“The Art of Tasteful Boasting” Webinar Recap

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A big thanks to those of you who helped make our first Presskit.to Webinar a huge success.  The Art of Tasteful Boasting tackled the ins and outs of writing an artist/band bio and tagline.  We were joined by three amazing panelists Chris Robley, Marketing Coordinator & Blog Editor, CD Baby; Julia Rogers, Editor in Chief at Musiciancoaching.com; and Jem Bahaijoub, Founder of imaginePR.  The trio brought on some great new ideas on getting started with a bio and making it true to your band and music.  

If you missed the Webinar or simply want a recap, the recordings are made readily available on YouTube and SoundCloud. We even listed some of our favorite points for you to quickly check out.

We hope you’ll join us for our next Webinar on May 29.

 

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Tips & Takeaway Points:

  • Jot down descriptive adjectives of your music, and questions you’d like answered about your band when you’re getting started.
  • Writer’s Block?! Take a break!
  • Try different approachesto your bio (overly bragging, super-humble, ego-maniac, etc.), and pick the best parts of each.
  • Quoting yourself mid-way in a bio is a great way to incorporate first and third voice.
  • Prioritize your achievements! Don’t be afraid to name-drop if you’ve worked with a notable industry figure (but, don’t exaggerate or lie).
  • Create a few different lengths of your biography. Short versions for press or social media, and longer for your website.
  • When building a tagline, try to find two descriptive things to say about your music and you as an artist/band.
  • If in doubt, keep it simple! Don’t be afraid to have someone help you write.
  • BE AUTHENTIC AND BE YOURSELF!!

A Musicianʼs Mini-Guide to Crowdfunding - What Platform Is Right For You?

Written by Jem Bahaijoub

2012 was the year crowdfunding went mainstream. The success of Amanda Palmerʼs Kickstarter campaign threw the alternative fanfunding model into the limelight, and now most musicians are turning to their fans and friends for financial support pre-release. But what is the best crowdfunding platform for you? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each platform? Hereʼs a helpful chart outlining the key features of four of the top crowdfunding platforms out there.

Click the image below for a larger version of the chart!

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Jem Bahaijoub is the founder of imaginePR, a music marketing company based in Washington DC. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.

The Power of Personal - When Traditional Marketing Still Counts

Written by Jem Bahaijoub

As a new artist it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the constantly evolving new media world. With new marketing platforms bombarding us every day, it’s difficult to see the forest from the trees. So what should you do to market your debut EP? How can you build up a fan base from scratch? Next time you feel a panic-attack coming on and start screaming “where do I start?!”, take a deep breath and remember that we were sociable before we were social. So cast your smiley text faces and FB invitations to one side, and go back to basics. The foundational elements of direct-to-fan marketing all started in the physical world….

Put Your Face In A Face

Always remember that your most important marketing tool is yourself. Nothing can ever replace the importance of face-to-face interactions. You may not have time (or the money) to attend every industry and event conference but remember that every time you step outside of your house a marketing opportunity presents itself - at your local coffee shop for example (can you leave postcards on their counter?), going to see other local bands (how about a gig swap?), even at dinner with your extended family (get them on your mailing list!). The power of personal will ALWAYS trump the online world. Why? Because you are instantly more memorable in real life, and people will be willing to help you out more if they know you as a person. 

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7 Simple Social Media Content Ideas

Written by Jem Bahaijoub

We just can’t stop talking about social media - what to do, what not to do, and how to do it. With an overwhelming amount of choice comes an overwhelming amount of information. The biggest challenge for musicians is not about signing up for the latest trend, but how to keep that platform going with interesting and refreshing content. Here are some simple ideas for social media content that apply across most networks:

1. Be A Resource
Your social media sites shouldn’t be just about you. The musicians who use social media effectively are the ones who turn it into a resource for others. As a musician, you are part of many communities - your fan community, your fellow musician community, and your industry community. If you share information that you discover on a daily basis, then you have an instant flow of interesting content. For example, have you read an interesting book or article? What other artists and shows can you recommend to your fans? What tips have you picked up about your industry?  
 
 
 
Remember social media is not just about self-promotion. Of course you want to tell your fans about upcoming shows and new music. However, if you only talk about yourself then social media would become a platform where everyone is shouting but no one is listening.
 
You will strengthen your community by sharing information about others. Two artists that do this well are Blues/Americana/Rock artist Ted Garber on Twitter and singer-songwriter René Moffatt on Facebook. Check out some of their posts for inspiration.

2. Ask For Help
Asking questions or asking for help on your social media sites is another great way to create conversation. On a personal level, sharing your vulnerabilities makes you more relatable as a person. For example, the violinist Christen Lien recently tweeted about her back problems, asking her fans for tips on how to relieve the pain. She engaged in a number of conversations with various fans about the issue that can be viewed HERE.
 
 
 
On a professional level, you can involve your fans in your creative process by asking for their feedback on various career choices, such as your latest single, album cover or photo shoot. Folk-rock musician Brian Franke did just this with his last album. He asked for feedback on his album cover and chose the cover that received the most votes.
 
3. Join The Debate
There’s always a debate raging in the music industry, one recent notable topic of fury being the article written by NPR intern Emily White, who admitted to only buying 15 albums in her catalogue of 11,000 songs. This admission provoked strong reactions across the industry with many industry figures posting articles in response. But you don’t need to be an industry “expert” to express your feelings on this subject. Evan Bliss, a regional pop-rock singer-songwriter, wrote a blog post detailing his thoughts on the debate, which he then posted to Facebook and Twitter. He felt strongly about the topic and wanted to share his thoughts. This was insightful and topical social media content. 
 
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Another great example was a recent debate that occurred in Washington, DC regarding the City Paper. The paper admitted in a music roundup that they were not interested in covering the singer-songwriter genre, even though the city has a vibrant singer-songwriter scene. This provoked outrage in the local music community with many artists posting, commenting and sharing their thoughts in protest. 
So what are your opinions on the latest trending topics? What is going on in the worlds of music, politics, or ecology? Share your thoughts with your fans. Give them an insight into how you think as an individual.  There is nothing like a bit of passion!
 
4. Make It Visual
If you are not a natural wordsmith, then say it with pictures and video. The rise of visual social media is staggering. Instagram now has more than 50 million users, and each day on Facebook 300 million photos are uploaded.  YouTube has now become the second largest search engine in the world.
 
 
What’s great about these sites and apps is that you can sync them very easily with your other social media platforms - you can repost (or “repin”) pictures and videos to Facebook and Twitter, creating a natural flow of additional content.
So why are visuals so important? It’s simple - they allow your fans to see the world through your eyes.  
For visual inspiration check out this list of 13 must-follow musicians on Instagram.
 
5. Create Your Own Q&A Sessions
Another great way to create content and a two-way conversation with your fans is by conducting a mini Q&A session online. Ask your fans to post questions about you on your FB page and then answer them in turn over the course of a week (or two) by reposting the questions with your answer attached. Alternatively conduct a rapid-fire 15 min Q&A on Twitter. Your fans are curious about you, so you’ll be making their day. 
Voila! Instant content.
 
6. Offer Exclusives
You don’t have to post the same content on each of your social media platforms. In fact it’s better that there is a variation between your sites. One way you can differentiate one site from another is by posting exclusive content. 
The Brit-pop band Blur did this recently by premiering their Olympic concert track on Twitter. But you don’t have to be a massive band like Blur to play this game. Even if you only have 100 followers on Twitter, you are demonstrating to your fans that you value them. You are also providing content that will inspire them to retweet, which will lead to new followers. 
 
7. Chit-Chat Of Course! 
Let’s not forget the all important chit-chat status updates. I love them. What are you doing right now? What is occurring in your day to day life?  You’ll be surprised at how many people want to hear about this. Why? Because it’s normal! 
Alternatively ask your fans about themselves. How can you help them? What are they listening to right now? Show an interest in their lives and they will reciprocate. 
Overall your social media content should provide an insight into your life - the person behind the music. Ensure it’s consistent, make it conversational and have fun!
 
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Jem Bahaijoub is the founder of imaginePR, a music marketing company based in Washington DC. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook

How To Write An Effective Musician Biography

Written by Jem Bahaijoub

Album finished? Check. Tour dates? Check. Press photos? Check. Press release? Check. Biography? Urgh!

If you’re not a spectacular storyteller or wondrous wordsmith, then the task of writing or updating your biography can seem like an arduous task. However, a biography is an essential item in any musicians marketing tool kit. It positions your brand identity, communicates your key achievements and provides background info to fans and media alike. Here are a few pointers to help you on your way…..

Interview Yourself

If you’ve not yet put pen to paper, the best thing to do is put yourself in the position of a journalist. Devise a list of questions covering your career and interview yourself. Gain ideas and angles by reading up on blog Q&As, or identify interview questions you would ask a favorite band or artist. This will make the process of gathering your bio content a lot easier. While you are interviewing yourself, write down as much info as possible. You can edit this all later.

Plan Your Structure

Indie Ambassador Resources Artist Bio Mumford and Sons

Your bio is not your life story. It’s a concise and well structured over-view of your music career. This is why planning the format is key. Think carefully about what you want to include in each paragraph and keep the following in mind:

1. Define your key achievements. If you have performed with well-known artists or received awards or accolades, then now is the time to rave about them. List them according to their newsworthiness.

2. Your bio does not need to be chronological. In fact the first couple of paragraphs are often the most important as they’ll determine whether a journalist or fan will read on. Ensure that the beginning of your bio provides an effective summary of your sound. For example, the Mumford and Sons bio conjures an image of their offering from the outset.

3. If you’re in a band, stick to writing about the band’s overall story, rather than each individual member in detail. It’s okay to dedicate some space to each member as long as the bio starts and ends with the band. Don’t kill the reader with detail - keep it focused.

Find Your Narrative Style

Indie Ambassador Resources Artist Bio Adele

If you’re not a naturally gifted writer, than discovering your “writer’s voice” is one of the most difficult tasks. But don’t panic! If you write with passion and personality you are half way there. If you get stuck, utilize press quotes or even quote yourself. Adele’s biography is a good example of this. Alternatively ask your friends and family to provide descriptors, and get feedback from them on your writing style. If in doubt, keep it short and simple. Balance style with substance.

Create a Work In Progress

Make life easy for yourself and write a biography that is easy to update on a regular basis. Adopt a style and format that is timeless and easy to add additional information to as your career progresses. Keep your bio as concise as possible — make every word count. If you struggle fitting all relevant information in to one page, create both a short and long version that can be used accordingly. Now get cracking….it won’t write itself.

Jem Bahaijoub is the founder of imaginePR, a music marketing company based in Washington DC. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.