So, you think you need a publicist? But your outreach and research shows that 1) perhaps you aren’t quite ready for your own and/or 2) ouch, that’s one heavy price tag! Well, rest assured, I’m here to help. I want to offer you a brief chance to learn the craft of doing public relations (PR) yourself—what I like to call Do-It-Yourself (DIY) PR.
Coming up with your own PR plan doesn’t have to be scary, nor does it need to be overly time consuming. Particularly if you are just starting out in your career (or are looking for ways to reignite or re-energize your fan base), there are a few key steps you can take to set yourself up for success.
First and foremost, you must line up your assets! Think of your assets as your calling card. They are the tools you will use to introduce yourself to the media (and, by extension, to new audiences) and are the most critical thing you have for >selling yourself—well, aside from your stunning voice.
By far, your most important asset is your story. You must have a great biography. And, actually, you really need two. Your first bio should be short and factual—one that a presenter can use for their program book. This should be 150–200 words maximum and should briefly describe who you are, where you come from, your schooling, performance history, etc. Think of it as the “who, what, where, and when” version of your story. I like to think of it as the “elevator pitch” or cocktail party version of your bio—what is it you want the audience or reader to quickly know about you?
Your second bio should be longer and more conversational. It shouldn’t just be a laundry list of your accomplishments, but something more personal and interesting. Talk about your unique style and your influences and offer interesting tidbits about yourself (for example, “Before pursuing a career as an oratorio singer, I used to be a lumberjack” or “I grew up playing five different instruments in my brother’s garage band”). Put yourself in the shoes of a journalist and think about things they might be able to grab onto to make their story (i.e., your story) more interesting to a reader or listener. Be sure you include only those things that you don’t mind sharing with a broad audience. I always tell people to ask themselves, “How would you feel if this was on the front page of the New York Times?” Feels icky? Then don’t include it.
If writing isn’t your strong suit, or you don’t want to write about yourself, consider reaching out to a local college or university and ask the journalism or media department if they have student writers that you can hire—usually free or on the cheap—to draft it for you. Just make sure that they are good or that will be wasted money! Ask them for samples of their work, particularly previous work on bios or other personal story pieces.
Once you have two strong versions of your bio, it’s time to think about your look. No, I don’t mean the clothes you’re wearing or rethinking that neck tattoo (although you might want to consider what your image says about you and your music). But let’s assume the swan dress you’re wearing fits your image to a tee. It’s time to think about the images, photos, and videos you use to promote yourself.
First and foremost, make sure you get professional shots. A professional photographer can be expensive, but this is an investment worth making. A good, high-quality image (that you can provide at a moment’s notice) can often make the difference between a story getting picked up or not.
Of course, you need some tight headshots and three-quarter shots, that’s a given. But you should also get creative! Think about the composition of the shot, not just yourself! Do something fun outside. Posing in front of a funky graphic wall or a textured environment can really help your photos pop and show your creativity. As with writing your biography, if you just don’t have the budget to spend on a professional photo shoot, call up a local school and see if you can find student photographers who may be able to offer a low rate or may need subjects for their own school projects. Or perhaps barter with someone to take your photos in exchange for a house concert.
When it comes to video, definitely have some great clips of you performing available. It is worth it! This footage can be used for securing gigs, obtaining an agent, and for potential media (including use as B-roll for TV interviews, which could replace the ever-so-delicate issue of performing live on local TV at 5 a.m.).
Another essential asset to have is audio of you performing. Commercial quality is well worth the expense, so hire a pianist and rent a studio for a few hours and lay down some tracks. Housing your audio on SoundCloud or Bandcamp makes it easy to send a link when you start pitching yourself to media. They will appreciate having instant access to your recordings, and it gives you a simple, cost-effective way to store and share your music with presenters, agents, and others.
The key to effective PR and media relations is being able to give the media what they want, when they want it, and in a format that they can easily work with. There’s nothing worse than getting a media bite and not being able to quickly respond. Having the assets mentioned above ready to send at a moment’s notice will show media outlets that you are serious, prepared, and eager to make their job easier. Believe me, journalists are often on incredibly tight deadlines and waiting on artist materials can be the death of an otherwise amazing story.
So, once you have your assets prepared, where do you keep them all so that you can have them available at the drop of a dime? Online file sharing sites (such as Dropbox or Hightail) are great, inexpensive cloud-based options for storing and sharing your materials. And using an online site prevents the frustration of trying to send a large audio or image file (or the frustration on the part of the media outlet trying to receive them). You can also upload your audio links here so they can easily be downloaded in case a radio station needs an mp3 or a TV station needs a video clip.
Once you have all of your assets in place and ready to share, the next thing to do is build a media list. Let’s say you’ve got a gig coming up in Washington, D.C., in three months. (That’s right, you have to start early!) What do you do? How do you find out what media is there? How do you get contact information?
First, turn to everyone’s best friend, Google, and search “Washington D.C. media.” You’ll likely get a long list of possible outlets. Once you have this base list, start researching each outlet. For example, you see that the Washington Post is a leading paper in town. Go to their website and search for the person that writes about classical music or the arts. At the start or end of articles, there is often a byline with an e-mail address. If it’s not listed, call the media outlet and ask, “Who writes about classical music and how do I reach them?” Or look for them on Twitter and shoot them a tweet asking how to reach them.
Note, however, that writers may not be on staff, which can make it a bit harder to find them. Again, go back to social media, see if you can find them, and send them a tweet (e.g., “@johndoe loved your article on XYZ. I’m performing at Dumbarton Oaks on 11/2. How can I send you a press release?”). While this may seem an unconventional route to getting to the media, it is often very effective and shows you’re eager to make connections.
Here’s one critical point when researching and reaching out to the media: don’t e-mail a jazz music writer or editor if you are a classical singer. Nothing is more annoying to media folks than getting an e-mail or a call from an artist who didn’t do their research. Writers and editors are bombarded with requests every day. Don’t give them an easy reason to discount you or, worse, give you a bad name among their colleagues.
As with print media, do your research and then don’t be afraid to call editors and radio personalities too. Yes, they receive a lot of calls and e-mails—but if you are knowledgeable, prepared, and can give your polished, quick elevator pitch, you very well might get their attention.
A sample pitch might go something like this: “Hi, John Doe! I’m a classically trained tenor and I really enjoyed your recent feature on Garrick Ohlsson. I have a recital at XYZ Hall on February 1. Did you receive my press release that I e-mailed you on December 15? How would I go about getting my concert listed or having you come out to do a review?” Providing some basic information and being clear on your “ask” can go a long way toward getting a positive response.
OK, you’ve built a press list and your performance is on the horizon. So when should you start reaching out to the media? Sending a press release too far in advance makes your performance easy to ignore. Sending it too close to the actual date means important deadlines or scheduling windows may have already passed. As a general rule, it’s ideal to send out press releases for weekly, daily, and Web outlets about six weeks before your performance. If you want to send a press release to a monthly magazine or even a quarterly journal, you must think and act three to six months before your performance!
And what’s this press release I keep referring to? Press releases can often seem daunting to create. But don’t worry—it’s simply a document where you address the who, what, where, when, why, and how for your performance. There is no one-size-fits-all standard for press releases, so use Google to research a few different types of releases and find one that fits your style or seems consistent with the type of performance you are promoting.
Generally, you should always put your contact information at the top, so they immediately know who you are and easily see how to reach you. Develop one informative, interesting, attention-grabbing header. (Remember, yours is probably one of many releases that will cross writers’ screens on a given day. Give them a good reason to read yours!) Follow that with a subheader addressing the “where” and “when” type questions. The body of your release should be no more then a few paragraphs describing who you are, what’s your style, and what makes you unique as a performer, as well as information on the program you will perform and a brief bio.
If you have quotes from previous articles or reviews, include a few that show why you are a standout performer worth their attention. While some writers are sensitive to seeing quotes from other writers, most appreciate knowing that you have a history with the media and that you are the “real deal.” And, whatever you do, don’t make your release long, boring, and drawn out. Think one to two pages at most, if possible.
Once your release is ready to go, the next step is to distribute it to everyone on your media list. Don’t be alarmed if you don’t start getting calls immediately. Give it a week and then start to make e-mail follow-ups (or phone, if you have that information). Again, know whom you are calling and what they write about—and keep it short and sweet! A good rule of thumb when you call a member of the media is to ask if they are on deadline. If they say yes, then ask them when you could phone them back and make sure you follow up. You’ll be much more likely to have a positive interaction if you show an understanding of and respect for the time sensitivities most media are under.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If the writer indicates that they are not interested in writing about you at this time, ask if you can call them again the next time you are in town (or have a performance, if you’re in the same town). Ask them how you might go about getting a concert listing or a featured show pick for the week or a track played on their radio station and a PSA (public service announcement). Even if they can’t do a feature on you or your performance, they may have other avenues available to still get you some coverage. You won’t know if you don’t ask!
Getting the coverage you want doesn’t happen by chance. Gaining a foothold with the media takes work, preparation and, above all else, persistence. Even the Yo-Yo Mas and Renée Flemings of the world had to start somewhere. The keys are getting your assets in place, getting yourself organized, doing your research, and trusting your instincts. Make sure you have your elevator pitch down and
have fun!
Taking PR into your own hands doesn’t need to be a scary proposition. You are your own best advocate. Make educated choices when reaching out to the media, be fearless, and who knows—maybe the next Classical Singer cover will feature you!
