Have you ever tried to reach out to media only to find the sound of a deep and resounding silence on the other end? Maybe you heard back from one or two people who gave you a firm, “Thanks, but no thanks.” If you’re really lucky you heard back from one underground blogger who loves the sound and will post right away – and that’s the only response you hear after sending dozens, if not hundreds of emails.
It’s not easy to grab the attention of media when you’re a band or artist who is not on the blogger’s radar. There are some overlooked tricks of the trade that can help you beat the odds. These tricks can also make the difference in who will pay attention to you and who will rapidly reach for the delete button on the keyboard.
Preparing for the Pitch: Getting Your Ducks in a Row
Before you reach out to your first media contact, you’ll want to make sure you have some things in place to help make a strong first impression. When media professionals are inundated with hundreds of emails each day and only so much time to pay attention, you essentially have less than 30 seconds to make that impression count. There are three basic aspects you should consider:
MAKE YOUR SITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA PRESS FRIENDLY
Once a blogger has found an artist he/she loves, they’re going to look for more information on the band so they can write about it. The blogger is already buried with other band submissions who provided the information quickly and easily so he can write a legitimate post. He’s not just a lazy journalist who can’t bother to do his research. He’s a blogger who has a high demand for his time and can only do so much. To greatly increase your chances of being covered, make sure you have the following information on social media and your website.
- Contact information with an email address
- Bio
- Streamed music or link to hear streamed music on a site like Soundcloud or Spotify
- Links to social media
- Hi resolution publicity photos
- Cover Artwork on the single or album
KNOW YOUR STORY
Now that you know what information to include for a journalist, you need to know how to convey that information.
The first step is knowing what your story is so you can convey it in a compelling way in your bio. Determine what would differentiate your project from all the other bands/artists out there. You want a bio and story that would make a journalist who’s never heard of you immediately want to listen. Here are few questions to get you started in helping define your story:
- Where are you from? How does your location influence your music?
- Are there any current events or anything in the media that influences your music? Or do any of your songs or album themes tie into any current events?
- What’s your history? (How many albums, when they were released, how long you’ve been in the industry, etc.)
HAVE AN IMAGE THAT CONVEYS YOUR SOUND
A publicity photo or cover art can often be the first deciding factor on whether a media contact will listen to your music. Like the bio, you want to make it compelling. You also want to make sure it represents the sound you’re making.
Hiring a professional photographer whose photos have been published on reputable music sites is one of the best investments you can make for that reason. If you’re not sure where to start, take a look at bands/projects who are similar to you and see how their publicity photos convey the sound. This can give you a great launching point to define your own vision for your band. If you do plan to invest in a photographer, ask bands with compelling photos in your area who they hired and determine if the photographer would be able to capture your sound with the right image. Or ask SONO
WHO TO TARGET AND HOW TO KNOW IF A CONTACT IS RIGHT FOR YOUR LIST
Logic dictates that the more music bloggers you reach out to about your band, the more coverage you’ll receive. Not necessarily. You shouldn’t be wasting the blogger’s and your time when you’re not in a genre they cover or you’re in the emerging stage when they only cover established. By utilizing that approach you’re only creating frustration all around.
To create your own press list, you need to look at three major factors:
- Does this publication cover bands at your level?
- Do they cover your genre?
- Am I targeting the right contact?
- If you’re not sure, go to the publication’s website and look for columns or coverage opportunities (i.e., reviews, premieres, etc.) that might be a good fit for your band. Then, take a look at the past five articles in each section and see if there are articles about your genre and/or bands at your level.
Genre is self-explanatory. If yours doesn’t fit the publication, please don’t think you’ll be the exception to the rule. The folk writer you’re emailing won’t listen to your band and think, “Wow, I should really cover metal now, because this band is so great.”
Once you’ve found a site that fits within the first two parameters, you want to determine the best contact at the outlet. Start with a writer who wrote the article or articles featuring a band matching your career level and genre. If you want to get even closer, look at writers who have covered artists similar to your sound. If the writer isn’t clearly noted, then take a look at the contacts on the contact page a
