Content is King. Bill Gates said it in 1996, and truer words were never spoken. In the same article, he adds, “But to be successful online, a magazine can’t just take what it has in print and move it to the electronic realm.” Hence the proliferation of the promotional or promo video. The digital magazine article that carves out our fiefdom in the ever-expanding universe of content. The promo video zeroes in on events, marketing initiatives, and sales. Its express purpose is to connect with audiences, site visitors, and followers. Businesses and brands are wholeheartedly diving into creating promotional video content. Chipping away at the kingdom next door (I may have carried this metaphor too far).
When it comes to promotional content, the visual is critical, the voice over more so. To achieve the perfect promo video that conveys everything you want it to and more, you need narration and voice over. High-quality, impactful audio is vital. Audiences may forgive bad visuals, but they are going to run from bad audio. There are many benefits to voice over (human connection, brand-emotion reinforcement, etc.), but its versatility is a big one. Voice over pairs with any style and type of promotional content. And there are so many types of promotional videos. Aka, so many ways to communicate directly with your kingdom (I’ll stop now):
- Customer testimonials
- Introduce your employees to the public
- Product Launches and demonstrations
- Tips and tricks, life hacks, and bonus content
- Blog Post recaps, TLDR (To Long Didn’t Read)
- Before and Afters; Time lapses
- Even Invites
- FAQ’s
- Recruitment Videos
- Behind the Scenes videos
Find a Promotional Video Voice Over Artist Who Connects With Your Audience
The concept of what makes a video ‘go viral’ is somewhat elusive, but we are quick to pick up on what makes a video work. It’s often going to boil down to emotion—a promotion video or a marketing concept that tugs on the heartstrings or makes the viewer laugh. Creativity, personality, emotion, and connection are the cornerstones of the internet. There are so many interesting and intriguing ways of making a promotional video pop.
When casting a voice over artist, give them info like why this video is important to you/your company and who you want to connect with. Any info on your target audience is helpful. This helps the voiceover artist “see” who they’re talking to. What kind of emotional impact you want your listener to have is also essential info to share. Whether an animation or a live-action video, voice over is the element that brings it together and humanizes your story. The power of the voice pricks the ears and piques the interest.
What to Look for in a Professional Voice Over Artist
A solid emotional connection with your audience is critical for successful promotional videos. It’s the key to any interesting content. And a professional voice over artist, someone who’s spent time building their craft, understands how to make your words sound like their words. A genuine, authentic vocal delivery helps convey the passion, the inspiration, and the angst. It connects your brand with the viewer on a human level. A pro voice over artist knows how to interpret a script and then convey it. Beyond all the basic benchmarks every voice over artist must meet (high audio quality, professionalism, experience, etc.), they also need to be able to:
- Maintain energy level
- Hit the vocal delivery style you want
- Be able to develop characters that are genuine and relatable
- Hone in on your audience and connect with them
- Run the gamut of emotions, building them up and running them down
Tips For Promotional Video Voice Talent
I coach professional voiceover artists. One of the first things I work on with other pros and wannabe pros is solidifying their connection to the message. By that, I mean I help them hone in on what makes the message essential and impactful. Why is this particular story being told, and what does your brand or company want to convey? And what’s the best way to do that through voice over?
The second thing a voice over artist needs to master is envisioning your brand and your target audience. Your end-user needs to be in the scene with them. That person can be an amalgamation, representing all your customers, followers, and clients. But for a voice over artist, it’s much more effective to think of one person (perhaps someone they even know) who needs (as in their life will be changed, it will rock them to their core) to hear about this cool thing. (Your cool thing) This amazing product or service is going to make everything easier and better.
It’s where the ‘actor’ in voice actor comes in. Ian McKellen himself described how challenging working in isolation can be, “Pretending you’re with 13 other people when you’re on your own stretches your technical ability to the absolute limits.” No one ever said voice over is for the faint of heart. This is why I always recommend hiring a pro. A voice over artist might not be acting the part of a powerful wizard like Gandalf, but we are doing our level best to make magic and connect with your audience.