Fridays don't exist and your press release shouldn't either

Let's be honest.  When it's Friday and you're at work what's really on your mind? Diving into some new projects? Doing actual WORK? Likely story! The truth is that Fridays are primarily "clean-up" days. Making sure your week of work is organized, sending those final emails and other tasks meant to let you enjoy the weekend.  By 3pm on a Friday most of us are already at the lake or beach sipping on cold drinks and enjoying our time off.  Well, mentally anyways.

According to AirPR, the best times to post news for journalists and other media outlets is on Mondays and Wednesdays.  Most of the time people are too busy working on Tuesdays and as we now know, Fridays are nonexistent.  Next time you release news try to do it on a Monday or Wednesday at the first thing in the morning or just before lunch on the East Coast.  That should greatly increase your chances of being noticed.

Check out the article on Fast Company here.

2 Things I learned from The Inne of The Abingtons

This might be a little off-topic for the blog but it's something that really struck a chord with me and as a marketer and human being, I felt the need to write about it.  This post is one part opinion and one part fact.

On the night of Wednesday, July 9th 2014 I came across a post on Facebook about a local venue denying their services to a same-sex couple.  By Thursday it had spread like wildfire and was shared thousands of times throughout NEPA social media.

The email from Inne of The Abingtons sent to Desiree Mark

So here are 2 things that came to mind when I witnessed all of this.

There are more open minded people in NEPA than I thought

Scranton and Wilkes-Barre aren't exactly known for being forward-thinking and open-minded.  I'm not saying that in a negative fashion.  I'm just saying that NEPA has a tough time with change.  Change is a hard thing to embrace.  Honestly, it surprised me when I saw my news feeds filled with backlash about The Inne's response to a same-sex couple.  This gives me hope for the place that I call home.

We live in a digital age. Anything can go viral

In this world of instant communication, news feeds and blogs, it's easier than ever to share information.  I first saw the post about the email from The Inne on Wednesday night around 8:30 pm. By Thursday morning I saw it posted by The Scranton Times-Tribune, local TV station WNEP, and numerous friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter.  The lesson?  Be aware of what you post online because EVERYONE can find it. 

BY NO MEANS am I condoning the response by The Inne of The Abingtons.  My point is that from a marketing and public relations view, you really need to be careful how you handle yourself online.  Every email, Facebook post and tweet represents you and your brand. Keep that in mind when you work online.  Their brand will forever be remembered as the place that discriminated against the LGBT community.  In the marketing world this is called non marketing-controlled information.  It's stuck in people's heads.  You can never take that back.

I highly suggest that you check out The Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship.  It's excellent knowledge for running your business, and your life online.

In the end....

1. It is not okay to discriminate against anyone, for any reason, ever.
2. The Inne of The Abingtons blew it.
3. There's still a chance for NEPA
4. This is a great example of what NOT to do with your online presence.

I love where I'm from.

Why bad ideas are good

Sometimes when I need to brainstorm on projects I get upset when I can’t think of any ideas that are good or worth using. I used to get frustrated about this. Why can’t I think of anything good? Why are all these ideas so bad?


Well the truth is that bad ideas can actually be good. The point is that I need to get my brain going. I need to get into a creative state of mind. And even if I fail at the task at hand it’s ok. As Thomas Edison said:

“I have not failed 10,000 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 10,000 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”

What do you guys do to brainstorm and get your creativity flowing?


Quote Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanfurr/2011/06/09/how-failure-taught-edison-to-repeatedly-innovate/

An easy method for writing bios

Just like with any other industry, you need to have your elevator pitch ready to go at a moment's notice.  An elevator pitch is a short(usually 30 seconds or less) straightforward description of who you are, what your music sounds like, and what project you're currently working on.

One of the best ways that I've found to develop an elevator pitch is to boil down a bio into 30 seconds.  Bios are important because they help you tell your story.  They give your fans insight into who you are and they give industry people like booking agents and journalists a great starting point to your music.

So how exactly do you create a bio?  How long should it be? Where should I put it when it's finished?

A proven outline used by many PR and marketing agencies is to break it down into 4 sections:

1. Intro

Opening paragraph with an interesting summary of who you are, where you're from and what you do.  You can also add in something about a new single, album or project here.

2. The Past

What have you done leading up to this point?  Have you played in any other bands or groups? Stay away from childhood information unless specifically asked.

3. The Present

What are you currently working on? Any big achievements? Tours? Releases? Other interesting news.

4. The Future

What are you plans for the future.  Where do you see yourself in 3 years?

A good rule of thumb is to keep your long version to 1 word page or less.  Once you write your bio you'll have a better understanding of your goals and how to accomplish them.  Also write the bio with both your fans and industry people in mind.

Once you finish your bio it's just a matter of shortening it to 30 secs or less and you're ready to go!