Everything You Need to Know about Professional Voice-Over Services

Professional voice-over services are having the time of their lives, just as much as subtitling and dubbing. Why is that? Let us say thanks to the exponential growth of streaming services and branded video strategies. But it is not just us saying it, it is the numbers. 

According to research published very recently by HubSpot, people are watching more videos now than ever before, as the number has doubled compared to 2018, when was displaced on the podium, coming in second place. 

But that is not the only interesting statistic; check this one out: 86% of video marketers say video has been effective for generating leads. Impressive, huh?

With these numbers we wanted to lay the groundwork for the relevant topic of this blog: You need video voice-over, so you do not fall asleep in your multilingual marketing strategy. And if you are still unsure, today we will tell you why you need it. Go ahead and read on.

What Is Voice-Over?

Just to make sure we are all on the same page… let us clarify which service we are referring to.

Voice-over refers to a production technique in which a voice other than that of the speaker’s—if there is one on stage—is broadcasted live or pre-recorded for theatre, film, television, or radio. Professionals from voice-over services prepare the script or written text, which will then be recorded using their voices. They are also responsible for voice-over translation, i.e. if the video is to be available in multiple languages, the content translation is part of the pre-recording preparation phase.

So, in brief: This is a service of a narrative nature in which a speaker or storyteller narrates the story, but does not appear on the screen. 

#OptimationalTip: Do you have any tutorial or documentary video content, in which there is no speaker on screen, but which requires dynamism and not merely subtitles? It is a match! Here, video voice-over services fit the bill perfectly.

Why Hire Professional Voice-Over Services?

Maintaining your reputation in the marketplace and evolving as a brand is all about the bond you foster with your customers and the ways in which you entice your prospects. You must capture their interest, engage them, and show them the most appropriate path for their buying journey.

This is not unique to voice-over translation services, but it is especially important if you want to establish a genuine and lasting relationship, to and from anywhere across the globe. For this reason, you should produce quality content for the audiences you want to connect with, that results in meaningful experiences for them, and you should deliver that content in a way that they can easily understand.

First impressions are usually important, but in marketing, you must constantly reaffirm them, as it is an environment so flooded with advertising and stimulation—posing a major challenge to get the much-desired attention. 

Moreover, the economy of effort is a rule: Audiences want valuable content that does not take time, stress, or energy. If they spend more than 10 minutes in front of a screen without understanding what is going on, get bored by the monotony of a speech, a flat video, or have to search for additional information… they will simply forget what you are offering and go elsewhere.

With all that said, we can affirm two things. First, the use of video in marketing is a gold mine. Secondly, if you are going to do it, do it the right way and rely on professional multilingual voice-over services. 

Now, let us cut the chitchat and get down to business. Here are the benefits of working with professional experts in the field.

Give Your Script the Right Voice

Have you ever read the lyrics of a song you know, and in your head you could hear the music in the original singer’s voice? Surely when you were thinking about the strategy for your video and audio content—which includes voice-over—something similar has happened to you. Did you picture it with a particular voice? I am sure you did. That is because your intention goes far beyond merely making something intelligible: You want to tell a story.

Now, imagine the following scenario: You want to tell a dramatic story, but your narrator is Homer Simpson. Do you not think the dramatic effect would be diluted by the impact of a voice associated with comedy?

The professional narrators have the know-how and experience to bring a script to life, finding the perfect tone, voice inflexions, intonations, the right cadence, speed of speech, and more. They even know when a pause serves to arouse expectation (without boring the audience.) Therefore, enlisting the services of a professional will ease the path to creating quality content that your audiences and prospects can engage with and want to know more about— which is the ultimate goal.

Not least, they know how to do all of this efficiently: You will get valuable results much faster than with an amateur service while getting the most out of the budget you invested.

#OptimationalTip: Remember that voice-over professionals can provide a service while understanding your needs from a business perspective, which includes respecting your project timelines, specific guidelines, and communication preferences.

Enhance Brand Reputation and Build Trust

Now let us talk about achieving—and sustaining—high standards.

Having professional services is a quality guarantee that will show your customers that you are willing to invest in your business to deliver excellent results. Unconsciously, this will be a signal to them that the services or products you sell will be just as good.

As a consumer, how many times have you declined to buy products that looked good, because the website looked unreliable? And maybe the products themselves might have met your expectations; but insecurity is what makes people look for other options when in doubt.

And since your organisation’s needs are unique and your content may be diverse, you need to ensure that your reputation is strong. This applies to all languages in which you offer content. Luckily, you can count on a wide range of multilingual voice-over services and the right partner will understand exactly what you need.

Also, always remember that reputation precedes your company. In fact, it will be its calling card. Just to give you an idea of how big of an impact this can have on you, remember that 94% of consumers say that positive reviews make them more likely to rely on a business.

Building trust takes time. But for that, you will need the content you provide (including subtitles, translations, and voice-over features) to do their part too.

#OptimationalTip: Your content must captivate and delight your audience. Just as a good film relies on good acting.

Rely on the Best Tools

Speaking of reputation and quality results…

To pull them off, whoever does the job needs not only the skills and knowledge but also the tools. After all, what would a painter do without their brushes?

The tools are the medium to embody the ideas. So hiring professional voice-over services is definitely a game-changer; it ensures you get the desired results by using the right equipment.

Nowadays, everyone has access to audio recording; it is a free option provided by our mobile phones. However, just think of the difference between listening to an audio on Whatsapp (or similar), compared to a movie voice-off. Yes, it is a huge gap.

Your multilingual voice-over service provider should have the right equipment and technology in place to produce top-quality content, which may include having their own recording and/or editing studio.

Finally, the internet is everyone’s place and it is easy to stumble among all the apparently similar resources. We are not saying this to be pushy, but simply realistic; so, make sure your content does not go unnoticed and stays memorable.

Before jumping to the end, we recommend this article on subtitles and CC. It will undoubtedly complement your audiovisual strategy.

Bottom Line: The Close Bond Between Professional Voice-Over Services, Quality, and Reputation

Speaking of good reputation is not something exclusive neither to the current times nor to content marketing. On the contrary, let us remember Benjamin Franklin’s apt words: “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.”

And it is precisely because it is not unique to the industry or the timing that it is so important.

Most probably the priorities for your business are to make it grow in a healthy and steady way so that the efforts you make now will still reap rewards in the long run. For this, you should not neglect any detail in your content strategy. Many new prospects will get an idea of how your company operates from your reputation or the quality of your content. 

Make sure that by having the appropriate linguistic services and getting professional voice-over services you can give your business the right voice.