Critical
Things You Should Know About Publicity
by Ariel Hyatt
Adapted from a longer
article entitled “Six Major Benefits Of Hiring A Great Publicist.”
Let’s face it, many artists don't really understand what publicity
is. And why should you? We are not born with this knowledge –
and most publicists probably have no idea how to play an instrument.
The definition of publicity
Let’s start with the very basics, some definitions of what publicity
is exactly. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, publicity
is "An act or device designed to attract public interest; specifically:
information with news value issued as a means of gaining public attention
or support. Also: The dissemination of information or promotional
material."
A music publicist is hired as a member of your team to represent you
to the media. Media is defined traditionally as editors and writers
at newspapers, magazines, college journals, and television. Some publicists
may also cover radio for interviews on tour stops, but if you want
to get on the radio charts (like CMJ), you will need a radio promoter.
Some publicists also cover internet PR, but not all traditional publicists
do.
A publicist's job is to liaise with the press. They are not hired
to get you a booking agent or gig, a label deal, a distribution deal,
or any other type of marketing deal. That is what a manager is for.
A well-connected publicist may be able to hook you up with all of
the abovementioned things, but it is not in the job description.
You are in the driver’s seat
Remember, you are the buyer and you are shopping for PR (public relations).
You are in the driver's seat. It's your money and your music that
keep publicists in business. Choose one you like and one who fits
your vision and your goals. All too many times I've heard that a publicist
was hired in spite of the artist's personal opinions. You should like
your publicist, and he or she should be the right one for you.
A PR campaign needs to be planned well in advance
For long-lead press (that means magazines with national distribution
like Spin, Rolling Stone, and Paste), the editors put their publications
to bed three full months before they hit the newsstands. So if your
CD is coming out in October, you must have it pressed with full artwork
and ready with materials to mail in July. Of course, not all PR campaigns
focus on national press, but no publicist will take you on with zero
lead-time, so you definitely need to prepare ahead in every case.
Recommended Publicity Campaign Lead Times:
• National Campaign – 3-4 months before the release
• Tour Press Campaign – 4-6 weeks before the show
• Local Campaign – 4-6 weeks before placement*
• Online Campaign – 2-3 weeks before placement
*Placement means an article, CD review, calendar listing, TV or radio
interview, etc.
The four components of a press kit
A good press kit consists of four parts: a bio; a photo; articles,
quotes, and CD reviews; and a CD.
The Bio. Create a one-page bio that is succinct and interesting
to read. I strongly advise hiring a bio writer, which should cost
between $200-400. If you are not ready to pony up the cash, enlist
an outside source to help you out (preferably one with some writing
experience).
The Photo. It can seem cheesy to arrange a photo shoot, but
if you take this part seriously you will deeply benefit. Create a
photo that is clear, light, and attention grabbing. Showing movement
is a plus (sitting on a couch or up against a brick wall is not interesting).
If you have a friend who knows how to use PhotoShop, enroll him to
help you do some funky and fun editing.
The Articles, Quotes and CD Reviews. Getting that first article
written about you can be daunting. Two great places to start are your
local hometown papers (this is more difficult in markets like New
York City or Los Angeles), and any music web site that you like.
The CD. The CD artwork, like the press kit, must be well
thought out. Do not bother sending out advance burns of your CD unless
the writer requests them. Full artwork is always preferred. Put your
phone number and contact info in the CD so if it gets separated from
the press kit, the writer knows how to contact you.
Publicity is a marathon, not a sprint
PR is very different in nature from a radio campaign that has a specific
ad date and a chart that you are trying to get listed on. There is
no top 40 publicity chart. With the sheer number of albums coming
out into the marketplace (approx 1,000 per week), it could take months
longer than your publicity campaign runs to see results.
Online publicity is just as important as offline publicity
Don't discount online publicity. For one, it's up and around for months
and sometimes years. People are reading newspapers less and less and
are getting their news from the internet, so internet placements are
absolutely and totally legit. Plus, you can keep links active on your
web site and archive past articles and reviews, increasing the legs
of the press and publicity you do receive. Try that with the printed
press.
Publicity alone does not sell records
If your only goal is to sell more records, hiring a publicist cannot
be the only part of your strategy. There is absolutely no correlation
between getting great PR and selling product. PR is designed to raise
awareness of you through the press, to help build a story, and also
build up critical acclaim. Of course, a great article can lead to
sales, and being on NPR could really help you see a spike in sales.
But overall, if selling albums is your goal, PR is not the only thing
you will need to reach it.
All publicity is good publicity
I know we have all heard this, but it’s important you really
believe it. If one of your goals in PR is to get your name out there
(and this should be a goal), the truth is the average person remembers
very little of what they read. Only a tiny percentage gets retained,
so if you really think that readers are going to remember a tepid
or a mediocre review of your CD, believe me, they won't. And never
take your own PR seriously. As Andy Warhol once said, “Don’t
read your press, weigh it.”
Do your research
A publicist can sound really together and ambitious on the telephone.
But not all are legitimate or as connected as they say they are, so
it is critical that you do some research. Here are some ways you can
research publicity firms.
1. Do an internet search for the names of a publicist, and the name
of the company.
2. Do an internet search for the different bands and artists that
the PR firm represents. You can do a Google news search (http://news.google.com)
and check out where the placements have occurred. If you don’t
see a lot of articles on the artists, this may not be a great sign.
3. The CD Baby message boards (http://cdbaby.org/).
There is a lot of information about different publicists on the CD
Baby boards, and clients from these PR firms have talked a lot about
their experiences. You can also post and ask for feedback here.
4. Call the publicists' past clients, management, labels, and artists,
and ask them what their experiences were.
5. Sign up for the music thoughts list at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/musicthoughts
and ask your peers. There are thousands of musicians on this list
and they could really help you get some great insights before you
spend your money.
Ariel Hyatt founded Ariel Publicity 11 years ago in Colorado and
her company has since publicized thousands of dates for touring bands,
hosted hundreds of special events, launched countless record release
campaigns, and served as the PR director to several live music venues
and festivals.
Ariel Publicity built its reputation working primarily with indie
artist, and Ariel has been honored to speak at music conferences such
as SXSW, NEMO, and the PMC.
