PHOTO : ERIN CROOKS
SUSAN BUSSE
You can purchase Instagram ads through Facebook ’ s ad manager . You ’ ll want to stick to pictures without text , and keep the text below the picture simple . Include a link to tickets below the picture .
GENERATING CONTENT THROUGH YOUR PAGES As an indie band , it ’ s important to do your own social media and write your own ads . “ I never do an artist ’ s socials because I like it to be honest and true ,” says Susan Busse , the namesake behind publicity firm Susan Busse PR . “ You can always tell when someone ’ s manager , team , or agent does their posts . I really love it when artists are connecting directly with fans .”
You know your fans better than anyone else . It may take a while to find your “ voice ” on social media , but with experimentation , you can figure out what ’ s working .
“ I think you need to try a few different things until people resonate with it ,” offers Fitzgerald . “ There ’ s no way to know until you try it . Start by looking into how similar artists market themselves and go from there .”
HIRING A PUBLICIST Once you reach a certain point in your touring career , hiring a publicist will be a no brainer .
“ People have to see an event three times in three different formats before it sticks in their brains .” advises Schellenberg . “ Someone sees it with a Facebook ad , and then it ’ s in [ a magazine ], and then they see a poster , and all of the sudden they know about it . You have to hit your audience from every angle .”
Publicity is great for a number of reasons , but know that publicity alone will not put butts in seats . “ Ideally , we want people to read a piece of press [ we ’ ve generated ] and come to the show ,” explains Busse , “ but there are layers to publicity . The second layer is posting that piece on your socials and using it for promotion . Then , you can use it for pulling press quotes and increasing your credibility . Publicity adds to your rep in the industry and can be used as evidence for success ; you can use press when applying for awards and grants .” And as with many , in this industry , success breeds success .
In fact , at The Good Will , Schellenberg and his team have started putting pull quotes on all of their posters .
“ It ’ s a way to convince people who have never heard of a band to come to a show ,” he says . “ Adding to the poster that PUP is a Polaris Prize nominee , it hits people with another type of media . The goal is to leave people no option but to go .”
Publicity is one piece of the puzzle , but it ’ s not the whole thing . You need to be hammering people with every form of media you can get your hands on .
SHOULD YOU DO YOUR OWN PUBLICITY ? In short , yes . “ And then when you eventually hire a publicist , you understand and value what they ’ re doing ,” Busse shares .
She also notes that , especially when you ’ re starting out , no publication should be overlooked . Sometimes , all you ’ re going to be able to get are placements in small blogs with 200 followers , but in the age of internet media , that really doesn ’ t matter . Everything you post builds momentum , and fans love having something to share regardless of where it comes from .
There are , of course , a few things you can do to make doing your own publicity easier .
“ Bloom where you ’ re planted . If that ’ s where you are , that ’ s who you pitch ,” suggests Busse . If you ’ re just starting out , don ’ t waste your time pitching Rolling Stone . Start small ; you ’ ll get there .
• Be assertive and follow up once a week . If somebody says “ No ,” take no for an answer , but don ’ t be afraid to ask why .
• Always have a story in mind when you ’ re pitching . It has to be more than just “ We ’ re playing in your city .” Come up with something interesting !
• Plan out your pitches . TV is scheduled way in advance . Start pitching TV two months ahead . Monthly magazines need to be pitched three months in advance . Dailies like CBC Radio need to be pitched the week before and the day before . Keep track of your pitches in a spreadsheet .
Doing your own publicity is time consuming and frustrating when you don ’ t have much success ; however , even just a few solid pieces of press on a tour can increase its profile immeasurably .
Work Hard , Play Better
Ultimately , indie touring is about building buzz and it ’ s often a slow build . It ’ s about laying the groundwork for the future .
It ’ s the artists that work hard , put on high-quality shows , and most importantly , make great music that eventually move past indie touring . If the music and effort is there , it will happen . Just keep plugging away .
The fans you make in your indie days will be die-hard fans for the rest of your career . They are the fans that buy merch , support crowdfunding campaigns , and interact with you on social media . And that ’ s what makes indie touring rewarding and worth doing .
Liam Duncan is musician and writer based in Winnipeg , MB . He likes to make music with his band The Middle Coast . Check them out on Facebook .
46 • CANADIAN MUSICIAN