If you are going to promote a band, a business, or product you need to have a press kit that benefits and influences everyone who opens it. Here are keys to success.
Make it appealing to the eye from the first page to the last.
It is imperative to make your press kit dramatic and bold. It has to stand out from all the others! The cover should be eye catching and professional. The professionals you are sending this to need to be inspired to pick it up and read it, the first page needs to be impactful enough in its image and content to make them turn the next page and that page need to make them want to continue reading. High quality photos should be included as often as possible. If you have an artist that is less appealing to the eye substitute logos, stage shots from a distance, photos of fans reacting with enthusiasm etc..
Show how your artist or product is different from all others.
Is it the type of music they play, where they are from, their background stories, something your product does that makes it interesting and worth talking about. What can promoters use to market your band? Has your band won any awards or special recognition? Insert statistical data on album sales, radio play, tickets sold, shows played.
Make it easy for them to do their job.
Write the story for them. Make it so interesting and appealing that press, media, and promoters not only desire to do business with you but use the material that you have given them to do their job. This way you are controlling the message. They will be helping to spread the message you want out there about your product. It is vital to control the message, rather then having others do it for you. Allowing others to explain what you are about is a recipe to have your product hijacked for their cause or at the least lead to disappointment.
Give them what they need.
Provide full list of equipment needs if dealing with a musical press kit. This is an item-by-item list of every item, staff, and instrument needed for a successful show. It needs to be clear who is responsible for it, the venue or the band. Provide a stage plot. This is a detailed drawing of where every band member, their individual equipment, and monitors are to be placed on stage. Venue managers and promoters will be thrilled to find this information included in the press kit because they often have a hard time getting it from bands or never do.
The more you do their job for them the more likely they are do cooperate with you.
Provide them with every item they need from you (other then the personal rider) from the start and they will be so impressed they are more likely to want to work with you because they know you are professional. A professionally packaged press kit and artist is a rarity and one of the best ways to separate you from the pack. Will a promoter prefer to work with a professional group or one that sends bits and pieces of info and they have to chance them down for the rest?
The press kit must be kept current, available for download, and hard copy.
The press kit should be available for download on your web site. It should be available to be emailed and available by traditional mail. It is not enough to create it and not update it. The list of shows must be current, the equipment needs sometimes changes, etc. Plan to review it every month and updated as needed.
Biographies for each individual member and the story of the band.
You would be shocked how many press kits include neither. Do your best to make each story interesting. Provide threads a writer could use to create bigger stories. If playing a specific city like NY, create connections to the city. If a band member is from the city or has a memory there, if there are historic moments about the band there, or a historic venue the band is eager to play include it. A list of quotes about your band and from your band is critical. It is helpful to spread them out throughout your press kit, to help keep the interest alive. Include a page with all of the quotes.
Include high-quality photos.
These are necessary for venues and press to market, promote, and present your product in the best possible fashion.
Include high-quality MP3's or CD:
These are used to sell and promote your band. This can also be provided online or on a thumb drive or other emerging technology.
Band contact information.
Full contact information for the bands booking director, press agent, road manager and management must be accurate and included.
Copies of Articles.
Included in the digital or hard copy press kit. All positive articles that highlight why someone should work with your band should be included.
Song Page:
If well-known act or up-and-coming artist include a list of songs that are in the arsenal. It will be presented differently between known and unknown artist. If a known artist then list the songs, chart positions, lyrics or anything else that sells it. If an unknown find something interesting and include the lyrics if interesting. Descriptions of energy levels or musical styles may be helpful for an unknown artist.
Make it interesting, make it powerful, and make it your best sales tool!
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