February 21, 2013 The Forgotten Art Of Saying Hello, Spam In Today's Music Industry
Has the simple act of saying hello been forgotten in the frantic act of getting from here to there in the music industry? Often, it’s the musicians who get a bad rap for spamming…sending unsolicited mp3’s and so forth. But the problem is industry wide. Everyone wants something, but very few of us are actually communicating with one another….even to get what we want, which is ironic.
I’m a music promoter. When I find a new publication that I’d like to work with, I like to start off by sending them a “hello” message. I introduce myself. I tell them about what I do and how I think we could potentially work together. If applicable, I comment on their publication or company. Sometimes I tell a joke. Strangely enough, I’ve heard dozens of times now from blog/website editors that I’m the only person who has ever done this…and some of these music blogs have been around for years. What that tells me is that there’s a LOT of “email blasting” happening today.
Now, I’m also on the other side of the coin, too, because I run a music blog. In the past 6 months alone I’ve been added to countless mailing lists from bands, magazines, and PR companies alike. Not one of them said hello personally, and so, much of it gets deleted. After all, those messages weren’t for “me”. Psychologically, I have an out, and it’s an extremely easy decision to delete something of that nature. If there’s no effort to talk to me, they can’t possibly care about the product a great deal.
The purpose of this article is only to share this very simple tip that will humanize you and make your promotion efforts come to life, whether you’re a musician, a PR company, a label or any other music-related business. Your introduction email is something you can do very easily as you build your contact list. Evaluate the site, take note of the aspects or particular pieces you appreciate, and reach out to the editor then and there. Some will answer and some won’t. But you can bet on getting far better results than the “blast a press release” method that much of the industry is still stuck on.
Because those press releases just aren’t sticking to the wall, are they?
Advice, music marketing | tagged Music Industry, introduction, music marketing, saying hello
Reader Comments (4)
I fully agree with your article.
So ... Hello :-) Can you please have a look or listen at the things i composed on my website http://www;rockrose.be under the music tab. I'm knew to this all so i would very much appreciate an opinion from someone with loads more of experience. Thanks already.
kind regards ,
Yves
I do agree as well James. What I read is a reaction I got myself from blogs and media.
It's so simple indeed. Basic rules of communication. "Write as you talk and they'll read as they listen".
Would anyone spill the beans without having the basic sense of courtecy? I don't think so.
So, hello James. Nice article.
Hi Yves, thanks for the comment! I checked out your site and the first thing I noticed was that the music could be a bit more accessible. The only place to preview your music is in the iTunes store. I'd suggest setting up a Bandcamp or Soundcloud account in order to easily present/stream your work more. Possibly some website upgrades could make things easier to navigate, too.
As far as the brandiing, it looks like your work is divided between covers and originals. When I got to the site there was a cover of "Right Here Waiting", which told me right away that I'm probably not the best person to get an opinion from - I've never gotten too much into pop ballads as a genre. Not to say that there's anything wrong with it. It's a big market.
Your production sounds quite good on your originals, and your voice comes across decently, although it's pitchy at times, and there could be some work put in there, whether it's a mixture of lessons and also production help/effects and so on. With your chosen style of music, you want the vocals to really stand out and be powerhouse. For a folk or grunge act, not so much, but for pop ballads it has to be huge.
Good stuff though - you just want to get your site and branding a bit more streamlined with what you want to present to the world. Have it as a unified front. All the best to you!
James
Hi Tommy. I think you've actually summed up my whole point in a better way; write as you talk.
With that as an underlying principle, there would be a lot more results in promotion and any kind of outreach. If you have to abide by those rules of treating it as a conversation and not a one way propaganda exercise, it really makes a difference in the words you choose/etc
Thanks for the comment!
James