From my time hanging out in social media circles, there are many lead sources for gigs that are understandably frowned upon due to the “race to the bottom” cheapness for which some have become known. The many pros and cons of Craigslist as a source for anything is a different debate for a different day, but I think it’s worth taking a second look at as a source for VO leads thanks to the world of Web and mobile apps. As with many forums, message boards, and other Web-based sites, you have to sift through a load of junk to get to something legit, but now you don’t have to spend more than a few minutes getting to the good (and financially lucrative) gigs.
There are dozens of apps, both Web-based and mobile, to make Craigslist more easily searchable and customized to your tastes, but one stands out in the pack to me. Adhunt’r does all the heavy lifting that can be involved in searching for leads on Craigslist to the point where just a few small steps can give a snapshot of all current VO opportunities both domestic and international. It’s incredibly simple to use………….
On the main page, type in your search term. On a daily basis, I usually search under several…….”voice over”, “voice over talent”, “voice over actor”, “voice over artist”, “voice over wanted”, and “voice over needed”……
In the Advanced Search box on the left hand side of the search return page, go to Most Recent on the pulldown bar…….
The default Filter By Location setting is All Craigslist, so your search will cover both US and worldwide listings. Click on Advanced Search and you’ve got the up-to-date listings.
Granted, there will be a little frustration with the low paying gigs and the ones that expect you to work pro bono for the career-defining moment known as IMDB credit (or, if they’re really living in high cotton, a meal and gas money), but for me Craigslist has become a good source of steady work paying some pretty good bucks with several repeat clients. Most importantly, you can search multiple times per day this way in about 2 to 3 minutes tops. Every tool in your toolbox helps as you build your business.
If you bailed on Craigslist as a lead source several years ago pre-mobile and Web-based apps when it was a lot more cumbersome to navigate, now might be the time to revisit it as another tool in your kit to grow your income. There are numerous other Craigslist apps out there, but for me this one is the easiest to use and quickest to scour.