Answers to your questions about the media
Posted: Thursday, January 26th 2012
Last night, the Portland Music Foundation held our first-ever webinar, and it went great! We had about 15 people listen in live, getting their questions answered in real time, and we've already had another dozen or so listen in to the recording that we posted on Facebook a few hours ago.
Many thanks to Robbie Kanner of Dispatch and Aimsel Ponti of the Portland Press Herald and PMF secretary Sam Pfeifle of the Portland Phoenix. If you want to listen to the webinar (Sam screwed up and forgot to record the introductions, but give it a chance - there's an hour's worth of good advice there), go ahead and click here.
Also, while Alexandra Cavallaro, the Events Editor of the Boston Phoenix, wasn't able to make the webinar, she was kind enough to answer all questions we had sent in via good old Microsoft Word. Here are her questions and answers. (And, don't forget, for local press contact information, you can head to our resources page.)
How much lead time before an event is right for trying to get preview coverage?
For preview coverage I like to get info about an event at least two weeks in advance. As far as trying to get an artist an interview or feature, for the Phoenix ’s purposes, we need to have that info a mont h in advance, if not more, since the story calendar books up fast, and long in advance.
Any guidelines for what to put in the subject line?
I prefer that it’s kept short and simple. Nam e of the band/event, the date (that’s important) and preferably something unique/interesting that tells me why I should be interested before I even open the email.
Does a band need to do a press release per gig? Or, can they give you their whole calendar just once?
For listings, it’s more helpful (and less inbox-clogging) for a band or venue to send out a full show schedule in one email. But if a band has something special/big going on...an album release show or opening for a big name band, etc,. I definitely think an ind ividual press release is a good idea, so the event doesn’t get lost in the big shuffle. Definitely DON’T send out a press release every mont h for your mont hly stand at a bar. I have to say I find those emails incredibly infuriating. If you send out one that lets us know it’s a mont hly gig, we’ll get it on the calendar.
Do you like information sent to you personalized?
Absolutely. If an email seems like it was spammed out to everyone on some PR person’s contact list, I’m not all that interested in reading it. Something as small as opening with “Hey Alex, hope all is well” or referencing the last time we communicated/worked together makes a big difference.
If a band would like to have you review their CD, would you prefer that they send a copy of it with their promo kit? Or, is it just as effective to send an e-mail that has links to the music and bio?
I prefer an email with links to an album stream. If they offer to mail a hard copy, too, that’s cool, but online listening is definitely easier.
How does one go about asking to have a venue reviewed in which their band performs frequently?
I think if you’re trying to score a venue review, you’re going to have to provide an interesting angle for why. Why do we/our readers care about this? We don’t tend to review venues unless they’ve just opened or been reno vated, so that’s probably a tough sell for us, anyway.
What is the proper etiquette when communicating with the press?
I almost always prefer email. Nobody likes being put on the spot by a PR person calling and pushing their band over the phone. It can be intrusive and interruptive. Once you’ve set up a line of communication through email, though, and you’re already working together in some capacity, I’m ok withy a follow up call.
Would your answers be the same for radio and TV? If not, what?
I think so . . . not really my area of expertise. I think it’s always a good idea to be as un-intrusive as possible and to get your info out there in the cleanest, most straightforward way possible. And to always make sure your press release is geared towards the publication in some way/personalized and not some generic mass email that most people will automatically delete.
