10 Steps to Market Your VO Business Without Feeling Salesy
If you believe that marketing your voiceover business means becoming a sleazy salesperson or shouting “Hire me!” into the ether—you’ve been sold the wrong story.
Voiceover is loaded with insanely talented people who genuinely care about their craft. But when it comes to marketing, most of them shut down. They ghost social media, avoid email outreach like the plague, and hope their demo will magically do all the talking.
Not because they’re lazy. Not because they don’t want clients.
But because they’ve been conditioned to think that marketing equals manipulation.
It doesn’t.
The truth is, you don’t need to sell yourself. You don’t need a slick pitch. And you sure as hell don’t need to pretend to be someone you’re not.
You just need to know how to connect, communicate, and consistently show up like a human. That’s it.
So if marketing gives you the ick, keep reading. Because I’m about to flip everything you think you know on its head—and show you how to grow your VO business in a way that feels natural, aligned, and genuinely enjoyable.
You’re Not Just a Voice Actor. You’re a Problem Solver.
You are not “just another voice.” You’re not a gig-chaser or a desperate freelancer. You are a creative business owner. A solutions provider. A trusted collaborator who brings other people’s projects to life.
But most voice actors don’t show up like that. They show up like they’re begging for crumbs. Like they’re hoping to be chosen. Like they’re lucky to get booked.
And that energy? It leaks into your marketing. It makes you feel small. It makes you hesitate. It makes you question whether you even belong.
But here’s the real identity shift:
You’re not asking for a favor. You’re offering a solution.
The moment you internalize that, everything changes. Your emails feel different. Your website reads differently. Your confidence spikes—not because you’re faking it, but because you finally see your own value.
You don’t need to “market yourself.”
You need to articulate your value clearly and show up where the people who need you can find you.
That’s not selling. That’s service.
I Used to Avoid Marketing Too—Until I Realized This
To be completely honest, when I first tried to bet into the business, I used to avoid marketing like it was radioactive. I didn’t want to come off as needy. I didn’t want to bother anyone. I thought if I just trained hard enough, got good enough, and built the right demo… the clients would come.
They didn’t.
At some point, I realized I could either keep waiting and hoping… or I could figure out how to put myself out there without selling my soul.
So I started experimenting. I sent a few emails. I started conversations. I stopped leading with “Look at me!” and started asking, “How can I help?”
And little by little, it worked. Not because I was doing sleazy sales tactics—but because I was making it easy for people to understand what I could do for them.
Now I teach this stuff to other voice actors. Not from some mountaintop of success—but from the trenches. From the messy, imperfect process of figuring it out while doing it.
If you’re a voice actor who wants a thriving, sustainable business without feeling fake, performative, or salesy… you’re my people. You belong here.
Here’s What Actually Works - Without Feeling Gross
If you want a step-by-step VO marketing strategy that feels good and gets results, here it is:
Step 1: Reframe What “Marketing” Actually Means
Marketing gets a bad rap because we think it means manipulation. But the real definition? It’s just helping the right people find the right solution at the right time.
That’s it.
And guess what? If you’re a voice actor, and you do great work, and you can solve a problem for a client—they’re actually looking for you. They just don’t know it yet.
Marketing isn’t about convincing anyone of anything. It’s about connection and service. It’s about letting people know you exist, what you do, and how you can help—so they can say yes if it’s a good fit, or no thanks if it’s not.
That’s not pushy. That’s professional.
You’re not bothering people. You’re giving them options.
Step 2: Know Your People
You can’t market your voiceover business effectively if you’re trying to talk to everyone.
Trying to market to “anyone who needs a voice” is the marketing equivalent of yelling into the void. So instead, figure out who you actually want to work with.
What kind of projects light you up? Who’s making those projects? Who hires VO talent for them? What do they care about?
Get specific. Not in a “pick one niche or die” kind of way—but in a “stop trying to be everything to everyone” kind of way.
The best way to do this is by building client avatars for your ideal clients. Learn their job titles, their daily frustrations, what kind of voiceover they actually need—and how to talk about your services in a way that makes them stop scrolling and start nodding, so that…
You don’t have to guess.
You don’t have to Google “who hires voice actors” for the millionth time.
It’s like having x-ray vision for client outreach.
And once you start using these avatars, you’ll wonder how you ever marketed without them.
When you know who your ideal clients are, you can stop broadcasting and start connecting. And that connection? That’s where authentic VO marketing begins.
Step 3: Stop Talking About Yourself (So Much)
This one might surprise you, but if you want to grow your VO business, your marketing should not be all about you.
Your clients don’t care about your fancy booth or your shiny microphone. They don’t care how long you’ve been training or how many workshops you’ve taken. They care about how you can help them.
So don’t say, “I do explainer videos and corporate narration.”
Say, “I help companies like yours create explainer videos that sound trustworthy and keep viewers engaged.”
Don’t say, “I’ve trained with ten different coaches and built a booth in my closet.”
Say, “I deliver clean, broadcast-quality audio that’s ready to drop right into your project timeline.”
Shift the spotlight. Your client is the hero. You’re the trusty guide. That’s the difference between being salesy and being helpful.
Step 4: Lead With Value, Not a Pitch
Most voice actors freeze up around how to promote voiceover services because they think every email, post, or message has to be a pitch.
It doesn’t.
Some of the most effective voiceover marketing strategies involve sharing useful, relevant content that builds trust over time. No pitch required.
Here’s what that might look like:
A short video tip about improving voiceover pacing in edits
An industry trade or blog (not yours) they may not be aware of and why you think they might get value from it
An article that’s relevant to their role, company, and challenges and three bullet points of your insights into why it’s relevant for them
All of that builds credibility. And all of that makes you top-of-mind when they need a voice.
Step 5: Show Up Like a Human
People hire people. Not logos. Not resumes. Not polished perfection.
So if you want to promote your voiceover business without sounding like a walking infomercial, let people see you. Not the “professional voice actor” version you think you’re supposed to be—but the actual, awesome, real human behind the mic.
Be real in your emails. Be conversational in your website copy. Be kind, curious, and thoughtful in your client outreach.
This isn’t about building a “personal brand” in some bullshit influencer-y way. This is about being the kind of person other people want to work with. That starts with authenticity, not performative platitudes.
Step 6: Pick One Method and Get Consistent
This is where a lot of freelancers get tripped up: trying to do everything at once.
They dabble in Instagram, then ghost it. They write one email, then never follow up. They send three cold emails, get no replies, and decide they’re doomed forever.
Sound familiar?
You don’t need to be everywhere. You need to be somewhere, consistently, and with intention.
Maybe to start, you’re emailing 5 leads a week. Maybe you’re posting on LinkedIn twice a week. Maybe you’re following up with past clients every 90 days. It all works if you work it.
Marketing your VO business isn’t about intensity. It’s about consistency. Show up, do the work, repeat.
Step 7: Make It a Conversation, Not a Billboard
One of the best VO marketing tips I can give you? Talk with people, not at them.
Do not blast “Hire me!” messages into the ether. Start actual conversations. Comment on client posts. Share something useful. Ask questions. Follow up with genuine interest.
This works on every platform. It works in cold emails. It works in client maintenance. It works in DMs. Because people can tell the difference between “I want your money” and “I want to help you.”
This is the secret to non-salesy marketing for voice actors: stop treating it like a transaction. Build the relationship.
Step 8: Let Your Work Do the Talking (But Only After You Do)
I get it. You want your work to speak for itself.
And it can. But only if people actually hear it.
You’ve gotta be the one to put it in front of them.
That means sharing your demos. Linking your portfolio. Embedding downloadable demos on your site. Including clips in your outreach. Don’t make anyone go digging. Make it easy for them to see and hear what you can do.
Your voice is your product. Don’t hide the goods.
Step 9: Don’t Wait to Feel Ready
This is the part that stings a little, but it’s true.
Marketing isn’t something you do after you feel confident. It’s something you do to build confidence.
The only way to get good at promoting your voiceover services is to start promoting your voiceover services. Imperfectly. Awkwardly. Uncomfortably at first.
It’s a skill and skills are to be developed. You will get better. It will get easier. But not if you keep waiting to feel ready.
Start where you are. Send one email. Post one video. Follow up with one past client. You’re not bothering them. You’re building a business.
Step 10: Remember Why You’re Doing This
Marketing is not algorithms, hacks, or funnels. It’s about service. It’s about purpose. It’s about connection. Yes, at scale. But that’s just a lot of one-at-a-times.
You are not just trying to get gigs. You’re trying to create a sustainable, fulfilling voiceover business that supports yourself and your family You’re trying to work with great clients, do great work, and get paid well for your talent.
Marketing is how you make that possible.
And when you do it with integrity, clarity, and consistency? It won’t feel salesy. It’ll feel like showing up. Like owning your worth. Like building something real.
So take a big breath, shake off the slime, and start marketing your VO business like the pro you are.
You got this.