The following post is the latest in our ongoing content collaboration with the fine folks at Muddy Paw PR.
The live streaming tool known as Periscope has been out for just under a year, and in that time I’ve seen exactly zero artists using it to effectively market themselves. When the app first came out, I thought it would be a game changer. Here we had an app that would allow us to live stream our every move. I’ve seen everything from a night in the life of a funnel cake to hiding in the bathroom during a tornado watch, but I hardly ever see artists live streaming themselves. Why?
Is it a fear of being exposed? Perhaps. It’s a scary thing to talk into the void, obsessively watching your number count rise and fall in the bottom corner of the screen. Who are your viewers? What do they think? Are you being compelling? Are you selling yourself well? By live streaming you’re opening yourself up to a lot of potential criticism—and let’s face it, people can be downright mean on the internet. But as an artist, isn’t that what you do every time you release a new song or step on that stage? If by taking a chance and trying something new you gain even a few new followers, or your song and your mission make a difference in someone’s life, won’t that have been worth it? After all, isn’t discomfort and stepping into the unknown the cornerstone of growth?
So here’s what I want you to do. I want you to set up a time, right now to get on Periscope. Don’t go into it totally blind, take the time to plan what you’re going to talk about. But make a plan, promote it to your audience, and then get ready. It could be a Q&A about your latest album, or it could be a behind-the-scenes look at the night of a show, including a live stream of your performance. The important part is to make a decision, make a plan, and then make it happen. And when you do this, send me a tweet—@Angela_Mastro and let me know when you’ll be live. I’ll be watching.
Angela Mastrogiacomo is the owner of Muddy Paw Public Relations. Muddy Paw specializes in working with up and coming artists on personalized campaigns designed to bring their careers to the next level. To date, we’ve secured placements on sites such as AbsolutePunk, Substream, New Noise Magazine, Under the Gun Review, Property Of Zack, PureVolume, Anti-Music, and many more. You can find us at www.MuddyPawPR.com
