Business

Your Online Presence

I’m not sure if it’s because it’s the new fiscal year, or being close to “Social Media Day,” or just the extra time I seem to have each summer – but I find myself usually doing an Online Tune-Up during this time of year. I am a voice actor, and audio production entrepreneur. I rely on my web site, and social media for marketing and branding.

I usually conduct an “online presence” tune-up at least twice a year. These steps may be helpful to you and your online presence, whether that is for you as an entrepreneur, or for the place where you work.

Providing for my Clients and Optimizing My Brand

I’m always updating my studio, adding additional tools, and improving what I offer to clients. Over the last several months I have added tools to improve my studio connectivity for remote recording sessions and accessibility for directed recording sessions and I have updated my digital audio workstation. I’ve improved my web site and added additional marketing enhancements.

I go through my web site, and my LinkedIn account to update all pertinent info. I actually have a method to follow to update content, marketing, and logos. In order to keep your message on target and your branding consistent, it all needs a periodic tune up.

Start With Your Web Site to Improve Your Online Presence

Start with your web site. Go through and update all content. Make sure all the links are working. Add new content and improve content and flow of the copy. It’s a good time to update ABOUT info and to re-work and improve keywords to improve SEO. I recommend you update your keywords and improve your SEO by using the Google Keyword Planner. I always re-work most of the pages in my web site to add to and improve the content. It goes a long way in SEO to always add content to your site. This helps give you and your site credibility showing your expertise.

Next Step

Since my LinkedIn account – Mike Laponis Voice Talent is more of a B2B platform than any of my other social media sites, I go there next. Here is the process I use in going through my profile:

Checking all links to be sure they are functioning as they should.
Updating my Profile section, including ABOUT section. This is probably one of the most important areas.
Adjusting, modifying, and adding Keywords to improve SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
Improving and adjusting the FEATURED section. That is where my demos reside. There are both audio and video clips, featuring my work. I make sure those are still functioning properly and up-to-date. I add new examples and optimize the order they are presented. In addition, my demos are available on my VoiceZam Player.
Then I move to the EXPERIENCE section. You can also include media content and links to videos in this section. Another great opportunity for relevant keywords that will aid potential clients so they can easily find you in a search.
From there, on to EDUCATION, and LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS. Bring those up-to-date and add any coaching, training, and classes since your last update.
Take another look at your SKILLS AND ENDORSEMENTS, and then your RECOMMENDATIONS. These may need some adjusting. How long has it been since you looked at those? If needed, change the order of the skills listed, edit or delete anything to fine tune your listing.
Lastly, I check to be sure my profile photo and and Background Photo are current. I want to be sure my photos and logos are consistent across all my social media platforms to help build my brand.

Move On To Your Other Social Media

Next on the list is to branch out to each and every social media site you utilize. For me, that includes listings on, Twitter, SoundCloud, and YouTube. It’s usually a good time to expand and improve each of those. You should also consider adding and growing your social media accounts as needed, depending on your particular content.

In Support of Clients

This is also a good time to improve or enhance what you have to offer to serve your clients. Let them know what value added services you have to offer. These improvements and additions are things worth including on your web site, and on all your social media. For instance, during the past year I have enhanced my services in these ways:

• I have improved my remote production capabilities – I have Source Connect and ipDTL, in addition to Skype and Zoom for studio connectivity and directed sessions for my voice over work.

• With upgraded internet connectivity in my studio there is now 400 MBPS.

• My sound design capabilities are continually improving with additional sound effects libraries and specialized audio plug-ins.

• As Professor Emeritus from a private southern California university, I offer my clients considerable experience teaching classes on Zoom and knowing how to reach an online learner – handy for eLearning projects. I also have considerable classroom (face-to- face) teaching experience.

Online Presence Tune Up

This Online Presence Tune Up will enhance your branding and let your potential clients find you easier. They will know how to reach you and what solutions you are offering that are of benefit to them. Go ahead, and complete your online presence tune up! Let me know if you have questions.

Thanks for reading! -Mike

Your Voice…The Human Connection

Business, Business Connections, Voice Over

By Tim Keenan and Mike Laponis

The Human Voice

Every one of us has an imprinted memory from our youth of an unusual or significant VOICE – either a voice talent or on camera actor, or even a singer or music group. That voice or collection of voices resonated with us somehow and planted those memories. In today’s new norm of separation, your VOICE has the ability to bridge the gap and may, for quite a while, be able to professionally replace the connection of the handshake or the hug.

In these times of physical distancing, our voice already has an increased importance with staying closely connected to family, friends, business associates, clients, and potential clients.

Content Creators Benefit from an Experienced Voice Talent

The intimacy that the human voice conveys has tremendous power and impact, that is now even more important in business communication. Communication professionals and content creators will need to tap into the skills you’ve developed in abundance moving forward. The business world has already seen a tremendous surge in targeted consumer and business podcasting as well as distance learning.

Sales of audio books are booming right now, and the trend toward creating pre-produced educational content, instead of using live instructors in a group setting, will also expand for business and education over the next year in order to avoid the impact of the current COVID19 contagion.

Voice Pros Are In Demand

Voice professionals will be in more demand as we move forward. The best part of this is that each of us has our own unique voice and sound. And it communicates so much. Not with just the actual vocabulary, but intonation, pitch, attitude…emotion. Your voice says so much. It conveys so many emotions. It creates a common bond…a human connection. Is there some science that back all this up? You bet.

Science Confirms It

There are studies that show babies recognize their Mom’s voice even from inside the womb. Even that early in life, we can already distinguish who is speaking. These sounds stir emotions, quicken heartbeats, create bonds – all by the sound of one’s voice. The connections are real. It’s all a part of a bond, that even with physical distance, your voice maintains that human connection.

Try This Interactive Map of Human Emotions and the Human Voice

The human voice can even create emotions without really saying any words. Such a range! Or the very same words you say can vary in meaning by the emotion expressed. All with your voice. The human voice creates emotions. In this wonderful, and well-written article there is an interactive map, that when activated you hear different emotions communicated through vocal sounds.

By hovering your mouse over the particular emotion, you hear vocalized sounds that convey particular emotions. It is incredible! Especially as you move from emotion to emotion and the parts in between. You hear it morph into another emotion. You have to try it! This clearly demonstrates the ability and range of human sound.

The Human Connection

Our vocal chords convey meaning through the sounds we are able to make. This is the amazing ability to CONNECT. It is why the voice is so powerful in reaching and connecting with others. The human connection. We convey meaning, and express emotion with our voice.

It’s up to you to tap into all that your voice can convey to deliver a message with impact and warmth and honesty. Now is the time to be ready to use all your tools and share your gifts in order to help the business world communicate and CONNECT to their employees and customers like never before.

Tim Keenan is the owner of Creative Media Recording, a full service, Southern California audio production company serving independent producers, corporations and ad agencies. At Creative Media he is the senior audio engineer, casting director and an active voice talent.

creativemediarecording.com

Mike Laponis is a Southern California based Voiceover Talent, and Audio Producer with a Pro Home Studio. He is a dedicated professional who will deliver the sound you want. He is creative, dependable, reliable, and responsive.

MikesVO.com

Creating Content

Business, Marketing

When you are creating content for your video, eLearning project, web site, or blog, you need to be able to have access to useful and affordable content that helps you reinforce your message. You need images, graphics, sound and music to put your entire message together. You want it to be eye-catching, ear-catching, and memorable. There are so many great resources available for stock video, photos, graphics, animations, fonts, music and sound effects. You want them to be effective, and they need to be affordable. I will share with you some of my favorites and what has worked well for me.

Digital Juice

The name says it all! Digital Juice is a royalty-free content provider for video, print, presentations, advertising, and more. They have stock video, photos, fonts, After Effects sequences, animations, backgrounds, layered Photoshop art work, Apple Motion templates, music, sound effects, and so much more. They used to sell it all piece-by-piece, or in bundled sets. Now, like a lot of suppliers these days, it is by subscription. They have two methods of payment – both are Lifetime plans, but with one price, one time, forever! The libraries and content keeps growing and, depending on your plan, you have access to all of it. The Standard Lifetime Plan is $299 and the Pro Lifetime Plan is $499. Right now, there is a limited-time special of half-off on either of those plans. Not sure how long that lasts. If you need Digital content that adds Juice to your presentation or message, I recommend it!

Adobe

So very much to see and explore with Adobe. Of course, there is the ever-popular, and useful Adobe Creative Cloud. An amazing suite of creative tools for content creation, and manipulation. I am not really going to cover that here, although if you are a creator it is a suite of tools you should consider. There are educational rates for students and faculty, alike. If you qualify for the educational rate (as a student or teacher) it is $19.99 per month (for the first year), and $29.99 per month after that. The regular, non-educational rate is $52.99 per month. But that is for all the apps (20+ apps), and the tools are amazing. Oops, I said I was not going to cover that here. Sorry.

The reason I even brought up Adobe, is because they also have an incredible library of images called Adobe Stock. It is a great stock photo service with a library of royalty-free images. It is one of the largest stock images around with over 100 million images! Pricing varies, depending on whether month-to-month, or annual enrollment. With annual enrollment you have access 10 standard assets per month for $29.99 (with a free 1-month trial), and on up from there. If you are a Creative Cloud subscriber you get some images through that plan. The Adobe images are incredible and worth checking out.

Soundsnap

There are a lot of sound effects libraries out there. One that I have found as an excellent resource is Soundsnap. I have found their sounds to be excellent in quality, with a wide range of sounds and sound environments. With 250,000 sounds, this royalty-free library has am excellent price structure. You can pay as you go, for as little as $15 for 5 downloads. Or you might enjoy access to the entire library, unlimited downloads, for the annual rate of $199. The site is well organized, and easy to use. Their customer service is excellent!

I hope these resources will be useful for you. I should note, I do not hold any financial interest in any of these companies (other than being a subscriber to some of these services). If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at Mike@mikesvo.com. If I can be of help in providing the voice for your project, that is what I love to do and I would love it if you would, “Let me do your talking!” -Mike

What’s Old is New

Business, Client Relations, Customer Service, Technology

What’s old is new! Want to try something fun? Take an “old school” rotary phone and put it in front of someone who is under 30 years old. See if they know how to make it work! How to “dial” a number?!! What is a rotary phone you ask? It’s an older model landline phone with what is known as a rotary dial. There’s a lot of old technology that’s been gone for so long now. So long that a lot of people are not familiar with it and would not know how to use it.

Old Technology Becomes New

I ‘m a voice actor and voice over talent. I also teach college classes in audio and video production. In these courses, I work with 18-24 year olds all the time. It keeps me feeling young, and keeps the creative energy flowing! I love it!! We had kept an old IBM Selectric II typewriter around the studios to be able to “type” (print) labels. One day, I walked by and saw a student yanking the labels out of the typewriter, wadding them up and throwing them on the ground! I asked her why she was doing that. She said she kept making typos. I smiled, and showed her the “correcting key” that allows you to push the button, re-type the mistake and it lifts the mistake right off the page! She had no idea and was totally blown away!

What Do You Mean There is More Than One Song?!

Several students had no idea how vinyl records work. Seems so obvious to me. One student had no idea there were two sides to the LP. Another thought that the 33 1/3 LP vinyl disc only had one song. When I explained there were 6 songs on that one side of the album, they had no concept of how you could discern where one song ended and the next song began. I got to teach what was old and make it new! What fun!!

Technology will always change. It’s sometimes hard to keep up with technology. Of course we do so to stay relevant. To improve workflow. Improve quality. Be more efficient. But technology will always be a moving target. Technology is not everything. How we work with our clients, our “client relations,” is NOT a moving target. Especially in the voice over business (and probably most any business), return business is key.

Customer or Client?

First thing to think about is the difference between “client” and “customer.” What is the difference to you? In a blog a while back, I wrote, “As your ‘customer’ you are hoping to sell to them a product or service. As your ‘client’ you are looking out for them and what is in their best interest.” This is an important concept. Advances in technology don’t really change this. Except in helping your workflow. But as a business philosophy, it does not change.

Concepts and Tenents for Good Business Relations

Think about these very important concepts. Things that make your business relationship with your CLIENT sustainable. These are all things I value and hold to in my voice over and production work.

Honesty – Always being honest with your client.

Integrity – Adhering to ethical conduct in your business dealings.

Trustworthy – being dependable and reliable. Your clients want to know they can trust you.

Meeting Deadlines – Providing the deliverables/service on time to meet your clients needs.

Availability – Making yourself available to your client so they know they can count on you.

Expertise – Provide your client with expert skills and knowledge.

Friendliness – Clients want to work with people who are easy to work with, friendly and fun.

These are all tenets I value. Personally and professionally, they are very important to me. I always want what is best for my client. I approach my relationship with each client as “here’s what I can do to help you.” Having a happy, satisfied CLIENT makes it much more likely they will return to you the next time they need something. Client relationship does not get old, it stays new!

May you live long, help others, and prosper!

Apps Worth Using

Apps Worth Using, Business, Mobile Device, Voice Over

You may recall from my ShakeAlertLA Blog, that I am a bit of an App collector. Finding useful, unique, and fun apps is something I enjoy! Some of them I use in my voice over work, content creation work, or just everyday life. I love to pass the info on to you in hopes you will find these apps useful, interesting, and fun. Some are also in a list called #AppsWorthUsing. I started this list on my twitter account a few years ago. You are welcome to follow me there – @MikeRaphone. If you do, please let me know you read this blog and whether you use or tried any of these apps. If you missed the ShakeAlertLA Blog, you can select it here.

Try These On For Size

Through the years I have been on Twitter, I’ve been intrigued by apps I run across. I have built up quite a collection. The apps listed here are mostly useful for those in the business of being a voice talent, content creator, journalist, producer, or recording engineer. So you may or may not have a use for some of these. Most of the apps I am highlighting here cost some money. There are a several that are specific to mobile content creation. While some are just for fun! The app icon is shown with a short description about the app. Here are a few you might enjoy:

Twisted Wave

Twisted Wave is an incredible portable recording and editing software – available for Apple products only. It is intuitive, and fast. Record, edit, then upload your audio by FTP. Excellent for portable voice over work, or other audio recording and editing.

Hindenburg Field Recorder

Hindenburg Field Recorder is a mobile recording app. It allows you to record, edit, and then share the story. Perfect for journalists or those who need to grab quick soundbites. This is available for Apple devices only. Hindenburg has an arsenal of recording software and apps dedicated to specific audio recording needs.

ProPrompter Studio

ProPrompter Studio is a portable teleprompter. Handy for corporate video, video podcasting, commercials, field reporting, speeches, and anything else where there’s a need for a teleprompter. It is available for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.

TapeACall

TapeACall allows you to use your mobile phone to record a phone call you are on or are about to make. Please Note: Recording phone calls in the U.S. and some other countries requires permission from the party (or all parties, depending on the state). Please check the laws (a link provided in the app). There is an annual cost of $29.99 per year. The free trial version allows you to use it for 7 days without cost. This app is great for journalists, reporters, podcasters, producers, talk show hosts, etc. It is useful for production work too. Anything where it is handy to record a call you are on.

Audio Tools

Audio Tools is an incredible, multi-faceted audio and acoustic test and measurement tool! It includes SPL Modules, Acoustic Analysis, Speaker Tests, Test Modules, Design Tools, Signal Generator, Audio Calculator, and more. It is a little on the pricey side, especially if you go for all the in-app purchases, but this is one professional tool!

Waze

Waze Navigation and Live Traffic is super helpful in any area where you need directions, and re-routing due to traffic congestion, and roadwork. Super handy for getting to the studio on time for the voice gig you just booked, on vacation, or nearly any other time you need navigation. Incredible tool that has saved me time and again by helping me get to where I am going.

Girl Scout Cookie Finder

The Official Girl Scout Cookie Finder App. They are on sale only once a year. Peanut Butter Patties (aka Tagalongs) are my favorite!

WinPoker

WinPoker is a video poker game that teaches you how to make the best choices in building the best hand possible. Learn how to play video poker while having fun playing. There is a cost for the app, but it will improve your odds at the casinos! It takes lots of practice to really play at the level to make money. After all, I’m still doing voice acting! Have fun!

Use These Apps in Good Health

I hope you find these as #AppsWorthUsing. I have many more that are useful, entertaining, and fun. If you like these and want another blog in the future with more, drop me an email at Mike@mikesvo.com. Thank you!

Mike Laponis

VO