Business Usage of Recording Studios

There’s a pretty good chance that the first things that comes to mind when you hear “recording studio” are images of guitars, drums and an engineer at a mixing board nodding his head to the beat. While this image rings true in many cases there are other sides to the recording studio, sides that people tend to forget about or what some of my friends like to call “the unsexy side of recording”.

Many organizations tend to miss out on a key marketing element that could both help build their credibility and give them a much more approachable image. This element is the voice of the business and can be used in several capacities throughout the marketing initiatives. Integrating audio into the marketing mix helps evoke emotion, increase retention of information and helps leave a more lasting impression on your target audience. In conversations with organizations and businesses, I am amazed at how often the scope of using the recording studio to facilitate marketing needs seems way outside the spectrum. There really are many ways professionally recorded voiceover; music or sound effects can be integrated into just about any business. Below is a short rundown:

• Audio for presentations – Presentations don’t have to be large scale productions, but the addition of custom music and carefully selected voiceover can really help set an overall tone for a meeting. We have added audio to quarterly company meeting Power Point presentations and more complex product launch presentations.

• Audio for websites – Done correctly, a short audio intro to a website can speak volumes for your business. These intros don’t have to be long and drawn out it can be as simple as thanking you web-visitor for stopping by, it can also serve as a virtual traffic director, quickly outlining some helpful hints for navigating the website. This can help your website feel more friendly and welcoming to the visitor and may help them linger on your site longer.

• Audio training manuals – While most companies use hardcopy, traditional training manuals, many have found it more effective to incorporate a recorded version as well. This allows trainees to both listen to and read at the same time the vital information that they are to consume. This will lead to a swifter absorption and longer retention of the information that they are being provided. Training processes can be lengthy and expensive; anything to speed the process can decrease boredom and place the trainee in real-life situations faster, saving the company money.

• Custom voiceover and/or music for slideshows – We are seeing more and more slideshows to be given to clients depicting previous work and achievements by companies. While many times this is simply a series of pictures, it is more entertaining and engaging when there is a spoken explanation of the image and music is used to set the tone. This provides a much more professional and polished product to clients.

• On-hold messaging programs – Business that have any amount of telephone traffic have a unique opportunity to market to a captive audience that wants to hear what they have to say. Taking advantage of the time a client is on-hold by supplying them with information about the company, directing them to the companies website or featuring a lesser known product or service will both enhance image and decrease the likelihood of a hang-up.

There are many other business services recording studios can offer such as radio spots, jingles and audio for video. These and others tend to be the obvious thoughts that businesses have relating to studios. Audio usage by businesses and other organizations can be an amazing tool when used properly and could be what sets a company apart from competition in this global economy. One word of caution to this process; professional voiceover and properly mixed productions are extremely important. You want these audio productions to sound their best and convey professionalism. Hopefully these thoughts have sparked some creative juices and provoked some new ideas. Please do not hesitate to ask or comment if you have any questions or thoughts.