Get More Notice for What You’re Creating

By: Bruce Wawrzyniak

I have often adapted the expression “You can’t be all things to all people” to instead imply that you can’t be on every single platform – industry-specific or social media.  But you do, however, need to be on some, meaning, enough.

The more you’re “seen,” the less likely people are to forget about you and, of course, the better chance you have of doing more business, whatever that looks like for you.

For example, every Monday I publish a blog here on this site.  But I also publish it on Medium and on Blogger.  I did a consult last week with a massage therapist who was looking for some marketing help and she asked, “A different blog for all those sites?”  Exhale.  No.  This same blog that you’re reading here on the Now Hear This website is the exact same as readers on Medium and Blogger will be seeing.

While there is yet another website that I publish a completely different blog on (totally different subject matter), the bottom line is visibility.  Have you heard the expression, “Meet people where they are”?  It’s used a lot in Christian communities, but in the world that creators live and work in, you need to have your work available where your audience hangs out.

I always remind people too that lots of us just seem to have a favorite platform.  So, in the example above, even though I want traffic to my website, there are people who love reading on Medium.  Thus, I’m better off meeting them there rather than agonizing over them not coming to the Now Hear This website.  (Besides, a link or two within my blog – or in my boilerplate at the bottom – will get them over to here anyway.)

The other website that I mentioned that I publish to that is for totally different subject matter?  I do nothing at all to promote that I have blogs on there.  Yet, because they are so well established and have such a huge volume of traffic, the content that I publish on there is getting a good number of eyes on it.  (I can see the number of reads, even though I’m not paying to be on their site.)

There was a time when the future of SoundCloud was in doubt, but they have done a masterful job of reorganizing and all is well there.  I have long encouraged people in the music community to have their music on there.  Why?  For the reason I alluded to above.  That’s an online destination where music people hang out.  It’s why I’ve always had the “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast on there.  Since the show caters to listeners who are singers, songwriters, musicians, etc. who want to learn more to help them grow in their career in music, that’s absolutely a place where NHTE should be.  And as a result, I’ve gotten listeners from all around the world on SoundCloud.  Had I only kept the podcast here on the website and/or “just” on iTunes (Apple Podcasts) and Spotify, I would have missed out on thousands and thousands and thousands of listens from SoundCloud users.

To be sure, there are only so many hours in a day, and no, you can’t be all things to all people (can’t be everywhere and shouldn’t be everywhere).  But, social media-wise, if you’re not on what I personally consider “the big three” – Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram – you’re off to a bad start.  Take inventory of not only where you are, but where you aren’t.  If you want more exposure, go out and get it.

Remember that I am here to help you.  With the weekly podcast, through the blog I publish every Monday, and even through personal one-on-one consultations.  It starts with you, though.  Don’t wait any longer to kick your career up a notch.

Continue the conversation with me on Twitter via @NHT_tweets.  Alternatively, use Facebook, LinkedIn, or even good old reliable email.

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I am a manager and publicist, running Now Hear This, Inc., an agency that has served clients across the U.S. ranging from music artists to authors to small businesses and even an Olympic athlete. Since February 2014 I have also hosted a weekly podcast (“Now Hear This Entertainment”), which has gotten listeners from 153 countries around the world. Find more about the company and the podcast at www.NowHearThis.biz. I am also a national speaker. Visit www.SpeakerBruceW.com for more information.

Live Entertainment Industry on Life Support

By: Bruce Wawrzyniak

It’s Labor Day, when lots of people get the day off from work to, well, have a day off as a reprieve from all that they do every day at their job.  While the 2020 edition will probably look different thanks to the still-prevailing Coronavirus, this typically is a day when people will have a cookout and/or do some kind of family picnic.  Still others, though – and in large numbers, I might add – will say, “Ya’ know what?  It’s a day off from the job.  Let’s not do any work here.  How about if we have someone else do the cooking?  We’ll go out somewhere, get something to eat, listen to some live music, and relax.”

Sounds good, right?  Although one element in there is looking really, really precarious these days.

For months and months now, some part of the conversations I have every week with guests on “Now Hear This Entertainment” end up including the huge impact of the pandemic on live music.  While some have said that they’ve done some livestreams, that’s a knock off of what they really do.  While the pay scale isn’t comparable by any stretch of the imagination, it’s kind of like the NBA currently playing in venues in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, that look like college or high school teams should be competing there, not the pros.

And for recording artists, at home in front of a camera not only isn’t going to do it, but, if some action isn’t taken immediately, the venues that scores of them are used to plying their trade at will be gone.

In a blog I wrote two-and-a-half months ago there was a reference to an NPR report just under two weeks earlier that said 90% of independent clubs, festivals, and other music venues could close – permanently.

How serious is this?  The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) is making a push to get Congress to pass a Save Our Stages Act and a RESTART Act to ensure the survival of independent venues, theatres, and even the event promoters across the United States.

Pointing out that they were the first to close and will be the last to re-open, the venues are not an option for the American public on this Labor Day holiday, nor will they be next month at Halloween, the month after for Thanksgiving, or the month after that for Christmas or New Year’s, not to mention all the days in between.  And as a result, performers have fewer and fewer and fewer outlets to go put on a show that isn’t their house or apartment.

Of course, all the while, operating expenses for those venues (i.e., electric bill, mortgage or rent) and routine bills that performers have (i.e., electric bill, mortgage or rent) continue.

Understand that this touches not only the live music industry, but it even reaches into comedy shows as well and the venues where comedians normally go to entertain audiences in-person.

It’s also important to realize how far the tentacles reach on this animal.  Venues need to be able to re-open not only for themselves and the performers that come provide entertainment there, but others are affected such as the sound and lighting industry, not to mention the neighboring bars, restaurants, and coffee shops that count on that foot traffic from people going to these performances.

Spend some time on the NIVA website, where you can even fill out a form, which will be sent to legislators.  Thousands of events have been canceled.  Jobs have been lost.  Businesses are failing.  It’s time to act.

Continue the conversation with me on Twitter via @NHT_tweets.  Alternatively, use Facebook, LinkedIn, or even email to be a part of this important discussion.

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I am a manager and publicist, running Now Hear This, Inc., an agency that has served clients across the U.S. ranging from music artists to authors to small businesses and even an Olympic athlete. Since February 2014 I have also hosted a weekly podcast (“Now Hear This Entertainment”), which has gotten listeners from 153 countries around the world. Find more about the company and the podcast at www.NowHearThis.biz. I am also a national speaker. Visit www.SpeakerBruceW.com for more information.

Are You Creating Content Consistently?

Like so many others, I’ve probably participated in more webinars over the last two months than I have in the last two years.  And, of course, as so many people were – and, to an extent, still are – limited (homebound) by the pandemic, more and more eyeballs are being driven to video content.  People are looking for three Es – entertainment, education, and escape.

To marry those, however, a recurring message that I’ve heard as I’ve listened to experts talk about getting greater visibility is the word ‘consistency.’  Heck, the last in-person event that I attended right before the world essentially shut down was Podfest Multimedia Expo in Orlando, where the lead-in was VidFest, with YouTubers preaching from the stage the importance of consistency.

You can combine scores of blogs that I’ve written and woven within them could be the theme of consistency.  I remember writing:
•    Ya’ just gotta show up
•    There IS such a thing as out-of-sight, out-of-mind
•    What have you done (for me) lately?
•    Work harder
•    Don’t find excuses to take days off (or, podcasters, don’t find excuses to take off an episode or two or three)
•    Stay in touch with the contacts that you make

One of the presentations that I do as a national speaker includes me saying, “Don’t just do a hit-and-run to see how many networking groups you can visit.  You’ve got to attend on a regular basis and contribute to the group.  Otherwise, don’t be surprised when you don’t get any results from the group.”

Are you an indie musician?  If so, look at your releases on iTunes.  There is an option to sort by release date.  Is there any consistency to it?  Are there huge gaps?  Just like YouTube, followers want to see that you’re putting out music on a regular basis.

I have published a blog here every Monday since late September 2014.  I have put out a new episode of the “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast every week since February 2014.  The e-newsletter that comes out each week, with a lead-off on the latest podcast episode?  Yup, it hits Inboxes every Wednesday morning.  Don’t try to call me on a Friday at 1pm Eastern Time.  I’ve got a recurring call that day at that time each week.  Every Monday morning there’s a Facebook group that I go to so I can post about my latest podcast episode.  The second Tuesday night of every month is the Florida Podcasters Association meeting.  Shall I keep going?

Consistency is key.

You don’t want to show up to, say, a writers’ round or an open mic, and be greeted with, “Hey stranger.”  Worse yet, imagine a press release being written about your new album and it saying, “(His/her) first release since 2016.”  Or, someone who’s going to have you on their show asking about your “latest release” and it was four years ago.

What are you doing regularly versus what do you need to get more repetitive with?  Tweet at me to @NHT_Tweets to let me know!  Alternatively, use Facebook, LinkedIn, or even email to continue the conversation.

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I am a manager and publicist, running Now Hear This, Inc., an agency that has served clients across the U.S. ranging from music artists to authors to small businesses and even an Olympic athlete. Since February 2014 I have also hosted a weekly podcast (“Now Hear This Entertainment”), which has gotten listeners from 153 countries around the world. Find more about the company and the podcast at www.NowHearThis.biz. I am also a national speaker. Visit www.SpeakerBruceW.com for more information.