Whether you’re an independent musician, a world-renowned juggler, a published author, or the best DJ around, you all have one thing in common. Besides being able to entertain the socks off a room, the need to get your name out to your target audience is a must for you to make it in the entertainment industry.
How do you wrap your head around the correct promotional strategies so your potential followers take you seriously? Lucky for you, there are some simple tricks you can learn and use for the entirety of your career – and we’re here to lay them out on the table for you. Guest blogger Kaytee Long, founder and president of DIY PR Group, shares her expertise on making PR work for you!
What the heck is PR?
PR is the act of influencing, engaging and building a relationship with key stakeholders across a multitude of platforms in order to shape and frame the public perception of an organization. (Source: PRSA)
As someone with something to share with the world, you are capable of engaging stakeholders (or members of the media) in ways that boost ticket sales. All it takes is a little outreach to those members who might take interest in your act so they feature you in their blogs, magazines, newspapers, TV shows, event calendars, and so on.
How can a badass PR campaign fatten your bank account?
A comprehensive PR campaign will make you more money by helping you grow your fanbase or clientele at an exponential level – much more than you could personally do from promoting something single-handedly. With a PR campaign, you’re increasing your network by finding allies who will reach a large audience with one blog post, magazine article, or TV interview. With a well-constructed PR campaign, you have the opportunity to reach hundreds, thousands, and maybe even millions of people with one write-up. And it’s most likely a completely new audience. #winning
Recap: PR is important and can substantially accelerate your career. Here are the 10 marketing assets you need for a professional-grade (and rockstar-worthy) campaign:
- A logo (or main identifiable image)
- Biography
- Promotional photos
- Album artwork (if you’re a musician)
- Promotional one-sheet
- Press release
- Media alert (if promoting a live event or show)
- Event flyer
- Website and/or EPK (Electronic Press Kit) – Your GigSalad PromoKit can house all of your media, reviews, bio, and more and can be easily shared.
- Social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter)
GigSalad member Austin Ellis knows what it takes to showcase himself online. Click the image above to check out his PromoKit!
I have my assets – now what?
Once you have gathered and finalized your marketing assets, it’s time to develop your strategy. Try following these steps:
- Establish a campaign timeline: Generally, give yourself 6-8 weeks to reach out to the media prior to your event or new music release date. The #1 rule: always give yourself enough time!
- Build your media list: Do this before you start pitching – it’s a huge time saver. Research contact information for blogs, event websites, calendars, magazines, newspapers and local morning shows who would be interested in featuring your act, show, new music, etc.
- Start reaching out to the media: Think about how the writer covering you would benefit and how to make him/her featuring you mutually beneficial. Think about it from their perspective! In this situation, pitching is not about you (don’t worry, eventually it will be). At this point, it’s about benefiting the publication/writer/blog and so on. Writers want to publish articles that will boost their careers and clout. Think about how you can be that story!
- Follow Up: Be respectful and not too persistent. Always include new information with each follow-up. Wait at least one week prior to following up with your list.
Now, it’s time to take action! We’ve told you what you need for your campaign but there’s so much to learn about how to do it. Check out the DIY Music PR Bootcamp for more guidance on how to increase your fanbase and take your career to the next level.
And remember… “Action is the foundational key to all success.” – Pablo Picasso
Questions? Reach out to Kaytee Long, founder and president of DIY PR Group, at kaytee@diyprgroup.com.
Sign up here to be the first to know about DIY PR Group’s next free webinar.
Ready to start creating your online presence? Get started with a GigSalad PromoKit.
Megan is the Director of Customer Experience at GigSalad and has gained 9+ years of insight on what makes a great event on both sides of the booking process. Her favorite things include books, true crime podcasts, coffee, hiking, puns, and making people laugh.
Thank you!
How much does gig salad make off your event parties? For example if I charge $30/hr. how much does gig salad take?
Hi Denise, as a paid member on GigSalad, we deduct 2.5% from each booking to cover overhead fees that come with accepting credit cards. That’s it! Your client is also charged a small fee between 4-8% but that is not deducted from your payout – it’s in addition to it and we collect it at the time of booking.