So many marketing campaigns today take a multimedia approach to gettin the attention of the consumer, to the extent that it may seems insufficient to market only in one direction. A good combination of audio and video, presented on television, radio, or even online in the form of podcasts or webinars, is often the recipe for an advertising campaign that can reach potential customers with a strong message.

All of these outlets offer ways to deliver your company's most important messages, but creating a visual impact isn't your only option. It's become even more important to develop a key slogan or message that customers can link to your brand, and voice overs are one way to make your advertising stand apart from the rest.

In nearly every marketing situation, there is something to be said for hiring voice over talent to speak directly to potential customers. Below, I have list just six of the myriad of reason to hire a professional voice actor or actress for your campaign.

1. To help create an identity for your brand. To start your marketing campaign off on the right foot, you will want to create a strong sense of brand identity. A distinctive, professionally-done voice over can be the human element that makes consumers remember your brand.

2. A high-quality voice over shows professionalism. When you're speaking to a large potential audience, you're going to want to ensure that you're expressing your message in a manner that makes you look good. The right voice over talent will make your marketing seem polished and professional, and this will reflect on your organization as a whole.

3. To set you apart from others in your field. In the competitive markets of today, a new brand must innovate in order to reach the right audience, and you as a marketer must come up with memorable strategies to increase the brand's visibility - a high-quality voice over is a great start.

4. To create a harder-hitting advertisement. Print and visual media are all well and good-- in fact, they're essential facets of communicating effectively in marketing. Audio, specifically speech, however, is likely the most important of all. When customers are addressed by the right voice actor or actress, they're sure to listen, and sales will increase as a result.

5. Voice over talent can increase website traffic. As more people turn to podcasts, webinars, and even television for entertainment and business, you can boost traffic to your website with strategically-placed messages. Audio files on websites are becoming easier to implement, and people can simply tune in as soon as they visit your page.

6. Hiring a professional voice over artist doesn't have to be expensive. Marketing pathways like online podcasts and radio spots can offer a cheaper alternative to TV ads, bypassing the entire cost of producing visuals. With the right voice actor or actress, these media can be equally effective in reaching your audience and communicating a strong message.

In marketing today, the perfect voice over can be the element that turns an advertising campaign that is simply good into a great one.  Picking a voice with which your target market will identify, you can forge a human connection with your audience and enjoy the resultant boost in sales.

If you're considering adding a voice over element to your business's marketing plan, here are some of the key industry terms, definitions, and terminology you'll come across:  

Audition Tapes:  Prospective voice actors and actresses will submit their audition tapes as they apply for the job.  In addition to allowing you to judge the abilities of each actor, these tapes also can be kept on hand to help you keep track of the numerous applicants you will be interviewing.

Demo Tapes:  Demo tapes are also part of the interview and audition process, and can be recorded in your own studio, or completed by the voice over talent. These tapes will be a recording of the sample scripts you provide as part of the interview.  

Recording Studio:  To complete any voice work, you will need a studio in which it can be recorded.  While you always have the option of renting a studio for a project, you should always ask voice talent if they have the  equipment to record at home, as this will save you the cost of studio time.

ISDN:  ISDN recordings, which have greater clarity than recordings produced by the average recording  studio, are generally used by professional voice actors and actresses.

Commercial Voice Overs:  Intended to push a service or product, commercial voice over scripts take a direct sales approach. With the right actor or actress, a commercial voice over can make your campaign much more effective and memorable.

Narrative Voice Overs:  These voice overs are intended to entertain the audience by helping to tell a story, and are often included in media such as television and film. You still  may require a narrative voice over, however, for your ad campaign, if it tells some type of story.

Impressions:  Impressions of current celebrities or well-known figures from the past can be a great way to create a memorable advertisement and distinguish yourself from the competition. Many scripts that are available free of royalties (often found online) incorporate the use of this strategy.

Performers' Unions:  Unions such as the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and the Screen Artists Guild, in addition to advocating for the rights of their members and dealing with pay rate issues, provide voice actors and actresses valuable  opportunities to grow and develop their skills.

Actors:  The voice industry is full of actors and actresses with a knack for drama, who entered the field because of its unique nature and potential profitability.  The voices provided by professional talent can help give your marketing a human flavor.

No matter what the project is that you are hiring for, you should take an organized approach towards searching for talent. Knowing the lexicon used to discuss voice acting affairs will help you fit in with professionals and find the right fit for your job.

When you're searching for the right match in voice over talent, there are a few key traits that set apart the good from the great.  Hiring great voice over talent means you can count on professional services and enhance your advertising for maximum impact.  Whether you're creating slogans, delivering a narration, or just need a voice over artist to stage a mock conversation, finding the right fit is an important part of your marketing plan.  Voice over talent agents can work with you to narrow down a few choices, but the final decision rests in your hands.  

Here are some of the key traits of great voice over talent:

1.He or she has  a believable voice.  Though there is certainly a place for exaggerated narration in the style of an announcer or newscaster, you're generally going to want an actor or actress who can perform naturally in a wide range of vocal styles.

2.The voice over has the right pitch and tone.  Voice over artists are constantly practicing different pitches and tones of their voice so that they can create their own 'music.' This ensures that their voice stands apart from the rest; take the time to listen for distinct characteristics that make them different from other actors and actresses.

3.The voice over talent has quality demo tapes.  Demo tapes are generally requested as part of the interview process, and you'll need these to evaluate the talent after the interview and testing is over.  Professional voice over artists will have these items prepared and ready for your review.

4.The voice over talent can change and adapt to different types of readings.  You can ask the artist to read from different styles of literature to gain an understanding of how flexible and adaptable they are.  This is especially important if you're marketing to different types of people and need varied voices for each segment.

5.He or she exhibits a good vocal flow.  In everyday speech, most of us stop and start erratically, and do not have much control over our speed.  In the case of a professional voice over artist, this should not be so - a voice actor or actress should be able to speak in a fluid manner.

6.References. Checking into the references that you receive from potential hires is an essential part of the hiring process, as it will give you an invaluable chance to see whether or not your candidate truly is the seasoned professional he or she claims to be.  

7.The voice over artist has a high energy level.  You need to work with someone who can withstand the stresses and pressure of recording, re-recording, and in many cases, starting from scratch.  Try to determine if they can articulate and develop a strong voice even when they may be tired or repeating the same piece for an extended period of time.

Hiring the right voice over talent can take time, but there are some key traits to look for during the interview and testing process.  Look for any or all of these important qualities during your hiring process to ensure you find the perfect match for your marketing initiative.

If you're considering hiring voice over talent for an upcoming project, you'll need to schedule an interview, review demo tapes, and request a sample script reading from potential applicants. Voice over scripts make it easier to find just the right match for your business, and can make the interview process much more valuable.  Think of the script as a sample of work your applicants can produce for you.

It's up to you how much time you give them to rehearse each piece, but most experienced individuals can complete their testing within a few hours.  Since they'll be reading directly from paper, they will just need time to practice their lines, learn about the background or nature of the script, and proceed accordingly.  There are very few cases where a voice over script will need to be memorized word for word; since the recording will take place in a studio, your talent will have the script right in front of them.

Many companies struggle with determining what type of tone and style they are looking for.  The best way to start is to narrow down who you are marketing to .  Learning the demographics of the target market will help you narrow down the different types of voices that would be most appropriate for your advertising or other promotions.  This approach can also help eliminate most of the voice over talent applicants during the initial stages, making your hiring process much easier.

No matter what type of business or industry you're in, you'll need to compile a collection of different types of scripts to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of each applicant. The best way to do this is narrow down your field to a few key themes.  Is your business producing a comedic advertisement?  A serious monologue?  A public service announcement that requires a more journalistic or reporting tone?  Once you've established the general theme and tone of your campaign, the next step is tracking down a similar script that encourages the talent to adopt, or in some cases create, the unique voice.

Finding voice over scripts is easy with a simple search online.  Many script databases are available free of charge, and give you a chance to search by keyword, theme, or subject.  Look for scripts that are similar in scope to your field, or pick something that challenges the applicant to try different styles and themes.  Many voice over script collections are royalty-free, affordable, and from trusted sites and projects.  These can also be a great resource for developing and adapting your own scripts, and give you some more ideas for making different types of scripts with your key goals in mind.

Last of all, you are going to want to obtain a demo script of each applicant.  These demos should allow yourself to compare and contrast the performances of the applicants side by side.  To this end, you shouldn't just have your potential voice actors read one script; have them real several, with varying tone and subject matter, so that you can judge the versatility of your applicants, and the styles to which they are each uniquely suited.  If you do not want to record these demos in your studio, you can request that applicants submit them with their initial applications.

The sheer number of voice actors vying for jobs today can be a little overwhelming when you're looking for the one perfect candidate to represent your project.  Take your search online can be a great way to streamline the process of finding the right voice actor for the job.

When piecing together a multimedia project, you shouldn't underestimate the resources that are freely available on the Internet.  Online databases can, for example, allow you to find a perfect sample script at no cost to you, or can serve as valuable reference material if you are writing your own script.  Many voice professional nowadays maintain personal websites containing their portfolios and samples of the voice work they have done in the past.  Checking out online samples of potential hires' work is a great way to save time during the hiring process.  

The Internet is easily the most useful and extensive resource at your disposal during the hiring process, but the time you spend searching for voice talent online may amount to nothing if you don't have a good idea of what you're looking for and how to find it.  Here are five simple pointers that will go a long way towards making your time spent on the Internet more effective and valuable.

1. Ask for web-based samples after initial contact.  Professionals will be able to send over an .mpeg sample or direct you to samples they have available online; this can make it much easier to distinguish the professionals from the amateurs, and save you time in sending and receiving demo tapes, or setting up an audition.  You can use this step as the first part of your screening process.

2. Ask potential hires for a resume. Any serious voice actor or actress should be able to provide a formal resume, complete with his or her employment history and references.   Speaking of references, they're there for a reason; you should make sure to contact two or more of the past employers listed in order to get a balanced assessment of the performance you can expect from a potential hire.

3. Ask the candidate for a preferred rate.  You should make sure you understand how much the actor would like to be paid, and when.  Actors may want to be compensated either per hour or per project, and though some do not mind being compensated on delivery, others may want a portion up front.

4. Interview candidates by telephone. Barring the possibility of meeting your prospect in person, speaking to him or her on the telephone is the best way to familiarize yourself with a potential voice actor or actress. In addition to discussing the candidates' employment history and gauging their experience and professionalism, you can have him them demonstrate their abilities with a brief reading.

5. Ask if your voice talent is equipped to provide services digitally.  It is increasingly common for voice over artists to set up studios in their own homes.  If your actor or actress is able to record his or her performance from home and send it to you over the Internet, this means that you will save on the costs associated with travel and the shipping of tapes.