A Little Polish Goes a Long Way

Ever see a beautifully decorated home in a magazine, hear a song on the radio that makes you bob your head or catch a photo on a social media platform that is so well-composed you think to yourself "I could do that!"?

I have. Then the understanding of the knowledge and skill that the person(s) who pulled it all together has sets in - along with the realization that although I probably could do SOMEthing, my finished product wouldn't be nearly as polished.

The issue isn't just doing it - but doing it WELL.

As writing is one of the very first things we learn in school, it's not a surprise that many, many people think they can do it well. There are lots of folks who have a way with words and can compose the heck out of a letter or company report - and that's great. The problem is this: composing a bio, putting together a press release, connecting with reporters, podcasters and radio hosts or answering emails from those who reach out to connect is much more than stringing words together coherently.

How hard could it be, right? It's just a quick summary or note. If it means saving a few ducats or avoiding the hassle of finding a person to assist, it might even seem like a great idea - until the understanding of the knowledge and skill of the people who pull things like these together all the time sets in.

Like any job, publicists don't spend time doing just one thing. Most are really strong writers, but they are also good conversationalists, great researchers and excellent relationship builders. The press contacts they've developed may have taken years cultivate. And those quick phone convos and emails sent are all about polishing those efforts to make the clients that employ them shine.

That polish is how they do what they do WELL.

More than a few people I come in contact with erroneously assume that polish isn't necessary and treat it as a thing they could just do without. The details in how a thing is said, they feel, aren't nearly as important as what is said.

They are also the same folks who never get their event specifics out on time, take forever to answer email queries and drop the ball on important dates. Seriously, if you handle your marketing and publicity yourself but keep people waiting for details, have even a few emails that you haven't answered or make people chase you down via social media inbox or instant message, you might not be as up on your "I can do that" game as you think.

Think about it this way: If you needed new windows for your home, you'd probably talk to an expert who knows the nuts and bolts of window glass, locks and installation costs, I'm sure. And if you hurt your foot or eye, you'd try to find professionals who specialized in treating injuries like yours because of their knowledge of the ins and outs, right? Why should your publicity needs be any different?

While the seeds for your next book, EP or event are still taking root, why not give a person who specializes in publicity, marketing or public relations or holler? They've probably been there and done that WELL already. Let them help you figure out how to do it WELL, too.

It's Not Personal - It's Business

Have you ever scrolled through someone's IG, Twitter or Facebook business feed and enjoyed the content and the variety before stumbling upon a pic of their child's graduation from kindergarten, the results of their bowling league team tourney or a random picture of their kitchen?

I have. And even if I know the owner(s) personally, that oddly placed photo or video always gives me pause. Instantly, I think "What's THAT doing there?"

And I guarantee you that I'm not alone thinking that, either.

Call me a purist, but business pages on any social platform are for BUSINESS. And while part of your furniture making, graphic design or restaurant business involves behind-the-scenes stuff (like the playlist you listen to while working, the new color schemes you're considering for your office or even the stationery store you visit for your new menus), personal, non-business-related stuff is NOT that. It's not even close.

Now, adding an occasional business-related photo, video or event flyer to your personal pages to let your family and friends know what you're up to is fine, but dotting your business pages with heavy family-related or other personal information does not have the same effect at all. It just doesn't work the same in reverse.

Think about it this way: The purpose of social media for your business is to promote that thing you do by generating buzz about it. What exactly are you promoting when you post your breakfast sandwich, favorite flower or new shoes if you are not a deli owner, florist or clothing designer? Yup - someone else's business.

Again, don't entirely strip the personality away from your business page. Do include some semblance of info that shows your audience that you are human. But, like the rest of your feed, logic and order are important. If you have 10 posts about your new book tour, one about you should at least be sort of related. Sure, go ahead and add that photo of the cool t-shirt you saw, but perhaps it would be a better fit if it was about the town you are speaking in or the one you are traveling to next.

Why not avoid confusion by trying to make every effort to keep your personal and business pages separate?

Carts & Horses: The Elevator Pitch

You've decided to undertake an exciting new venture - Congratulations!

Be it opening a new business, unveiling an app, kicking off a needed service or re-vamping a project that was developed some time ago, there are certain steps you probably followed to get your idea to the launching pad.

And there are a few steps you'll need to follow to successfully see it to fruition.

But, just like you wouldn't decide on your business structure after you've filed your taxes, there is an order to putting things together marketing-wise, too. For example, you wouldn't get business cards printed if you didn't yet have an address, phone number or email address, right?

You shouldn't sit down to have your website or promotional brochure crafted until your elevator pitch is together, either.

An elevator pitch is a quick sum-it-all-up blurb used to answer that "So what do you do?" question you are often asked at networking functions or business mixers. It very succinctly tells the basics of what you do/what your venture is about in about the time it would take you to ride from the hotel floor you meet Oprah on to the one you or she has to get off on to get to your/her function (hence the name).

It should be short and sweet but hit all the important aspects of what makes you and that thing you do unique.

What it's not: A slogan, catch phrase or tag line that is a part of your business name. Feel free to include that in your pitch, but don't let that be all you include.

Don't have an elevator pitch yet? Sit down with a pen and a piece of paper (or a stylus and smart device note pad) and write it out. List the basic things you do and describe a bit about how you do them. Keep it simple and light, leaving out the high-tech jargon, five-syllable words and anything else that would make it hard to remember. Because making it as memorable as possible is really the point.

Let's say you own a floor installation company. Your pitch could tell what kind of floors you install (laminate, hardwood, concrete work floors?), where you're located (in the heart of busy Boston or on the outskirts of a quiet, rural area?), and what makes it unique (work done in three hours or less, self-manufactured materials, number one retailer in the Northeast, etc.).

Tighten those words until you have one or two sentences with some specifics and just the right amount of detail. If it takes longer than a minute to get out smoothly, keep refining it. Practice saying it until it becomes effortless and flows smoothly so you can almost say it in your sleep. Then practice it some more on live people - like your family, friends, the mail carrier, and the cashier at your favorite sandwich shoppe. Once you've gotten it to where you want it to be, make sure everyone that represents you and your brand know that elevator pitch like they know their own name. Yes, it's that important.

Now go forth and prepare to put it on the "about us" section of your website, social media platforms and on the brochure that gives a bit of detail about your company and what services you offer. Then get in that elevator with confidence just in case the doors open and there's Oprah.

Me and My...Bio

Having worked with video production teams looking to interview people about their art, product, service or activity, we've discovered that one thing almost always holds true: In order to effectively help tell your story, some kind of background information on you, your company or your event will be needed.

The most preferred way of getting that info out is via a biography - or a bio for short.

A bio is a written history of a person's life. It doesn't necessarily have to contain everything that's happened since you drew your first breath, but it should contain the basic information of where you were born or grew up, how you began doing what you do, your influences and the like. Ideally, you want to write it in third person (SHE did such and such as opposed to I grew up...), and a quote from you that sort of encapsulates how you feel about your passion is a nice touch as well.

What your bio shouldn't do is create more questions than it answers - and if you start it by telling only when you created your business or when sold your first painting or theme song, it will do exactly that.

So begin at the beginning. Was it a parent, teacher, family friend or person on TV that first got you interested in your passion? Did you begin dancing, singing or performing in grade school or were you a late bloomer who started in high school or after? Did you have a dramatic career shift or was your path to where you are now a straight one? What was the turning point that made you decide that doing this was what you would do for the rest of your life?

In other words, tell the whole story. Sure, there will be nuances that will come out during your interview, but the person conducting the interview won't know the framework unless you give them an outline from which to draw. Inquiring minds want to know, they really do.

Don't forget to mention any collaborations, regular activities (like a weekly, monthly or annual event) and what is next on the horizon. Even if you don't, chances are that the last thing your interviewer will ask of you is exactly what's coming up next.

Artists who have had regular gallery appearances or performers who have been part of various productions might want to also list where their work has appeared or might have be seen. Rest assured: in a bio, you really can't give too much information about yourself.

And by all means, don't be afraid to toot your own horn. If your work appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list, you starred in a play or movie with a huge celebrity, an ensemble you danced in was choreographed by a big name in the business or your last EP was mentioned in Rolling Stone magazine, say so. It's hardly bragging if it's true, so...

Your bio is your time to polish your accomplishments and put them on display in all their spit-shined glory. Make sure it gleams by getting someone with strong writing skills to help you craft yours or by hiring a company like ours to put it together with you. Don't wait until you are asked to produce one to have it at the ready. Especially if you are a creative looking to show the world your stuff, your bio should be the one thing you always want to include with your work.

Need help getting started? Give us a call... 

Show and Tell

Folks looking to generate some buzz about their business or upcoming events often take to social media for a little assistance. Because the platforms can be relatively inexpensive to use, posting about an opening, new hours/menu or expanded services can be very effective and help get the word out about that thing you do without breaking the bank.

Sure, what you have to say is important, but so is how you say it. One of the best ways to get followers to do something - like head to your site, share the post, or "like" your page - is to ask them to do it. In advertising and marketing, it's referred to as a Call To Action (CTA). That "Join to our mailing list" slide-in on your website, the "Click the link in our bio for more information" line on Instagram and even the "Shop now for the best deals" link to your online store you tweeted are all perfect examples of CTAs.

Now imagine the slide-in, IG post or tweet loaded with exclamation points at the end of every line. Different feel, right?

That's because the second important part of the CTA is to make the client/customer feel good about doing what you've just asked them to do. In other words, that call has to make them feel connected to that action, usually because of the gained benefits - like inside tips, a chance to help those in need or information that's made especially for them.

It's really as simple as showing rather than telling. Think about it this way: Which would you more easily relate/respond to - A or B?

Call To Action "A"

Call To Action "B"

"A" is very, very common, but it's also simple and to the point. It's used as often as it is because it's effective and makes you want to sign up so you won't miss anything or feel left out. "B" on the other hand doesn't really get you to feel anything - other than hungry - because it demands, via its dramatic use of exclamation points, that you feel excited about the new catering feature without sharing what the benefit of that excitement will be or letting you know what's really in it for you.

In other words, if you need to use all-caps and lots of exclamation points to convey your message, you might want to think about reshaping it. You really shouldn't have to tell your audience to get excited - just excite them. Think of using more than one exclamation point as basically telling viewers what to feel instead of showing them how.

Generally speaking, if you can get viewers to feel something based on what they see (graphics) or what you say ("See how it works" and "Learn to be a better  _____" invoke curiosity, while "Get 15% off your first order" prompts a desire to not miss a good deal), the chances of them following through on that CTA usually go up.

Working effective CTAs into your social media and web pitches isn't always easy, but knowing what you're striving for can be a big chunk of the equation. You'll be surprised at how effective a few simple and well-placed words can actually be.

In the meantime, ditch the over-the-top punctuation and click here to see how other companies work their CTA magic. And if you need some assistance making your social media and website CTAs sing, let us know.

Why publicity isn't an exact science

Publicity/public relations isn't advertising, but they all have one thing in common:

They cannot guarantee that the folks you are trying to reach will actually be reached - it's just that simple.

The reasons why are complicated and varied, but a lot of it has to do with the idea that it can be harder to get attention for some things than it is for others.

For example, if you are a celebrity or public figure whose life is documented day-by-day via social platforms or traditional media, a sneeze could net coverage by every major news outlet in the world. But if you are a small or new organization, an up-and-coming artist or someone who leads a more covert existence, convincing the press to cover your grand-opening, concert or exhibit, can be a bit more difficult.

The truth is this: Media attention tends to garner more media attention. "Currency" - being seen a whole lot or everywhere - is one of the seven news values that help editors, producers and reporters determine if something is newsworthy. That being said, it stands to reason that the more media attention you already have, the more you'll get.

Yes, hiring someone to help you get your information out there - via a press release, eblast or the like - can help, but understand that it doesn't guarantee that the press will flock to cover what you have going on.

Today, with budgets being tightened and news outlets being forced to do more with less due to smaller staffs, things that use to be guaranteed for coverage - community events, feel-good award ceremonies and dinners, parades - often aren't anymore, usually because the news outlet simply might not have the manpower to send someone over.

The last medium-sized daily newspaper I worked for had a staff of just five general news reporters, two sports reporters and one photographer covering all or part of five counties. Weekends had only one general reporter and one sports reporter on the clock - and only images left over from the week for local photos. The newsroom was literally like a ghost town after 5pm on Friday until 9am Monday.

So it may not be realistic to think that your publicist or PR specialist will be able rustle up a TV, a radio and a few print outlets to cover your event. It is his/her job to be the liaison between you and the press, and generate buzz - but even the best publicist can't guarantee coverage.

It's important to remember that with publicity, you pay for the amount of time, effort and consideration the publicist makes on your behalf, not necessarily for results. Sometimes, the fruits of your publicist's efforts won't even be realized until months after the initial campaign is complete. Think about that event video that was shot, edited and posted to your FB, Twitter and Vimeo pages. Not everyone will see it the day it was posted.

Although coverage guarantees aren't possible, you can help your publicity team a great deal by giving them as much lead-time for your event as possible. For example, monthly magazines work about two-to three months out (national magazines have lead times of at least three months). If your event is in January and you want to get it into an area monthly magazine, you need to have the information ready to send shortly after Halloween, no joke. Weekly and daily publications have shorter lead times, but a two-week window is the absolute minimum you can comfortably give and expect a news team, reporter, photographer or blogger to be able to cover it.

So, if the website the press release bounces everyone to for details about the event needs updating, don't wait until the day before the event to get the information up. Also, make sure the person you list as a "for more information" go-to lists a number they can actually be reached at on a weekend or late in the evening. There is nothing worse for a reporter or editor on deadline to call and get a voicemail when all they want is to double check the spelling of the keynote speaker's name.

Publicity and PR specialists can be miracle workers, pulling stuff together at the last minute and making things happen that otherwise seem humanly impossible. Some of that is par for the course, but most of that is the necessitated by poor planning by the folks looking for publicity. It is also the one thing that can surely be avoided.

Be kind to your publicity team - and one of the best ways to do that is to get them the information they need in a timely manner so they can help you garner the buzz you're looking for.

What Does "Social Media Management" Mean?

The one constant always heard about real estate is "location, location, location" - which really means that even the best business will have no business if the folks who need that business can't find it.

But how do you let potential clients know where you are?

Not all that long ago, the answer was advertising in your local daily newspaper. It reached a captive audience and was relatively easy on the budget.

Now that newspapers, regional magazines and other print publications are struggling to stay afloat (and they have raised their ad rates accordingly - which is if they still exist in your area at all), and the reach of web-based advertising can help you reach more people faster with less hassle and for less money, today, people are much more likely to use other methods to get their message of an upcoming event or new location. Now more than ever, that will most likely include social media.

Social media (which includes Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, Periscope, Vine and others) is easy to use, inexpensive and effective. That's why knowing how to use it - or knowing how to find someone who could help you use it effectively - is extremely important.

Basically, what Social Media Management entails is coordinating your social media platforms to present the same message, brand (image) or promotion to an interested audience of potential customers in a steady, consistent manner. It's truly modern-day advertising, hanging your "We're open!" sign and waving hello to anyone who happens by all in one.

Truthfully, the "social" part is the bit of the equation that is most important. Think of it as the virtual equivalent to a networking function. Just as you wouldn't stand in the corner munching on celery all by your lonesome an event, you've gotta actually engage to get the ball rolling online, too. Those business cards and brochures will not just hand themselves out.

On social media, that means responding to requests for information (in person, you'd hand out that business card), thanking folks for dropping by (shake some hands), and giving them opportunities to engage (ask them questions about what they do and how they do it). It takes work (you actually have to leave that comfy corner and chat people up) but it's do-able.

What too many do is set up a Facebook page or Twitter account for their venture, and never post from it or visit it more than a few times a month.

Yes, I get that it can take time to think of clever things to post and engage your audience, but that's really what it's all about.

A good way to get started is to follow other businesses or services that do what you do and see how and what they post to their followers. Do they ask questions? Show video of their new product lines? Invite followers to hit them up for more information?

Emulate that and try to do it better. Use platforms they don't use and corner the local or regional market. Offer specials to those who follow you on Twitter or Pinterest only, for example, and see what happens (nothing or something cool?). Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

But you have to venture to out of your comfort zone first. Remember, folks won't know you exist unless you let them know. So get ready to shout your location from the social media rafters.

If you need a hand, give us a call. We'd be happy to help.

Fix Up Your Website

What's worse than having a website that you haven't updated in a while?

Having a site that is hard to use, takes forever to load, has links to nowhere or makes finding contact information next to impossible, that's what.

Any of those things can cause folks searching for information on you or that thing you do to close the page and keep it moving.

According to a KISSmetricks Blog survey, the time it takes your website to load can greatly alter the user experience. Forty-seven percent of Internet surfers expect the URL they just clicked on to load in two seconds or less. Forty percent actually abandon a site that takes more than three seconds to load.

Basically, that means you've got a very tiny window to show 'em what you're working with.  If your site takes five seconds to load, a potential set of eyes that may have been interested in what you have to say just went onto something else.

We all love flashy pages that spin and glow when they pop up, right? That "WOW!" factor is a big thing. But the take-away here is that if that wow is causing your page to gurgle and stall, it may be costing you more views than it will ever gain.

But even if your site loads quickly, how does it help keep interest if the person at the end of the mouse can't find what s/he is looking for? If your page has 10 tabs or is very text-heavy, it might actually look like a cluttered mess that users deem too overwhelming or frustrating to use. Seriously - how easy is it to find the address to your location or your email information on your site? (Go check, I'll wait...)

Another thing that may spell trouble for your site is the ease of use of its mobile version. Late last year, Google announced that more than half of its searches are now done from mobile devices. Just imagine all the folks who can't see your beautifully laid-out web page because your site isn't optimized for smartphone or tablet use. Believe it or not happens all the time.

To really evaluate your site, log onto it from a computer other than one you normally use. Study the load time and see how long it takes the graphics, text and banners to become visible. Ask someone who's never been to your site to find a piece of information you consider important (like the links to your social media feeds or your SoundCloud page). Check it from an iPhone, a tablet and an Android device. If anything seems off, convoluted or messy, fix it as soon as you can.

Remember, you only get one shot to make a first impression. Make that shot the best one you can.

A Note to My Artistic Brethren

Dear Creative Person,

I know that to you, the art is the thing and you often feel the creative process is almost sacred, but you really need to know something: If you don't take time to let people know you are an artist who creates music, pastels, novels, short films or poetry, no one but your relatives will ever know you are an artist who creates.

Promotion is not a dirty word. If you do what you do to share it with folks, promotion will help those folks know about you.

Think about it: the most amazing novel, the most poignant of sculptures, the most ethereal of music can't be enjoyed if they sit in boxes in your garage or in the corner of your studio. Art is meant to be shared. Isn't that kind of the point?

Why is garnering attention from what you do on a creative level a bad thing? Even if it is a hobby and not your livelihood (and you never hope it to be), how is having people know about that creative thing you do necessarily a bad thing?

If you want to remain obscure and known for your work only when your estate publishes your manuscripts or gets your canvases curated after your death, then by all means, don't ever update your website, use social media to self-promote or follow other artists who do. Just keep complaining about how putting together a bio for an electronic press kit or tweeting a photo of you creating just takes too much daggone time.

But haven't you done that already? And how's that working for ya?

The definition of insanity, according to Albert Einstein, is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. And he was a pretty astute guy.

Making art and letting the masses know about that art are not mutually exclusive. You can do both and still have time to create, have a life, sleep and do all the things "regular" people do.

If you owned a business selling widgets, wouldn't you advertise to let people in need of widgets know you're making he best daggone widgets around?

Why should your creative venture be any different?

Sincerely,
A Lover of All Things Creative

If you remember nothing else...

Please - for the love of all that is good - do me one tiny favor:

Do not forget to put the address of where ever your event is happening in your press release!

You have no idea how many press releases editor me encountered on a regular that were missing that one simple, but oh-so-important bit of information.

And no, the name of the location - The Ritz Theater, The Bardavon, The Bronx Zoo, the Taj Mahal - is not enough.

Especially since there isn't any media outlet that targets only one town (the last newspaper I worked the copy desk for covered parts of at least five counties), there isn't an editor, reporter, producer or newscaster who knows the physical street address to every venue in their circulation/viewing/listening area off the top of their head.

Forcing whomever is reading your release (in an effort to get it into the calendar,  the entertainment section's event listing or the three-inch hole on page 8) to stop, jump online and search for the physical address of any venue could cause them to skip right over your release to get to the one behind it - y'know, the one with complete information.

It's not that the reader of the info is trying to be mean; You just may be trying to cost them time. And nobody has time to spare in a newsroom.

Seriously - how hard is it to type in a street address and city/town? Readers interested in checking out whatever you have going on want to be able to type that address into their GPS and call it a day. Your job is to get people through the door. But they won't ever cross your threshold if you can't be bothered to tell them where you'll be.

Each time you sit down to do a press release, think like the person you are trying to get to read and publicize this event. They want to know:

• Who is doing this thing? 
• What is it they are doing? 
• Where is it happening? 
• When is it going to be held? 
• Why is this important? 
• How is this thing taking place (live? live-stream? one-night-only reception?)? 

All this information is vital to get across to those you want to come - but you have to get it to (and through) the info gate keeper first.

Want to get folks to your grand opening/listening party/concert/poetry reading/meeting or other event? Begin by telling them what they need to know to get there - and start by telling them where that "there" is.

You can do it - I know you can...

Got Social Media? USE IT!

I follow a few celebrities via Instagram and Twitter. I enjoy the behind-the-scenes stuff - you know the "This is me getting to the studio" and the "Here's the hair and makeup person making me look presentable for this photo shoot" tid-bits that give a little glimpse into the day-to-day regularity of my favorite artists, actors and performers. And I'm not gonna lie - I've unfollowed folks who only jump onto their social media accounts to remind us to buy tickets to their next concert or tune in for their 30-second appearance on an obscure award show.

See, it's not supposed to work like that.

Seriously, with social media - especially Twitter, Face Book and Instagram - consistency is key. Even if you are a huge mega-star, some of your million followers will most certainly lose interest if your only goal in using your Instagram account is to tell them when your next tour kicks off and when your new movie is available on Blue ray. Yawn...

As a publicist, I tell my clients the exact same thing: don't neglect your social media. Ever. Yes, I know you're busy, but - especially when there are so many great (and free!) programs that allow one post to hit all your accounts at once and even the convenience of scheduling posts hours, days or weeks in advance - there's really no excuse. Heck ya got me and Hootsuite, baby!

Your posts could be as relevant to the thing you do as you wish - or not at all. Your minute-long grocery store video may have nothing to do with your most recent project, but it does show you are human and relatable. Blending that on social media with "the artist at work" type of stuff can be a great mix for a fan base excited to learn more about you and your creative process. That's not to say they want to see you flossing your teeth or folding your laundry, however. There's balance to be found, for sure - but you won't find it if you post a countdown to your book tour kick-off and nothing else until the tour is almost over.

Start small if you must - posting a quick song lyric or photo of your computer keyboard or even a screen shot of the music you listen to while you sculpt once a week or so - but start and remain as consistent as you can.

Don't let weeks or months go by between posts. Yeah, stop that already.

Check Your Calendar, Please...

It may seem logical to think it important to really, really, REALLY check your dates when planning an event or activity that requires publicity and coordination, right?

But life happens. As a result, busy people can - and often do - double book.

When working to get the various pieces in place to make sure the event goes smoothly, your public relations team usually plans from the scheduled event date backwards. In other words, targets for media release "send by" dates and the amount of notice needed for booking a facility or caterer are picked based on when your shindig is happening. Moving the date in either direction can cause a domino effect of chaos for your event planner and major difficulties for guests, viewers and anyone else who also has a schedule to keep.

Publicity requires a lot of ball juggling and includes anything and everything from sending guest invites to coordinating a social media campaign. If you didn't notice that your niece's bat mitzvah is on the same day as the launch for your new product because you forgot to check your calendar, changing the date could mean that guest speakers won't make it or the hall you wanted is unavailable - tantamount to an absolute disaster. If your PR specialist has even one other client (and most do), you've just wasted a great deal of his/her time by making him or her have to go back and re-do much of the tasks already checked off of the "to-do" list.

Time is such a precious commodity. Assuming your PR specialist has more of it to burn than you do is not good. Thinking that way will lead to frustration and is a definite way to make him or her vow never to work with you again.

When you and your PR specialist sit down for your initial planing meeting, the first thing s/he will probably discuss with you is the date you had in mind. Be as specific as you can - then come up with a few tentative dates to work with. Pencil them ALL in, then check with everyone you need to (co-workers, spouses, bandmates, babysitters, et. al) to make sure those dates are actually free before you decide definitively on the event specifics. And if you sign off on a date and find out later that it absolutely will not work, let your PR team know as soon as humanly possible. Be sure to add lots and lots of apologies as well. There still may be quite a bit of freaking out, but a total salvage is much, much easier when more time to make adjustments is given.

But the best way to avoid the panic and scramble is to plan accordingly and check your calendar. An ounce of prevention most definitely beats a pound of cure in PR land.

Why You Need a Press Kit

As a journalist who has worked in the newspaper business for almost 30 years, I can share this secret with you:

Journalists are busy.

It's not that we don't want to spend hours upon hours researching and writing - it's just that we can't. Especially in today's economic climate - when newspapers seem to be cutting staff every day and expecting the remaining staff to do more with less - your friendly neighborhood reporter has a lot to do during the workday. Because of that, s/he will not have the luxury of time - to pick information out of you or keep calling you back for more materials or details about your event, opening, new release or show. So trust me when I tell you that it's in your best interest to give them what they need to tell the world about you before they ask for it - because phoning to ask you for photos or emailing to find out when your band first got together can eat up time that many journalists just don't have.

And that's exactly why a press kit can be a creative person's very best friend.

Back in the days before electronic communication, press kits were often these big, bulky and somewhat expensive to produce glossy folder-using things that had to be mailed out. The more stuff you put in them, the more it cost to get it to that newspaper or television/radio station. And once you got it there, you couldn't be sure it was even going to be seen by the person you needed to reach.

The WWW and the advent of email and other forms of electronic communication changed all that. Now, press kits can be parked on a website and accessed with a simple mouse click, saving the marketer a whole lot of time and expense.

So what should the new version of your press kit - your Electronic Press Kit (or EPK) - contain?

Although it can include almost anything, there are a few things it should most definitely have:

A photo of a website-based EPK

1.  A Bio - whatever information about you and your art you want the world to know about.
2. High-res (300 DPI or better) Photos - of not only you/your band but of your most recent project (like photos of your paintings, a cover of your new CD or book cover).
3. Links to your website and your work - musicians might include links to a Soundcloud page, where a writer might include links to her blog or sites where work is archived. 
4. Videos - If a picture is worth 1,000 words, the power of a good video is worth 10 times more. Don't be afraid to visually illustrate what you do.
5. Your contact information - it's important to let folks who might have a question, find out where you are next appearing or want to schedule an interview know how to reach you via email and phone.

Many contain more info - like fact sheets, past press coverage or even a press release, but all contain the above.

There are a number of websites that can help you set up (via template) or host your EPK, but it shouldn't cost you and arm and a leg to get yours done. If you are a strong writer (or know one who could help you out), it shouldn't cost you anything to get your EPK up and running. If you need assistance, drop us a line :-)

Making sure your press release gets read

As an editor who assigns stories to news reporters and magazine writers, I hear lots of complaints from them about press releases: they're too long, there's too much information, it's hard to find what I need in order to write about the event/follow up, blah, blah, blah.

I've also been that writer reading a long, drawn-out release while thinking "Just tell me what I need to know."

Seriously, it's a press release, not a magnum opus.

Remember, journalists are trained to write tight and follow a pretty struck structure to make sure the stories they produce are just that.

By sticking to that script, you can help make sure your news release doesn't get lost in someone's inbox or in the basket by the fax machine (trust me, every newsroom has one). Here's how:

• Remember the five W's and the H - Of course you want to give all the wonderfully flowery and juicy detailed good stuff about your event - and you should. Just don't do it at the very top of the release. The person reading it will probably be the first to decide if the event is worth pursuing, which means you only have a few sentences to convince him/her that it is. Journalists are taught to put the pertinent info - the who, what where, when, why and how - at the top of the story (the reason is this: stories are cut from the bottom when space runs tight. If the good stuff was there, there's a good chance that no one would ever see it). Seriously, if I have to read six or seven paragraphs to find out what the heck is happening, I usually zip right on to the next release - y'know, the one behind yours.

• Give some (but not too much) background information - If your gallery is hosting the 10th annual auction for a charity, by all means, say so. But you don't have to list every board member and sponsor in order to detail the goings on. Important to the people involved? - without a doubt - but to the writer who has a couple of other stories to vet before the Flintstone whistle blows? - not so much. Write the release with the person reading it in mind, not the people putting the event together.

• Writers/reporters are busy - This just means that, generally speaking, the less they have to do, the better. For a calendar announcement or a short blurb in your local paper, your press release probably will run pretty close to how you wrote it as long as those five W's are there. And keep in mind that there isn't much room for descriptive adjectives in a three-line calendar listing, so eliminate the extraneous words whenever you can - or the reporter or editor most certainly will.

• Be mindful of the event date - Hard to believe, but your release party or exhibit opening is not the only thing happening in the area. Folks involved in the planning of daily, weekly or monthly print or online publications usually put their event calendars together days, weeks or even months in advance. If you email a release the day before the event, don't be surprised if no one from your local paper shows up to cover it. The longer the time between issues, the longer the lead time needed for the events in it to be listed. Give at least two weeks for daily publications, a week for more frequent online pubs, and about two months minimum for monthly publications. Seasonal events (the Halloween shindig or Easter benefit, etc) need even more lead time, so plan accordingly.

• Don't forget to include your contact information - Sometimes, if a writer can't make it to the big event, they might want to follow up to see how it went or to see if they can come by before or after to chat with an organizer. If you list an office phone number where no one will be until two days after the event, there's a good chance the person trying to reach you will leave that message and not look back. Remember, newspapers and online publications are all about being timely, and an event that happened a week ago just isn't.

• Let them know if high-resolution photos are available - That teeny photo you sent with the release will not reproduce well anywhere unless it is to run the size of a postage stamp. If you are announcing a CD release, a play or a gallery exhibit opening, have some photos on standby that you can email to the media outlet (at least 300 DPI - Dots Per Inch) in case they need a photo to run with the story. If your band or sculpture pieces don't already have photos, it's never too early to find a photographer and make it happen so they are ready and waiting when you need them.

• Don't hound the media with questions about when/if your story will run - Trust and believe that nothing gets under the skin of an editor with a million tasks on her plate more than a call from someone who sent a press release within the last 24 hours just to see if it was received. Nothing wrong with following up, but please consider the fact that she may just be too busy even to know if it was received. The general rule of thumb is this: no news is good news (they probably haven't seen it yet, which is why that lead time is so important). Editors won't always let you know if they're not interested, but they certainly will contact you if they are. Wait at least a week before you follow up with the "did you get my release?" calls, please.

• If at first you don't succeed... - Keep trying. Just because you didn't get coverage about one event does not mean you won't get coverage on your third, 10th or 17th. Sometimes, coverage is about available writers/photographers or space - issues that have nothing to do with the event itself. Many times, the squeaky wheel gets the oil - meaning the band that always sends info out about their gigs or the gallery that never forgets to send invites to its openings will eventually get something covered. 

There aren't any sure-fire ways to guarantee your event gets covered, but following these tips could net you a better shot than not.

So you have a great product/sound/service. Now what?

You've written a memoir, released your first EP or started shooting your web series! Awesome!

But just when you thought much of the hard work was behind you, you now have to market and promote your work so people will know about it and more importantly, how to find it. For many creatives, that's much more difficult than the work that went into putting the venture together in the first place.

Ever wonder how to get the information about your new exhibit, book, musical release or upcoming show out there?

Because they often don't have time to do it themselves or simply don't know how to begin, many people work with a company like ours to help them garner some publicity and get the buzz about this hot new thing going. Whether that person is a publicist, a marketing specialist or a public relations representative, they basically do the work of finding ways to get you and what you do noticed.

For so long, traditional media - print newspapers and magazines as well as broadcast and radio - were the way to go. That meant your work had to come to the attention of an editor or producer before it made it to print or to the airwaves. The pitch to that front line was most often done via introductory letter and a press release with a sample of the product.

Still, so many books, records and greeting card lines ended up on that editor's shelf collecting dust. What is it that makes some products catch the eye of an entertainment editor while others just don't?

Everything that makes its way into a daily newspaper, a weekly or monthly magazine or a radio/TV broadcast gets there because someone thought it had news value. Basically, there are seven that decision-making gatekeepers look for to determine if the story has merit to their readers/viewers. They are impact, timeliness, prominence, proximity, conflict, currency and oddity/unusual nature. Some stories have more than one news value, but all content that makes it in has at least one of them.

Let's examine them a little closer:

• Impact deals directly with the number of people affected. The greater the impact, the more newsworthy the information is considered. For example, a broken pipe that results in two homes flooding/losing water versus a water main rupture that knocks out water for an entire neighborhood: which do you think will garner more news play?

• Timeliness - Because immediacy is such an important aspect of news gathering, when an event happens is almost as important as just about anything else. News that is weeks old probably won't be covered - unless the fact that the coverage is delayed is important (a government coverup, for example). The exception would be an event that happens over a long period of time, like a month-long art exhibit.

• Prominence - The simple fact is that well-known people and events make news while lesser-known people and events do not. Think about how Oscar-winning actors get big press when they do trivial things or even how the Cannes or Sundance Film Festivals compare to your regional yearly film festival. This is also how folks like Paris Hilton became famous for being famous.

• Proximity - Most traditional media is primarily regional in scope. Their reader-/viewership is most interested in things that happen relatively close by. This is usually why a mass bombing in a remote part of the world is sad but a murder-suicide in the next town over freaks everyone out.

• Conflict - Competing forces make for great news stories. Court dramas are actually some of the most widely read/watched type of stories. Sports take up an entire section in most newspapers and close to 1/3 of a typical nighty news broadcast. If the story has inherent conflict, it will more than likely be deemed news-worthy.

• Currency - Issues and events that are discussed frequently make people want to hear/see/read more about them. One of the best examples out there today is police brutality/shooting stories.

• Oddity/Unusual Nature - The rarer the event is, the more newsworthy is becomes. In other words, when dog bites man, it's not news, but when man bites dog, it is. Anything with an odd twist will probably find its way into the news hole.

If your press release can convey at least one of these, it stands a good chance of capturing the attention of someone who may want to find out more. Getting their attention is 90 percent of the battle, so plan your marketing, publicity and public relations events with this in mind.