VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Hart]

I received a postcard in the mail at the radio stations today from a VO. Flashy card, nice graphics, all the necessary info, glossy stock. High quality print job. Must have cost a fair penny to make.

Only one problem, the US post office sticks a sticker on there with barcode information along the bottom. It cut off the person's email address making it useless. So, mental note, leave enough room for their long narrow sticker, or printed barcode, on the bottom

Hope this helps somebody.
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Hart Voice Overs Blog
Brian Hart Productions

[Audiogal]

Good tip - something we might not have thought of. Thanks, Brian!
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Mary

[Bailey]

[Hart]

Yep, website is listed, So really, I could get in contact if I really wanted too, but why make it harder than it has to be? It's a bit strange, the contact email on the card (I can read the @domain.com part) is not the website. Weird.

They are represented by WMA. We get a card from this person once or twice a quarter. He/She is making more than I do to afford that, or going heavily into debt.
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Hart Voice Overs Blog
Brian Hart Productions

[SoundsGreat-Elaine Singer]

I'm not sure how expensive it really is to create a post card. I used to do it. I would supply the printer with a .jpg photo and he created 4x6 cards for me that I think looked very nice. All this is done online. I didn't leave the house until they were ready to be picked up. At first I supplied him with the info for the back of the card and then stuck on address labels. Later I printed the back of the card myself. All in all, it wasn't that expensive. I haven't done it for a while because I can't really track its efficacy. At first I used to call people and tell them I sent them a card and they either didn't get it or didn't remember they got it. So now I depend on email.

Brian, I'm just curious. Does this person always send the same card or is it different graphics or photo each time?
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Elaine
The Youthful Mature Voice (Emeritus)
Senectitude is not for the faint of heart.

[Hart]

They change it up, but the theme is pretty consistant. I believe this may be the same card as last time, but that was last month and came addressed to somebody else here. My co-workers always give me that stuff because they know I like to see it.

I was thinking about it some. I would suspect that most smaller market stations aren't very sure how to go about finding new voice talent/imaging for their stations. A postcard blast every now and then may not be a bad idea if that's what you're going for. Oh sure, it's easier now that (putting my radio hat on here) I can go to All Access, or Radio and Records and search their directories but...and this is a BIG but.. it's very hard to keep track of all the talent that's listed on those sites, much less take the time to listen to all their demos. I suppose that's why the paid ad space on those type sites is so valuable. But back to the post card... it got our attention, even though we aren't looking for a new imaging person right now. Top of mind awareness perhaps? Something to ponder.
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Hart Voice Overs Blog
Brian Hart Productions

[anthonyVO]

[Deirdre]

I am SO glad you posted this info, Brian!
I made a postcard for the Boston casting companies recently with resume updates and a new photo-- and I had to reformat the whole thing after I printed some because, while I had made room the the barcode, the printer went beyond the margin I made since I had it set on "bleed".
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[Hart]

Well, I'm glad I did too. That's one of those things I wouldn't even think about if I hadn't seen that postcard.
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Hart Voice Overs Blog
Brian Hart Productions

[VO-Guy]

Another place for postcards is www.usps.com. You design your own by uploading your imaging, and input your text. Cards look nice, glossy with a professional finish. It's like $83 to sent out 100. That's postage, printing, everything. Just go to there premium section and go to premium postcards. I've sent out some that way. Worth checking out.

[donrandall]

Another way to get a message to radio stations is to contact Radio Mall at www.radiomall.com. You have options - one is to send a flyer to every radio station in the country or stations of a certain description. Your flyer can be sent to your choice of program director, sales manager, general manager - your choice. Another option is to buy address stickers to all the radio stations in the country or those of stations fitting a certain description and put together your flyer and stuff your own envelopes. The third is to have them fax your message, the rest is along the same lines as described above. A fourth option is to have them do an email blast for you.

[Hart]

Don,

if it works for you that's great. My problem as a radio guy is the fact that I would get this overstuffed envelope from Radio Mall every month. I didn't have time to look through it all and it usually just got thrown away. Maybe I was the exception rather than the rule.

Fax blasts really piss me off. It's a waste of paper, ink, electricity, electons running down the phone lines, the poor hamsters running inside the generator that makes the electricity to power the fax machine etc.

At the stations, if we receive a fax blast we immediately throw it away (recycle bin actually). What you are telling me as a client is that you want to get your message to me, but you're going to use my paper and my ink to attempt to do it. Gets us started off on the wrong foot immediately.

I'd much rather receive an email blast. Scan over it, hit delete, and your done. No waste, no fuss.

Getting the addresses and doing your own, sounds like a fair amount of work but I like that idea. I'll have to make a note.

Just my 2 cents, your mileage may vary.
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Hart Voice Overs Blog
Brian Hart Productions

[Drew]

Hear you there, Hart. Fax blasts end up reversed in my printer for memo reuse. As for email blasts, the spam trap grabs them. Hard to get noticed between headers like: "Get your refi for as little as 2%" and "Wanna be hung like a Pringles can?"
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Skype: andrew.hadwal1
Although I have a full head of hair, I'm quite ribald.

[donrandall]

Hart -

You and I have no disagreement regarding intrusive "broadcast fax" blasts, or unwanted email. I find both of them to be a bit of a nuisance, but will take a look at the header on an email before sending it to the trash bin - someday there will be something useful. The other thing is that sometimes, among all unwanted stupid stuff, there may be a legitimate contact that could be mistaken for the all the trash surrounding it.

I have been in position of either being the guy that does the hiring and firing, and at other times, the guy that culls the herd and reccomends a few choice candidates for the "boss". I have always made it a point to look at the contents of business mail. What may have been nothing but unwanted clutter a month or so ago may be a valuable and welcomed notice today.

[Deirdre]

Unwanted faxes are a complete turn-off, and insult and are nearly universal in their negative effect.

I do look at e-mails from people who want attention, but bad spelling, "cute" rudeness or over familliartiy, or demanding tone get BALEETED with no reply.
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