Tag: Blogging Tips

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Journalism Tips #18: ‘3 Ways Writers Annoy Publicists’

Thank you for joining us for another installment in our our ongoing Journalism Tips series. We started this column as a way to help aspiring writers get their start in music, but over the couple months we have been evolving into a place writers come to have their questions about life in the business answered. Today we are continuing that effort with a response to a question posed by multiple readers in regard to how writers can better themselves professionally. If you have any questions about developing as a writer/blogger in music, please do not hesitate email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

Over the past several months we have focused a lot of our efforts on ways to make life easier for journalists. From advice columns, to lists highlight how artists make writers feel crazy, we have done everything we could to help illuminate ways we can all simplify our efforts while simultaneously pushing our industry forward. Today we hope to continue those efforts in a whole new way by flipping the script and looking at the things writers do that drive the rest of the industry crazy.

In the coming weeks we will be looking at a number of ways journalists behave badly in the professional world. We know you all mean well, and if you had it your way you would quit whatever day job you have to write all the time, but that does not mean you always know the best way to handle this industry. In fact, more often than not it seems writers try to learn as they go, which can be exciting for them and incredibly frustrating for everyone else, especially those in publicity. With that in mind, we’ve decided to kick off this mini-series with a look at three things writers do that make pr teams want to tear their hair out and run screaming through the city streets:

Never reply to emails

The further engrained a writer becomes in music the more overrun their inbox becomes each and every day with press releases, pitches, and the like. At times, this avalanche of potential coverage can be overwhelming, and it’s not uncommon for writers to delete these messages in bulk. If you want to build strong working relationships with publicist, however, you need to master better communication skills. Press releases are sent to both inform and open the door for future coverage opportunities. Don’t just read and delete emails, respond and ask questions, talk to the people representing the artists you want to work with and devise original content ideas.

Request coverage for the same album/event again and again and again (and again and again)

Take a moment and think about how busy you claim to be running your own music blog. Think about all the time you spend working on a single post, and then all the time you put into upkeep, promotion, research, and all the other aspects of writing that goes into curating a solid music blog. Got it? Okay, now take that level of busyness and multiply it by 100 (or more). This is how busy the typical publicist is on any given day. Where you only have one site to worry about, they have literally thousands of sites to manage, each with their own list of wants/needs, and that does not even take into account the projects they are trying to land coverage for that bloggers are not crazy about.

If a publicist does not respond to you within a few hours, or even a day or two, do no panic. Unless you’re the top critic at one of the world’s top outlets the chances are probably fairly good that your needs are not at the top of an PR team’s to-do list. You also should not send the same request again, at least not for a week or more. Publicists may not reply to ever message they receive as soon as it hits their inbox, but that does not mean they have overlooked your request. Be patient. Take deep breaths and busy yourself with another set of assignments until a proper response can be created and delivered to you. The world will keep spinning even if you do not make it to that event you oh-so-badly wanted to cover. I promise.

Request and complete interviews that never run, or at least not in a timely fashion

Every writer that wants to cover an album or show has at one point or another offered to complete an interview in order to gain the access they desired. This is all well and fine, as long as writers make the effort to actually use the content they have claimed they wanted to create. The best intentions mean very little if there is no follow through, and that is especially true in the world of music journalism. If you complete an interview it should be published in a timely manner. This usually means within two weeks of the initial recording, if not sooner. The information exchanged during interviews is often time sensitive, and leaving great discussions to fill space on your audio recorder’s hard drive does nothing to help anyone’s career. If you accept a coverage opportunity, you absolutely should do whatever it takes to create the content you set out to make in the first place. This may require some sacrifice on your part, be it staying up late or skipping another big event, but in the long run following through on your commitments will forge stronger relationships within the industry than any amount of good intentions could ever hope to create.

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Journalism Tips #17: ‘The Irrational Fear Of Going On Vacation’

Thank you for joining us for another installment in our our ongoing Journalism Tips series. We started this column as a way to help aspiring writers get their start in music, but over the couple months we have been evolving into a place writers come to have their questions about life in the business answered. Today we are continuing that effort with a response to a question posed by multiple reader in regards to taking time off. If you have any questions about developing as a writer/blogger in music, please do not hesitate email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

Several weeks ago I wrote in this very column about the benefits of learning to disconnect from the digital world and embrace the chaos of reality. My intentions at the time were to address those that feel unable to walk away from their digital efforts for even a few hours, but a conversation with a relatively young writer this week made me realize I completely neglected one of the biggest causes for young writer panic: Vacation.

We have all been raised to believe that vacations exist so that people are able to disconnect from their work life and spend time with people they love doing the things they enjoy. For many young writers, especially those who have chosen to start their own music blogs, what actually happens when these so-called breaks occur is the furthest thing from rest and relaxation. Writers today are growing up in a world that has a never-ending demand for content and, thanks to the internet, a source to supply said content whenever the spirit desires. For bloggers, this means there is always a potential to win over new readers, and the allure of all those possible clicks can be too much for some to resist.

Here’s the thing too many writers do not seem to realize about those random clicks: They will still be there tomorrow. The anonymous IP address might change, but the likelihood of some random person coming across your site or content today is as high as it will be tomorrow, and the same goes for the Tuesday three weeks from now. More importantly, those clicks don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things unless they are converted to regular readers, and very few people have ever been swayed to regular subscribe to any one site just because a four sentence news story was posted within five minutes of a press release going out. Passerby to subscriber conversion happens when a connection is made through the content being shared. Time is not a factor.

When the opportunity to take a vacation presents itself it is easy to understand why many young writers begin to fret over what kind of negative impact any type of extended break may have for their site/content/brand. These are the same people have come up in a world where they know what all their friends are thinking as fast as those people can post their thoughts to Twitter, so of course they are going to feel pressure to share any new content as soon as it breaks. Getting the first or second post out about a major news items can be great for single day traffic bumps, but the shelf life will likely not extend past three or four days. News is disposable. Any one story is only hot until the next news item breaks, and then it’s forgotten almost as fast as the accompanying embed code was copy/pasted into the initial blog pot. Writers know this deep down, but for whatever reason they convince themselves continuously feeding the news machine will eventually result in a strong, dedicated following. That is entirely a possibility, as there are sites right now who thrive on such efforts, but for the vast majority of individual writers there is little-to-no benefit in forcing content creation efforts. It’s exhausting and offers little reward, especially over the long term.

Becoming a professional music writer requires individuals to be okay with taking breaks from the internet. The digital world changes quickly, but it does not move so fast that disconnecting for a few hours or several days will cause someone to be forgotten entirely. Will your traffic dip? Probably. Will they miss a few big headlines? Almost certainly. Will they also begin to think more creatively and have an easier time brainstorming ideas, which will ultimately lead to better content for their readers? Guaranteed.

Creative people need breaks. Writing content, even brief news posts, forces the brain to work incredibly hard. Over time that constant push to create results in mental exhaustion, which leads to lazy writing and bad grammar. This can be avoided, or at least made to not be as much of a threat against a young creative mind, as long as individuals can learn to step away from their work. They must embrace the true idea of vacations and disconnect fully, including shutting off their phones. The best ideas come from experience the world and determining what can be done to make it a better place. What do people need to know? Who do they need to listen to? What song will be the next to save someone’s life who is currently contemplating suicide? Individuals hoping to be professional writers do not have to seek out the answers to these questions as much as they simply have to spend time in the world, contemplate what they experience, and then share those observations with anyone willing to listen. That is the purpose of being a writer, after all. To take on the responsibility of not only keeping people informed with what they want to know, but discovering what they need and bringing it to their attention.

Take vacations. Seriously. Take them. There will always be a big story about to break and another two or three big headlines in the works no one sees coming. No one news story is going to make or break an individual’s career, but setting a standard for consistently strong and original content will lead to a prosperous career in time. The key, at least for those starting out, is accepting the fact success is a process and learning to settling in for the long haul. Work as hard as possible and take breaks whenever needed. Make the most of the time allotted for creativity and learn what can be done to allow the mind to relax. Success comes to those who are driven, patient, and capable of taking care of their own mental state.

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Journalism Tips #15: ‘How To Spend Your Summer Vacation’

Thank you for joining us for another installment in our our ongoing Journalism Tips series. We started this column as a way to help aspiring writers get their start in music, but over the couple months we have been evolving into a place writers come to have their questions about life in the business answered. Today we are continuing that effort with a response to a question posed by multiple reader in regards to how aspiring writers can make the most of their summer vacation. If you have any questions about developing as a writer/blogger in music, please do not hesitate email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

Many of our readers are wrapping up another year of school this month or next, and if they’re fortunate enough to not absolutely have to find work right away their are several weeks of childlike freedom ahead. It’s an exciting time to be young, and for the young it’s an important time to be thinking about the future. Advertisers will tell you to embrace the now or otherwise live in the present, but if you want to make a career for yourself in the music business you should see the arrival of summer vacation as a door to opportunity that only needs your drive and passion to be kicked wide open. I cannot tell you exactly what you need to do in order to make yourself noticed by the industry at large, but by following the follows tips you will position yourself for success down the line. Making the most of that positioning and networking with the people you meet through those efforts is entirely up to you.

Make a list of achievable goals and set dates for each task to be accomplished.

There is no real limit to what you can accomplish this summer, but if you do not have an idea of what you are trying to achieve from the start you are bound to spend days, if not weeks spinning your wheels with indecision. If you want to be a writer, this means setting goals for the amount of content created, as well as the dates that you plan to have certain festival/tour coverage complete. For example, those who plan to attend Vans Warped Tour on July 1 could set a goal to have all interviews and related live coverage published within 10 days of the event.

Find an internship.

The is no overstating the profound impact a great internship can have on your career trajectory. These internships does not have to be directly related to journalism, but it should be in an area of the music industry that interests you. After all, there is always a chance you will not ultimately become a music writer. Internships offer you an opportunity to explore other areas of music, such as publicity and digital marketing, where many of the skills used for writing can be leveraged. This not only gives you more options for your post education career, but it also provides you with a more well rounded understanding of how the industry functions.

Use Festival Coverage To Refine Your Voice

Summer music writing is synonymous with festival coverage, and in 2014 it’s hard to go more than 3 or 4 days without a major music event kicking off somewhere across the continental United States. Many of these festivals feature similar lineups, which will no doubt result in redundant coverage from blogs and magazines who were granted press badges just so they could spend their mornings summarizing the same set lists and performances delivered by at every festival that came before through a handful of hit-or-miss pictures and interviews. We will probably never reach a point where this type of coverage is not commonplace, but that does not mean that it’s the type of content you have to create in order to make an impact at these events. In fact, the content that typically gets the most attention are the articles that find a way to be unique in a sea of commonality. Summarize set lists and complete interviews if you must, but take the time to soak in the festival environment and convey it to your readers through editorial efforts. Write about what you saw, felt, smelled, tasted, touched, thought, and experienced. Tell them what it was like for you specifically, and don’t be afraid to tell the truth. If the festival was crowded or the sound was terrible go ahead and let the world know. Likewise, if something surprises you in a good way, even small things, highlight them as well. Every event has pros and cons. Don’t gloss over the experience.

Challenge yourself to write about something different

Writers, like musicians, have a bad habit of getting overly comfortable with material that works and hesitating whenever the idea of trying something new is presented. While there may always be a place in this world for someone who is the most well versed individual on one particular topic, the growing trend in entertainment writing is sites and magazines recruiting people who are well versed on a variety of topics. If you’re into music, that means being able to write about an up and coming country act with the same sincerity and intelligent voice as you would the next big pop punk outfit. It could also mean doing video interviews and writing album reviews, or otherwise switching the type of media you are creating while still speaking in an intelligent and welcoming voice. This summer, challenge yourself to step outside your professional comfort zone and surround yourself with material that will make you actually work. Find events and/or albums that require research, thought, and time to properly analyze, then go out and create that content. Buy a camera and take photos at every event you write a live review for instead of bringing along a photographer. Start a podcast. Interview a rapper. Whatever it is you have always thought you would never do, now is the time to toss care to the wind and give the unknown an honest attempt. You never know what you might learn about yourself.

Network. Network. Network.

No matter where you go or what you choose to write about this summer, you need to make it a point to introduce yourself to everyone you can and be as nice as humanly possible. You should also work on printing business cards as soon as possible, even if you have no real business to promote. You’re promoting yourself at these events, even if you feel like you’re only there to see a show. You’re not. In reality, especially at festivals, you’re representing your personal brand to every concert attendee, artist, manager, and industry professional who happens to be on site. Holding doors and buying drinks for the right people may open more doors than any well written article, and all it takes is putting others before yourself. Ask people who they are and what they do, but also do not be afraid to share your current activities and goals. Tell them what you are working towards and who knows? They may be able to help.

Build an online portfolio and remember to keep it updated

The internet has made it incredibly simple for people with an interest in writing to begin sharing their content with the world without spending anything at all beyond the basic cost of internet (which might not be a factor in places with free public wifi). Writers love free platforms and free promotion, but if you want to properly represent yourself online it’s worth finding $100 to spend on a custom domain and site hosting fees. Companies like Squarespace and Wix make it incredibly easy to build high quality websites in no time at all, and if you know the right phrases to Google you can often find offer codes to make those reasonably priced services even more affordable. There is a myth amongst writers in the digital age that if they take time off from creating content they will slip into the realm of forgotten people simply because the demand for new material is so high, but it is incredibly important that writers set aside time to carve out their own, professionally-focused corner of the internet. You need a place where people who are interested in working with you can find links to your work, as well as a resume, bio, contact information, and whatever else you feel obliged to share about yourself with the world. If you want an example, click here to see the portfolio of yours truly (Haulix James).

Whatever this summer, remember this: No one notices the aspiring professional who keeps to themselves and does the same thing every day. The people who makes big moves in this industry find the strength and courage within to make a change long before anyone else ever takes notice. Make this summer the time when you take life by the reigns and begin to truly leave your mark on this industry. The world is yours.

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Journalism Tips #11: ‘Considering The World Before Social Media’

Hello, everyone. Happy Record Store Day! Our team spent the morning rubbing shoulders with audiophiles at a handful of stores across the country and likely spent far more money than intended, but we had a blast in the process. If you have yet to go out, MOVE. What are you waiting for? This is like Christmas for the music industry, only you have to spend money in order to enjoy it and there are rarely family get togethers.

 We started this column as a way to help aspiring writers get their start in music, but over the last month we have been evolving into a place writers come to have their questions about life in the business answered. Today we are continuing that effort with a response to a question posed by one reader in regards to whether or not social media numbers mean anything. If you have any questions about developing as a writer/blogger in music, please do not hesitate email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

The age of social media has forever changed the way we communicate with one another. We still call and text, but we also have the ability to be connected 24/7 to the people, groups, personalities, sites, and brands we love. It’s a win-win for everyone involved, as people love catching up with friends and companies love the free access to consumers. Blogs love it too, perhaps even more than regular businesses, because it essentially offers the opportunity for nonstop free advertising as long as they have a steady stream of timely content to share.

…And therein lies one reason many believe music blogging has started to go downhill in recent years.

The problem with the level of connectivity allowed by social media and how it applies to blogs is that too many people have become focused on generating clicks and short term popularity instead of developing content that is actually worth the time and attention needed to read it. Everyone is so obsessed with being the first to print a certain story that everyone rushes to post the same thing at the same time and the net becomes cluttered with dull, lifeless writing that serves more as promotional fodder than actual music journalism. If you want to be a promotional machine for labels and bands, that is perfectly fine, but you need to understand there is a world of difference between shoveling content out for quick clicks and writing something that is worth reading, let alone being shared.

Before the age of social media anyone hoping to make a name for themselves with a music blog would have to do something that is no longer required thanks to social media: Give people a reason to stop by each and every day. Some would accomplish this through forums of course, but everyone had to work hard at crafting content that people would actually want to click in order to begin developing an audience. They had to try and start conversations where there otherwise were none, and then hope that others who enjoyed those conversations told someone they knew about the site that hosted said conversation. Even if they did, the person who learned about that ‘cool’ thing someone else saw on a particular site then had to take it upon themselves to visit that site at a later point in time.

It’s important to keep in mind that there were no ‘Likes’ or ‘+1’ before the boom of social media. Sharing online meant emails, and more often than not originated with real life conversations that later continued through email. How many stories have you read in the last week on music blogs that you discussed with another person in the same room? Videos or images do not count unless they were created by the site hosting the content. Otherwise you’re commenting on material released by musicians found on a particular blog, which that site had no part in bringing to life.

I recently heard another critic comment that with everyone online posting the same story essentially the same way within moments of it breaking, the biggest choice consumers have in entertainment news is the voice that delivers the information. Do you have a voice? Anyone can post content from next big act, but simply having a site with a bunch of media on it does not make you a music blogger. A promoter, maybe, but definitely not a writer. 

In order for your site to grow and for you to develop as a writer you need to first focus on the quality of the content you are producing before you begin to fret over the quantity. Copy/pasting press releases and doing everything in your power to feature the top videos of the day as soon as they are released will go a long way towards building a social media following, but that type of engagement with consumers is entirely surface level. You are only getting the attention of readers because you are fast, and being the fastest is never a guarantee in writing. There is always another lightning-fast blogger with a tumblr ready to post and re-post the next breaking tidbit. The best thing you can do is find a way to present the latest and greatest content in a way that is both unique and engaging. You do not have to write a dozen stories a day and you certainly do not have to love everything you cover, but you do have to have a voice that is your own. Forge a connection with readers that makes them curious of content you post regardless of their familiarity with the artists or group behind the media you are covering. Those are the consumers that will ultimately help you thrive. 

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Journalism Tips #8 ‘Don’t Let The Internet Ruin Your Feature’

One of the most exciting things about starting a new column is seeing how you, our readers, engage with the content and help shape it moving forward. In the weeks since Journalism Tips launched we have been inundated with requests for columns on various aspects of the music writing world, and we plan to tackle each one over time. If you have any questions about developing as a writer/blogger in music, please do not hesitate email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

We talk a lot about music piracy and the way it impacts the lives of artists, but album leaks have a way of hurting writers as well. The Rolling Stones of the world may be able to rely on their hundreds of thousands of dedicated readers to support them day in and day out, but writers on the rise and sites just starting to develop their brand rely heavily on features and exclusive content to help bring attention to their efforts. When albums leak in advance of their intended release date the content writers have planned is likely to suffer a drop in appeal. Song premieres are usually the worst hit, but even reviews and interviews can see a dip depending on when the album leaks in relation to its street date and whether or not people seem to like it.

There is not much you can do to prevent pirates from leaking music aside from not supporting or promoting their efforts, but there are ways to alter your original content plans to pull in readers regardless of an album’s availability online.

Address the leak and explain how your content will offer superior sound quality.

The one thing artists hate as much as seeing their music leak is seeing a poor quality version of their music leak. First impressions are everything, and that goes double when the decision of whether or not to spend money on something (in this case, an artist’s music) is concerned.

If you see content you plan to feature leak, take it upon yourself to begin promoting the quality of the audio you will be hosting through your various social networks. There may be a version of the album online, but you have the ‘studio version’ of the recording you plan to share.

A lot of artists take this additional promotional angle into their own hands by creating lyric videos or similar accompanying content in advance of planning exclusives. These artists should be your best friend and whenever you cross paths with them in real life you need to give them all the high fives your hands can stand because they ‘get it.’

I do not advise creating a blog post about the leak. No one (labels, publicists, artists, etc.) appreciates that stuff.

Go ‘Behind The Music’

When albums leak more than a few days before their scheduled release date, it’s possible your site will find itself with a song premiere fans are now less interested in than they were prior to the album leak. Your traffic will still see a bump, and you will most likely still receive a mention in press releases, but the young people who actually engage with the artist day in and day out will have already heard whatever exclusive you have planned. What they may not have heard, however, is the story behind the song. By requesting a quote from the artists on the inspiration for the song, or perhaps some information on the artist’s studio experience, you will be able to create more dynamic content that has a ‘cool’ factor which extends beyond the song at the center of the article.

You can also take things further and request an interview with artist, but time constraints may make such undertakings impossible.

Ask for a contest / something to expand your offering

One thing people love more than the allure of free digital music is the allure of free vinyl and/or concert tickets. Most people are willing to work with sites to create contests, and many have both tickets and physical copies of the album to give away. If a leak should occur, draft an original contest tie-in for the exclusive you are planning to run and ask if the band is interested in working with you. Most will see the opportunity as another way to detract attention from the leak and pounce.

Creativity goes a long way with this tip. I advise making those who want to enter share your content on various networks (tagging both you and the artist as part of their entry).

Prepare for the worst

We ran a column last week that advised every artist, regardless of genre or level of success, to create a plan of action in case their album should leak. Writers need to put similar contingency plans in place should their features be spoiled by the internet.

Whenever you have the opportunity to set up a song premiere or related exclusive with an artist, think ahead and ask yourself: “What would make this content irresistible to the band’s fans?” Your role as a music writer is more than copy and pasting code and album information from one page to another. Create something worth reading and, perhaps more importantly, something worth sharing. Readers will appreciate it and artists will too.

(Special thanks to Jonathan Barkan of Bloody-Disgusting and Jordan Mohler of Kill The Music for their help in creating this article.)

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Journalism Tips #1 – ‘Just do it.’

Hello and welcome to the dawn of a new era on the Haulix blog. We have debuted a number of short-run columns over the last couple of months, but today we are introducing a recurring feature that will be a staple of this blog from this day forward. If you would like to contribute to this series, or if you have an idea for a new column that you think would fit with our content, please do not hesitate to email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We are always interested meeting people excited about the music business.

It dawned on us near the end of 2013 that in order to properly prepare the next generation of music journalists for the industry they hope to enter that we would need to do more than interview their peers. There is a great deal to be learned from exposure to the brilliant minds currently shaping the music industry today, but their knowledge will not be that useful if those who receive it do not understand the basics of modern music journalism.

This series, which we hope to run every weekend for the foreseeable future, will feature original editorials from journalists around globe geared towards preparing the next generation of music journalists to enter the business. We will discuss everything from the basics of writing reviews, to contacting press, requesting coverage, setting up exclusives, and many, many other lessons in between.

As this is the very first edition of this column ever released, we thought we would start things off relatively easy. Today’s tip can be summarized in three very simple and incredibly familiar words: Just do it.

#1 – ‘Just do it.’

If you’re picturing a Nike commercial right now, that’s fine. We are not all that into sports around Haulix, but the message Nikes sends in their marketing campaigns is one that can universally be applied to whatever you want to accomplish in life. A decade ago there were many barriers to entering the music business as a writer. You either needed to have your own zine, know someone with a zine, or have a great connection at a large scale publication who was willing to listen to your ideas. Blogging and social media changed everything, and today the biggest obstacle standing between you and a blossoming career in the music industry is yourself. That’s right, you are your own worst enemy.

Anyone with an internet connection who is interested in being a music writer is never more than five minutes aware from kickstarting their own career. You don’t need albums to review or contacts to receive press releases from, the only thing needed to begin a career in writing today is the drive to do so. To look past the fear of failure and hit the ground running, without any knowledge about where you’ll end up.

Becoming a professional in the music business is not an overnight occurrence. In fact, it’s far more akin to a marathon that lasts months, if not years at a time. Mistakes will be made, yes, but it’s how we handle those mistakes and improve in the future that makes all the difference. There is not a person living today who likes to fail, but in order to become a true professional you will need to overcome the fear of making mistakes.

If you’re reading this now and thinking to yourself that a career in music writing may be for you, take time right now and start your own blog. Don’t waste another day, hour, or minute. Choose a blogging platform, pick a name for your work, and spend this afternoon writing your first editorial. You don’t have to share the site URL or even post the article, but getting into the routine of taking it upon yourself to move your career forward is the first step towards being a true professional.

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Haulix Advice: 3 Tips For Maximizing Your Exposure On YouTube

Hello, everyone. Another afternoon has arrived and we’re prepared to inform/distract with an all-new Advice column that aims to help give you the leg up when it comes to promoting your videos online. If you have an idea for a future installment of this column, or if you have a question you’d like us to tackle, please do not hesitate to email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts.

There are endless possibilities as far as creative ways to promote new video content is concerned, but none of that matters in the slightest if you do not understand the basic ins and outs of YouTube. Yes, we’re all aware sites like Vimeo and DailyMotion are on the rise, but for the sake of today’s column we’re going to address those posting content to the crown jewel of Google’s user-generated media empire. Thousands of hours of content are uploaded daily, and in this article we’re going to provide some basic tips for maximizing your exposure.

My career in music largely involves writing and artist/event promotion, so when people began asking about help with video content I knew it would be wise to consult with someone far more active in that area of the business. I reached out to recently featured blogger Joshua Weilding, founder of Digital Tour Bus, and he was kind enough to assist me in putting together today’s list. If you have any questions, please comment at the end of this post.

Before we begin: If you have been skipping YouTube in your promotional efforts for any reason up to this point, stop reading immediately and create an account. YouTube is the most popular site for video online by a wide margin, and while that means fiercer competition it also means it has the biggest pool of potential new fans. Now, onto the list…

1. Use relevant tags (aka ‘you’re not a cute kitten – get over it’)

After you upload a new video, YouTube allows you to add as many tags as you would like. The goal of this tool is to help the site better service your video to people searching related criteria on their site, but all too often young artists use this section of the site to attempt at cashing in on popular tags (kitten, sex, Drake, etc.) in hopes of grabbing a few extra views. This promotional method rarely, if ever works, and for as long as you leave these irrelevant tags attached to your video they will be visible to those checking out your page. Do you want tricked clicks, or do you want the attention of people searching for new music? Choose wisely.

2. Reply to people who comment on your video

In an age where bands have fans contacting them from at least 3 social networking sites (Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook) at all hours of the day it can be hard to wrap your head around the notion of adding a fourth to the list, but YouTube comments should be a priority for every member of your group. Especially if you’re just starting out, damning or negative comments can have a severe impact on the way people engage with your content. By talking with people, both the supporters and haters, you begin to forge bonds with listeners that can have unknown returns in the days, weeks, and months that follows.

If none of the above appeals to you as a solid reason to engage this audience, consider the fact YouTube’s algorithm for ranking on search pages takes the interaction rates of videos into consideration. The more you communicate, the higher you rank. There are not many places in the social networking landscape where that is the case, so use YouTube as a way to gain a foothold with new listeners and over time it will extend to other areas of your online presence.

3. Sharing is caring, and that goes for press coverage as well.

No one was ever discovered without doing something to promote themselves first. If you want your video to succeed you’re going to have to promote it, and that includes doing whatever you can to gain the attention of blogs/journalists. The more backlinks a video has, the better it will rank.

Tumblr is especially useful as far as social sharing is concerned. Whenever a video is reblogged it counts as a separate backlink, and that number can grow significantly in a small amount of time of posted to the right account.

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