Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Music PR Firm
Whether you are beginning your musical career or building your fan base for some time, you may be wondering what role hiring a music PR firm could play in your future. You aren't alone. Thousands of musicians enlist the services of PR firms in hopes of thrusting their careers into stardom and becoming the next chart-topping artist.
Hiring a music PR firm can be a significant financial investment. There are many questions you should ask yourself before you hire one. While a PR firm can do wonders for the right musician, if you aren't yet ready for a musical PR firm or hire the wrong company, you may find yourself in a worse position than where you started.
While a PR firm can help you understand digital marketing and use social media to your benefit, you need to be sure you are in the right place in your career, and you've found the right agent to suit your needs.
Below, we’ve compiled a few questions to ask yourself before deciding to hire a PR firm, plus a few questions to ask potential music PR firms. The more defined your dream and vision, the more success you will find.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Is My Career Ready for a PR Firm?
Many musicians think that PR Firms can produce magical results overnight. When in reality, a music PR firm can only work with what they are given. A lot of their success depends on you. A PR campaign shouldn't be a generalized endeavor. It should surround an event or a project that your band or yourself as an independent musician is planning.
Do you have an upcoming album release scheduled? Are you embarking on a tour? If you have specific projects like these in the works, hiring a music PR firm might be the right move. But if you are in the early stages of your career and don't have a completed album to promote, a PR firm can't do much for you.
It's important to consider whether hiring a music PR firm is worth the investment. Do you have the material to generate enough press to justify the costs of a dedicated PR Firm? You'll need promotional materials of high-quality prepared in advance as well. This is not something your firm will do for you. You must provide your publicist with everything they need to do the job correctly. Generating media interest in your music is an integral part of your success, but you may not need a PR firm to accomplish this.
Can I Afford a PR Firm?
Not all PR firms are priced the same. The most reputable firms in the industry, however, are costly. You need to consider whether you have to divert money from your groups' expenses in other vital areas to pay your publicist. If the answer is yes, you may want to wait. Investing in proper equipment, album releases, and covering the costs of playing your shows are a bigger priority than hiring a publicist. These actions are what gain you exposure in the first place. Without a solid album and a steady stream of gigs, a publicist has nothing to promote.
You also need to take into account the cost and the overall commitment you are making to a PR firm when you hire them. Most require at least a 3-month commitment, and if you break this contract, you can face penalties and have to pay them anyhow. Be sure of your budget before seeking representation and finding someone who aligns with your wallet and your band.
Can I Do It Myself?
Musicians are precisely that, musicians. Most are entirely unfamiliar with digital marketing, even though it's an integral part of getting your music out there. But that doesn't mean you can't learn. One of the challenges you face as an independent musician is that you have to wear multiple hats. That means handling your music marketing and sometimes acting as a promoter and music manager. Before hiring a music PR firm, ask yourself if you can do it yourself or would your music be more successful in someone else’s hands.
In recent years there has been a rise of independent websites designed to assist musicians in promoting themselves efficiently. Mirada offers a convenient yet professional EPK that fits even the smallest of budgets. Your digital/promo kit can be featured on your website and include things like a band biography, your performance calendar, and samples of your best music.
Questions You Should Ask Potential PR Firms
What Music Does the PR Firm Specialize In?
There are a lot of musical niches, and each one is quite different. Something to keep in mind is that not every PR firm fits the needs of every musician. A publicist who specializes in country musicians won't know how to promote a hip-hop artist properly. Different media outlets focus on different genres, so this is an important question to ask your potential PR firm.
What Can You Do for Me?
Most firms are dedicated to one medium. Some specialize in print (think magazines or newspapers). Others focus on digital outlets and assist in social media campaigns. Depending on what you are looking for, you want your prospective PR firm to explain their talents and how they can use them to get you exposure.
Before hiring a music PR firm, ask them for examples from other clients. What campaigns have they managed, and for who? Don't just ask for big names. Look for musicians in a similar place in their career and have a similar following to estimate what your results may look like.
How Much Do You Cost?
This one should go without saying, but it's an important question. Pricing between PR Firms varies widely. The most successful firms demand a hefty investment for their services. You want fees to be upfront and transparent, and a good publicist will be clear about what they charge and what benefits those costs include. Be sure to ask if they send periodic reports of fees due and services rendered.
Why Do You Want to Work with Us?
This may seem like it's a silly question, but it's crucial to your blossoming relationship. Outstanding PR firms turn down more clients than they accept. This is because there is only so much time in the day, and a firm needs to balance their client list with the time it takes to promote them properly. There are some firms out there that will accept anyone and carry more clients than they can handle. These are the firms you want to avoid.
Ask potential publicists what it is about your band or your career that makes them want to promote you. What do they think they can do successfully? A good firm is in it for the love of music as much as the love of money.
You don't want to make a significant investment in a campaign with a PR Firm to end up with zero results. Begin with a clear understanding of what you are looking for and what you hope to gain from a successful advertising campaign. Only move forward with signing with an agency when they've answered all of your questions and you are sure they can deliver on what they promise.
Mirada Media
Making music may come easy to you, but marketing yourself can be a difficult journey, especially if you are an independent musician entering the world of music marketing for the first time. We hope these questions can guide you on your journey to deciding whether you want to invest in hiring a music PR firm.
If you need help in self-promoting and protecting your music, Mirada Media may be able to help. Think of us as your go-to resource for navigating the music industry as an independent musician. To learn more about our services for independent musicians, contact us today!