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?