At the beginning of each music publicity campaign, we establish a quick and firm dynamic with our client. Having a strong set of assets ready to go is crucial and means that we can use our campaign time to the best of our ability.
WHAT IS AN ASSET, THOUGH?
The list of requirements we send to each artist may be an extensive one, but it’s a crucial element of any campaign. Ensuring that active links to music and music videos (where applicable) are all easy to access between both the publicist and client is the first step. Of course, these form the crux of the campaign. Should editors or radio producers need specific edits of the material, the assets folder/sheet should have this content ready to go. Quotes for media, press shots, artwork, contact details are all elements of any publicity assets sheet too.
Unsure about your press photos? Take a look at local photographers in your area, and their work. Take a look at the shots other bands in your community are taking. Find the style you like and surround yourself with the professionals who can make that high quality shoot happen.
Having all these details handy and in your assets sheet/folder makes the process easier when it comes to writing press releases. Also, it means the publicist isn’t hounding the artist for the little details!
We want to make the campaign as easy on the artist as anybody, so the importance of fleshed out assets is key early on.
Similarly, an assets sheet or folder may need the artist’s input when it comes to content.
OKAY, SO HOW MUCH CONTENT IS ENOUGH CONTENT?
‘Content’, you ask? What is content?
When music publicists make their pitches to relevant publications for media coverage, having some ideas in our back pocket to use is highly advantageous. Whether they be playlist ideas, listicles or tour diaries, content ideas can often be helpful in facilitating connections between the artist and media. Of course, it is also the media’s job to create content of their own. In interviews, video content and other editorial pieces, great content pieces often result. For us, however, going into a round of pitching with ideas on the table can also be helpful.
Artist-curated or created content also gives the artist more opportunities to tell their story. Introduce themselves to new audiences in their own way. A behind the scenes diary of studio sessions. A tour van playlist. A list of one’s favourite music venues in their hometown. There are plenty of ways for an artist to get their narrative out into the public. As music publicists, we are here to help those ideas flourish.
HOW DO I KNOW IF MY ASSETS AND CONTENT IS GOOD ENOUGH?
Again, that’s what your publicist is here for!
Should anything be confusing, bounce ideas off your publicist. As musicians, really, your main responsibility is the music. You’re not music journalists, you’re not music publicists, your end of the campaign remains rooted in the music. It is also good to remember, that even if all your content ideas aren’t picked up on the first round, it’s not a sign of disinterest. Often, you are competing with many other artists who are angling for editorial space too. And, in a climate where many journalists and editors operate on an unpaid basis, this space is limited. This is why part of our jobs as publicists, is making sure our assets are sharp from the onset, our content and approach is the best it can be.
Also, should a publication be interested, but do not have the room for a premiere or longform piece of editorial, say, these cool and different content ideas can make all the difference between landing a win and getting passed on.
THIS SOUNDS PRETTY EASY, HOW EARLY IS TOO EARLY TO BE READY?
We normally start conversations around our campaigns a good few weeks in advance of the start-date. Although it can be easy to put your assets sheet/folder to the side (it’s a To Do list in essence; easy, right?), it definitely helps to have it completed ahead of the campaign start-date, the earlier the better. Even if you’re adding information to it periodically, it makes things easier all round for us to be able to jump in at the beginning of the campaign and filter through a completed list.
Think of it like doing your homework on a Friday so you can enjoy the rest of the weekend!
For us as music publicists, creating a successful campaign relies heavily on having all our ducks in a row early on. The artist’s role in this is crucial as, at the core of our job, is the story via the music. Having appropriate quotes for media, updated artwork and press shots, as well as links we can immediately attribute to the artist, from the onset, is an early but key part of ongoing success. It might sound minimal, definitely, but as a smaller part of the whole picture, assets and content is integral.