How important is your local media to your growing career?
You may not have considered the impact that local media can have on your career. I’m sure you’ve sent your gig info to the weekly calendar listings in the arts paper and perhaps the weekend edition of the daily paper. Great!
Perhaps you’ve sent the local reviewer your CDs and even invited them to some of your shows. If you haven’t, then you may want to start with your very next show. Why? Developing a relationship with your local media writers, reviewers, DJs and TV personalities changes your perceived value in your market and beyond. The media can move your career forward, faster.
I watched this happen a few times now, but specifically with the Dave Matthews Band as they started in Charlottesville, VA where I used to live. Even while Dave was playing solo at the local bar, the media began to write about him. When the band got going and they had some regular weekly gigs, it seemed like the weekly arts paper had a DMB story in it every week. And the “Buzz” grew city-wide, county-wide, state-wide and regionally.
Story after story, review after review, something was happening and the paper and other local media outlets were helping to make history.
Was it just chance, or a concerted effort on the part of the band and their growing team to feed information, interesting developments about the band on a regular basis? Sure, Dave, the music, the band, the team’s efforts and the community’s excitement all conspired to propel this band to the top.
But, it all started with local media being fed good stories, backed up with exciting new music and making local media a part of the story. The band built loyal fans of the media and the media welcomed the opportunity to be part of creating their history.
Are you developing deep relationships with your local media? Do you know who the various media writers, editors, DJs and TV personalities are? Those media relationships in town, can help you build new media relationships in towns nearby. Then they can help spread the word to their colleagues at media outlets in towns further out. Onward and outward, this creates a wave, a buzz and a regional following.
Invite the writers, the DJs and even the TV anchors to gigs. Send them really great stories and creatively written press releases so they’ll develop longer stories about you. Don’t just settle for the weekly calendar listing. Oh, and make sure you have a great photo so even if all you do get is the listing in the calendar, it might get more space.
Local media can move your career. Don’t forget about them. How important is your local media? I’d say they can have a huge impact on your career development, if you include them regularly.
What sort of relationships do you have with your local media? What sort of impact has it made on your career? Describe your plan to begin developing media relationships?
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
