Getting good publicity for your band requires hard work and know-how. Hiring a good professional publicist is rarely cheap, though; that’s just one of the reasons why you may want to do it on your own.
Here are some of the things that will help you to get the job done if you don’t want a professional publicist yet.
1. Talk to local media
Making friends with the music bloggers, the music writers and local radio DJs would be very helpful; don’t forget to invite all of them to your gigs, and give them a copy of your work. You need to know your market and your media if you want to get known. Always remain in touch with them. You have to make the local media feel like they “own” you. That will improve the relationship; they will become your allies.
2. Combine determination with ingenuity
Nobody is more passionate about your music than you are. Use that passion to work hard and spend time contacting writers, editors and radio stations. Send your pitch via email or social media, and remember to be polite and always follow up. Try to offer them something that will entice them to give you publicity. You’ll have to be creative. For example, if you only use vegetable oil that’s been discarded by restaurants, let environmental outlets know about it.
3. Have your friends help you
If a friend of yours knows a lot about your market, you may have a powerful ally. Ask them to do publicity tasks for your band; in return, you can offer them a nice dinner at a good restaurant, for example, or a finder’s fee. Again, use your imagination. Both parties will benefit if this person is as hungry as you are.
4. Check out lots of potential publicists
If you can’t keep pitching yourself for whatever reason (because you’re on tour, for example), don’t be careless when choosing your publicist. You should vet at least 10 different firms. Check out their Facebook page, their clients, and their work in general. Read reviews about the quality of their services, and ask them how they could help you to reach your goals.
These four tips are both effective and easy to do when it comes to being proactive with you own PR. Doing these things will also give you some experience in the world of publicity, which will allow you to make a better choice when you finally have to hire a publicist to do the work for you.