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"How To Promote Your Music To Bloggers" |
How To Promote Your Music To Bloggers Posted: 03 Oct 2016 05:27 AM PDT This post was written by Joy Ike and originally appeared on the Bandzoogle Blog. I know what you’re thinking: Blogs are so 2005. It’s true, blogs were a big deal back in the day. But they still are – you just don’t know it. Believe it or not, as a musician, you need blogs. They are the lifeblood of many artists’ careers, and one of the most effective ways for independent musicians to grow their online reach. So what exactly is a blog?
But a blog is simply a consistently updated website where information is provided in chronological order and more recent posts appear on top. Your favorite print magazine keeps you the reader engaged between issues by creating regular online content. That’s blogging. This is a blog. These days, the average website is just a glorified blog. Blogs come in all shapes and sizes, but here are the 4 main formats (some cross over into other categories) Genre based: Music, sports, foodie, entertainment, pets, daily news blogs. Content based: Video blogs (vlog), audio (song of the day), interviews, reviews. Location: City-based blog (a blog about your city’s attractions, events, etc.) Company-related: companies will often blog to help connect their customers to their brand. Why you should promote your music to bloggers
4. Shelf Life: You never know when a new fan will come across a blog post from 2 years ago. It happens all the time. Blogs are great because usually content can be archived and stumbled upon. How to find blogs that will review your music
1. Search comparable artists: Determine what genre you best fit into and Google a similarly styled artist who has been around the block a few times. For example if you play off-center quirky emotional electro pop, you might want to Google Sufjan Stevens. Stevens is an artist who is still fairly off the radar as far as mainstream music goes, so it’s very likely a publication that reviews his music would review indie artists. 2. Read the blogs submission guidelines: Do it! If they aren’t covering pop music right now, and you are a pop artist, you should know you’re wasting your time. If you’re required to stick your name and album title in the Subject line but you don’t do it, that’s another strike. Submissions guidelines are absolutely a must-read! How to pitch yourself to a blogger
Things to include in your email: A detailed subject line: It’s the first thing they see. Make it count! Intro paragraph: Show that you have knowledge of the blog(ger) by referencing some his/her/their past write-ups. This shows you did your research. Describe your music: This is your elevator pitch. Clearly liken yourself to a few other artists and give them a reason to want to check your music out further. Brag a Little…just a little: If you’ve opened for Sara Barielles, had a review on NPR, or done something that will get your foot in the door, stick it in there. Everything helps! Links: link to where they can to hear your music, link to your bio, and link to your website. The Correct Email Address: Before you press send, make sure you have the correct email address! This is by far the trickiest part. Some blogs purposely hide their contact information to limit incoming requests. Others just make it harder to find. Do some digging and make sure your emails are going to right place.Things NOT to include in your email: No Attachments: Don’t attach mp3s, pdf, or anything else. Music bloggers hate attachments. Give them a link to your press kit page on your website. We’re in the age of music streaming so you get the point. Boringness: Don’t tell them your life story. Depending on how large the blog is, they are probably getting a massive number of pitches in their inbox every day. They don’t have time to read your memoir. How to follow up with a music blog
1. Give it a few weeks: First things first, put at least 2 weeks between emails. Give them time to decide if they want to cover you and how they will work you into their editorial calendar. 3. Acknowledge their work: One of my favorite things to write in my email is, ”I know you get so many of these emails every day, so even if I don’t hear back, thank you for taking the time to read this one.’ What to do when you get featured on a music blog
No matter what you do, don’t give up! It might seem pointless to reach out to 20 blogs only to hear back from 1, but everything counts and the more media coverage you get, the more will come. Good luck! Joy Ike is a full-time singer/songwriter based out of Philadelphia, PA. She is also the founder and primary writer for Grassrootsy, one of the most-read music business blogs on the internet. She believes the greatest tragedy in the world is having a talent and keeping it to yourself. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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