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LinkedIn Brings In Voice Over Biz ... When You Join Customer Chats  By Jane Ingalls Voice Actor LinkedIn is enormous. It’s a global convention, a virtual, worldwide cocktail party of business opportunities. According to CEO Jeff Weiner, LinkedIn has well over 100 million users and grows by roughly one million new members every week. Although those numbers can be intimidating, LinkedIn has become my favorite way to find voice over work online. Sometimes the clients find me, but most of the time, I find them. Here's how ... START A CONVERSATION ... I start a conversation in a LinkedIn group, and there are over 870,000 groups to choose from! I’ve found groups for advertising, eLearning , audiobooks, producers, media, film and television, government, training, and international groups. There are alumni groups, local networking groups, and groups for professional organizations. Using the search bar at the top of your profile, you can join (and should join) up to 50 groups on LinkedIn. WHY ARE YOU THERE? But first ask yourself "Who do I spend the majority of my time with on this site?” If the answer is other voice actors, it’s time to meet new people at the party. LinkedIn provides unlimited freedom to move among groups. Shift away from the groups you don’t find actively useful, and find new groups where potential customers can get to know you. Remember to think both locally and globally. Over half the total number of users on LinkedIn live outside the United States. "HELLO, MY NAME IS ..." After you join a few groups, introduce yourself. Briefly describe who you are and what you do for a living. Resist selling your services, and always keep it professional. CONTRIBUTE TO CONVERSATION Sit back and follow the group discussions. When a particular topic catches your attention, take a deep breath and join the conversation. Offer encouragement. Everyone appreciates friendly feedback. Show genuine interest by volunteering unsolicited, positive input. Be a conduit and a resource: Offer a link to a helpful website or an article or introduce your group contact to someone you know. INVITE TO CONNECT LinkedIn protects its members from unwanted solicitations. However, if you belong to the same group, you are welcome to invite members of the group to join your network. Always personalize your invitation and reference the group you both belong to. Keep the focus on the person you are connecting with. Take time to read their profile and if possible, study their website. It’s about them. When your invitation is accepted, follow up with a personal note and include your email address to continue the conversation. LinkedIn may be the largest business gathering in the world, but it is the individual connections that ultimately matter. Let the party begin! ABOUT JANE ... Jane Ingalls lives near Washington, DC where she works as a bilingual voice actor (English and Spanish). She specializes in commercials, eLearning, and video narration. Among others, her clients include The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Museum, The United Nations Foundation, The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Lowe’s Home Improvement. Email: jane@janeingalls.com Web: www.janeingalls.com LinkedIn: Jane Ingalls LinkedIn: www.LinkedIn.com |
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Good article. Thank you for sharing your ideas.
Best,
Valerie
Dave, you always have valuable input. I had no idea one could petition to join more groups!
Jan, please let me know if I can help you...
Maxine D, Jan, Maxine L, Stan and Jim, your encouragement means a lot.
See you on Linkedin!
I heartily agree with all you say, and would even suggest anyone START a group as well. It's easy and free. So if you don't see what you like... make it happen with your own initiative.
Also, there are now over a MILLION LinkedIn groups to join. If 50 isn't enough for you personally, you can petition the LinkedIn folks through customer service, and if you make a respectful compelling argument, they will allow you to join more.
best,
Dave Courvoisier
Take Care,
Jan
Thank you SO much for writing such a helpful and informative article. Love it!
I have a profile on LinkedIn but I definitely haven’t been utilizing the site in the best possible way to garner more voice-over work. I really appreciate your ideas about joining and interacting with groups. And I love your tips on “group etiquette.” Makes perfect sense!
Thanks again for sharing such great stuff!
xox
Maxine
Great meeting you at Faffcon3. After reading this, I'm definitely giving LinkedIn a higher priority in my marketing plan.Thanks for sharing this valuable information.
Regards,
Stan Silverman
Nor spoken more sweetly than by the eloquent Jane Ingalls.
;-)