How to Stay Relevant to the Media

In order for an artist to succeed, you need steady media exposure. To do this, it’s important to stay relevant.  Always review and update your media campaign to make sure it is not outdated. 

Identify Target Media Outlets

What magazines, blogs and newspapers do you want to write about you?  Before you can start your campaign, you need to decide on your target media outlets and, then how to best stay relevant and get their attention.

 Now that you have your list of media outlets, let’s see how you can stay relevant. 

What are you doing right now and what has it accomplished? Have  you been featured before? If so, why was the media interested? What success have you already had? In publicity, history can repeat itself, because if a publication was interested in you once, chances are that with a more current angle, they may be interested in featuring you again.

Are you established? Do you have a fan page and are you consistently providing content for your fans? Bloggers often scroll fanpages for ideas, so reaching out with valuable, educated content can draw attention to the media.

Have you met the media? Do you know the local editors? Have you been in contact with the local news producers? Do have a working relationship with bloggers? If possible, arrange a media event at your site to meet the media. For example, a restaurant can open the doors for a media dinner to promote the launch of a new head chef. 

Don’t dismiss blog power. Bloggers can draw attention to you.  Approach them in a respectable, professional manner and pitch to them the same way you would pitch to the editor of BET or MYV. Again, however, make sure your target audience matches the blog.

Hold monthly topic meetings. Every month, evaluate where your market is and what topic you need to write about to get attention. 

Keep at it. To stay relevant, you have to stay on top of media trends and your competitors.  By doing so, you’ll be able to spot the right time to pitch the media about a timely topic, and you just might score the most successful placement possible.

Let’s not be lazy when it comes to engaging the media.  We can’t allow this media thing to kick our butt. If the Americans, Nigerians and Ghanaians can stay on top of their media game, we can too.