I came across an article that was titled “10 Ways To Get Music Bloggers To Notice You” and of course it caught my attention. I would like to respond to some of the points though, some good and others not. Check out the article below.
The original article from Puddlegum is in grey, my commentary is black.
Include the blogger’s name in the first line of the email. Since Gmail and other email applications include a snippet of the first few words of emails while scanning the inbox, include their name in the first line. Even if you have a press release that you’re sending to everyone, opening it with “Hey Flick” will make your email stand out.
This point is nice, but not a huge deal. The biggest thing is that at least the websites name [The Album Project] is in the first couple of lines.
Two: Keep the email short. Don’t overwhelm the blogger with the opening chapter to your band’s novel. If you include a press release, find a way to separate it from the personal email.
Let me summarize: KEEP IT SHORT and get to the point.
Three: Break your paragraphs up. When the blogger sees a large paragraph he will quickly scan the first sentence to see if anything interests him. Ten lines in one paragraph will hold the eye for three seconds before the mouse scrolls down the page.
[Similar to the way the original article was written, interesting.]
Four: Bold keywords to attract the eye. If David Bowie was involved with the album, don’t be shy to name-drop. But when you do, bold names so it catches their eye. First impression is key, and if you can impress them with a recognizable or respected name then make it stand out from the rest of the text.
OR ALL CAPS.
Five: Provide an Mp3. Include Mp3 links, but don’t attach the file. If the blogger is using Mail or Outlook, your Mp3s will slow down the process of downloading the mail, and ultimately will take up space on the hard drive. Instead, include a link to Mp3s so the blogger can right-click to download the music.
This is not emphasized enough, DO NOT ATTACH MP3’s. Links to Purevolume/Myspace/ or other music streaming sites are the best thing to do because of the extra time and hassle associated with downloading a song, or songs. An added bonus is if I do like your band, I can then post a link for others to enjoy the streaming music.
Six: Avoid linking to WMA or WMV links. Typically only agencies representing major labels will include WMA or WMV files. If the label they’re representing is involved in the RIAA mob then Mp3s are forbidden. The reason Mp3s are preferred is due to the aggregators that read Mp3 id3 tag information, such as Hype Machine or Elbo.ws. Music bloggers aim to gain traffic from these sites and WMA files fail to help in that endeavor.
Most people doing this have a system in place for doing things and mp3’s are largely included in that system. Let me explain, mp3 is the most popular format for digital music and so I can put it on any device without having to do conversions. Not having to take time to do conversions of any kind really helps motivate people (myself) to give more time to a band or songs.
Seven: Include a link to your digital album. By adding a link to download your album for free, you’re saving yourself postage and the cost of the CD. A digital album is much easier to review, especially if the blog has numerous writers. Always mention that a CD is available upon request.
I may be the only one but I really enjoy getting CD’s in the mail. I do not want a million demo like CD’s mailed to me but I still do enjoy getting the CD’s the label’s send in the mail. For bands that are sending unsolicited music I do prefer a digital copy to start with.
Eight: Link to the artist’s websites. Though this may seem like a no-brainer, you’d be surprised how often a blogger is forced to search for the artist’s website. Make it easy for the reader to click for more information.
Nine: Provide images. Since first impression means everything, you want the blogger to fall in love with the artist right away. Toss a JPG or PNG in the email, but not set to a massive size. If you have large press photos then add a link to the image instead.
This is one point that I highly disagree with. First of all most web-based or even client side email programs such as outlook express block pictures until you tell them not to. It has become a security risk to open or look at pictures in emails (especially random email). I think pictures are good, and valuable but put them on Purevolume or your website or wherever, just don’t send them in an email.
Ten: Don’t pester. I once received an email from a manager who had sent me a CD. For whatever reason I hadn’t written about the album yet, and this manager was loosing patience. He ranted on how getting his band mentioned on blogs was part of his job; since I hadn’t reviewed the album or mentioned the band then I was somehow ruining his career. Needless to say, I didn’t write about his band.
Agreed, don’t pester.
Now to ask you the readers, what else would you add to this list?
