Are PR Managers of any value?
Going off beam a little, but for readers, bands and managers there is a relevance.
I wonder about PR managers, not that I have a downer on them all by any means, in fact some do a fantastic job of promoting their bands. But these beacons shine so brightly simply because so many are absolutely useless.
The wrong PR manager
I regularly receive contacts from PR managers, which always puts me on the back foot, probably because I am so antiquated. I like to speak to bands and I like to speak to fans and I like bands who put themselves out there, but I do understand the world has moved on and there are so many potential sites, radio stations, TV stations etc. that using a PR manager can make some real sense for a band. But I wonder if they and the audience are really getting value for money?
Way too often, just in the short life of this blog, I have received introduction emails from PR managers which indicates to me, they are not giving value for money. They are happy to provide nothing but a press release, which Fool that I am (hey isn’t that on the blog from Jon and Lynn), I can’t help but follow the links and find out about the band myself.
If the band makes sense to the blog, then I will try to get an article posted. I always ask PR managers for release information and tour information and invariably ask for some additional background on the band, often I receive yet another email with excerpts from other websites, why they think that would be of interest I have no idea. That is just laziness on the side of the PR Manager, but it gets far worse.
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You may think that the additional articles in these subsections may be of value to the band and the information to be of interest to website readers. But no, the vast majority of PR Managers are not in the least bit interested.
All they chase are ‘another site has written about you’. They can send a wonderful email telling the band how many new websites are writing articles about the band and for this they are paid. They completely ignore ongoing readers and website owners who are interested in following a band, as it is too much effort.
There are a number of bands on the blog, currently on tour and with new releases who are represented by PR Managers who can’t be bothered to reply to emails. The indie bands blog will be releasing occasional articles on PR Managers, as bands need to know who doesn’t really fulfill a task and who hits the bulls eye.
Cindy, I actually had you penned in as the text for ‘in fact some do’. I am still wanting to write an article on you as a fantastic value PR manager, just waiting a bio xx
Well, I would have to say that any sort of manager’s value is based on results for the client . If a PR manager’s job is to produce PR and they do, then they are effective. In my case, I have statistical proof that the PR I have done has produced significant results (again, my job). My current main client has swept radio charts, contests, and is Number 40 in the UK in her genre, due to my PR. I get hundreds of messages, as I maintain multiple interfaces. My job is not to promote myself, but to let my work show my capability.Although I have written one article for publication, it was not as self-promotion, instead, it was a column on Indie promotion.