Business Specific Online Tools
There are many social media sites for business. Linkedin seems to be the top one currently. Which is great. I go there to get information from other voice-over artists and they are a good source with tips and the community likes to mentor talent. However, I might go there to make connections and those connections could lead to new work opportunities. So far my business, I would use their site.
Meetup is another good source, but I would not say it is for business. I find this website more friendly to people who share a hobby or particular interest. This could actually be beneficial to a storefront business if they wanted to host an event. They could have information on their website or social media pages directing people to review meetups to see the events at their store. This service is not free to the store or business there is a small fee for using the site. Over time this small fee could be fine if they are getting people to purchase items or use their services. This site would not work for me as far as voiceovers go.
As I do not have a physical storefront, I don't think Google for business would work for me. This may work for others and that is great. As a consumer, I love the features that companies use when they do use the service. However, I prefer my reviews from other sources. This brings me to Yelp reviews and the like.
Reviews are such a great tool to have as a consumer, but they could be the worst enemy of a business owner. I once read a review of a restaurant and the review stated that it was the worse service they had ever experienced. As I read further the reviewer stated that the power was out and the reviewer was told that the kitchen could not cook much because the power was linked with the stove and no hot food could be served. The reviewer complained about this matter. It was laughable, so it is important to read all the reviews. As a business owner, it is a good idea to read the reviews and comment on all of them. The good, the bad, and the ugly reviews. Consumers will know that the business cares if they see responses. Please this gives a company a chance to improve when needed.
All the others. There are so many social media platforms out there. It is a full-time job to keep up with content. Which I can believe it can be done. I like sites like Vimeo and Spotify because I can put recordings of my voice and demo samples there for clients to hear. Most clients will want to voice-over talent to audition. When you audition, you send snippets of your voice reading copy(scripts) that the client wants to hear.
My recommendation would be to try to utilize the social media sites that would benefit your own business. It may take time to find those sites, but it can definitely be done.
I like that you can use Vimeo and Spotify for your specific business. For me these websites have zero use, but it is interesting to see how other people in different professions may use them.
ReplyDeleteI have met voice over artists at comic conventions. Karen N Kahler from "lost in Random", "Life is Strange" and "Little Witch Academua" had her own booth at Comicfest 2019. Its easier if you have a project to promote, but if that's your scene, youmight enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteIt is great that you can use LinkedIn to make connections and it is a good information source. I agree that reviews can be a double edged sword! What an irrational review that they could not get hot food because the power was out!! Like James, Vimeo and Spotify are not a good fit for my business but seems excellent for you.
ReplyDeleteI don't now much about LinkedIn but it seems like you have advantage from using LinkedIn. For my business, it is half useful.
ReplyDeleteI agree with rating systems being great for consumers and can be bad for the business owner. One bad review could really leave a bad taste for the next customer, hence responding to these type of reviews are important and not just responding to good ones. This goes to show that the business is taking it in as a learning experience to what they can improve upon.
ReplyDeleteWe use Linkedin a lot in recruiting and for screening applicants. It is a useful source for understanding a personality of possible applicants for jobs. Also, it is a great way to network with other businesses as well.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your perspective on rating systems, customers deserve to know what to expect before going somewhere. Great analysis
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