three tips to follow when hiring voice talent for political campaign ads
In politics, messaging is hugely important. Governing bodies, political parties and candidates share their platforms with constituents, hoping that these messages and ideas will resonate with the public and inspire them to take action by voting. Many dollars are spent crafting advertisements and announcements, with the intention of promoting a particular candidate, bill, petition, or even a stance on a certain issue. And, as part of this process, creative teams are hired to craft effective ad campaigns. The voice of these advertisements must be one that voters can relate to and trust, and that is something that requires authenticity, training, and skill to achieve. You can’t just pick any voice to be the voice of your campaign; you need a voice you can trust to get the job done properly.
So, how do you differentiate between the inexperienced, ineffective voice talent and professional, broadcast-ready talent? Good news: I’m here to help you do just that. Here are three tips to remember when hiring voice talent for your political campaign ads.
listen to voiceover demos specifically crafted for political content.
Any professional voice talent that intends to work on political ads will very likely have a voiceover demo that strictly covers political content. They do this because it gives potential clients a really good idea of what the political ad will sound like; the content is similar enough that all you’d really need to do is imagine a different candidates name, or a different party/organization/etc.
Additionally, the political voiceover demo you hear might be labeled with a party affiliation you prefer. Let’s say you’re working on an ad campaign for a Democratic candidate in a race for some local office in the US. It’s possible that you’d prefer to have a voice actor working on the project that is also a Democrat, or at the very least is comfortable narrating content for the Democratic party. A voice actor that is firmly and deeply entrenched in the ideas and values of their own political party may be hesitant to voice content for a competing party or candidate, after all.
That being said, some voice talent will work on content for any political party or candidate (within reason) as at the end of the day… it’s acting. Voicing an advertisement that supports a particular candidate does not necessarily mean that the voice talent involved in the project would endorse or support the candidate. As an example, my own political voiceover demo is labeled as Democrat, as that is my party affiliation. However, I have voiced content for other political parties when hired to do so, and that doesn’t mean I’m voting for those candidates when it’s my turn at the ballot box. It’s business.
find your preferred voice talent well in advance, and get them on board with your campaign.
Political ads are often aired at certain times of the year. They usually precede an election of some kind, whether it be a primary, general, or even special election. What you must remember about elections is that they tend to happen on a regular basis. They’re predictable. So, if you can line up your voice talent ahead of your campaigning, you can work together to create effective content that will connect with your constituents.
As you start to ramp up your campaigning efforts, nail down the creative team you intend to use for projects like advertisements, social posts, YouTube content, and more. Let’s face it; when it’s election season, candidates are in our faces every day trying to secure the vote. You’ll need to do the same.
Find your preferred voice talent by checking out their websites, exploring voiceover marketplaces, or even more general freelance marketplaces. There are many voice actors ready and willing to voice your political content, at a variety of experience levels and price points.
consider the type of ads you want to run, and how that might influence your choice of voice talent.
Political ads take many different forms:
Bio ads: this type of ad talks about the background and experience of a political candidate. They are typically some of the first communications presented by a political campaign. They introduce the candidate to their potential voters and constituents in a positive light.
Name ID ads: these ads don’t typically talk about issues in-depth; instead, they seek to raise the name ID of a candidate. The goal is to make sure voters know the name of the candidate running for a particular office or seat.
Issues ads: this type of ad highlights key issues or ideas related to a campaign. It doesn’t go into what the opponents think; instead it only talks about what the particular candidate’s stance or plan is for certain issues. The tone of an Issue ad is usually positive.
Comparison ads: Conversely, comparison ads cover the candidates stance on certain issues as well as their competitors stance. The message is usually strong and optimistic when talking about the candidate, and less positive when discussing the opponent’s position.
Negative ads: negative ads focus exclusively on the opponent, and seek to highlight their shortcomings or stances on issues that are incongruent with voters’ presumed beliefs and values. They primarily focus on issues, although the worst of these ads may end up getting personal.
“Get Out and Vote” ads: as you near the end of the election cycle, it’s important to remind your constituents and supporters of their civic duty. Campaigns often run TV ads, go door to door, and even run phone banks urging supports to get to the polls and vote.
With so many different types of political ads, it’s important to choose the right voice for your message. Bio ads might call for a warmer, welcoming tone of voice. Conversely, negative ads might do best with a strong and assertive voice of authority. Your chosen voice talent should be able to accurately convey the emotions needed to present these messages with authenticity.
choose the right voice talent for your political ads now
At the time of writing this blog post, election season is currently in full swing. With the fall quickly approaching, you need to line up the right voice talent for your political ads quickly, so you can get your messaging done and convince voters to vote for your candidate. If you need a voice actor for your Bio ads, Get Out and Vote ads, and anything in-between, listen to my political voice over demo below and reach out to get started on your next project.
