Hiring A Publicist

This week, let’s examine the process of hiring a publicist. So often I hear artists talk about hiring a publicist as being the next move in their career. Perhaps you are at that place right now and think this is exactly the right move for your career.

Using our template to think through this result-based career decision process, let’s examine this expense in relation to the results you might be after.

First, keep in mind that there are a variety of types of publicity campaigns you might launch—a national campaign; a regional campaign; a very local campaign and an ongoing campaign that focuses on each tour date throughout the year. These could be broken down further depending upon the media outlets you want to concentrate on, including online varieties and social media.

Your decisions regarding the type of campaign you are going to employ needs to take into consideration where you are at this time in your career. So answer the following questions to help with this part of the process:

1. Where do you currently tour?
2. How many dates a month do you perform?
3. Have you ever had much media coverage?
4. Do you have a really interesting story? It needs to be much more than just releasing a CD or that you are playing at a specific venue.
5. Do you have the finances to hire a publicist? A national campaign by a reputable publicity company can run approximately $2000 plus per month plus other expenses.
6. What are your expectations from a publicist and are they realistic?
7. What are your goals for doing a publicity campaign?

Let’s look more closely at what some of your goals might be. These are in no particular order.

1. You want to have upcoming dates listed in the calendar section.
2. You want your CD reviewed by national trade magazines.
3. You want to be interviewed in genre specific magazines.
4. You want to be interviewed in any daily or weekly newspapers in the markets where you perform.
5. You would like feature spots on local TV news shows to promote upcoming dates in those markets.
6. You would like feature spots on major network shows appropriate for your act.
7. You would like a feature article in the local paper in markets where you play along your tour routes.

These are just some of the likely goals you may have. Please think of others more specific to your act.

As you examine your goals, you may notice that some of them are more locally and regionally focused and others are much more nationally focused. You need to decide which goals are appropriate for where your career is right now. Yes, it would be lovely to have a long-term goal of getting a feature spot on a national network show like Saturday Night Live here in the US, but, really—are you ready for that yet? Only you can answer that.

You may now be able to focus in on the type of publicist appropriate for you right now. Use the questions above, the finances required, your specific goals as well as your current career position.

In order to get a better feel for what results you are after from a publicity campaign, answer the following questions:

If media coverage is achieved, are you looking for:

1. 1. Articles to help raise audience awareness to sell tickets to shows?
   2. Reviews of new releases to help sell CDs and leverage new bookings?
   3. Coverage to bring awareness to some new project, cause or notice of a change in your career?

(Please note: Coverage is not guaranteed just because you hired someone. They get paid in advance regardless of the results they achieve).

You need to know what you are going after, again so that you can measure whether or not the money spent and the results achieved were worth the effort and the publicist did a good job for you. You need to know what actions may now be taken to maximize your investment either during or after the campaign.

        1. Did the review spark more CD sales?

        2. Did the feature article help bring in a sell-out crowd?

        3. Did the Facebook campaign net you many more friends and are they buying downloads or CDs?

When you speak with a publicist for the first time, it would be good to have created your list of questions and goals. Then talk about the results you are after. This way you can determine whether hiring a publicist is right for you and their idea of a campaign matches the results you desire.

Are you considering hiring a publicist in the near future? Have you considered what results you desire from the investment?

Leave me a comment below or on the Performingbiz Success Strategies Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/PerformingbizSuccessStrategies.

I can’t wait to hear about your success.

Now, Thanks to the Band Curfew from the UK for providing the Biz Booster theme Music, Future Dance. Check them out at www.curfew.co.uk

And for more career boosting tips, articles, books, resources, tele-seminars and online courses, visit me at Performingbiz.com