LA comedian lands new gigs and fans with free 1:1 coaching from Digital Ready
Personalized insights and advice from a marketing guru give Del Harrison an edge onstage and off.
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Del Harrison gets ready to perform her standup set.
Del Harrison radiates talent. But the comedian, singer, actress and voiceover artist needed help to market herself in the crowded Los Angeles entertainment industry. That’s what led her to Verizon Small Business Digital Ready — and a mentor-mentee relationship that would prove to be pivotal for her career.
Harrison initially started taking courses through Digital Ready in the hopes of receiving a grant — a grant she planned to apply to marketing. “I did not get the grant, but I found something equally as valuable, which is the opportunity to be mentored and market my business myself,” Harrison explains. “It’s a skill that, if I had gotten the grant, I would have paid someone to do.”
Through the portal, Harrison connected with Alicia Falcone, aka her “marketing guru.” Falcone’s data-driven approach to online content helped Harrison hone in on who her audience is and what resonates with them. “We looked at some of the data,” Falcone says. “And she was able to make adjustments to her content strategy and her content plan based off those insights.”
“Alicia is a factual, analytical person,” Harrison says. “She is like, ‘The numbers say your fans don't like this.’ You need that as an artist and business owner.”
Through the Digital Ready courses and coaching, Harrison found great success:
My 5 Digital Ready Wins
Doubled followers: Harrison says her online followers have more than doubled — from about 9,000 to over 20,000 — in the six months since she started biweekly meetings with Falcone.
More gigs: Harrison says she’s booked at least $10,000 worth of new gigs including acting and voiceover roles.
Viral video: A comedy video she created on Alicia’s advice that incorporates her “Never Give Up” song has racked up more than a million views.
More music fans: Harrison says she has seen a 36% increase in the number of times her songs are streamed online.
A new digital strategy: Harrison redesigned her website and implemented SEO, keyword and other strategies to reach new potential fans.
The customized advice and mentoring that Harrison receives through Digital Ready can’t be matched by simply watching online videos, Falcone says. “Personalized coaching can help you get from point A to point B faster when you have a trusted advisor who has expertise in a particular area.”
Harrison certainly agrees. “My experience with the Verizon Small Businesses Digital Ready Program has been out of sight,” she says. “To be able to log in every week, do a session with a top-notch marketing pro for free is top-tier value for a small business like myself.”
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is part of Verizon’s goal to support 1 million small businesses by 2030 with the resources to thrive in the digital economy. Visit CitizenVerizon.com to learn more about the company’s responsible business efforts.
With Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, an individual user's experience may vary and results are not guaranteed.
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is a free online curriculum designed to help small businesses succeed in today’s digital world—moving the world forward for all. To sign up, visit verizon.com/smallbusinessdigitalready
