Why Hiring a Publicist For Your Unsigned Band is the Best Thing You Can Do

This is how important I think it is for bands of all levels to hire publicists: on more than one occasion I’ve advised bands looking for advertising on MetalSucks that they’d be better off spending their hard-earned cash on a publicist.

Oh, sure, ads can be effective, and they’re an important part of an all-encompassing marketing campaign. But in a vacuum they’re not going to do very much. What you need is someone whose sole job it is to get press to write about you.

But don’t take it from me, take it directly from veteran publicist Amy Sciarretto, who in addition to sending us several press releases a week about metal bands you know and love (she set up today’s Toothgrinder video premiere, for example) has spent time on the other side of the screen writing for several metal publications over the years, including Revolver, Noisecreep and Artist Direct. Amy has written a guest blog post about what she does entitled “8 Misconceptions About Music Publicity (And Why You Need it Regardless)” for SonicBids, and it’s an absolute must read for anyone who’s in a band.

Here’s an excerpt:

1. It’s not quantifiable
Publicity’s value is immeasurable, really. It doesn’t sell x amount of records; it does, however, build your overall story. Even though it’s not mathematically quantifiable, it is priceless. Someone has to shepherd the story and inform the media of your everyday existence – your publicist and his or her targeted campaign.

2. Publicity doesn’t mean dealing with your adoring fans
The term public relations can be deceptive and misleading, since it’s not about dealing with the public. It’s about dealing with your public perception as advanced by the press. It means being the go-between for the band and the media, so the band can be a band, and the media can write about the band being a band.

Sound interesting? Are you in a band that could use a bit more exposure? Read the rest of the post here.