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Claire Ratliff-Sears
Laughing Penguin Publicity
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"Headed up by entertainment/media veteran, Claire Ratliff, the Laughing Penguin was conceived to meet the very unique needs of small business, independent record labels, producers and artists. “When it was time to hang out my shingle, I drew on my own experience as an independent artist and entrepreneur, as well as a marketer. I know how important it is to find professional, affordable promotion services. Ours is a versatile firm that will really go to bat for you with your budget in mind.”
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HOW TO GIVE A GOOD INTERVIEW (Claire Ratliff-Sears, Laughing Penguin Publicity, Nashville, TN www.penguinpublicity.com)
In the course of your career, and with a diligent publicist on your team, you’ll be ask to do interviews for radio, television, print or online media. Even seasoned professionals often make critical errors in live interviews, mistakes that can taint the artists’ image or leave a bad taste in the mouths of fans. Just like rehearsing for a show, it pays to be prepared before participating in an interview. By following a few guidelines, your interview will come off without a hitch and leave the audience eager to learn more about you and your music.
In advance, it is reasonable to have your publicist ask the interviewer what kinds of questions to anticipate, and in return to let the interviewer know what topics you’d like to cover and information you want to share with fans. Be prepared in your mind but do not write prepared statements to read aloud. It is not professional to ask for questions in advance or to ask to review the story before publication. Also remember that there is no such thing as “off the record”. While a good journalist will be respectful of an off the record comment or a mistake, the only way to avoid embarrassing statements being published is by not making them in the first place.
If possible, read or listen to other interviews by the journalist you’ll be meeting or talking to on the phone. This will give you a good idea of the types of questions that might be asked and the kind of person you’ll be chatting with.
Be prepared. Maybe even have a funny story prepared about a day in the studio or something that happened recently on the road. Know the names of players and engineers with whom you’ve worked. Give credit to song writers if you’ve recorded works other than your own.
Have your publicist attempt to schedule a time that is good for you. Don’t set interviews for early mornings if that’s not your best time to shine. Be willing, however, to be flexible. Sometimes the opportunity for media exposure won’t be at the most convenient hour for you or your band.
Be yourself. That rule seems pretty simple, right? Not always. It’s tempting to say things in an interview in an attempt to paint a picture of who you’d like to be rather than who you actually are. For instance, if you’re not involved in charity and the interviewer asks about your involvement in non-profit causes, don’t try to make something up. Find a way to answer in a way that is both honest and positive. Example: “There are a number of causes that I’d like to be involved in, but so far, I’ve just been so busy working and writing that I haven’t been able to make any long term commitments. I’m looking forward to the future when I can partner with a worthy cause.”
Don’t borrow ideas from those you admire, or say anything that you really can’t back up or don’t fully believe in. The report might then ask, “How do you know that?” or “What makes you say that?” and you’d better be ready to back up your comment. In short, listen closely to the reporter, be concise and answer the question as it is put to you. It is an interview but treat it with the respect of a conversation and you will leave a positive impression with your fans and make for good reading and listening for new fans.
Let the interviewer set the tone and follow his/her lead. If the interviewer interrupts you or seems impatient, make your answers shorter and more to-the-point. You’ll be able to tell, also, if the interviewer wants you to talk more. If so, go ahead and expand on your answers, but stick to the first rule, be true to yourself and don’t say more just to fill the dead air.
Speak slowly. It gives the interviewer time to take notes and it makes you sound more professional and confident. Some reporters will use a tape recorder. Just talk to the person and forget about the machine.
Be positive at all times. Don’t make disparaging remarks about your work or other artists. Maybe you wish that third album cut had been mixed differently or you had a little cold while recording the background vocals on track four. Your fans don’t need to know this. They want to hear and read about artists who are confident in their work. Further, don’t make negative comments about other artists. It will only end up reflecting negatively on you. One young singer had the opportunity to open a show for a Country Music legend. When asked later what it was like to work with that artist, the young singer said that the legend seemed tired and looks much older in person! This is no way to be invited to open more shows and it made the young artist appear ungrateful and disrespectful. A more appropriate comment might have been, “It was such an honor to be on the same stage as someone who has meant so much to the history of Country Music.”
Finally, watch out for “leading questions” that put words in your mouth. For example, the reporter says, “The only thing that will bring change to the music business is if all of the major labels shut down or fire their entire staff and start over, don’t you think...?” Unless you disagree, these words just may appear in quotes attributed to you. Listen carefully to all questions and think before you answer. If a question is posed in this format, reply by saying something like, “Well, I wouldn’t say that exactly. In my opinion, there are opportunities for everyone if you work hard enough and deliver a good product.”
Try to share something unique in each interview. In general, a journalist just wants a few good quotes, something new to share with the audience and a deeper understanding of you and your music. Your fans want to get to know you better and others are out there just waiting to discover you and become new fans.
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| Publicity or Promotion: which one do you need?
Publicity or Promotion: which one do you need? You’ve put the final touch on that great new single or album. Now what?
Perhaps you’re considering publicity or promotion. These terms are often used interchangeably and can be confusing. Let’s break it down so you can make sound marketing decisions.
In the music industry, publicity encompasses a wide variety of activities aimed at receiving media attention for the artist and the music. Promotion deals with getting radio airplay. (There are also concert promoters who book and promote live concert events.)
A record promoter’s primary responsibility is to solicit radio airplay for current recordings by artist clients. The life of a single is limited, so a promoter generally works a project for a specific time period. According to Jerry Duncan, a promoter for more than 25 years, “Despite the changing nature of the record business, radio airplay remains the single most important requirement for success. Singles charts in the trades (Billboard, R&R, Music Row, etc.) are compiled directly from radio airplay data and sales can be greatly influenced by airplay.” Duncan’s firm has promoted over 60 number one singles.
Hundreds of records are released each week and competition for airtime is tremendous. The promoter has regular communication with radio programmers throughout the country and essentially puts his own reputation on the line in urging programmers to add music to the rotation. Good record promotion enhances airplay and positively influences the charts and resulting record sales.
A publicist attracts media attention. She is focused on getting mentions in newspapers, magazines, e-zines, and television by engaging in a broad range of activities tailored to your specific goals and image. Activities may include maintaining and mailing out press kits, staging media events, persuading writers to do feature stories, seeking interviews and reviews. They may supervise photo shoots, write articles, create viral marketing campaigns or seek sponsorships and partnerships. In partnership with your promoter, the publicist may work to expand on airplay by securing radio interviews, setting up contests or having you record liners or station IDs. The publicist has a database of contacts throughout the entertainment industry and will know how to leverage those relationships to your advantage.
Publicity is vital to your career in an ongoing manner. The publicist tells your story and persuades media interest on a personal level. The publicist cannot force an editor or writer to act on a story and sometimes the press publishes unflattering stories or reviews. There are no guarantees, but publicity is most successful when the messaging is consistent and meaningful over a period of time. Your publicist is your partner in advancing your image and notoriety, freeing you up to focus on your craft as an artist.
So, which one do you need? Ideally, an artist will have a professional team that includes management, record promotion, publicity, booking and distribution. Ultimately, artists must set their own goals, evaluate what they might do alone, and seek the support of industry professionals who can help bring their dreams to fruition.
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| The Basics of Street Team Marketing
The Basics of Street Team Marketing Claire Ratliff-Sears
Artists hear it time and again. You’ve got to demonstrate success before you can get any interest from a record label. You need a strong fan base. These days, independent artists are judged by the buzz they create.
Somewhere along the line, a promoter with an extremely stressed budget had a brilliant idea. Take it to the streets to create that buzz and leverage the power of existing fans to find more fans. The street team was born. It began in major markets but the concept has spread throughout the country.
In short, a street team is a group of dedicated fans enlisted to help promote artists, events and projects. These are folks who are willing to do a lot of extra work just because they dig the product, in this case, music.
There are professional fan club organizations and street team leaders who are paid by record labels to head up the effort, but few indie artists can afford to pay for this service. To grow your career, you need a squad of volunteer family, friends, and fans with specific skills and connections to help gain exposure.
So, how do you get started and keep the street team going? Organization is the key to success. First, you need recruits and solid information. Ask for volunteers at every show. Some artists bring a laptop computer to shows to collect data. Others simply use a sign-up table with something as simple as a spiral notebook. You might also hand out information cards, but it is best to get the data on site while fans are excited. The most important information to collect is name, email address, and city of residence. With this data, you can keep in contact with the team at large and also target specific markets when you tour. For greater reach, include street team sign-up information in CD packaging and on your web and MySpace sites.
It is best to have a main leader who directs the effort, something like an election campaign manager. Further, consider having a captain for every 5-6 recruits. Information should flow consistently to everyone with reports coming back to the captains and leader.
In order to keep street team members motivated, they need to feel like they are part of something special. Fans and friends will participate just because they love you and your music, but their interest will dwindle if they’re just putting up posters or handing out fliers on the street. Assign tasks based on individual skills and abilities: graphic design, writing, making posters, or phone calls. You might produce special hats, shirts, or even buttons for team members to wear. In exchange for their time and dedication, you can offer street team leaders and even members certain perks like free music, merchandise, show tickets, access at events, or other little gifts.
It’s all a numbers game. Demonstrate success at building a fan base and selling product and you will not only have a sustainable career, you will garner the interest of record labels as well.
NOTE TO MUSEREVOLUTION EDITOR(S): I SUGGEST PUTTING THE FOLLOWING LIST INTO AN ‘INFO BOX’ AS AN ASIDE TO THE MAIN ARTICLE. CLAIRE
What your street team can do: Get fans out to shows and urge them to buy merchandise Request your music from radio stations Put up posters and hand out flyers Help with a variety of web promotion efforts Contact local media for event/show coverage Email friends with news and information Write articles, reviews and blogs for print and online sources |
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