Creative Ways to Promote What You’re Creating

By: Bruce Wawrzyniak

You’ve been beaten up by the now nine-month long pandemic.  You feel ignored because everyone is focusing on the homestretch leading up to Christmas in approximately a week-and-a-half.  And you feel lost in a sea (or, more like, ocean) of others doing exactly what you do.

Welcome to the world of being a creator in 2020.

Whether you’re a recording artist or a podcaster, this can feel like a great time to go into hibernation – if you let yourself crumble under the aforementioned molehill that has become a mountain taking the form of the Grinch.

Alas, there is help, however.  And it’s found in the fact that you are a creator, which looks a lot like the word creativity, which is what is required to get some lights flashing around your notice to people that you’re still around and still doing what you do.

I loved seeing exactly that being done by the sister duo REYNA, who I just interviewed last month for Episode 353 of my weekly “Now HearThis Entertainment” podcast.  They have a song called “7’11” and demonstrated their creativity in the way they’ve gotten people engaged with it.  Heck, yours truly fell for it yesterday, I don’t mind admitting.

They simply told people to screenshot their smartphone’s home screen when the time displayed 7:11 and post it as an Instagram story – with their song by the same name playing over it – and to tag them.  In return, they would send you a Christmas card.  Brilliant.  I say, ‘Bravo, ladies,’ because I love this idea.  (And I’ll be anxious to get my Christmas card from them.  Wink.)

Some artists might be saying, “That’s great, but I’m on the clock, here.  I’ve got a Christmas song that I’m trying to push through all the others so that people will purchase and stream mine!”

Here’s my suggestion.

While it would be ideal if your song were called, “(Ugly) Christmas Sweater,” do a spinoff on what REYNA did.  Ask people to post a picture on their story of themselves wearing an ugly Christmas sweater (or drinking something – maybe a hot drink – out of a Christmas mug), put your song in their post, and in exchange you will (insert gratuitous gesture here).

Now more than ever when opportunities are scarce to go out to perform live and hope to get attention and thus sales for your music, you need to get creative as to what you can do from home.

Recording artist Natalie Duque posted over the weekend that if you sign up for her mailing list, starting in 2021 you will get access to her new releases one week before they’re available to the world.

See?  No one is reinventing the wheel here, per se.  Instead, much in the same way that you would challenge yourself to write a new song or give your podcast a refresh, of sorts, it’s a matter of digging deep to pull out something that – again, just like the content you’re creating – will not only get people’s attention, but move them to take some kind of action, whether that’s streaming, purchasing, liking/following, or whatever desired result you want.  If you gain ten streams, okay.  If it’s a hundred, even better.  But I can assure you that if you do nothing and hope that fans will magically interact with what you’ve put out, it will be a long, cold winter.  Have a good nap.

What clever tactics have you employed or seen others doing lately that are great case studies?  Tweet them to me via @NHT_tweets or through Facebook or LinkedIn.  Too long to post about on social media?  Email me about it instead.  Or, if you need help with your challenges and want a one-on-one, confidential video consultation with me, book it here.

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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.

Promoting and Preparedness: Some ‘How To’ Notes

By: Bruce Wawrzyniak

It’s time for an empty-out-my-notebook blog entry.

In no particular order…

Whatever it is that you create, don’t promote to fellow creators.  They are not your audience.  Go to the people who do consume whatever you put out, whether that’s music or podcasts or books or something else.  Here’s what I mean.

I’m amazed when I see podcasters trying to promote their show in a podcast industry newsletter.  Or similarly, when I see musicians posting links to their new single, EP, album, or video in a Facebook group of other recording artists.  No!  You should know who your listening audience is (podcasters or musicians) and be seeking out those folks where they hang out.

It would be like an author going to a writers’ conference and trying to sell their books to other attendees.  Right?  It’s not even so much a thing of ‘competition’ as much as it is just the wrong people to try to market to.

Another note I jotted down is my surprise at people who don’t promote shows that they’ve been interviewed on (TV shows, radio shows, podcasts, livestreams).  Don’t you want your family, friends, fans, and followers to know what you’re up to?  They deserve to hear what you had to say, so why not tell them and share a link where they can go watch or listen?  This is how you show people that you’re busy (especially during these pandemic altering times) and thus create more demand for you and your business, product, or service.

Here’s something else.  For a couple weeks or so now I’ve been running a survey about the weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast.  (One person who fills it out will win a $25.00 Amazon e-gift card in a random drawing to be held on September 14^th, so, if you haven’t already completed the survey, do so now and maybe that lucky winner will be you!)  The point here is that if you have a podcast or a book and want to get feedback – meaning, rather than waiting and hoping for it to come to you in an email or on a social media post – go ask people for their input.  Instead of guessing what your audience wants (or convincing yourself that they do, even though no one has told you so), solicit their opinions and then react accordingly (for, say, changes to your podcast or what your next book should be about).

This one wasn’t on that list in my notebook, but since it’s happening today, there is another “Be prepared” lesson in this morning’s worldwide Zoom outage.  That is, have alternate methods not only for people to get a hold of you, but, for video conferencing.  Everyone jumped on the Zoom bandwagon when the pandemic forced workers everywhere to stay at home.  I’ve still been on Skype, where I’ve been recording NHTE episodes for six-and-a-half years.  There is also Microsoft Teams and Google Meet, among others.  Include your Skype name in your email’s electronic signature.  When a service goes down, don’t be handcuffed.  It’s like when your Internet service goes down right when you’re working on a deadline.  Tether your phone and voila, thanks to your data, you now can proceed with what you were working on.

Lastly, I’m working on an online course that I hope to have available soon.  It will teach you interview tips, since so many people are staying home and trying to promote their business, product, or service by getting on as many shows as they can.  I suggest you use the newsletter signup box on this page so you can see when that course is ready because it’s one thing to land an interview, but it’s another to get ready for it so that you maximize the potential return from it.  After all, if a musician gets booked to perform somewhere, isn’t there still the task of getting ready for and then actually putting on the show?  Two different things.  I will help you be ready for the interview form of “it’s showtime.”

What else is on your mind that I can help you with?  Tweet at me to @NHT_tweets.  Alternatively, use Facebook or LinkedIn, or even email!  Keep in mind that I also offer private, one-on-one video consultations.

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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.

How to Get Results from Your Email Pitch

By: Bruce Wawrzyniak

Last week on Episode 338 of “Now Hear This Entertainment” you heard Jack Forman, the president of BiCoastal Productions, a New York City-based concert and theatrical booking agency, talking about (among other topics) cold calls that he receives.  He referred to unsolicited phone calls, U.S. Mail, and, of course, email.

I mentioned to him that as an artist’s manager and as the host of NHTE, I too receive similar outreach.  Sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming to the point of, “Am I going to open them all or am I going to open just one.”  To the sender, the answer is, “I don’t care, just as long as you pick mine.”

Do your homework, folks.  If you write, “Your Now Hear This Entertainment podcast” on the subject line, I will likely open it.  If you start your subject line with “Re:” because you want to fool me into thinking that you’re replying to something I sent you, or that it’s ongoing correspondence we’re having, I’m not going to fall for it and will actually be turned off by your attempted deception.

If your subject line says, “Music submission” (and believe me, lots and lots of them do), and then you refer in your email to getting your songs heard on my “station,” you’ve ticked me off because I can tell you’ve been sending to radio stations and somehow think that I am one.  Delete!

But that’s only half the battle.

Once I do open your email – and again, the subject line is going to have a lot to do with whether your message gets opened or not – there had better be something inside that’s going to make me want to get back to you.  Opening it is one thing, but reacting to it beyond, “Nah. Next!” is another.

Last night an email came in that, inside, actually started like this:

Hey [name],

Wow.  Way to not do your homework.  The sender claimed, “I found you on Instagram.”  Well, if that’s really the case, you’d either click the proverbial link in bio and go quickly investigate or, even easier, tap on one of the pictures that I’m tagged in to see my first name so that you could write Bruce instead of [name].

Inside the email, whether you’re wanting Now Hear This to consider managing and promoting you or you’re trying to get booked as a guest on the podcast, tell me what your hook is.  Is there a new single, EP, or album or a new music video that you’re promoting?  Don’t think that, “I’m a recording artist” is your story.  That’s like me pitching a radio station or TV show or newspaper or magazine to interview me because I have a podcast.  Really, Bruce?  You and hundreds of thousands of others!  So, tell me what your angle is.  Again, to repeat, “I’ve shared the stage with Rascal Flatts, Kellie Pickler, and Scott McCreery,” is not a hook.  What’s new now?!

This is going to sound contradictory but is different.  In addition to the hook, I do like to see a short bio that gives me some highlights, such as if you’ve opened for big names, like the example above, and maybe a reality TV show you were on, perhaps your Spotify numbers, any major features you’ve gotten (i.e., Billboard, CMT), and even touring that you’ve done and/or major events that you’ve performed at.

Next, do have links in your email.  I want to see your website, and, make it easy for me to get to your Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.  Any more over and above that is a bonus.  Yes, an EPK (link) might get my attention, but – to me, at least – it’s not a deal breaker if you don’t have one.

Don’t start giving me mp3s and photos and/or Dropbox links until I ask for them.  And don’t give me your whole life story.

As the saying goes, you’re going to get out of it exactly what you put into it.  If you’re just copying and pasting from one email to the next and not tailoring your emails to the recipients, then don’t be surprised and don’t complain when you get little to no response.

How are your pitching efforts going via email?  Tweet at me to @NHT_tweets to let me know.  Alternatively, use Facebook, LinkedIn, or even email to continue the conversation.

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.