PR and the Arts: Ten Tips

Whilst our publicist has been on leave this week and last, I took the unusual step of filling in for her. Usually this role goes to the Marketing Coordinator, when backfilling is required, but a couple of circumstances conspired to send the role towards me for a change. It had been five years since I last did PR on a virtual full time basis and it was surprising how quickly it all came back. Before it all leaves my head again here's ten tips for being a successful publicist, especially in the arts.

1. We outnumber themAcross most industries PR and Comms people don't just outnumber the journalists, they do so in great numbers. Also media companies, especially old media are bleeding, they are cutting staff, working their remaining staff harder and standing around scratching themselves trying to work out the name of the new media truck that hit them 15 years ago. So the media, your chief clients, are stressed, over worked, on deadline and they just want you to cut through all the noise from all the other PR's and make their lives easier.
2. Invest time in writing your media release
   The old staples still hold true, inverted pyramid, get all the crucial info into the first paragraph in case that's the only one they use, active language and NEVER, EVER send a media release out without a good usable quote. A great KPI for most arts industry PR's is how many media releases have you had this year that suburban press have run verbatim? 
3. You're a PR, your job is to say yes then make it happen!
   Service, service,service - you are the ultimate service provider, you provide a service to the media, you provide a service to the colleagues at your work, in the arts you also provide a service to the production companies and actors/key creatives as well. You MUST walk a tightrope and balance the competing interests and make people feel like they are all getting some of what they want. It can be frustrating but that's what wine is for at the end of the day! Or yoga or jazzercise - whatever you need!
4. Confirm, confirm then confirm again.
   Here's a tip, if you think an interview is locked down after three phone calls, you are wrong! Make the calls, double check that you have the right details, confirm with EVERYONE via email, update the interview schedule, re-send that, think of stuff that would help the journalist and then send them an email "Hey here's an updated bio, for your interview with that actor you have TOMORROW!". "Oh and in case case anything goes wrong, here's my mobile number, the actor's agent's mobile number, my manager's mobile number etc, etc...". But do it cleverly, make both the actor/company representative and the journalist feel all-important and over-serviced, which you are also doing, but in reality you are doing whatever you can to make sure it doesn't screw up.
5. In spite of that it WILL SCREW up
   Sorry sometimes things just do. So long as you have done everything you possibly can, then don't get too upset about it and keep calm. At the end of the day a good PR can control everything EXCEPT the outcome.
6. The harder you work the luckier you get
   People like to talk about good PR's as having almost mystical skills - media whispherers. Rubbish! I can be very blunt and sometimes the antithesis of a smooth talkin' PR guy, but I was good at it! Why? Work ethic and honesty. Just like telesales, I knew that if I wanted six good story outcomes in a city like Melbourne, I needed to pitch to about 18 journalists.If people don't return your calls one day, wait until tomorrow and send them an email, no response, wait another day and leave another message, keep working on a lead until you either get the story up or get confirmation that it's dead.
7. Be honest, direct and polite If the reason you really, really need an actor to do breakfast radio and they just don't want to get up is because ticket sales are tanking then tell them that. don't try and cajole them with fluffy bullshit reasons about Goulburn Valley FM being great for their profile, just say, "Sorry, I know it's early, but sales are tanking and we need every interview we can get". A bit of honesty will also get you points with your media friends too ie "Off the record, the rabid-leftie actor said no to your interview requests because he JUST doesn't like AM commercial talk radio, he thinks you are all like Ray Hadley, sorry".
8. Have a head for new news
   Has your upcoming show's season in Sydney just sold out, has the play just been green-lighted for a movie, did you just find out that your lead actor worked in your theatre's town for six months as a teenager, have you just got some new pictures from the company. do your research, be across these developments and use them where they will benefit you most. New news is currency, spend it wisely.
9. Have a picture in your head about what a successful media campaign will look like before you start
   Don't just send the media release out, call your few closest journo buddies and say "wanna do a story" and be surprised by the outcomes. Sit down at the start of a campaign and decide what stories you are going for, build it like you would a media buying campaign, "I want this interview here, this feature there, a cover story piece in Saturday's liftout". Write it down and start chasing. Don't make me quote Kevin Costner.
10. Stage Manager's are your best friend
    When a cast is touring Stage Managers are THE #1 gatekeepers, make them your best friends, love them, do whatever you can to make their life easier. Make up a schedule of interview requests, update it, re-send it. Say please and thank you. Remember that they have a squillion other things to do apart from confirm interview times for you, like sobering up drunk actors who can't remember their lines. (Note not all actors are drunks. That's a stereotype..... Just the good ones!)

Oh and finally I know I said ten tips but here's one more!

If you as the PR are not your organisations expert on social media - why not?
Seriously why not, you have access to all the great artists, all the great stories, rich media happening live right now that you can tell people about. http://www.thetaooftwitter.com/ will get you started if unsure.

That's about it from me tonight the only other thing is that great PR's are like great sports referees, the ones who are doing a really good job are virtually invisible because it just seems seamless and easy. Now go out they and work your butt off to make it look seamless and easy!