10 Steps to Market Your VO Business WITHOUT Feeling Salesy

Marketing your voiceover business shouldn’t feel like selling your soul. If “promote your VO services” makes you break out in hives, this one’s for you.

In this video, we’re flipping the script on everything you think you know about marketing—so you can find voiceover clients, grow your VO business, and build real connections without feeling fake, pushy, or salesy.

💡 Whether you’re an introverted voice actor, a freelance VO pro, or just starting out—these are the authentic VO marketing strategies that actually work.

👉 What you’ll learn:
 • How to market your voiceover business without being weird
 • Direct marketing for voice actors that feels natural
 • Why clients want to hear from you (and how to reach them)
 • The mindset shift that makes marketing feel GOOD
 • Real-world VO marketing tips you can start using today

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Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Alright, well if you think that marketing your voiceover business means you have to becomesome kind of salesy, sleazy, slimy salesperson, you better think again because if that's
the case, you've been told the wrong story.
Voiceover's loaded with insanely talented people who really care about their clients andalways try to deliver the best possible product, but when it comes to marketing, many of

(00:25):
them, in fact the vast majority, shut down.
They ghost social media, they avoid reaching out and marketing to prospects like the BlackPlague, and they hope that somehow, magically, people will find their demo online.
And it's not because they're lazy, it's not because they don't want clients, it's becausethey've been conditioned culturally to think that marketing equals manipulation.

(00:48):
It doesn't.
The truth is, you don't need to sell yourself.
You don't need a slick pitch, and you sure as hell don't need to try and be somebody thatyou're not.
You just need to know how to connect, to communicate, and to show up like a realhonest-to-goodness human being.
That's it.
So if marketing gives you the ick, keep watching, because I'm about to flip everything youthink you know about marketing completely on its head.

(01:13):
Because I'm going to show you a way to market your voiceover business in a way that isnatural and aligned and absolutely enjoyable, if you approach it the right way.
You, my friend, are not just another voice.
You are not a gig chaser.
You are not a desperate freelancer.

(01:33):
You are a creative business owner.
You are a solutions provider.
You are a trusted collaborator who brings other people's projects to life.
But most voice actors don't show up like that.
They show up like they're begging for crumbs.
Like they're hoping to be chosen.
Like they're lucky to book a gig.
Like the tiny kid hoping to get picked for dodgeball.

(01:55):
Not that...
I have any experience in that arena.
But that desperate energy, that leaks into your marketing.
It makes you feel small, it makes you hesitate, it makes you wonder if you even belong inthis business.
So here's the real identity shift.
You're not begging for a favor.
You're providing a solution.
The moment you internalize and get grounded on that is the moment everything changes.
Your emails feel different, your website feels different.

(02:18):
And maybe most importantly, your confidence spikes.
Not because you're faking it, but because you finally see your own value.
You don't need to market yourself, you need to articulate your value clearly.
And show up where the people that need you can find you.
That ain't selling guys, that's service.
And you're not alone here either.
I'll be honest.
When I first tried to get into the business, I avoided marketing like the black plaguemyself.

(02:43):
I didn't want to come off as needy, I didn't want to bother anybody.
I thought, you know what, if I just trained hard enough and I-
got good enough and I produced the right demo, then things would kind of take care ofthemselves.
And they did not.
And at some point, I finally figured out that I could either keep waiting and hoping, or Icould figure out a way to get in front of decision makers that hire us without selling my

(03:07):
soul.
So I started experimenting.
I sent a few emails at first, and I shifted my approach from, hey, look at me, to, hey,how can I help?
And little by little I started to get some traction.
It started to work.
And not because I was using some sleazy sales tactic, but because I was just making iteasy for people to understand how I could help them.

(03:30):
And now I teach this stuff to other voice actors, not from some sort of mountain top ofsuccess, but from the trenches, from the multiple, multiple, probably hundreds of times I
failed, from my own messy, imperfect
process of figuring it out while doing it.
So if you're a voice actor who wants a thriving, sustainable business without feeling likea fake or performative or salesy, then you're my people.

(04:01):
Stick here.
If you want a step-by-step marketing approach that actually feels good and gets results,here it is.
Step one, reframe what marketing
marketing gets a bad rap because we feel like that equals manipulation but the realdefinition is you're simply helping the right people find the right solution at the right

(04:23):
time that's it and guess what if you're a voice actor and you do good work and you canhelp solve a problem for a client they're already looking for you they just don't know it
yet marketing is not about conniving or convincing anyone of anything ever it's aboutconnection
and service.
It's about letting people know that you exist, about what you do, and how what you do canhelp them solve their problem.

(04:49):
So that they can then have some agency and they can say yes if there's a good fit or nothank you if there's no fit.
That's not pushy guys, that's professional.
You're not bothering people, you're giving them options.
Step number two, know your people.
You can't market your voice over business if you're trying to talk to everyone.
Trying to market to anyone who needs a voice is the marketing equivalent of just yellinginto the void.

(05:14):
There's an old saying in football, if you have three quarterbacks, you don't have any.
So instead, try and figure out who you actually want to work with.
What kind of projects or genres light you up?
Who's making those projects?
Who hires the talent for those projects?
And more importantly, what do they care about?
And get specific, and that doesn't mean...
Pick one niche or die, you know, to the exclusion of all others.

(05:36):
That's not the approach.
But just in a stop trying to be everything to everybody kind of way.
Now the best way to do this is to build client avatars for your ideal clients.
Learn their job titles, their daily challenges and frustrations and pain points, and whatdo they actually need.
Once you figure that out, you can start communicating with them in a way that makes themstop scrolling and start nodding.

(06:01):
so that you have that clarity and you don't have to guess and you don't have to Google whohires voice actors for the millionth time.
It's like having x-ray vision for client outreach.
And once you start using these avatars, you will wonder how you ever marketed without themand without that clarity.
When you know exactly who your ideal clients are and what their frustrations and painpoints and challenges are, then you can stop broadcasting and blasting and start

(06:28):
connecting.
And that connection is where real authentic voiceover marketing starts.
Step three, stop talking about yourself so much.
Now this one might surprise you, but if you're marketing your VO business, your messagingshouldn't be all about you.
Clients do not care about your fancy booth or your shiny microphone.
They don't care how long or with whom you've been training or how many workshops you'vetaken.

(06:51):
They only care about how you can help them.
So don't say, I do explainer videos and corporate narration.
Say, I help companies like yours create explainer videos that are trustworthy and thatkeep viewers engaged.
Don't say, I've trained with 10 different coaches and I built a booth in my closet.
Say, I deliver clean, broadcast quality audio that's ready to drop right into your projecttimeline.

(07:15):
Shift the spotlight, guys.
Your client is the hero, not you.
You?
You're the trusty guide, and that's the difference between being salesy and sleazy
and actually being helpful and consultative.
Step four, lead with value, not with a pitch.
Most people freeze up on every communication they send out because they think that everytime they reach out to a client that it has to include some sort of pitch.

(07:40):
It does not and should not.
Some of the most effective voiceover marketing content out there involves sharing useful,relevant content that simply builds trust over time.
No pitch required.
All right, so what does that look like?
Here are a few examples.
Maybe a short video that for video producers that shows them the importance of pacing intheir edits.

(08:06):
An industry trade or blog.
Not yours, by the way.
Well, maybe sometimes yours.
That they may not be aware of and more importantly why you think that blog post isrelevant to them.
An article that's relevant to them and their challenges and pain points and thefrustrations that they deal with.
daily and your insights into how that article will help them solve for those.

(08:29):
All that builds credibility and more importantly it builds trust.
And so when that project comes up that you may be well suited for, you my friend are topof mind because of that trust.
Number five, show up like a human.
People hire people.
They don't hire resumes, they don't hire logos.
They're not looking for polished perfection.

(08:50):
So if you want to promote your voiceover business without sounding like a walkinginfomercial, well, damn it, let people see you.
And not the polished professional voice actor version you think you should be, but theactual real awesome human being behind the microphone.
Be real in your emails.
Be conversational in your copy.

(09:11):
Be kind and curious and thoughtful and consultative in your client outreach.
This isn't
kids about building a personal brand in some bullshit influencer-y sort of way.
This is just about being the kind of person that other people want to work with.
And that starts with authenticity, not performative platitudes.

(09:33):
Step six, pick a method and get consistent.
And this is where a lot of freelancers, not just voice actors, get tripped up.
They try to be everything, everywhere, all at once.
They dabble in Instagram and then they ghost it.
They write an email.
and then they never follow up with that person.
They send maybe three emails.
They get no replies and they figure they're doomed forever.
Sound familiar?

(09:54):
You don't need to be everywhere.
You need to be somewhere, consistently, and with intention.
Maybe to start, you're simply emailing five new leads a week.
Maybe you're posting on LinkedIn a couple of times a week.
Maybe you start with following up with past clients once a quarter, once every 90 days orso.
It all works if you work it.

(10:15):
Marketing your VO business isn't about intensity, it's about consistency.
Show up, do the work, rinse and repeat.
Step seven, make it a conversation, not a billboard.
One of the best voiceover marketing tips I can give you is talk with people, not at them.
Do not blast hire me messages into the ether.
Start actual conversations.

(10:37):
Comment on client posts, share something useful, ask questions.
Follow up with real genuine interest and this my friends works on every platform It worksin cold emails.
It works in client maintenance.
It works in DMS It works on Instagram and LinkedIn and YouTube people have incrediblysophisticated bullshit detectors and they can smell the difference between I want your

(11:00):
money and I want to help you and this is the secret to non sleazy voiceover marketing stopmaking it a transaction and approach it
like a relationship.
eight, let your work do the talking, but only after you do.
I get it.
I'm like you.
I want my work to speak for itself and it can, but only if people hear it and you got tobe the one to put it in front of them.

(11:25):
And that means sharing your demos, linking to your website slash portfolio, making surethat those demos are downloadable.
And this is the one that really makes me crazy.
Don't make anyone go digging on your site for your demos.
Make sure they are top front and center.
Make it easy for them to see and hear what you do.
Your voice, guys, is your product.

(11:47):
Don't hide it, as they say, under a bushel basket.
Step nine, stop waiting to feel ready.
This part stings a little bit, it's absolutely true.
Marketing isn't something you do after you feel confidence.
Marketing is something you do to build.
confidence and the only way to get good at promoting your voiceover services is to promoteyour voiceover services imperfectly messily awkwardly and yes uncomfortably at first it's

(12:14):
a skill and skills are to be developed you will get better it will get easier but not ifyou're waiting around to feel ready start where you are send one email post one video
follow up with one past client you're not bothering them
You're building a business.
Step 10, remember your why.

(12:35):
Remember why you're doing this.
Marketing ain't about algorithms or hacks or funnels.
It's about connection and service.
And it's about purpose.
You're not out there fishing to try and find gigs guys.
You're out there to build a sustainable voiceover business that will support you and yourfamily.

(12:57):
You're trying to work with great clients and
Do great work and get paid well for your skills.
And marketing is how you make all of that possible.
And when you do that with clarity and consistency and integrity, I promise you, it willnot feel salesy.
It'll feel like showing up and owning your worth and building something real andsignificant.

(13:22):
So take a big breath, shake off all that slime and sleaze and start marketing your voiceover business like the professional you are.
promise you, you got this.
We talked earlier about building client avatars as the best way to get clarity on exactlywhom you're talking to when you're reaching out to prospective clients.
Building really good client avatars is no small feat.

(13:44):
It takes hours of research and blood and sweat and tears.
Fortunately, I've already done the work for you.
Introducing the big book of VO client avatars.
I've put together 87 ideal voiceover client avatars from over 15 voiceover genres.
Job titles, pain points, how to find those folks on LinkedIn, and a ridiculous level ofclarity and precision built in.

(14:07):
I'll put the link to the big book of VO client avatars in the show notes and descriptionbelow.
As always, thanks for joining us.
Thanks for dropping a comment.
The more we talk, the more we exchange ideas and information.
the better, stronger industry we can have for everybody.
Thanks so much and we'll see you again real soon.