Publicity and Promotion

originally published September 17, 2008

It is baffling how much money musicians will invest in recording, producing and mixing an album without putting aside any cash for marketing and promotion. Having a finished product is just the start, and if you want to see a return on your investment you need to get on the horn and get heard. There is no magic bullet or sure-fire way to secure radio play or publicity, but Flagpole picked up some great advice from members of renowned, Athens-based promotions company Team Clermont as well as local PR maven Michelle Roche. Whether you are interested in promoting your own band or seeking outside help, here are some strategies and suggestions to keep in mind.

Building a Résumé

A new band has to struggle with the same catch-22 that new grads face when seeking employment: How do you get experience if you don't have any? You can't book a show without publicity, and you can't get publicity if you've never played a show. Team Clermont co-founder Bill Benson suggests that small blogs are the best way to get that initial write-up. "You can Google small bands you like, find out what blogs wrote about them, and then send your music to those blogs. Small-time blogs are no different that small-time papers... they want to break a band because if they do, maybe their blog will start being a little better represented."

The best part about servicing blogs ("servicing" is publicity speak for distributing music) is that it's free. You don't even have to press a record - just email a digital file to the appropriate contact. Instead of clogging inboxes with large files, take advantage of free services such as YouSendIt.com or MediaFire.com which allow you to upload your MP3s and other press materials to their server.

A quote is a quote, and once you have someone vouching for your music, it'll be a lot easier to impress bigger and bigger publications. Once you have that first blog write-up, you can include that clip in your press kit. (See sidebar for details.)

Start Local

Hi, I'm Flagpole. What's your name? In addition to online press, the other key market to focus on as a new artist is your own backyard. Here in town we've got a college paper, college radio, this fine weekly, a daily paper, a few monthly magazines and a huge assortment of Athens-based blogs. It is your job to take initiative and reach out to them. Of course, existing as a band is not in itself newsworthy. However, if you have a gig coming up or a new release, that can be the impetus for coverage. Don't rely on the venue or another band on the bill to alert media about your next show. Don't expect a writer to stumble upon your tour poster, your new record or your MySpace page. Although it can be intimidating, you don't need a publicist to talk to the press.

"As long as [the musician] is being very professional on the phone or email, the press usually is pretty receptive to hearing from you," says Michelle Roche.

Do Your Research

That being said, before you pick up the phone or send out that first email, whether it's to local press or otherwise, you have to do your homework. This is by far the most time consuming aspect of publicity, and it's the reason why bands hire publicists. "I already have a database with almost 4,000 names in it," says Roche. "So I don't have to do the research." The publicist's database is much more than names and numbers. A good publicist knows the exact contact at the publication, how that person prefers to be contacted (phone, email, etc.) what his/her office hours are, what genres the publication covers, what its deadlines are and more. The experienced publicist has also built relationships with these people - met them face to face or worked with them in the past - so it's not as much of a cold call.

Luckily, though, it's a little easier now than in the past to get the inside scoop.

"These days, with the advent of the Internet and sites like usnpl.com, you can find all the daily papers. So, if you're playing in Savannah, you can find the daily papers in that town and make a phone call and see who you need to send your product to," says Roche.

If you are interested in learning more about the strategies and theories behind marketing and promotion, take the time to educate yourself. There are plenty of books on the subject, perhaps most famously the This Business of Music series, that can help you brush up on the basics. If you are a student at UGA, the music business certificate program is an excellent way to learn the ins and outs of the industry, including how to promote your music. Look out for things like the AthFest panels in October or the Atlantis Music Conference where you can get advice from industry experts. Companies like Team Clermont and Michelle Roche Media Relations are always seeking interns, so take advantage of those opportunities to work alongside the professionals.

Setting Realistic Goals and Timelines

Roche calls it her "Come to Jesus Talk." When she sits down to discuss the game plan with her clients, they need to have a mutual understanding about what their goals are. "If someone starts saying 'Spin, Rolling Stone,' I say 'Goodbye,'" says Roche. "Unless you're Kanye West or something, that's mainstream pop. Wilco is about as indie as they get as far as coverage. You want to make sure your goals are reasonable for your level."

Also keep in mind that publications plan their coverage far out in advance.

"If [a band] has a show booked," says Roche, "I would work with about a four-week lead time. So, four weeks out you want to make sure you're servicing the press. If it's a big market like New York or Chicago, you work like six weeks out."

If you plan on hiring a publicist to promote a tour or new release, you want to give them plenty of time to prepare as well. "Ideally I'd like to have a discussion with the band two months out," says Roche.

Balancing Patience and Persistence

"We're in the business of pestering," says Benson. "But if someone tells you you are a nuisance, you stop. I'd say a good rule of thumb for contacting a publication or radio is once a week."

Once you send out your press kit or make that initial call, your work is not over. Editors get hundreds of CDs and emails, and even if they take an interest in your work, it's very easy to get lost in the shuffle.

"You've gotta follow up," says Roche. "You can be persistent without being a pest. One thing I want to emphasize, too, is that email cannot replace the phone call." Between the sheer volume of emails and spam filters, a follow-up call is good way to ensure you've made contact, but don't expect your voicemail message to be returned.

"The only way you're going to get a hold of [a music director or editor] is if they happen to answer the phone," says Benson. That's why knowing deadlines and office hours is so essential.

Prepare for Rejection

"Get a tough skin if you're going to do your own promo," advises Team Clermont publicist Lucas Jensen. "I was in the unique and slightly awkward position of working for Team Clermont when Venice Is Sinking hired Team Clermont to promote my record while I was in the band, and I was publicist. So, I had to make publicity calls about my own band. And I had someone tell me that 'it didn't do it for them.' So, I had to ask them 'why?' just out of curiosity, and he says, 'Oh God, it was so boring.' That was a rare opportunity, but even then, I kind of wanted to argue with the guy, but I had to let it go." Not everyone will like your music. Be open to criticism and anticipate it, and you won't be as hurt.

"And God," Jensen continues, "in the Internet era, don't pick a fight with a blogger or a writer or a band or anything, because you are never going to win. You are going to come off looking like... the primadonna."

Although Roche encourages musicians to speak with media directly, Team Clermont suggests that a publication might avoid speaking with an artist in order to avoid this awkward rejection conversation.

"It's really easy to call me and say the record sucks, Bill," says Benson. "Because I didn't make it. But it's a lot different if [a musician] calls a radio station... and he has to say, 'Hey you know that thing you just spent a year's work on? It didn't do anything for me.' People are afraid to say that to the bands. So, there is a matter of not wanting to deal with them, and there is also the matter of not wanting to hurt someone's feelings or let them down."

Even when you do get press, that doesn't guarantee success.

"Hell, I know bands that are amazing, who've played for 10 years that can't get over 50 people at their show for the entirety of their career, and they can even get tons of press," says Jensen. "Sometimes a band gets one good review on Pitchfork and suddenly they are huge, and I don't know how."

Web Presence

There is nothing more frustrating for a journalist than wanting to do a feature or review and being unable to find contact info for the artist.

"First and foremost get your MySpace page looking as good as possible," says Roche. "I think that's why MySpace has become effective and hugely popular with the music press because it's so consistent. I used to get so frustrated going to a band's website, and they would try to be all cutesy with all the flash, and then you have to search for music and the bio..."

Benson agrees, "Any time a band says 'I've got stuff on my MySpace,' it's all too easy. Of course I'm going to listen to it because it doesn't take any time, and I would rather know I don't like it immediately and say 'don't bother sending me the CD, save your money on postage.'"

Take full advantage of that clean layout. Remember that your friends will see this page, but so will potential media and record labels. It doesn't help you get press if you write that your band sounds like "your mom" or your band members are "Cheech and Chong" and influences include "getting wasted," or what have you. To a great degree, you and your publicist can create your own image, so present yourself as you wish to be presented in the press.

In addition to MySpace, Jesen suggests creating a profile everywhere else you can in order to increase your visibility. Try virb.com, All Music Guide, SonicBids, Facebook, Last.Fm and similar networking resources.

The Bottom Line

The best publicist in the world doesn't mean anything if you don't have the tunes to back it up. No matter what tricks you have up your sleeve, how thick your Rolodex might be, or how clever your bio, in the end it still comes down to the music. So, take the advice of these local professionals to heart, but don't ever lose focus on crafting your art.

Michelle Gilzenrat

Making It is a recurring column that provides helpful direction for our many aspiring local musicians.