4 Tips For Bands On Working With Publicists

4 Tips For Bands On Working With Publicists

DIY is great but it doesn't have to mean Do It [All] Yourself. Having a knowledgeable publicist in your corner can make a big difference in growing your career as a musician. The following tips for working with publicists are a good starting point for building a successful relationship that should go far beyond simply paying for a service.
Bianca Valentino interviewed publicist Emily Kelly of Deathproof PR for her awesome interview blog "Conversations with Bianca". It's a wide-ranging interview and I've pulled out a few comments from Kelly related to her work with Deathproof PR in Australia.
4 Tips for Working with Publicists

1) Know Who You're Contacting & Why

"I’ve noticed that Deathproof is approached by a lot of young bands who email us with information about themselves, followed by the question – ‘so what do you do’? This always makes me laugh because I find it odd that they’d approach a company to ask for help when they’ve no idea what they do. It comes off as lazy and a wee bit insulting."
2) Be Realistic About Your Expectations

"The biggest nightmares occur when the artist or management’s expectations are disproportionate to our own. Working with an artist who believes they deserve only cover stories and breakfast radio is a tough time. Often you’ll see overseas management trying to call the PR shots in other countries when they don’t actually have an understanding of the Australian media landscape."
3) Return Calls or Emails

"I’ll answer just about every email that is sent to me, because I think it’s polite and being known as a prompt and efficient communicator can open lots of doors. I’m always infuriated when clients or peers totally fail to return calls or emails. Even if I get a one-line response asking me to politely fuck off, that’s fine, I just appreciate the 2 seconds it takes to reply."
4) Participate Fully in Campaigns

"One of the big ones [that can make or break a publicity campaign] would have to be the band’s willingness to participate. To make themselves available, be good interviewees, be as communicative as possible with their team and take our advice."
For some thoughts on publicity as well as the work of Emily Kelly and her Deathproof PR business partner Rebecca Reato, check out the interview.
Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (Twitter/App.net) blogs about music crowdfunding at Crowdfunding For Musicians (@CrowdfundingM). To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.

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• 4 Tips For Bands On Working With Publicists (hypebot.com)
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Trent Reznor Dismisses DIY, Ridicules Musicians Shaking Their Cups For Scraps

Trent Reznor Dismisses DIY, Ridicules Musicians Shaking Their Cups For Scraps

In a fairly revealing interview with Spin, Trent Reznor reminds us of why it's often dangerous to turn musicians into ideological symbols. Reznor has had a strong association with DIY music but recently chose to take his work to Columbia Records. In opening up about his choices he ridicules current DIY approaches and reminds us that he's on a serious fantasy trip about Beats Music.

It's interesting to read this post by Trent Reznor from 2009 on getting known in music when you're an unknown. You can tell he's totally immersed in web-enabled DIY business for musicians. It's not just an opinion piece.

He also raised questions about social media that revealed how hands on he was:

"The reason no record label knows how to market anything to new media is they don't live there. They don't get it because they don't use it. What you've seen happen with the marketing and presentation of NIN over the last years is a direct result of living next to you, listening to you, consuming with you and interacting with you. Directly."

"There's no handlers or PR people here, it's me and my guys - that's it. There's no real plan, even - it's just trying to do the right thing that respects you the fan, the music, and me the artist. That's the goal - a mutual and shared respect."

Trent Reznor's Journey Back From DIY

Since then Trent Reznor has chilled on his absolutist stance regarding record labels and seemed to be going in a direction that recognized that different artists need different options depending on what they're trying to accomplish.

Yet he also seemed to be losing a bit of his technical edge as he bought into what still seems like Beats Music Kool-Aid, that Beats Music was taking a radical step forward by including human curation.

In his feature interview with SPIN, Reznor briefly references his views about Beats Music:

"I'm working on something with Beats that's a marriage of humanity and technology, which is sort of what my music has always been about."

I still think that's the Kool-Aid talking but it's important to feel good about what one is doing.

Is Reznor's Real Problem His Rigid All-or-Nothing Stance?

Reznor definitely feels good about working with Columbia Records but when he discusses the difference I start to get the feeling that he took DIY to an extreme:

"Being in control of your own destiny was great...It felt good to have my own neck on the line. But you spend a lot of time figuring out who the influential blogger at some radio station is. Market research is not a sexy thing to think about. More than that, when you're self-releasing, you have this walled garden of people that are interested in what you do, and to everyone else you're invisible."

I don't want to read too much into a situation with which I'm unfamiliar based on a few random comments but there are so many quality indie firms ready to help musicians with any aspect of what needs doing that I have to wonder if he got lost in DIY as Do-It-All-Yourself. It's as if he believes that one either does everything oneself or has to make some sort of record deal.

The Reznor Binary: Or Go Fuck Yourself

Taking an all-or-nothing stance actually fits Reznor's public presentation over time. From his early aesthetic to his later statements about DIY to his rude dismissal of DIY successes in the SPIN interview:

"I know that what we're doing flies in the face of the Kickstarter Amanda-Palmer-Start-a-Revolution thing, which is fine for her, but I'm not super-comfortable with the idea of Ziggy Stardust shaking his cup for scraps. I'm not saying offering things for free or pay-what-you-can is wrong. I'm saying my personal feeling is that my album's not a dime. It's not a buck. I made it as well as I could, and it costs 10 bucks, or go fuck yourself."

The line "it costs 10 bucks, or go fuck yourself" has found some resonance on Twitter with its punk veneer and whatever else is going on there for respondents.

But the about face in perspective, one that at first did not appear so extreme, now looks at documented successes and makes fun of them. Sure, he dismissively says it's okay for other people, but his message that "my way is the best way or fuck you" is quite clear.

I guess that's just what passes for punk rock these days.

Related articles

• Trent Reznor Dismisses DIY, Ridicules Musicians Shaking Their Cups For Scraps (hypebot.com)
• Trent Reznor talks Twitter, Beats by Dre, and finding use for the music labels (theverge.com)
• Trent Reznor: 'I'm Not The Same Person I Was 20 Years Ago' (npr.org)
• Trent Reznor On Returning To A Major Label With NIN (hypebot.com)
• Trent Reznor speaks on value of music: "It costs 10 bucks, or go **** yourself. | SPIN (thetrichordist.com)
• Nine Inch Nails Review Royale: Hesitation Marks (littlebylisten.com)
• Trent Reznor (dazeddigital.com)

11 Top Ways To Create Compelling Music Video Content

11 Top Ways To Create Compelling Music Video Content

As part of our 9th Anniversary, we asked our regular contributors to share their favorite Hypebot posts. This one comes from Bob Baker and Kendra Wright of www.TheBuzzFactor.com

Every artist should be using online video as part of their promotional toolkit. That means you must set up a YouTube account (also known as a “channel”) if you haven’t done so already. And once in place, your channel must feature new videos on a regular basis.

Why? Because video allows you to connect with fans and potential fans in ways that other forms of media can't touch. People experience things through text differently than they do through audio. Video, which combines both audio and visual stimulation, impacts many people on an even deeper level – which explains why it’s such a popular medium online.

Many artists get excited about video, post one clip, and then move on to the next idea that sparks their interest. Or they have the misguided notion that traditional music videos are the only thing they should post on YouTube. Not true. There are many ways to use video to attract attention and communicate with fans. And, to make the most of your YouTube channel, you should post new and varied content to it every month.

To get your wheels turning, here are 10 ways you can start cranking out fresh videos to engage and increase your fan base.

1) Promote your live events. Do a quick video about an upcoming show to complement the fliers you post online and off. Share the basic details about the event, along with anything special fans can look forward to that will get them excited about the show. This is something you can convey through video that you simply can’t do with a poster or flier.

2) Give fans a peek behind the curtain. Take your fans on a trip behind the scenes. Let them in on the recording process, show them any fun preshow rituals the band has, or record unusual things you come across while on the road. Give them a glimpse of your musical lifestyle.

3) Announce breaking news. A simple text-based Facebook announcement is so old school, how do you expect to stand out in the newsfeed? Catch up with the times and release breaking news in the form of short videos! Have you picked a release date for the new album? Want to introduce your new guitar player? Crank up your Flip video camera or smartphone and give fans a treat.

4) Show off new merch. Sure, you can post a photo with the new T-shirt design. But maybe you could take that a step further and actual wear one and model it in a video! Have any cool stories about your new designs? Wanna do a silly commercial on why fans should buy your merch? Plain ole images are so predictable. Give fans a cool heads-up on the new products you have coming out via video!

5) Let your fans interview you. Encourage fans to send in questions and answer them on camera. It’s a quick and easy way to make your fans feel special (be sure to state their name as the source of the question), which will inspire them to share the video with their friends. Chances are, if one fan is curious about something, there’s another out there who wants to know too.

6) Talk about who you are when you’re not onstage. Fans want to feel like they know you. Being a musician is just one small part of who you are. Do you have special causes you rally behind? What other artists are you listening to? Who influences your songwriting? Have any great, positive insight on life that you want to pass along to fans?
These types of videos specifically appeal to the niche of super fans who are interested in learning anything you’d like to share. But they are also a great way to show another side of yourself.

7) Make a video for every song. In a recent interview I did with indie music phenom MC Lars, he recommended that every musician make a video for each song they want to promote. Watch that video (in which Lars shares some great tips on how to make a living as a DIY artist) here.

8) Give video music lessons. Do instructional videos of how to play your most popular songs. Have any tricky tuning or chord progressions? Or, do you see your songs played incorrectly on a lot in covers? Give your musician fans cool insight into how to play your tunes straight from the fingers that created them them.

9) Document a goal. Are you trying to raise money through a Kickstarter campaign to pay for a project? Are you already in the process of recording a new album or EP? Have you challenged yourself to write one new song a day for 30 days in a row? Great! Use video to update your fans on where you are with the goal.

Remind people of the details and let them know how they can help. This is a great way to keep creating awareness on projects that stretch over a long period of time. If you only talk about your project or goal once, it may lose buzz and momentum before completion. Keep it on their minds via video updates.

10) Explain the inspiration behind your lyrics. The beauty of music is that we all get to interpret it through our own filters. What a set of lyrics means to you can be completely different to someone else. But it can be really interesting to hear what inspired certain songs to be written, or to find out how the story ended in real life. Share these insights about your songs with your fans.

And here's an extra bonus tip for good measure ...

11) Share cool moments with your fans. Did someone propose onstage at one of your shows? Did you capture any video of epic costumes at a Halloween show? Did a fan send you some amazing art? Find unique ways to highlight these moments, say thanks to your fans, and let others know just how great your fans really are!

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Would You Pay $2K To Be In A National Magazine? The Story of Megan Jean and the KFB

Guest post by indie artist Megan Jean of Megan Jean and the KGB.

Recently, my band Megan Jean and the KFB was contacted by Relix Magazine to be included on a sampler CD they include with all of their issues, which boasts a readership of of 360,000 people worldwide. They said they loved our music over there at Relix, and we thought that was awesome. Their magazine is all about breaking up-and-coming bands, and has been doing so at a grassroots level for decades.

They courted us as Musicians, under the pretext that they were interested in our material. The first thing I should point out is that this man's job title at Relix is "Senior Sales Executive," not "Journalist." I wrote back, curious what they would need from us, if we were in fact interested. Then came the sales pitch:

  "The CD comes bound inside every issue we print (over 100,000 copies). Tracks normally run for about $3,000. HOWEVER, as a first time advertiser I would like to offer it to you for $1,800. Basically a steal considering its going to hit thousands of ears across the country. I can package the track with an On the Rise spot for a total of $2,000. The On the Rise spot is about the size of a business card and can contain the images of your choice, text and website of your choice. The track will also come with a 50 word bio in the magazine and will be placed on Relix.comto be streamed for free, so there is an online component as well….Also, each track that is submitted has the opportunity to have that album reviewed and placed in our album review section….Only catch is, we would need a really quick turnaround…we master and burn the compilation this coming Monday!"

Now the Musicians are being courted as First-Time Advertisers, with no more mention of our music, or our talent. The exchange had changed course, from feeding on the hopes and dreams of a struggling musician, to presenting a "deal" for a first-time advertiser. Well, which category do DIY musicians fall into? Are we struggling artists, desperate enough to believe a well-known music magazine like Relix would or could ever simply stumble across our music and *gasp* like it enough to give it a break? Or, are we small business owners who know and understand the value of advertising and paid placements in well-read trade magazines?

Realistically, DIY musicians need to be both, but Relix is hoping for the former, which is exactly why they use this classic ACT NOW sales tactic. They are counting on your desire to have your music heard at all costs, so they couple it with a rushed 5-day deadline will make you jump on a coveted spot that had "opened up," and normally wouldn't even be offered to you. The trick is to look not at the offer, but at WHO is offering it. Is it a sales rep, or a journalist?

I have no problem with paid placements, but I think both music-makers AND music-lovers need to be aware of their existence in major music publications. I also have no doubt that there is some measure of legitimate exposure that comes with paying to be included on such a sampler. The issue I take with this practice however, is that it's predatory and dishonest, not only to the bands who believe they are being contacted on the merits of their music, but also to the readership who believe that Relix Mag dutifully seeks out and promotes the finest up-and-coming bands in America.

Relix magazine's tagline is "It's all about the music," and not "It's all about who paid enough for us to write about them." Keep in mind, Relix was started in 1974 as a newsletter to connect people who bootlegged Grateful Dead concerts. With offers for paid placements in "Up and Coming" articles and album reviews written for a fee, just how much of Relix nowadays is comprised paid placements? Moreover, as a band, is that the kind of music-mill press you'd like for your yourself? As a music-lover, is that the kind of music you'd like to be listening to from a magazine you turn to for inspiration? As far as bands considering this sort of offer, reach out to other bands who have been featured, and ask them if they thought it was worth the money. I guarantee you'll get a better picture that way. If you feel the exposure is worth the price tag, and you have those resources available to you, then it's more of a calculated risk than a swindle.

A Look At The Numbers

But first, consider all the things $2000 will buy your DIY band (for us, that's 2000 cds, which sold at $10 a piece will net us $18K in profit, a much tidier sum). $2000 is also roughly the cost of a small online content-marketing campaign though a PR agency, which might also be a more organized, genre-specific, and focused way to to get your music heard.

As to the larger and more philosophical questions raised, as to where to pour your heart out for a price, and where to turn to for inspiration? I find it's all a lot closer to home than you think. Local blogs at local venues and festivals, that's where you'll get your best start.  After all, it's music fans that build a career, not paid placements.

My personal advice, I had been emailed by a magazine that had been following what I had been doing online in regards to my music, and everything else that I had been doing. And I had thought it would be a pleasure to be in a magazine and have myself out there in the media as an up and coming musician. So I had called the person that had left me the email. Everything went fine until it came down to how much money that I had to send them to be in this magazine. I thought this was crazy, I thought they would go about doing this in another manner, but not. So I had to realize myself, was is this worth doing all this now, with no money or wait it out and be discovered again. And maybe having some kind of agent with me to help me out with these kind of decisions. So I thought better of it, and didn't do it. I felt like this opportunity will come again for me.

Related articles

• Would You Pay $2K To Be In A National Magazine? The Story of Megan Jean and the KFB (hypebot.com)
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DIY Musicians: Increase Newsletter Signups & Music Sales Through Conversion Optimization

DIY Musicians: Increase Newsletter Signups & Music Sales Through Conversion Optimization

Conversion optimization is one of those terms that sounds a bit jargony and like something one would want to avoid. DIY musicians have plenty on their plate without getting overly technical about web design and ecommerce. But learning a few principles can go a long way in getting your website visitors to check out your music, find out more about you or purchase music, merch and tickets.

If you're selling stuff on your website, from music to merch, or you're promoting a concert and linking to the ticket providers, finding ways to encourage fans to buy things is an important part of online success. Though conversion optimization often focuses on sales or signups, getting people to listen to music and find out more about you is also something you can encourage.

What is Conversion Optimization?

Conversion optimization in internet marketing is described in Wikipedia as a:

"method of creating an experience for a website or landing page visitor with the goal of increasing the percentage of visitors that convert into customers."

A landing page is a single page on your website that is designed to take a visitor you've attracted through such means as social media and email newsletter links or via advertising and encourage them to request information, sign up for a newsletter, listen to music or sell them music, merch or tickets.

This can be approached a lot of different ways from putting the info and offer "above the fold", i.e. in the area that appears on one's computer screen before one starts scrolling, to creating a much longer text and image sales pitch with multiple points at which your visitor can click to take action.

The latter is a bit more likely to be found on sites marketing services or related products. For a music page it's typically better to make the music player or newsletter sign-up form or concert announcement with ticket links easily identifiable and ready to go.

Though I'm focusing on one's official website, the landing page concept is also relevant to one's social media page or blog posts when you're hoping to get some sort of response or action.

Beyond the Landing Page

But conversion optimization is also important for overall website design. Different visitors are at different stages in their relationship to you and your music. A landing page is typically designed to do one thing. A website is typically designed to do a lot of things.

So making it easy for visitors to find what interests them through clear navigation and overall simplicity is one way to get started. As one design expertencouraged:

"Improve Visitor Engagement...if you can increase the amount of time that visitors stick around by improving your visitor experience, it will impact your conversion volume, as well."

Since every page of a website can be considered a landing page, in the age of search engines and direct page links, one way to use your whole website to promote an action, like downloading a single or signing up for a newsletter, is to have a popup box that encourages just that action on whatever page your visitor first lands.

100 Conversion Optimization Case Studies

There are a wide range of resources available on the web regarding conversion optimization. KISSmetrics recently released "100 Conversion Optimization Case Studies" which gives you an idea of how obsessive you can get but also provides a lot of visual examples that you can easily browse.

Each brief example also links to the relevant post or page where more details are available.

As you see specific tactics that others have used you'll start to develop your own sense of what fits you best while taking into account your visitor's experience.

Related articles

• DIY Musicians: Increase Newsletter Signups & Music Sales Through Conversion Optimization (hypebot.com)
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