Christmas is literally right around the corner and Broke2dope.com is in the giving spirit. To jumpstart the New Year, we wanted to send over a few Do’s and Don’t for DIY PR. Public Relations is the art of managing an artist’s public image through media.That can be through blog posts, interviews, or even the events you are a part of as a featured act. For the past five years, Broke2dope.com has worked with countless independent musicians in their PR efforts and wanted to share a few tips for the new year.
Tell a story
A lot of artists are unsure of the role a PR plays. Like a manager needs an artist to manage, a publicists needs a story to pitch. What is your story as an independent musician? You can find this out by looking into your past or upbringing or it could be as simple as where you are from. Who have you worked with? A writer is more than likely to post your music when you have some sort of a story to tell.
Make an electronic presskit to include your name, social media handles, and press images. Consider your presskit as a one-stop-shop for the media. It should be easy for the writer to grab all important information to create a post or feature.
Connect the dots
Social media has made it so easy for independent artists to connect with their fans and the media. Twitter is the best outlet to use, but it’s great to also have a Facebook page, Soundcloud or YouTube channels.
Be sure to engage. Post here or there, reply and RT.
Twitter search is a hidden gem and a perfect place to find writers from your favorite blogs and magazines. Before, it was almost impossible to meet writers and now they are literally in the palms of your hands. Writers often share their latest articles on Twitter and keep their contact information right in their bio. Don't take this as a chance to spam your Soundcloud links.
With these few tips, you can get a kick start the new year with a fresh PR and social media campaign.
