10 Marketing BLUNDERS Beginner Voice Actors Make
You’ve invested in coaching, gear, demos, and a website. But when it’s time to put yourself out there… Nuttin’. Confusion. Maybe a heaping helping of “What the fuck am I even doing?”
You’re staring down the biggest monster in the voiceover business: marketing.
Yeah, the dirty M-word. It’s where so many beginners get stuck.
You know you can compete. If that’s you, good. You’re in the right place.
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This post is your guide to what not to do when you start marketing your voiceover business. These mistakes are the back yard dog turds I see beginners stepping in every day—and if you can avoid them early, you’ll be miles ahead of the crowd that’s stuck auditioning into the void and blaming Fiverr for their dry bank account.
Mistake #1: Treating Marketing Like an Afterthought
A lot of voice actors treat marketing like it’s optional. Something you do when you’re “ready.” After the training. After the demo. After the logo, website, font pairing, vibe, and ritual sacrifice to the SEO gods.
Here’s the truth: Marketing is the business.
Today, now in 2025 and beyond, If you don’t market, you don’t book. I said this to a voice actor just the other day… the days of starting a VO business and relying on the sites and agents to build a career are over.
And no, posting a TikTok and “liking and commenting for visibility” isn’t a strategy. Neither is sending 3 cold emails and giving up when no one replies. You’re job is building relationships.
No one is gonna do that for you on the scale that you need.
Beginner POV Reframe:
You say, “I’m not a marketer.” I say you’re now the head of marketing for a business called YOU. You are the VO CMO.
Mistake #2: Thinking Your Demo Will Sell You
Yes, your demo is important. Yes, you should be proud of it. But if you think that demo is going to magically find its way into the right inboxes of the right decision makers and do all the convincing for you, you’re gonna want to put down the Kool-Aid your demo producer poured you.
Demos don’t sell. Messages do. Huh?
Your messaging, your positioning, your outreach strategy… that’s what gets your demo heard in the first place.
You don’t need a fancy reel if no one knows you exist. And no, posting it on Instagram with the caption “My new demo is here!” isn’t outreach. That’s screaming into the void. The algorithm doesn’t care. Clients aren’t browsing hashtags for voice actors. They’re at their desks trying to solve problems, looking for solutions. Be there.
Beginner POV Reframe:
You say, “Once I finish my demo, clients will come.” I say only if you go get them first.
Mistake #3: Waiting for the “Right” Platform
“I’m thinking about starting a LinkedIn.”
“I heard Twitter’s good for networking.”
“Should I do TikTok or YouTube Shorts?”
Here’s the answer: Pick one platform that your clients actually use, and go all in.
Not all social platforms are the same. If you’re targeting corporate video producers, why are you spending 20 hours making lip-sync content for TikTok? That’s not marketing—it’s procrastination cosplaying as productivity.
Beginner POV Reframe:
“I have to be everywhere” Nope. You just have to be where your clients are—and show up consistently.
Mistake #4: Talking to Other Voice Actors Instead of Clients
I fell into this one early myself, fortunately not for long.
It’s easy to get caught up in the voiceover bubble. You follow other talent. You get feedback from your peers. You join Facebook groups and comment on everyone’s posts. You post tips and tricks and celebrate your latest coaching session.
But none of those people are hiring you.
Your clients are not voice actors. Your content, your messaging, your outreach—should reflect that.
Are you solving their problems? Are you speaking their language? Or are you just blending into the same crowd of people talking about the game show scam and the AI rider?
Beginner POV Reframe:
“I need to prove I’m legit.” To whom? Your clients don’t care about your gear. They care if you make their project better.
Mistake #5: Thinking Cold Outreach Is Spammy
So many beginners avoid direct marketing because they’re afraid to be “salesy.” You don’t want to be that person in the inbox.
Here’s the problem with that: You’ve already decided you’re annoying—before you’ve ever helped anyone.
That mindset is costing you real, paying clients. Because while you’re overanalyzing your tone, someone else is reaching out confidently, building a relationship, and booking work you could’ve had.
Good cold outreach is not spam. It’s personal, relevant, respectful, and effective. If you can learn to do it right, it’ll become the #1 skill that builds your business.
And that’s exactly what I teach inside The Rise of the Self-Made Voice Actor—a free, live 3-part master class series that shows you how to book work without the platforms, without the guesswork, and without selling your soul to social media.
Registration is open now, but only for a short time. Don’t wait and miss it—sign up here.
Beginner POV Reframe:
“I don’t want to bother people” If your service helps them, you’re not bothering. You’re showing up.
Mistake #6: Winging Your Rates
If your marketing is strong but your pricing is all over the road, you’re going to repel good clients or price yourself broke.
Don’t make up numbers. Don’t copy Fiverr. Don’t charge $50 for a broadcast spot because “you’re new.” Being new doesn’t mean you’re not solving a real problem. New surgeons don’t charge less.
If you’re trained to deliver a professional caliber product and you’re marketing yourself professionally, you need to back it up with pro rates and the confidence in how to talk about them.
If you don’t have a good handle on rates, I got you. Grab VO Rates 101—it’ll fix that fast. (And by the way, there’s an insane sale going on right now.)
Beginner POV Reframe:
“I don’t feel ready to charge that much” That feeling is temporary and usually false. Undercharging now creates long-term damage.
Mistake #7: Not Following Up
THE biggest money-on-the-table mistake in the game. You send one outreach email, maybe a follow-up, and when no one replies, and you curl up like a potato bug.
Newsflash: People are busy. Their inbox is crazy-pants. They maybe saw it, liked it, meant to respond—and forgot. Or their project timeline changed. Or their boss pulled the budget. Or they were on vacation. Or they got offered a 400 million dollar bribe.
Follow-up is not nagging. It’s professional. And it’s often the difference between “we’ll keep you in mind” and “who are you again?”
Beginner POV Reframe:
“If they wanted me, they would’ve replied” They might want you, if you earn top-of-mind after the third or fourth follow-up.
Mistake #8: Waiting for Confidence
You’re waiting to feel ready before you hit send. Before you pitch that producer. Before you post that video or email that dream client. But here’s the trap: confidence comes from doing. Not before.
If you wait to be 100% sure, you’ll still be “getting ready” five years from now. Meanwhile, someone with half your talent and twice your spine is building their career in real-time.
You don’t need to feel brave. You just need to act anyway.
Beginner POV Reframe:
“I need to be more confident first” NO. You need to be consistent in your action. Confidence will follow.
Mistake #9: Thinking You’re Behind
You’re looking around and seeing other voice actors with slick websites, endless bookings, and perfect Instagram grids. And you’re sitting there thinking, “I’ll never catch up.”
But here’s what you don’t see: their doubts, their slow months, their rejections, their 6th draft of one cold email.
Comparison is a liar. Especially on social.
Your business is allowed to grow at your pace. Just make sure you’re actually doing the work and being consistent.
Beginner POV Reframe:
“I’m so far behind” You’re actually ahead of everyone else who gave up. Keep going.
Mistake #10: Not Getting Real Help
If you’re learning everything through random YouTube searches, Reddit threads, and TikTok videos stitched by other beginners—you’re gonna stay stuck in beginner hell.
Shortcut your progress. Get help from people who’ve done what you’re trying to do.
The best place to start? The Rise of the Self-Made Voice Actor - our 3 part marketing master class series is free and it kicks off tonight. It’s the real-world blueprint for booking work consistently, even if you haven’t booked a thing, yet.
Registration’s only open for a short time. Grab your spot here before the doors close.
Marketing Is a Skill You Can Learn
Marketing isn’t some mystical talent. It’s not reserved for extroverts or people with MBAs. It’s just a learnable skill and one that pays off big when you master it.
You don’t need to be perfect. You don’t need to be fearless.
You just need to start. And keep going. And avoid the avoidable mistakes.
If you do that, you’re not just a voice actor anymore.
You’re building a business. You’re becoming self-made.