Lauren McCullough

Female Voiceover Talent

717-281-1991‬

LaurenMcCulloughVO@gmail.com

Marketing

YouTube Pre-Roll Ads That Rock

Marketing

Have you considered using YouTube PreRoll ads in your marketing strategy? These ads, which act like a short commercial before a YouTube video begins or sometimes later in the video, can be a powerful way to get your message out to just the right audience. 

How Effective Are YouTube PreRoll Ads?

In short, really effective. YouTube viewership grows constantly. Just check out these statistics. 

  • YouTube is the second most popular social media platform. (See Oberlo.)
  • Two billion logged-in monthly users. (See Hootsuite.)
  • One billion hours of video consumed everyday. (See socialsprout.)
  • Average user consumes 12 minutes and 43 seconds. (See SocialMediaToday.)

And here’s what makes it really awesome. YouTube is owned by Google. So to harness your pre-roll ads, you will use Google Adwords. This means that you can use keywords related to what you’re selling, what your target audience is looking for, to drive the use of your YouTube Pre-Roll ad. For instance:

  • If you sell children’s books, you can play an ad in front of a book reading or book review. 
  • If you want moms to see your ads, you can play in front of a tutorial for moms. 
  • If the perfect video for you to be in front of is a make-up tutorial, you can use target keywords to connect with those types of videos. 

As you can see, targeting your video to your exact audience is key. And is the great thing about YouTube pre-roll ads. The more specific you can be, the more certain you can be that the right person is going to see your little ad at just the right time. 

The Best Way to Use Pre-Roll Ads

According to this fantastic article from Convince & Convert, the best way to use your YouTube pre-roll ad is not to hit your viewers immediately with a sale. Keep in mind, your video is interrupting them. They clicked a YouTube video link to watch that YouTube video and first they have to sit through 5 seconds (and hopefully more) of your video first. So instead, the best way to use this opportunity is to “raise awareness,” according to the article above. 

I totally agree. This is your chance to make your viewer go “wow!” or “huh, I never thought of that” or “Well, I’ve never heard of that before.” It’s a chance to make them think, make them informed or educated, and make them click to learn more. 

Get creative. Get silly or serious; just make sure to match the tone of your message. Sometimes thinking outside the box is the best way to go. 

With YouTube Pre-Roll Ads, You Have 5 Seconds

The power of a YouTube pre-roll is that it plays before a YouTube video that the viewer has chosen to watch — or sometimes they play midroll or even after. The viewer has to sit through 5 seconds of the pre-roll ad before they can choose to click the “Skip” button and get on with the video they have chosen to watch.

Those first 5 seconds are the critical moments. Your video can be up to two minutes long, but most people choose to make them shorter, between 15 and 25 seconds in total, according to this article from WordStream. Of course, the whole video should be engaging, entertaining, informative, and generally just well done. But it’s those first 5 seconds that really matter, because those are the seconds that every viewer will see. They can’t skip until those 5 seconds are up. 

So what are you going to do with them? That 5 seconds may not sound very long, but take a moment and count them out. “One Mississippi, Two Mississippi, Three Mississippi…” You can do a lot in those 5 seconds. Cut out all the fluff, so to speak, and get to the heart of the matter pretty quickly. 

Remember, as we talked about above. This is about awareness. This is the top of your sales and marketing funnel. This is about drawing people in. This is making people aware of your brand, your cause, or your message. Maybe they’ve never heard of you. Maybe they didn’t know you existed, yet. Maybe they need your product or service, but didn’t even know you were an option. Or maybe you do things better than the competition, if only people know you existed. Or maybe there’s a problem out there that they haven’t even heard about, and can make a difference if they only knew. 

That’s what these 5 seconds are about. The chance to make them aware. 

What Should Your CTA For A Pre-Roll Ad Be?

As you are preparing your pre-roll strategy, you need to think about what you want people to do. What will define success and how will you track it? 

A click-through is a great way to keep track of how well your video is going. You can set up a landing page to send people to — to learn more about your brand or to grab a freebie in exchange for an email address. If you have a really engaging storyline, or other attention-grabber, you can encourage people to click-through to watch the rest of a story.  

Remember that since this is the top of your sales funnel, about raising awareness, you may not want to use this ad to drive sales directly and immediately. Bring them to a page to build interest and help them learn more. 

Some Great Pre-Roll Ad Examples

Do you need some inspiration for your YouTube pre-roll ads? These might spark some ideas:

  • Top 10 High Converting YouTube Pre-Roll Ads from YourCharisma
  • 11 Best YouTube Pre-Roll Videos from Fiverr
  • 13 Amazing YouTube Pre-Roll Ads from HubSpot

Hiring a Voice Over Actor For Your YouTube PreRoll Ads

When it comes to those 5 seconds that you’ve got to really connect with someone in a YouTube pre-roll ad, you don’t want to take any chances. Hiring a voice over talent can ensure that you hit the right tone in the most professional way. You can’t afford a mumbling voice or inarticulate diction. You need to nail it. 

Furthermore, a voice talent can bring just the right sound to your video. For me, that can often be a snarky millennial or conversational mom. Give your video the sound it needs — and grab them quickly. 

So whether you decide to be quirky or serious, just remember that the Pre-roll ad can be a highly effective, and unique way to draw in your audience and make customers interested in your brand and product.

What Is Sonic Branding?

Business, Marketing

Sonic branding is a topic that is rather trendy right now in advertising and marketing, with the growing popularity of digital marketing and online videos. But even as those spaces continue to grow, sonic branding isn’t necessarily a new concept. It’s been with us for a while, whether we realize it or not. 

So… What Is Sonic Branding?

Well, let’s just get out of the way what it isn’t.

  • It’s not about branding a certain PlayStation hedgehog from our millennial youth. (Although, hold that thought, we will get back to him.) 
  • It’s not about branding a fast food chain known for brightly colored drinks and drive-in service. 
  • It’s not about loud noises like sonic booms, necessarily.

But let’s get down to the definition. Stated simply, sonic branding is sound branding. It’s creating a type of logo and brand elements, that are built in sound. 

The Basics Of Sonic Branding

Still feeling a little confused? Well, let’s think about digital branding and what comes in a branding package. You have a logo. That’s the main element. You have a color palette that is specific to your brand. You have fonts and other features that lend themselves to your brand. And you have assets, which are ways in which all those pieces are put together and used to define your brand. So that when you see those elements, you KNOW it’s that brand. 

Okay, now let’s use our imagination and think about sound branding. You can have a logo—a quick tone or little song that, or even a little catch phrase or part of a jingle. It’s small, but distinctive. There are sound elements that go into that piece. Upbeat and happy or low and serious. And there are endless ways you can use that piece to denote your brand. At the end of a commercial for instance. 

Here’s another way to think about it. Sonic branding is like an audio tagline or slogan. When you think about your favorite brand’s slogans or taglines, you probably think about it in a certain voice or tone. Maybe with a specific rhythm or even music behind it. That’s the sonic branding. It’s that specific tonal quality that is the same every time and evokes a mood or emotion associated with it. 

Examples of Sonic Branding That Have Been Around For A While

Sonic branding isn’t necessarily a new concept, although the digital age has definitely taken it to the next level. This article from the 4A’s mentions that the first audio trademark registered at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office was NBC’s signature three-tone chime sound, in 1929. And it’s still used today. 

That’s not the only signature sound that’s been with us for decades. In fact, some of the most iconic brands, that were with us during the heydays of radio and the early years of television, created sonic brands back then that you probably still know. 

How about the Jolly Green Giant and his classic Ho-Ho-Ho? (You know what comes next… “Green Giant!”

A little more recent, how about the Intel swoosh sound?

Let’s go back to the examples of what sonic branding isn’t and let’s think about that hedgehog for a moment. PlayStation is actually a great example of sonic branding. Here’s a clip of their little sound. Every time you hear it, you know it is PlayStation. 

Why Should A Company Invest In Sonic Branding?

Why invest the time and money into a sonic brand? The same reasons you do for digital marketing assets. Not only do they give your brand distinctive cohesion, they give you something to build around as you create videos, radio spots, clips and more down the road. You won’t have to reinvent the wheel to really leave your audio mark each time. In fact, you shouldn’t. 

But why else is sonic branding a good move for a lot of brands? It helps you stand out and correlates certain emotions with your brand. What do you want people remembering you for? And how can a sound help customers, and potential customers, understand what an experience with you feels like? That’s part of the layers of sound you want, in even the simplest sonic branding.

And here’s an interesting fact. In a study conducted by Veritonic in 2016, they found that audio logos that were best remembered had generally been in the market for a while, some even for decades. This makes sense because just like visual logos, it can take a while to become a household name, or sound, so to speak. But that investment of money and time paid off because those sounds stuck. 

How Can A Brand Use Sonic Branding?

In a digital space, sonic branding can be used for more than just videos and ads. In fact, there are endless ways to incorporate your unique sound into your brand, through the use of your product and technology. For example, MasterCard recently created its own sound that will be used whenever someone uses the card for a payment. In a growing digital age, there are lots of ways to use your sound during the use of your product or service, either upon initiation or at the close of a session. In this case, it’s about associating an experience with a feeling. 

Over the course of time, one of the most common uses for signature sounds was at the end of a commercial. They were a kind of sign off or stamp of approval—like signing your name at the end of a letter. 

Creating Your Sonic Branding

So, have I convinced you yet that your brand needs a signature sound? It’s a fun arena to explore, but where do you start? This article from AdAge offers some great advice. They recommend going back to the basics of your brand. Consider your visual brand guide. What are the emotions and affections that drive your visuals? Is it perky and flirty? Is it fun and adventurous? Is it quiet and soulful? The list could go on forever, but remember that inventing a sonic brand isn’t about starting from nowhere. It’s about building a sound that reflects who you already are. 

If you aren’t musically inclined, you may want to consider hiring a professional. Why? Because you want to find something truly original and impactful. You may be able to develop it yourself or in-house, but sometimes hiring a musician is the right way to go. 

And don’t forget that sometimes the perfect sound requires words. And that’s where a great voice over talent can step in and bring life to your concept. Hiring the right voice matters too, because the sound of the actor’s voice will become the sound of your brand. You need to find one that can not only perform your signature piece with clarity and precision, but also carries the emotion you need. 

 

Business Advice: Requesting Referrals

Business, Marketing, Voiceover Industry

Referral marketing is often thrown into lists of great marketing ideas, but have you taken the time to explore how to set up a referral program for your business? 

Referrals are one of the best ways to market yourself. Let’s be honest, people trust recommendations from people they know. When you’re trying to get the word out about what you are selling, sharing real recommendations from those who are happy with your product or service can help you build rapport and make sales a little faster or with more consistency. 

What Are The Benefits Of Referrals?

Before we dive into some hows, let’s look at the whys behind referrals. Why should you look into gathering and showcasing referrals? Why are they worth your time?

  • Referrals Are Powerful

Referrals are about trust. When potential customers hear about you from those they trust, some of that trust rubs off on your brand, so to speak. Referrals carry the weight of the relationship between the one sharing and the one receiving. Because they trust each other’s recommendations, your brand is seen in a more positive or trustworthy light, than it would without that referral. 

And that’s why they are so powerful. With a referral, you instantly get a leg up on the competition with that loyalty and authenticity behind it.  

  • Referrals Are Personal

Here’s the thing about referrals, whether they are for a pizza or pediatrician, they are deeply personal. Often built out of at least some level of relationship, referrals can develop out of a very custom need for your brand. People don’t tell others about brands they don’t think the other will care about. Instead, they tell them about things they know they need or want. 

And that recommendation often comes with a why. “I think you’d love this pizza because they overdo it on the cheese.” or “I know you need a pediatrician who understands gluten-free diets and other restrictions. Definitely check out ours.” That personalization is part of what makes them so powerful as we discussed above

  • Referrals Are Easy

Let’s skip trying to think of the next great marketing scheme or a compelling new campaign. Referrals are a simple step to build up your reputation and get the word out about what you do, without reaching for a lot of creativity. 

Too often when we try to get snazzy, we lose a sense of authenticity and forget the people behind why we do what we do. Referrals keep us grounded and remind us of why our clients come to us in the first place, and even more so, why they stick around. 

Who Should You Get Referrals From?

Do I have you convinced that you should start referral marketing? Unsure where to start? You need to know who to ask for referrals. That’s the first step. 

  • Everyone

This is the most basic answer, but the reality is that the power of referrals is multiplied by the numbers of clients who are willing to share your brand with others who may be interested. Setting up a system to automatically ask or taking the time to personally reach out to all your clients can help you reach those numbers faster. 

  • Your Most Loyal Clients

With the obvious answer aside, let’s talk about your loyal clients and customers. You know the ones. They always provide raving feedback. They are eager to purchase from you or work with you again. They are the ones to spend your time with. They may be eager to refer your brand already. They are likely to be excited to help you get the word out.  

  • Your Target Clients

Another angle to consider when narrowing down your referral request list is your target audience. This can probably be informed by your loyal clients and customers, but may be slightly different. Your target clients reflect the demographics that you are trying to reach with your brand. Referrals from this group can be very useful because the way your brand helps them and the way they talk about your brand can be very persuasive to more members of your target audience, helping your brand to reach an audience you are trying to connect with.

  • Influencer Endorsements

We don’t need to spend a lot of time with this one, but it’s worth mentioning. It’s often alluring to reach out to influencers or online celebrities who will talk up your brand, but try to remember everything we talked about above. Real effectiveness of referral marketing comes with authenticity and genuine connections.  

Helping Referrers Refer

Now that you know who you want to ask for referrals, how do you go about getting those referrals? The key is in helping them make those referrals. Taking the guesswork out and helping them refer you to their family and friends. 

How you help your customers or clients depends on your own business. Try to get inside their minds. When are they likely to tell others about your brand? How would they want to do it? Here are a few ideas to get you started. 

  • Marketing Collateral

Sometimes good old fashioned print marketing can help. Anything from brochures or one-page documents to postcards and stickers can give your loyal followers something to tangibly share with others. This is especially great if you have detailed services you provide or are a visual artist and can show off your skills. 

  • Shareable Online Content

When you are creating online content, such as educational videos or blogs, make sure they are easily shareable. And create content your target market loves. It gives them something to share with their friends when they refer your brand to others.

  • A Referral Program

We’ve all used them. Referral codes from brands we love that give others a little discount, and us too, when they use them. It’s a great way to incentivize people to get the word out, but keep in mind that these kickbacks can sometimes take out a bit of the authenticity. 

  • Just Asking

Let’s just keep it simple. Sometimes the best way to get a referral is just to ask. Just real conversation. It seems so novel in our overly digitized, constantly automatized world, but a simple ask can be as effective as any gimmick you try to employ. It brings the humanity back to the system.  

Just Asking For Referrals

How do you ask? Just ask. Ask your longest or most loyal clients. Ask them upfront “Would you be willing to share my name?”

A great way to start is with a real conversation. 

  • Ask about them and their family. Be real.
  • Ask how you can help them.
  • Tell them what you’re looking for, such as a type of customer or industry. Would they be willing to share your name?

People like to help other people they like. You may be surprised with the results. 

You can also create automated messages with your invoice or after a sale, asking people to share your name, if they are happy with your work. 

Referrals can seem difficult or intimating, but at the end of the day, they are about relationships. The relationships you have with your clients and customers and the relationships they have with others. 

And the key to referral marketing is nurturing those relationships. Asking for help in spreading the word and making it easy for your friends to do it. And don’t forget to ask how you can help them too. 

5 things every voiceover website needs

Business, Marketing, Voiceover Industry

The website is a staple of most online professionals, and voiceover pros in particular. Your website is your business card and central info depot for the digital age, and the best place to give people a good first impression. Your potential clients may not recall your face, but your name and website are your opportunity to cement your voice and persona in their mind. 

Readability

The single biggest thing you need to make sure to center in your website building is readability. Fonts and fun colors are awesome, but many people find certain color combinations or font choices difficult to read. Sometimes these choices are even headache inducing, especially for older folks. People who have vision correction can also find funky colors and fonts a challenge also. Be sure that you source people on different computers, using different browsers, on mobile and whatever other types you can think of to make sure that everything displays correctly and is easy to follow. 

Professional Design

Speaking of mobile-mobile browsing, it’s a trend that only continues to grow. Make sure that your site not only has a mobile version, but also displays correctly on all devices. It’s better to avoid sites with inexpensive designers, since they may not have enough experience to follow all the way through on your project, or to be able to handle everything in a timely manner. 

A great way to find a good designer for your site is to look for sites that you admire, and ask for their designer’s name. Fellow talent are a great way to get recommendations. One good reason to ask fellow talent for ideas is because whomever they’ve gotten a site from will have direct experience putting together the types of things a talent needs–like making sure that demos display correctly, or creating a video sample page. Avoiding the inexperienced designer can save you time, money and headaches.

Value the Time of the Viewer

More important than the fancy branding and ‘standing out from the crowd’ is making sure that your reader can find the essentials on you as a talent quickly and easily. Unless you have a particular need to do so, avoid impersonal elements like contact forms for your site. The easier you are to reach, the more naturally the connection will follow. Here are 5 essentials that you want to make sure your website viewer can get to and get through as quickly as possible. 

1. Demos

Most talent have several different demos relating to the various genres of voiceover that they pursue. There are lots of options for players that can integrate with your site to allow the viewing of several of these demos at once. Ranking should be based on what your most hired genre is, or the one that you want to pursue the most. You should also make sure that the highest ranked ones are the professionally produced cuts. Sometimes if you know what you’re doing, you can get away with making a demo for elearning or audiobooks, since those genres are dryer and don’t need music. But you want to make sure your best foot is forward. 

2. Video Samples

The single best way to show your voice in action. 

Demos are very important, but aren’t always as evocative as a project video. Examples of your skills in action will show off your range, and more importantly, give it the context to inspire someone who might want to hire you for a similar voicing or parallel venture. Just make sure you get permission from your client before you display these! Many talents have lost both gigs and reputation due to rushing ahead and not checking with their client first. We don’t always have the whole picture on legal wrangles, NDA’s, product launches and other wrinkles. It’s better to take the extra time and make sure and take care of your relationship with your client. But a well timed ask can be beneficial for both you and your client, giving your voice a showcase, and them another link back to them and their products. 

3. Contact Information

You’d think this would be a given, but there are sites out there where it’s nearly impossible to find out how to contact a particular talent. Don’t hide your contact info at the bottom of the page in faint text, get that info out there loud and proud! If you’re not comfortable with your home or cell number being visible online, there are many services like Google Voice that allow you to create an easy free forwarding number. And it’s no challenge these days to create a forwarding email if you want to give yourself a step removed from any spam you might get. Contact info for your agents can be useful here too if you typically book work through them. Avoid contact forms unless you have a particular need for them, since they seem really impersonal, and you are making your potential client jump through another hoop to reach you.

4. Studio Specs

So what have you got in your little padded room? 

Make sure to give your prospective clients a good run down of all your equipment and available connections. Letting your client know that you have professional level equipment shows them that not only have you put the time and money into becoming professional, they’re also going to have to worry less about fixing you in post. Do you have Source Connect? IPDTL? ISDN bridge? If you don’t have one of those personally, do you have access to an outside studio where you could take advantage of it if needed? Your clients then know what their options are, and that makes things faster and easier for everyone. 

5. Client List and Testimonials

To round off the context you’re giving your website reader and prospective clients, testimonials and a client list are a great method. As much as it might seem tempting, don’t embellish here. In the modern age, it’s very easy to figure out if you really are the voice for this or that product, particularly for a larger brand or campaign. Not only will you look fake if you do this, you’ll also damage your reputation, and make people less likely to hire you. People don’t forget this kind of thing, in the voiceover community. And if there’s one thing clients want to avoid these days it’s liability. If you’re lying on your website, what other false information might you share and to whom? The best way to get a good client list and testimonials is to do the best job you can with every job you do. Be kind, prompt, gracious, and you will stand out all on your own. Many of your client contacts will be happy to give you testimonials, especially if you have a good relationship you’ve already built by your actions. 

How to Ask for a Testimonial

If you feel intimidated by asking for a testimonial, here is an effective way that I’ve used in the past:

Give before you ask for something in return. Write one for your client first!

Dear Client,

I wanted to take it upon myself to write you a testimonial that you can use where ever you like: 

<<INSERT SHORT 3-5 LINE TESTIMONIAL OF YOUR CLIENT HERE>>

Then ask:

If you don’t mind, I’d love to feature you on my website/on my LinkedIn Profile/on Google reviews and get your feedback on my work in a testimonial. Would you mind writing a short 2-3 sentence review for me?

Feeling a little stuck on what to write? Here are some questions you can answer!

  • What made you pick me over someone else?
  • How did I positively add to the project?
  • What’s one thing did I do that made the end client super-happy?
  • Or what does it feel like working with me?

There are many things to consider when you’re putting together your voiceover website, but it, like many things in life, can be a case of keeping it simple. Worry first and foremost about keeping these essentials front and center and you will be ahead of the game. Combine that with a solid work ethic and quality work, and you’ll be at the head of the class in no time. 

Does Your Brand Voice Reflect Your Brand Values?

Marketing

What does your brand voice say about your values? When I talk about voice, as a voice over talent, I mean the actual audible voice in your videos and radio spots. It also includes digital spots, such as when people log in to your online service or when they call your office and get an on-hold message. Every voice they hear in association with your brand should speak to your values and how you want to interact with the world. Don’t miss this important opportunity to brand your company with a voice that is totally you. 

How Do You Know What Your Brand Values Are?

Okay, so if you’re now asking yourself, how do I know what my brand values even are, don’t fret. It’s probably not as out of reach as you think it is. If you’ve done the work to brand your organization already, with a logo, website or other brand assets, you’re probably already on the road to knowing your brand values, even if you haven’t sat down and spelling them out yet. Many brand designers and marketing companies will actually lay out what they sought to convey with the choices they made to create your brand. In those descriptions, you are likely to find your values. Take a moment to write those down. If you don’t have a list as such, here are a few other ways to find your brand values. 

The Words You Already Use

  • Do you have a slogan or tagline? Maybe a mission statement or vision statement? Even if they aren’t formally codified somewhere, there are probably words and phrases that you return to again and again, when you talk about what your organization does. Check the last few sales or connection emails you sent. What are the value words that pop out?

The Colors You Love

  • If you’ve created a brand scheme already, then this part is easy. What do the colors on your website and in your logo say about your brand? What do the main colors convey about who you are? How do they come together to make a statement about how you see your work and the world around you?

The Themes You’re Drawn To

  • Another way to think about what your brand values are is to consider what other brands your brand can relate to and who you want to emulate. What big names or recognizable brands are doing the kind of work you want to be doing? They may not be in the same industry, necessarily, but may have the same kind of outlook or perspective that you do. Maybe they speak the same language, serve the same people, or just position themselves the way you want to. What are their brand values? They may be yours as well. 

Connecting Your Brand Values For Your Brand Voice

Once you have established a list of three to five values that really sum up your brand, you’ll need to connect those to the voice you use to convey your message in audible communications. Using a voice that speaks to those values has a few different aspects. 

Target Audience

  • First, the voice you employ should be one that your target audience can relate to. The voice doesn’t necessarily need to sound LIKE them, although that can often help, but it should certainly be a voice that they feel like they can trust and are familiar with. It should sound like their friend, their advocate, or their confidante.

    Examples: Millennial moms are a perfect example of this. Millennial moms tend to hold the purse strings in their households, and they tend to buy based on the recommendations of their peers and friends. If that’s your target audience, try employing another millennial mom voice, who can share their values of care for the next generation. 

Authority

  • Second, when it comes to your brand values, your brand voice needs to sound like they have a handle on those values. They should instantly sound like they share those values and are familiar with how to live those values out in everyday life. They should sound like an authority on those values, and not like someone just trying to live them.

    Examples: When it comes to authority, it’s about experience. You want your voice to sound like they know what they mean. So if your brand is all about hope, and building a positive tomorrow, the voice has to reflect a certain level of upbeatness. It doesn’t need to sound chipper, but it does need to sound like it knows, and breathes, optimism. A monotone or morose voice isn’t going to cut it. 

Consistency

  • When you start getting serious about your brand voice, and whether it reflects the tone you require for your brand, don’t overlook the importance of consistency. When you record a new video for your customers or launch a new ad series, you want to know that that voice is still going to convey the message, even in its tone, that you need for your brand. This can mean hiring a professional voice talent. Voice over actors can bring that level of consistency that you can rely on so that everytime you record something new, it’s spot on.

    Examples: If one day your brand voice sounds smooth and strong, and the next day it sounds gruff and tired, you may not always be conveying the message you intended everytime. For voice talent professionals, this means taking care of their voice and ensuring seamless transitions from one spot to the next. 

What Does Your Sonic Brand Say About You?

Beyond the voice, have you considered the overall sonic brand associated with your organization? We’ve talked about sonic branding before, but it’s good to stop here and ponder whether it is reflecting the tone and message that you want to be portraying. Now that you have your values figured out, and the kind of voice needed for those values, you can think about all the other sounds that are associated with your brand. Are they upbeat and hopeful? Are they serious and determined? 

Why Values Matter

At the end of the day, why does this exercise even matter for your brand? Values matter because in many ways, they are the driving force of your brand. They keep you on track when things grow complicated or seem muddled. They help you stay at the helm of your organization and steer with confidence in the direction you are trying to go. 

But they also matter to your customers or clients, the people you are trying to serve. Consumers, and especially millennials, want to know that the organizations they are working with align with their own personal values. In an age of so many choices, one of the best ways to connect with your customer base is to ensure that you share the same values. And one of the best ways to do this is to employ words and sounds that convey those values organically. So often, it’s about showing, rather than telling. Living it out, rather than just talking about it. And paying attention to the details, such as your brand voice, is another way to live out those values in everything you do.

If you’re interested in learning more about Sonic Branding, and how a brand voice can help your brand values stand out, I would recommend checking out Jodi Krangle‘s podcast, AUDIO BRANDING: The Hidden Gem of Marketing and blog. She’s a fellow voice talent who is incredible at her job, but also loves talking about this topic in particular. So feel free to take a deep dive into this easily overlooked aspect of business.

Moms Trust Moms

Marketing

Does Your Brand Need A Millennial Mom Voice?

Does your company need to use a millennial mom for marketing and advertising campaigns? That may depend on what you’re selling, of course, but for a vast variety of products and services, the answer is “yes”. 

The prevalence and effectiveness of video marketing continues to grow. Have you engaged in video marketing or are you just starting to experiment with this opportunity? If you don’t want to be the talking head, speaking on your video, you’ll need a voice to represent your brand. When you choose that voice, or set of voices, you can use these consistently across your commercials and online video ads. Should that voice behind your brand be a millennial mom?

For many brands, a millennial mom voice is a smart choice. A millennial mom can engage with and sell to another millennial mom, by speaking the same language in similar vernacular. 

Let’s look at the numbers:

The spending power of moms in America is $2.4 trillion.

85% of household purchases are made or decided by mom.

46% of millennial parents say that they turn to other parents for recommendations.

42% of millennial moms don’t think ads are geared toward them

What’s the point? 

What do the numbers boil down to? Millennial moms have major spending power. You may already know that you want to reach that demographic with your message or brand. But in thinking about how you can sell to them, it’s important to know that those moms are most likely to trust other moms’ recommendations. How can you go about creating recommendations from a millennial mom? You can work with your customers, but to really get the word out, you can build video ads around giving and sharing advice. When your ads speak your customers’ language, in their tone and voice, while answering their questions and concerns, then you are more likely to build that rapport with your ideal target market that you’re working toward. 

What does that mean for your next marketing campaign?

Working with a millennial mom voice artist means that your next marketing campaign, and your brand overall, can maintain a consistent voice of a friend, throughout your videos. You’ll be giving your brand a persona, for customers to relate to and trust. Think about the brands you know who have used a spokesperson or character to sell their products or to share their message. People have come to relate to that persona or have come to trust him or her. Maybe they look up to him or her, or maybe they can empathize with the character. Engaging with a millennial mom voice for your digital ads can do the same thing. Viewers, and listeners, will start to associate your brand or message with a relatable voice, a friend they know and trust.

Especially if you are introducing something new, potentially controversial, or just a big ask, you want a voice that sounds trustworthy and authentic – like talking with a friend over the phone or engaging with a favorite Instagram influencer. 

What Are Millennial Moms Buying?

The simple answer is a lot. As we talked about before, 85% of household purchases are made by moms. That’s everything from toilet paper to technology, from cosmetics to cleaning supplies.  

It’s important to remember that health and safety are among the top priorities for millennial moms. They are willing to spend more on products made with safer or better ingredients. 

Millennial moms are of the “selfie” generation so keep in mind that when it comes to fashion and beauty it’s about building confidence and feeling strong. 

What Message Should A Millennial Mom Share About Your Brand?

Millennials are a motivated group of consumers. They are cause-driven and they like when their money “does good.” They don’t see companies and corporations as separate from ethics and social good. They are intertwined and they want to know that their purchases go far. In fact, 51% of millennial moms expect companies to give back. 

Millennial moms are empowered and influential. They don’t want to be talked at or talked down to. They want to hear from someone who gets them and respects their outlook on life.

Your message shouldn’t just be “buy this,” but rather should be an invitation to join a movement or to learn about a social cause. It should be about a product or service that solves a problem, especially a particular universal or global one. It should be about a story or vision, and not just a product to buy. 

How To Use A Millennial Mom Voice For Your Brand

Today’s moms are informed and have endless resources for research. They use their mobile devices and phones to research on the go and know how to dig deep to find exactly what they are looking for. Millennial moms walk into a store knowing what their buying needs are – and seek products that meet those needs to a T. Millennial moms are known for planning out their purchases, and using social media to do lots of research before they make their purchases. 

Millennial moms are a powerful purchasing demographic. They make significant purchases on behalf of themselves and their families, but they do so backed with information and research. They tend to go to friends for recommendations or listen to those they trust for advice. If your brand needs a millennial mom to share your message, you can consider hiring voice over talent to be the voice behind your brand – and get the word out to this demographic.