I have been a vocalist in Chicago for well over the last ten years and I have had my share of press. I have worked really hard to learn how to market myself and get my name out there. You can’t perform for very long to empty seats so I have been very successful in developing ways to get the word out.

 

Eventually, I started working for other fellow performers. In the late 90’s and early 00’s, I was doing publicity for a company that I was acting with called the Factory Theater, so I also have a strong knowledge base with the Chicago theater scene. For the last 5-6 years, I have served as a publicist for a singing organization in Chicago, called Chicago Cabaret Professionals.

 

 

My main focus is going to be on Chicago area performers, primarily because I have been working hard for the last decade to build relationships with the media at large, getting to know the ins and outs of the scene. That doesn’t mean that I cannot branch out to other areas, especially to Milwaukee and surrounding larger areas, but I will mainly be focusing on Chi-town.

 

 

I basically offer publicity and promotional services designed to publicize your events and your career on a short or long term basis. Not only can I handle your PR, but I can create press material for you, as well as manage your website updates.  I am also going to be delving into social networking hubs for clients, managing banner advertising and using news groups to target audiences. A PR person is NOT an agent or manager and is not responsible for booking.

 

 

Somewhere there is a joke that publicity is to keep you in the news and PR is to keep you out…(So funny I forgot to laugh.)

 

Essentially, publicity is the act of getting your name out to people who don’t know you.  Or perhaps they may have heard about you, but you want them to know what you are doing at the moment.  Public relations are usually for people who actually have a public that they need to relate to, also known as a following.   

 

Most entertainment PR firms actually do publicity; publicity being the act of “getting ink” i.e. getting unpaid media to give you some attention in their publications. One of my main roles is to use my relationships with various media folk to keep them informed of our news and events.   

 

 

Like I mentioned before, performing is a whole lot more fun when the seats are filled with other people besides your grandmother. In order to maintain doing what we love, we have to generate an audience. In this highly competitive market and mind-boggling information outlets, having an eye-catching strategy to get you noticed is the pack is key. It's vital to have your information listed so the public knows you are there and gathering credibility from critics can really raise your profile. There is so much over-saturation right now and the key is to make people notice you.

 

 

First of all, I need at least 6 weeks out, if possible to start getting the word out. Some publications have month-out deadlines. We need to create a press release in order to supply to media with the information they need. They are responsible for giving me all of this information and then I take over to spread the word. I have a strict schedule of press drops that I do, as well as personal follow-up contact with media contacts.

 

This is the thing: There is no guarantee that any PR person can get heavy-hitting critics in to see an event. I tell this to my clients up front. I give 100% and do the same job for everyone. It's all about what catches their eye at any given time, or what else is going on in the entertainment scene. This is why I always consult people to really think about their product and make sure that it is something that will catch people's attention.

 

 

The protocol is constantly evolving, but at this time, I would say that the most important things that performers need are a good website, current professional photos and as much online media as they can gather. The days of snail mail are out. Most people don't even want things faxed to them anymore.

 

Many communicate through email and social networking like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. When I create material for people, there are hard copies, but I also supply everything digitally. Therefore, clients can drop of press packets to a club owner at a venue, or they can submit all of their promotional information online.

 

 

A hard copy press kit, geared to a certain event or show should have as much information about the concept and the performers as possible. This may include biographical information, press reviews and/or quotes, photos, past venues, song lists and a media CD is highly recommended. A Media CD will not only include digital copies of all the paper information in the packet, but it will also include sound, video and photo media.

 

A digital press packet, also referred to as an EPK (electronic press packet) is information that you have accessible online, most likely on a press page or link on your website. This way, a potential employer can gather all the information about you that they need, without the fear of them losing your hard copy information under a pile of other potential performers.

 

 

In this day and age, it's critical. It's just the way of the times. And it should be easy to get around. If there is too much flash or annoying music that is hard to turn off, it can be a deterrent. Luckily, there are a lot of website design options out there that are convenient for all price levels. I have preferred vendors that I recommend to my clients that fall into many different price brackets.

 

Creating websites in a blogging atmosphere seems to be a new, cheaper way to get a site done and I have some great vendors who specialize in this. Not only is it more economical, but it is a lot easier for the performer to update their own information.

 

Getting quotes and reviews seems essential to promoting a show and ones’ self as an actor. What’s the best way to get a show reviewed by local papers?

 

I will be the first to tell you that it is not easy to get people to even sometimes call or email you back.  There is just too much competition out there to get noticed in the crowd. 

 

Also, come on, let’s say it out loud.  Critics are scary.  They frighten us, we don’t want to bug them or tick them off.  We don’t want them create any type of negative idea about you even before they have seen you perform.  It’s as if everything they say matters. 

 

You have to remember that without us (the performers of the world), entertainment writers and publications will have nothing to write about.  They really do need us as much as we need them.  It’s just that they get a LOT of information and we need to make sure they pick OUR information. You have to find a creative angle to catch their eye. If you are putting a show together, you simply have to consider these things.

 

Great idea: If you are doing a Mamet show, pick the month that he is celebrating his 65th birthday, or coincide it with a release of his new Broadway show opening. Or, if you are doing a cabaret show on Johnny Mercer, try to plan your performances around the 20th anniversary of his death.

 

Just know that while your friends and family may love coming to see you do a show entitled, “Songs that Remind Me of What I Ate for Breakfast”. But unless you already have an enormous fan base and following, it might be a hard sell. Help the press write the story and the angle for them and they are sure to sit up and take notice.

 

 

 

Snail mail is costly and frankly, I think you are better off these days getting your information out through email, social networking and marketing tools like constant contact.

 

 

I can tell you what you don’t want to do.  Do not pummel people with too much information.  In the times of subscription email, all it takes is one click on the unsubscribe button and you will never be able to get your information to that person at that email address again.  I like to schedule my drops: One month out, two weeks out, the Monday morning before the show, and that is it.

 

I believe in a good phone conversation.  Everyone is busy.   Get over that icky, 8th grade nervous butterfly stomach feeling and make the call.  Introduce yourself and acknowledge that you know they are swamped but ask them for a few minutes. 

 

Tell them that you wanted to let them know that you were sending over your show information and that you wanted tgive them a heads up.  Take nothing personally and be proud of yourself that you made the call because you have a leg up on 99% of the people that e-bombed them that morning.  They will remember you.

 

 

Truthfully? Know thyself. Be realistic and know you’re demographic…who you appeal to. For musicians, know that your Indie grunge rock band is probably going to be a hard cell to the public library circuit.

 

And for those of you doing a Cole Porter review, don’t bother trying to book college tours. An actor has to be aware of what brackets they fill as well. The professional theater scene doesn’t cast a 20 year old as Willie Loman with baby powder in your hair. They are going cast age appropriate and that goes across the board for looks, type, size and age.