We’ve already discussed the way in which an aspiring artist can use emails and mailing lists to promote their music and enhance their audience. Here we’ll take a look at how musicians can use this same tool to reach people working in the industry and grab their attention in the hopes of signing a lucrative new contract or getting an endorsement. Just as important as it is to know which are good ideas, it’s important to be aware of which decisions and actions might be counterproductive and hurt your chances with the industry hot-shots. In other words, in this entry we’ll explain how music marketing and mail press go hand in hand.
Music Marketing and Mail Press: Two Steps
The first thing you have to bear in mind is that you need to reach fans, gig promoters, and press contacts in different ways because they have different motivations. This means that you have to forego the tone in which you usually address your passionate fanbase and put on your big boy pants and formal attitude to approach people with whom you expect to have a collaborative relationship. Whereas fans are curious to discover your music and stay tuned on the latest news, you need to persuade promoters to check whatever it is you are offering and to get excited about the idea of working with you. Meanwhile, press contacts tend to be interested in a mixture of great music and, oftentimes, an equally great and interesting story, lest they dismiss you and their interest in spreading them for you.
A Good Press Release is your Ally
Consequently, a good press release is just as important as the way in which you approach these contacts in the first place. Here are a couple of tips on what to do and what not to do to ensure that your phrasing is just right. In order to keep the formal tone you need, avoid using any unnecessary sentences, even words, and stick to shorter, more fact-based emails with the news that the album is out and a link to listen to the whole thing. A good idea is to do it carefully and to add a personal touch by slightly tweaking each mail to adequate it to each recipient.
Another good idea of what to do, if possible, is to include a press quote from a well-known source (or any reputable source, if Rolling Stone still hasn’t written a feature about you), and name check anything or anyone who might qualify as an attention-grabber, such as the record label or any notable sidemen. As a brief advice on what not to do, don’t send MP3s or downloads. Instead, embed a single link which takes them to a private Soundcloud or Bandcamp. In this way, you can make your music accessible to the recipients of your press releases through a familiar, trustworthy source, thereby increasing the chances they listen to your music and to you.
And as always, don’t forget to sign off cordially. Kind regards and see you next time!
