When you hear BRANDING, what comes to mind?
- Colors and Fonts
- Business Cards
- Catchy Swag
- Funny or Creative Taglines
- Microphone Graphics
For the first part of my career, I was so confused with branding. All I could think of is “friendly female voice.” But there are a million of those. And then I thought if I sent Dove chocolates and made the connection that my voice was smooth as chocolate (real original, right?) OR gave out highlighters and said my voice was like “sunshine” THAT is branding.
First of all, MARKETING is different than BRANDING.
Marketing = What You Do
Branding = Who You Are
A brand is how people recognize, trust, and relate to you.
You’re not crafting a brand, you’re discovering who you are and how that brings value to your client/buyer.
At VO Atlanta, I led a session on DIY Branding that I wanted to share with you. HERE you’ll find my Power Point and below the summary.
How do you DIY your Branding?
Step 1: Determine Who You Are
Step 2: Determine Client Needs
Step 3: Find Where Who You Are intersects with Client Needs
Step 4: Condense to a tagline/snack-sized description
Step 5: Use that to present consistent branding across website, socials, etc.
Ask THESE questions to determine WHO YOU ARE
1. What makes my voice unique?
2. What types of projects do I excel at?
3. How do I want clients to feel when they hear my voice?
4. What skills and experience do I bring to the table?
5. What makes working with me different from others in the field?
6. How do I communicate with clients?
7. What kind of impression do I want to leave on my clients?
8. Why do clients hire me over other voiceover artists?
Once you write those out, determine what clients are looking for (I have a list in the power point). You can get even more specific by asking a coach, agent, or accountability group – What are some common descriptions in audition breakdowns that fit my voice?
Are there certain attributes that intersect with WHO YOU AREwith WHAT YOUR CLIENT NEEDS?
Take whatever that is and condense it to a tagline or snack-sized description.
Now use that to inform colors, fonts, and messaging.
Remember, everyone has value that is uniquely theirs. You’ve just got to uncover yours.
