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That is, they don t perform the only function that any marketing communication
should ever do: Get the person receiving it to act by calling you, e-mailing you,
listening to your new songs, or coming to your event. At the very least, the
message should pave the way for your follow-up e-mail, direct mail piece, or
phone call at a later date.
Bottom line: Simply getting your stuff in the mail is not your ultimate goal. That s
where most so-called music marketers go wrong; they throw useless information
into the world and hope it sticks on something.
But that s not how you ll be dealing with the media from now on, because now you
know that it s your job to send marketing messages that grab attention and
motivate the people receiving them to act!
How to get the best results with your music news
message
Make no mistake. The only goal you should have when you design and create a
flier, gig calendar, artist bio, press release, fact sheet or advertisement whether
you re sending it to a media person, club owner, industry pro or fan is to get the
person receiving it to respond. And preferably to respond NOW!
But first you must know what it is you want them to do and then inspire them to
do it (in a firm, yet polite and professional manner).
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That s why, before you contact anyone in the media, you must ask yourself the
following questions:
Who will receive my music news message?
The type of person getting your marketing materials will determine how you
motivate him or her to act. Music fans are inspired by the emotion your music
creates within them, the image you represent, and the people they ll hang out with
at your gigs. Music industry pros (managers, A&R reps, entertainment lawyers), on
the other hand, are persuaded to act if the potential to make money and earn a
better name for themselves is present.
But media people are a different breed. So what motivates them? What would get
a music editor, influential blogger, freelance writer, or radio station program
director to get excited enough to contact you right away?
Which leads to the next question ...
How should I persuade media people to take action?
In a nutshell, media people are motivated by these four things:
1) Amusing and entertaining their specific audiences. The first duty for a
writer, podcaster or radio show host is not to give your music career a
boost. It s to do his best job to retain and increase his audience.
2) Being the first one in their region or niche to break a new, up-
and-coming act. When media types earn the reputation of being on the
cutting edge, it makes them feel good. They love to be on top of trends and
ahead of the cultural curve.
3) Not missing the boat on something that is generating a buzz. While
some editors and program directors like being on the leading edge, they
still want to play it safe by turning their readers/listeners (and their paying
advertisers) on to something that has already proven itself popular.
4) Exposing something that is witty or creative enough to grab their
attention. Many hundreds of acts over the years have inspired the media
to action with either a funny band name, unusual album title, or other
promotional gimmick.
Acts such as Dread Zeppelin, the Dead Milk Men, and Mojo Nixon come to
mind. Do you have a clever gimmick? If you do, just make sure the novelty
aspect will create a reputation you can live with for years to come.
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What do I want media people to do?
Run-of-the-mill music promoters toss literature about themselves to the media and
leave it up to the media person to decide what to do next. But you won t do this.
Remember, with few exceptions, the only reason you invest time and money to
correspond with someone about your music is to motivate them to act!
Therefore, you will spell out in your e-mail messages and cover letters, in no
uncertain terms, what you want recipients to do. Call, e-mail, come to your gig,
listen to your CD, download your MP3, wait for your follow-up call ... whatever it
is, ask them politely, yet very specifically, to do it.
Note: That doesn t mean media people will automatically do what you ask more
often than not, they won t. But at least you will have answered that nagging but
all-important question: What happens next?
When do I want media people to take action?
A few years ago, I received a press kit from a musician who wanted me to write
about his band. It was similar to hundreds of other packages I ve received over the
years. The accompanying pitch letter went on and on about what his band had
done, how much the letter-writer thought of himself, and that he wanted to appear
on the cover of Spotlight, the music magazine I published.
(Note: You should never ask for a cover story on your band. That s a decision
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