The Art of Music Marketing

March 6, 2013 Leave a comment

music marketingBack when I was still managing musicians you could take a cassette to an A&R rep, drag him or her down to see a band perform and if they struck the right chord (so to speak) the label could take over from there.  Times have changed.

Truth is even if a label does get excited about an act or a singer; now a days they’re as much in the dark about how to launch a new artist as anyone else.  Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating it a bit.  The labels still have some clout.  But you basically follow my drift.

The bad news is there is no longer that huge well oiled machine that can take a band, run them through the process, and pop out a potential mega star.  Although, truth be told that machine was not always a benevolent one and quite a few artists lost their sound, persona and soul while being run through the process.

The good news is more artists have a shot at getting their music out there.  Production costs are miniscule compared to what they used to cost.  More and more artists are able to control the process and more albums, CDs, Downloads (whatever) are being produced.

The really tricky part now is how, without the help of a label, artists can get their music heard.  It’s tricky but not impossible.  Musicians that realize that marketing is now a part of their job description can take their fate into their own hands.  Yes, the music is the thing, but musicians who focus on their look, image, PR, guerrilla marketing, social media outreach can still reach a formidable market.

It takes work time and dedication, but not that long ago this type of individualized outreach was not possible.  Without a label there was little chance of finding a real market.  Times have changed.  Chances are no A&R rep is going to make you into the next rock superstar, but you now have the control box in your hands.  Use it!

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2013

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Why Media Training Is No Longer About The Media

March 4, 2013 Leave a comment

media training blogIt used to be that you received media training to prepare to be interviewed by the mainstream media.  Makes sense, right?  Before you’re interviewed by your local newspaper, or appear on 60 Minutes you want to get some idea of what to say.  But times have changed; now if you have a website, or use social media, you, my friend, are in the media.  You are in your own media world, like it or not.  So, in truth media training is no longer about the media, it’s now about your media.

Our media trainer, Ann Convery, has trained clients to be interviewed by such media as Time, Newsweek, 60 Minutes, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The New York Times, the BBC, Los Angeles Times, Vogue, People, Rolling Stone and countless other media outlets.  But now she’s also working with clients reviewing what they should say and how they should present themselves on their own videos, or how to communicate via social media.

So, to quickly answer the two pertinent questions

Do you need media training?  YES!

When?  NOW!

Media training teaches you how to communicate with your market, customers, prospects, influencers and, yes, the media.  It is no longer strictly for those of us in the PR or media relations realm

It is an invaluable experience and one that you need in order to successfully run your business whether you’re a producer, painter, author, or rocket scientist.

And if you decide to try and save a few bucks by giving up your search for a good media trainer and trying to do the session with your sister or hairdresser, don’t!  This is truly one of those cases where you don’t know what you don’t know.  Plus, what if the Today Show calls today wanting to book you on the show tomorrow morning?  Then you’ll be prepared, right?  And if they don’t call today, you’ll still be prepared to successfully communicate in your own media world.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2013

 

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PR Tip of the Day: Brainstorming & Outlining your PR Objective

March 2, 2013 Leave a comment

why-social-learning-benefits-your-business-e638abeebfBefore you launch a PR, social media or marketing campaign, you want to make sure that you’ve outlined your objectives and thoroughly mined your stories.  One of the best ways to do this is to set up a marketing brainstorming session.  To start, sit down and make a list of objectives that you want to achieve before starting the process.  You don’t want to limit your ideas, but you do want to define objectives you’re setting out to accomplish.  When it comes to PR and marketing brainstorming, your goal is to come up with a list of the most important story ideas including new business concepts, the unique value you offer, important information you can give your, and anecdotal stories that illustrate how you  work.  Also spend some time focusing on how and why you can present yourself as an expert in your overall field.  The media needs experts and talking heads to explain various fields.  Present yourself as that expert.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2013

 

 

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How To Successfully Present Your PR Pitch to the Media

March 1, 2013 Leave a comment

TV-InterviewWhen pitching the media, or your target market, generally the harder you sell, the quicker you lose them.  I don’t know of an editor or producer who likes a hard sell.  When launching a PR campaign, or sending out a press release, the hard sales approach is never going to serve your purpose.  Sell and you lose.  You don’t want to come off sounding like a promotional brochure or an advertisement.  Talk about unique selling points and chances are you’ll hear the click of a phone as they hang up on you.  If you have features you want to get across, find a creative way to communicate them.  Whether the benefits you’re hoping to get across are reduced costs, better health, more efficiency, or increased wealth, you need to relate your message in a concise and interesting manner.  You’re not holding a fire sale, you’re telling a compelling story.

Before you tell your story, you need to understand who your story is aimed at; who you are telling it to and for and what action you want the reader to take when he or she reads your story. We live in the age of content marketing which when it comes down to it is basically marketing via effective storytelling.  It’s about creating compelling, persuasive and believable stories.  It’s about narratives that grab your reader’s attention.

First figure out how you’re going to tell your story.  It could be a written press release, a whitepaper, a video, images with infographics, a teleseminar or webinars, etc.  Once you’ve figured out how you’re going to tell your story and tailored it toward your particular market, focus on the story itself.  Create the content.

If you’re launching a public relations campaign and are pitching an editor or producer the action you want them to take is to do an article or segment on you, your company or your product.  If you’re going directly to consumers, your aim could be to raise awareness, educate, inform or change perception.  Here, depending on your needs, you’ll have a different call to action. Your goal could be to get your reader to purchase your product, or to share your content.  Regardless of the call to action, the intent remains the same, to build trust and relationships by offering relevant and useful, compelling information.   In other words, you succeed by telling a concise and compelling story.  So, forget the hard sell.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2013

The Daily Muse. “Talk Show/ PR Image.” Photo. Mashable. 19, Dec. 2012. 28, Feb. 2013. <http://mashable.com/2012/12/19/tips-for-hiring-pr-agency/>

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PR Tip of the Day: Expanding Your PR Focus

February 6, 2013 Leave a comment

expand your focusExpanding Your PR Focus:  When creating your PR pitches, your primary expertise is the area you’re going to generally focus on.  But that focus doesn’t have to be limiting.  Before launching your public relations outreach, study different ways that you can present or pitch your primary story.  For example, if you’ve produced a new film, you can talk about the story line, the actors, the director, the journey it took to bring the film to fruition, any current topical stories that the film touches on, how the film reflects the culture, etc.  There are a number of different approaches you can take and you want to broaden your pitch when approaching the media.  The more story angles you given them, the greater your chances of garnering media coverage.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2013

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How to Increase Your Chances of Press Coverage

February 6, 2013 Leave a comment

wall-street-journalComing up with your story ideas, developing your pitches, building your media lists, defining your target market, and writing your initial press release are some of the steps you need to take when launching your public relations campaign.  But those are only the initial, basic steps.  Whereas many people think that coming up with pitch ideas and sending out press releases is all it takes to launch a media relations or publicity campaign, those are simply the initial steps.

Whereas many people think that sending out press releases is how you launch a media relations or publicity campaign, it’s simply one step.  Press releases are important, but generally they’re overrated.  Too many people are under the impression that once they write and send out a release or place a release on one of the paid wire services such as PR Newswire that the media will then come to them.  Truth be told the media is inundated with so many press releases on a daily, even hourly basis that they largely tend to be ignored.  We’re in the information overload era and that’s only going to get worse.  The media is now being pitched via mail, email, social media, phone, etc.  Having worked as a journalist and as a magazine editor, I can tell you from experience, that being in the media; it’s difficult not to feel assaulted by the number of releases and pitches that are sent.

-1That’s why it’s important not to rely solely on releases. .The following are some related activities you can try to stay in the news.

  • Hold a press conference.  But only do this if it’s really warranted.  Remember that media may not show up unless you have something or someone compelling to show them. Make the call to action very, very clear.
  • Contact journalists via social media outlets.  Don’t just pitch them, communicate with them.
  • Send product samples to key journalists.
  • Develop “champions”- high-profile individuals benefiting from your product or service.
  • Monitor the press for opportunities to respond to reported issues that allow you to talk about your own business.
  • Watch what your competitors are doing in the press.  If their ideas are working for them, follow their lead.
  • Monitor speaker opportunities and other editorial/seminar opportunities.  Once you land some, you can then use them to generate more PR opportunities.

Keep in mind when sending out press releases that you need to make sure to follow up with a phone call.  I know, journalists hate follow up phone calls.  To be honest, when I was a journalist I hated follow up phone calls, but when launching a media relations campaign, that’s the only way to make sure that the media received and actually read your release.

The above lists a few different approaches you can use. Now add some of your own ideas.  Get creative.   Have fun and keep coming up with new angles and pitches.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2013

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PR Tip of the day: 3 Various Ways to Present Your PR Pitch

February 4, 2013 Leave a comment

what-is-the-future-of-pr-find-out-at-mashable-connect-1730ec194fWhen launching your PR or media relations campaign, review and breakdown the various ways you can present a topic.  Make a list of how you can present your expertise in different ways.   How can you refine your pitch to target different markets and age groups?  How does the topic you’re discussing impacts women, men, children, seniors, etc.?  For example, if you’re a skincare expert, chances are you could come up with a number of different pitches targeted various target markets. You could develop a traditional beauty pitch for the women’s magazines, a story on men’s skincare for the male-oriented media outlets, a pitch on aging skin for the baby boomers and a pitch on protecting children’s skin from sun and wind damage.    When developing your public relations pitches, work on how you can present the topic in different ways and to different audiences.  You’ll have a much greater opportunity to garner media coverage as an expert in your field.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2013

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PR Tip of the Day: Let The Media Be Your Guide

January 31, 2013 Leave a comment

Room with a wall of tv screens
Let The Media Be Your Guide: You don’t want to be completely reactive when launching a public relations campaign, but you do want to know what stories the media is covering and if there are any topics that you can address.  Study the media on a regular basis to see what stories they are covering.  If you can address any topics that are currently in the news, that gives you a great PR opportunity to present yourself as an expert.  In the cases of breaking media stories, you need to move quickly since the window of opportunity will be short lived, but this type of approach does offer you a way to position yourself as an expert.  For example if you are an attorney and a lawsuit is garnering media coverage, pitch yourself as an expert who can address and explain different aspects of the case.

urlThis is also an opportunity to utilize social media and see which new stories are trending on the various social networks. Especially if you utilize social media analytics and you are engaged with your target market online. You can see what news is news that you want to be a part of. How can you weigh in? How can your company add value and understanding to the topics within your market’s culture. Brainstorm and consider all ideas.  Lots to think about. Get out there and get in the media!

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2013

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PR Tip of the Day: Developing your PR Pitches & Story Ideas

January 31, 2013 Leave a comment

pr tipsDeveloping your PR Pitches & Story Ideas: Once you’re ready to launch your public relations campaign and pitch your story to the media, you need to develop your pitches and story ideas.  Remember what the media is interested in is good stories.  Their job is not to sell your service or product but to tell compelling informative stories.  With that in mind, start off by creating a list of the various topics you can address.  You have a specialty; a topic or area that you’re expert in.  That’s your main area of expertise. But if you move a little right or left of center, chances are you can come up with a much wider list of topics you can discuss.  For example, if you’re a physician, you can discuss your specialty but you can also address the various ways that social media and the internet are changing the practice of medicine.  From your perspective that may not be your primary story, but it does deal with medicine, the culture at large and can help establish you as an expert.  Remember the bigger the media bull’s-eye, the greater your chances of PR success.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2013

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How to Find Your Public Relations Target Market

January 22, 2013 Leave a comment

HiResBefore launching a PR or marketing campaign, take the time to learn exactly who your target market is.  This might seem obvious, but studying your market can save you a lot of grief in the long run.  Assuming you know and understand your market can set you on the wrong course, needlessly costing you time, money and effort.

Who is your market?  Who are your customers? For example, is your target mass market or a special niche audience?  And if it is indeed a niche audience, how is it defined: age, gender, and geographical demographics?  What is your customer profile?  Is it mainly male or female, urban or rural?

These are all important questions that you want to answer before launching a media relations, social media, or any type of marketing, campaign.  Here is where it pays to do your homework. Study your product or service.  What inspired you to develop it?  What customers or clients did you have in mind?  Now study your competition.  How do they market?  Where do they market? Who do they market to?  If they’re successful, you want to know why and you want to know who they’re selling to.  If you have a relatively new product or are carving out a new market, you still need to figure out who your customers are.  You don’t need to spend an arm and a leg doing demographic testing or studies, but you do want to make sure that before you launch your marketing or public relations campaign that you’re headed in the right direction.  Your first job is to get rid of any preconceived ideas you have.  Often entrepreneurs approach a business from an unrealistic perspective.  Instead of looking at your business from the inside, step outside and look at your business not as an owner, but as a potential customer or client.

Although there is much to be said for listening to your gut feelings, keep in mind that your gut sometimes needs a reality check.  Be realistic, be cautions, get feedback from others, weigh all of the possibilities, and then make your decisions.

iStock_000016947133XSmallFor example, let’s say you’ve developed a new children’s toy. Okay, who is your target market? Kids are who are going to play with your toys, but generally they won’t be the ones buying your product.  Your target is going to be parents, and primarily mothers. Right off the bat, I’d say you could write off auto racing and scuba diving-oriented publications as your primary media targets.

Now your job is to figure out where you reach mothers. The most obvious would be parent and child-oriented publications (of which there are many), talk shows, local magazines, newspapers, TV and radio programs, and women’s magazines. But here too you need to limit your focus.  Are you targeting mothers who have infants, pre- teens, teens, what is the specific age range of the children you’re looking to reach?  Study the various women’s magazines.  If you’re looking to reach mothers of pre-teens, study the media outlets that cater to that demographic.

Your first step is to define your message once that’s done, you want to define your market, or various markets and narrow your target audience.  Make those your two priority steps when preparing to launch your marketing and PR outreach. Once you’ve defined your message and your market, you’re ready to successfully use the reach, impact, credibility and validation of an effective public relations campaign to reach you clients and customers.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2013

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PR Integration – Traditional Media Relations & Digital PR

January 9, 2013 Leave a comment

digital-v-printAs the media world changes more and more traditional publications have gone on to become digital media outlets.  Countless new publications are starting up with only an online presence.  Too often people think of traditional magazines as being true publications and online outlets (unless they are the online arm of such traditional media outlets as the New York Times, Vogue, Men’s Health or People) as basically useless or low rent outlets.  In reality, many online media outlets can gain you more traction and exposure than traditional outlets.  Sure there are some sites and blogs that reach only a handful of people and that’s why you need to do your homework before contacting any media.  But when used judiciously, a targeted online approach can help position you in the marketplace, build your brand and (and this one is really important) get you noticed by some of the major traditional media outlets.

online-newsroomsWhereas traditional media offers validations and credibility, online media offers speed and reach; it is the online media and publications that can get your story up and add to your digital pr strategy as quickly as possible.  This was impossible a few short years ago, but now, via online PR, your story can quickly get out in front of the public.  Combine validation and legitimacy with speed, targeting and reach and you have what I call Integrative PR.

As I’ve written in the past, you don’t want to choose between traditional and online media, you want to meld the two to fully maximize your campaign and your exposure.  For example, we recently placed a client in a number of online publications.  All of the stories were positive and they helped us increase our client’s exposure.  The articles helped the client brand himself and more fully reach his target market.  That was great in and of itself, but we then were contacted by a writer from the New York Times, who read some of the pieces online and wanted to interview the client for a story in the Times.  So those articles were doubly effective, they not only reached new readers, but they positioned the client in a way that interested the mainstream media.

When it comes to launching a comprehensive PR or media relations campaign, the name of the game is PR Integration.  Sure millions of people are online and that number is only going to grow, but the offline or traditional media sill wields amazing impact.  TV, newspapers, magazines and radio not only reach millions; the major outlets are the ones that still hold the star power.  Being featured in the mainstream media, such as the New York Times, CNN, the Wall Street Journal, the Today Show or USA Today still gives you the validation and legitimacy that no other form of marketing can offer.

The downside with a strictly traditional media outreach is that it generally takes quite a bit of time to build momentum.  The downside with online public relations is that, although you can get the information out quickly, people are now inundated with so much news that you can often find stories buried.

This is why PR Integration, the combining of online and offline media relations, is not only effective but important.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Kisor-Madlem, Alyshia. “7 ways online media benefits public relations”. Photo. PR Daily. 13 Nov 2012. 09 Jan 2013. <http://prdaily.com/Main/Articles/13116.aspx>

Momorella, Steve. “5 ways online newsrooms will save time and money.” Photo. PR Daily. 25 Jun 2012. 09 Jan 2013. <http://prdaily.com/Main/Articles/11998.aspx&gt;

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