-over business, what are you waiting for? Get over to your profile and start sprucing things up as you get ready to make some fabulous connections with your next dream client!
If you’re interested in an all-inclusive place to find out not only how to optimize your profile, but locate your potential clients and send the perfect message even with a free LinkedIn account, check out my e-course at www.TheLinkedInEdge.com. This is the course I wish I’d had when I first started out in the voice-over industry, and I still use the same system now to attract and book with awesome clients like Microsoft, Valspar, American Heart Association, Dreft, and Realtor.com. See you on LinkedIn!
As always, we appreciate hearing your feedback, so let us know about your experiences with Such A Voice, and don’t be shy about joining the conversation!
About the Author
Tracy Lindley is a full-time voice over artist and mother of four living in the Kansas City area. Specializing in commercials, corporate narration and eLearning, she is grateful to to work with amazing clients like Microsoft, Verizon, LG, Ann Taylor, McDonald’s, & General Motors.
