A Primer to Bad Marketing It’s easier and less expensive to keep a customer than to find a new one. I heard that adage many times when I worked as a corporate sales exec. And it’s true! The hard numbers and sob stories told around the water cooler bear it out. But don't take my word for it; check out this article for a high-level summary. Let's instead focus on what bad marketing actually looks like. I experienced a fine example of bad marketing last weekend. Arts festivals are starting to re-emerge from under the heavy restrictions of Covid. They’re especially wonderful when the weather is beautifully poised between Atlanta’s notoriously hot, humid summers and, well, not so severe winters. Last weekend’s weather was perfect for it, too: warm, sunny, breezy, low humidity. Add booths of brightly colored artists’ wares to stroll by, food and drink to enjoy, and music to lighten your feet … ahhh.

Schmooze, Don’t Lose (Opportunity or Reputation) In-person networking is beginning to re-enter our lives. Finally! Hey, Zoom is great when you can’t meet face-to-face, but it can’t hold a candle to good old-fashioned people-schmoozing. But do it right. Some of us may have forgotten how to properly approach strangers whom we want to meet. We’re a little out of practice in the small-talk department, hoping to stoke their interest but not veer into boredom or braggadocio. And we may be just a little too giddy at the prospect of some honest-to-goodness, real human contact that we forget why we’re there in the first place. Never fear. Here are a few tips on the do’s and don’ts of in-person networking that will bring you up to speed and have you slapping your forehead with a “Duh! Of course!” Think of it as a little tickler file to get you back into constructive networking that will help you forge new business relationships and friendships.

“Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You” It’s not just a punchline in a movie. “Don’t call us, we’ll call you” is a way of doing business that’s – for better or worse - alive and well in the entertainment industry. Not too surprising, considering that the supply of talent greatly outstrips demand. And pretty much has since the first silent movie hit the theaters. Perhaps even before, in vaudeville, Broadway, and on stages everywhere going back to the ancient Greeks. The same can also be said for those aspiring to become professional athletes, musicians, or visual artists. It’s not an easy career path. While the public may assume that talent rises to the top, no matter what, so much depends on things that the individual artist, athlete, or musician can’t control. There is no ladder of success that can be climbed based purely on talent, experience, and years of service. No guarantee that even the most gifted performer will be a commercial success or a recognizable asset. It’s a subjective business, driven by the personal tastes of the decision-makers or the whimsical public. It’s the opportunity to be seen or heard by those with the power to launch or further a career. Perhaps hardest of all, it’s career with very little positive feedback – hey, often with no feedback AT ALL - except perhaps when the talent is first booked, while on the job, or worst of all, summarily fired. (Not that being fired is a natural follow-up to being booked or directed on set. Most of the time.)

There's a right way to rehearse. And then there's the way to treat your creative spontaneity to a slow, painful death. Trying to master something difficult? Wanting to create something special? "Practice makes perfect." Yeah, mom always said so. Work hard, exercise those mental, emotional, or artistic muscles and it'll all fall in place. True for a lot of things, but as an artist ... you want to be careful. The last thing you want to do is over-practice something until you wring the life out of it. As an actor, that translates to rehearsing so much that you fall into the pattern of doing things just one way - and have a hard time breaking free of the muscle memory or vocal habits that you've drilled into yourself. Practicing until you're "perfect" - whatever that means to you - is a surefire way of killing the very spontaneity and innate creativity that makes your performance stand out. Perfectionistic thinking can lead to creative paralysis. Not so helpful to the auditioning actor.

Acting is acting! Your voiceover skills can bring you opportunities in film and on TV There's a notion out there that most voice actors choose to work behind the mic because they're uncomfortable in front of the camera. That may be true of many, but there are quite a few of us who enjoy the on-camera work as much as we do voice overs. And there is so much of it! For all ages and types. First, there's the traditional genres: Film - blockbuster movies to independent short films Television - network, plus streaming and cable - more shows than you realistically have time to watch Commercials - national brands to local businesses Industrials - films made by businesses for internal usage Print - just what you think it is: newspaper and magazine advertisements, flyers, posters, or other physical media

Terrified of public speaking? Most people are. This is one area where actors definitely have a leg up. I recently attended a 30 minute webinar hosted by Mark Schaefer , one of the world’s leading marketing futurists and keynote speakers. He’s funny, entertaining, and informative – and definitely high energy. Lucky for me and the other attendees, Mark shared some of his main takeaways for giving a great speech. I’m not going to give away his secrets, but I am going to offer a few insights why actors have a bit of an edge. Hint: it’s not just because we’re hams and crave attention. OK, it's kinda obvious that at some level we are and we do. Duh. Not all, though. Can't generalize too broadly. There are plenty of actors who are actually rather introverted and only comfortable working from a script or within a character role, whether it’s on stage, on camera, or in front of a microphone. But by and large, it helps to be a bit of an actor when you’re about to walk out front and address a group of people. I came from the business world, where most people would rather gouge out their eyes than step up on stage and give a speech. I’ve been told (by an acting coach) that if you actually enjoy public speaking, chances are that down deep you’re probably a bit of an actor. Not an actor? No worries. Plenty of actor tips for non-actors to help you come off like the polished pro.

Always aspire to a career in entertainment? Here's how to get started. When we’re little kids, we aspire to become famous performers, pro athletes, great explorers, doctors, firefighters, and superheroes out saving the world. Some of us realize our dreams, but most of us … well, settle into the real world. Especially if our sights were set on a snazzy cape and the ability to fly. But I believe that dreams can come true. Even later in life after we’ve had a more traditional career and raised a family. That’s exactly what I’m doing now as a film, TV, and voice actor. It IS possible to begin a happy and successful career in the entertainment industry. Granted, it’s not easy, nor is it achieved through shortcuts. I would also encourage you to define what “successful” means to you, because if fame and fortune are your only standards, it’s likely you’ll be disappointed. But if you’re undeterred, here’s how to begin. It's never too late to begin living your dream.

ChatGPT is more than a text generator. It can also be used as a training tool. For YOU. Have you ever taken a course in logic? Or maybe debate? How about computer science? No? But I bet at one point in high school, you had to do proofs of mathematical theorems, right? (sigh) Maybe on that last one I'm just showing my age.... I remember doing more than I ever cared for. The point I'm getting at is that learning how to think logically, step by step, is an invaluable problem-solving skill, though I rather suspect that few people have really ever learned it. Let's put it into every day terms: Do you ever have trouble asking for something? A lot of people do. Maybe it's not being able to muster enough courage to ask for what you want or need. Maybe it's the fear of being told "no" that's holding you back. Or the fear that you may look stupid or foolish. (Who HASN'T dealt with that one?!) Or maybe it's just not knowing how to frame your question clearly and specifically. Technology can train your brain to think more logically, clearly, and specifically. Important for life, not just for interacting with a computer program!

AI is positioned to replace creative talent ... or is it? Mechanization and robotics did a pretty good job replacing factory workers in the last century. Or at least what was left after manual labor was outsourced and factories relocated overseas. White collar jobs seemed pretty safe. After all, creative talent like artists, graphics designers, performers, and writers couldn't be easily replicated by a machine. Right?    Enter AI and everything is upended. Everywhere you look, someone somewhere is creating an AI-based tool that allows the average Joe to suddenly write more coherently, organize and elucidate complex information within a blink or two of an eye, create striking graphics designs, develop new ideas by bouncing them against an electronic brain, and produce animated videos complete with voice over narration.    Yikes. Are creative human beings going the way of the buggy whip?

What do you lead with when you're at a business networking event and you do more than one thing? I'm putting together a virtual networking event for later this year. The idea is to present a hot topic - perfecting your elevator pitch, in this case - and bring attendees together in small groups throughout the event to network with each other and discuss their ideas in different ways. The topic, as you can probably tell from this blog's title, is how to develop a strong elevator pitch. It's going to be a work in progress, because our businesses continue to evolve. It's even more of a challenge for those of us who have more than one business. What do we lead with? Do we talk about them all or just pick one, and if so, which one?

Hard sells don't make compelling, memorable videos. Stories with subtext do. There’s a maxim in acting: show, don’t tell. It means that watching a character do something and having the story unfold before your eyes is far more compelling than having a character spell everything out for you as it happens. The audience identifies with the character's emotions and thoughts, rather than just following a descriptive narrative.   Same thing with writing. And videos, especially if you’re hoping to sell something. No one wants to be preached to, sold to, bombarded with demands from someone who rather obviously just wants something from you.   We are very much interested, though, when people talk about something of concern to us . We respond when what they have to say mirrors how we’re feeling or what we’re thinking. Our curiosity is piqued when someone suggests a solution to a problem we’re facing. We also love a good distraction or entertainment or even something that is quite unexpected.      Some of the best advertising tells a story and reveals the brand name only at the very end. We make a connection between the heart of the story and the product, so we don’t need to be hit over the head with the obvious. But most importantly, we remember them. Here some of classic examples where the product name is only revealed at the end of the commercial:     "The "Mean" Joe Green" (Coca-Cola) This iconic ad shows a football player offering a Coke to a young fan, with the Coca-Cola branding only prominently displayed at the final shot.   Nike "Just Do It" campaigns Many Nike ads feature athletes performing incredible feats without explicitly showing the product until the very end, relying on the brand association and powerful imagery.   Or going back 40 (!) years:   "The "Apple" 1984 Super Bowl While not strictly a "reveal at the end" concept, the famous "1984" Apple ad features a dystopian world with the Apple computer as the symbol of rebellion, only fully identifying the brand towards the end of the ad. In all these cases, the message is received without hitting the audience over the head with a 2x4.   Want to be memorable? Couch your message within a story. People respond to vulnerability, failures followed by success, new discoveries. These are the stories that become memorable, that build a brand. Create your own memorable videos Our videos can do the same thing. A tall order? On the surface, but really not. We all have stories: origin stories. Success stories. Stories of failure and redemption. Testimonials from those we've helped. And in these days of social media, you don’t need a top-notch advertising team to tell these stories for you. You can re-enact them yourself or show your audience how they played out. Casual videos that feel authentically created (i.e. not professionally) seem to do better than those that come across as “made for TV.” Just speaking to the camera and explaining how and why you began your business can be very powerful. You build your credibility in videos showing how you've solved a problem or enabled another person to become successful. Behind the scenes videos provide glimpses into your process and the people who make it happen. People respond to vulnerability, failures followed by success, new discoveries. These are the stories that become memorable, that build a brand. And the small business creators who post these informal, vertical short videos are doing pretty well. And you can, too.   I took on the challenge a couple of years ago. In my case, because two thirds of my business is grounded in entertainment, I wanted to create a video series that would be fun to watch. Something very, very short but memorable, that would show what I can do for my clients in a personable, humorous way. I came up with MOMisms, ultra-short 4-10 second videos (on average) that give a bite-sized dab of fun while demonstrating my skills as an actor, voice actor, and video content creator. Content designed to appeal   Creating Momisms was also a bit of an experiment. I was curious how much value I could pack into a video that was not much longer than the typical “hook” time of 3-4 seconds. I was taught back in high school to write clearly and concisely, to convey ideas in as few words as possible without sacrificing story or context, and wanted to test that idea in videos. I also wanted to have fun making a video series that could have wide appeal and a long shelf life. The trick was to showcase the three services I offer without coming across as salesy or trying too hard. No one likes to be sold to. Least of all me! And I used to be in sales, so I was especially sensitive to it.   That’s when I decided to follow the “show, don’t tell” mantra of many artists and writers. After all, as an actor, that’s I’m supposed to be doing. Just ask any acting teacher! On the surface, I’m providing a little entertainment, a chuckle to spread a bit of cheer in someone’s day. The subtext, by way of demonstration, is that I’m an actor for on-camera performance, hosting, and voice overs, and someone who knows her way around video creation and can help others do the same. A “walk the talk” without  ramming the obvious down anyone’s throat.   Well-received videos can be made by anyone with basic equipment and little to no budget. They certainly don’t have to be flawless creations, either!   Laura's Quick Tips Forget perfection! Viewers relate better to “real people” videos vs. those that are highly produced. Your basic studio? Your phone’s camera, 1-2 ring lights, and a fairly quiet space. If you’re speaking in your short video, be yourself! Let your personality shine through. It’ll help potential customers feel like they’re getting to know you, which goes a long way to building trust and a potential business relationship.   I do want to mention that videos don’t have to be entertaining to be successfully received. They just have to be interesting. And interesting is really not all that hard to do. If you are offering a service and the product is yourself, please take my word that YOU are interesting. Who you are, how you tell a story, the mistakes you’ve made and learned from, a behind the scenes view of your work ... it all adds human interest. And shows that you are a real person, someone that everyone can relate to, because we’re all trying to figure this stuff out, too.   Are you looking for ideas for your short videos? They make great social media content, especially when they’re reposted or transformed into quotes and graphics. If you’d like to brainstorm or have feedback on your options, schedule a free 15 minute consult. I’d love to talk with you! Want to learn more? Let's talk! I'm Laura Doman, a voice & TV/film actor and video communications coach. As an actor, I create memorable characters that tell my client's stories well, from the friendly CEO to your sassy best gal pal dispensing real-world advice. As a coach, I help you become more comfortable and charismatic on camera in videos, presentations, and online appearances. VOICE OVER •  ON CAMERA •  CONSULTATION & COACHING

You can't beat short-form videos for grabbing attention quickly Short form, long form - which type of video is better for growing your business? It used to be that long-form video was pretty much all that was available online. It resided on YouTube, perhaps Vimeo, and showed up on other social media platforms, too, especially on LinkedIn if it was business-centric. These videos were often 5-20 minutes long and shot in landscape (or horizontal) mode. Great for watching on your desktop or large screen, though not so much for mobile devices unless you turned your screen 90 degrees to watch in landscape mode. Short-form videos were under 60 seconds and shot in portrait or vertical mode. These videos were far more casually produced than their long-form counterparts and showed up on social media as Instagram or TikTok reels or stories on Facebook and Instagram. Fast forward to today's social media landscape and short videos dominate by a huge margin. Why? Short-form videos are almost always more successful than long-form content Today's content consumers don't want to feel "sold to;" they prefer to watch something that seems genuinely shared. The case for short videos Short videos proliferated across multiple social media channels because they deliver most what viewers want: information, entertainment, or perspective in bite-size chunks, ready for that spare moment or two of idle scrolling. Not much of a surprise with attention spans counted in seconds, not minutes.   Long-form videos can do well, too, but they don’t have the viewer hold time unless they already have an established audience and reputation. Short videos have a number of advantages because they are ... more cost-effective to produce mobile-friendly easier to consume more attention-getting more addictive Furthermore, short videos have the potential to go viral very quickly and put your brand on the map. They're easy to repurpose in ads, marketing emails, social media, and website blogs and pages. Best of all for everyday content creators, they're expected to be more casual and "real-life" vs. a high-end production. Today's content consumers don't want to feel "sold to;" they'd rather have something that feels shared with them, and testimonials are typically short, punchy, and personal. Just like short videos. Advantages of long-form videos Conversely, long videos offer more depth and detail to more fully entertain or educate their audiences. Because they spend more time explaining a problem and solution or how something works, they may lead to more purchases. Other advantages include: more complex storytelling more time and detail translates to deeper connections with the audience higher conversion rates a comfortable format for detailed demonstrations and more extensive narratives, such as marketing strategies and client or employee education What to choose, what to choose ... It used to be that long-form video had a strong advantage over its short-form counterpart because it was available for SEO optimization. That's changed; both short and long videos are easily found based on their titles, thumbnails, and keywords. My biggest suggestion here is to host both types on a YouTube channel. YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google (and it's owned by Google!) and people search more now than ever before for video content to answer questions or just to be entertained. Chances are your videos will be seen by new eyes vs. a subscriber base due to their searchability. Are you looking to monetize your YouTube channel? Hey, why not! Just keep in mind that it's easier to do with many long-form videos than fewer short-form videos unless your short videos explode in popularity. According to YouTube, you need: 1,000  subscribers AND 4,000  hours of watch time across all your videos over the last 12  months OR 10 million  Shorts views over the last 90  days So you'll have to make up in volume with short videos what you could potentially accomplish with far fewer long-form videos. Mix and match In the end, the right choice is what best serves your purpose. And there's much to be said for mixing up the two for your audience.   Do you have a lot of content to share? There are two ways to go about it. Create a long-form video and then break it up into multiple short videos, keeping one simple point per short video. Publish both versions, thereby potentially creating greater reach with both formats working together. Create multiple short videos only, one topic per video, and present them as a series (Youtube playlist). Set a consistent day and time for sharing each installment and your audience will grow to expect them. Also, with a audience who comes to know you, tthere's a much higher chance of your entire video being watched. They'll also have more time to absorb and remember each topic, rather than taking in everything all at once.   For either format, get to “the good stuff” in your video right away. Viewers who don’t already know your work won’t stick around if something doesn’t immediately grab their attention. Unless they see immediate value, statistically you have less than four seconds before they click away. Forget about a long introduction; jump right into the material so that viewers get what they’re expecting up front. My experience  What do I do? I’ve produced both long-form and several short-form video series, including the ultra-short MOMisms series. Very clearly, analytics prove my shorts outperform my long-form series by a wide margin, with MOMisms performing best of all. I think that's because they are so short and watchable, but also because they waste no time getting to the point of the video and use humor to do so. Not sure what you should do? Start with a few short videos for social media and then, if you have a lot more to say, experiment with a long-form video. If you're having trouble getting started, like figuring out what to say or how to say it - or even how to make a short video quickly, easily, and very inexpensively - give me a call. I can help you strategize and get you up and running with some short videos in no time! Want to learn more? Let's talk! I'm Laura Doman, a voice & TV/film actor and video communications coach. As an actor, I create memorable characters that tell my client's stories well, from the friendly CEO to your sassy best gal pal dispensing real-world advice. As a coach, I help you become more comfortable and charismatic on camera in videos, presentations, and online appearances. VOICE OVER •  ON CAMERA •  CONSULTATION & COACHING