Tips To Promote Your New Release

You've worked for months on your new single or new album. Now what? Unless you have a major label, experienced management or a generous amount of investor money behind you, the ability to promote your own album is crucial. Besides the talent to make great music, promotional skills are some of the most important skills you can have as an indie artist.

When you don't have the means to hire a PR firm to push the album for you, try these five steps and cover your bases.

Keep in mind that these actions are crucial to your success and the process takes the 3 Ps: planning, persistence, and patience.

1. Target the Right Audience - It is very important to know and understand who your audience is in every aspect. What age group are they? Where do most of them live? What kind of music do they like? Write out lists and target each relevant group.

2. Create a Press Kit and Promo Package. Think about what you need to include so that the media gets to see everything they need to know about you in a concise, yet detailed manner. For example, a press kit could include:

a. A press release about the new album
b. A succinct (one page) bio about the artist and release
c. The Song - have it availabe to listen to (even if just a sample)
d. Quotes pulled from press coverage and/or fellow industry musicians 
e. Contact information
f. Artwork for your new release - in color
g. Links to your websites (Myspace, Facebook, etc.)

Some people can get more creative, but the basics are all you really need at the end of the day.

3. Compile a Media List - Getting all your personal and profession contact lists together is one of the most important things to do. Compile a press list and send them a copy of your new release (with or without press kits, but do at least send a bio with contact information noted) to every contact.

4. Plan an Album Release Party to promote the new album. Find a cool venue that you're comfortable at, plan a set, have the release vailable for sale and invite everyone you can-fans, media, family and friends. The bigger the crowd, the better. Invite the media to meet and greet and get a free copy of the release to publish a review.

5. Newsletter Mailings -  Identify all the newsletter lists that you can promote your new release through. Reach out through your network and ask your contacts to promote your new release to their lists. Make sure to have the email creatives ready for them so they do not need to do much work. Target these lists with a newsletter creatives all about your new release.

6. Promote through your social networks - put together a strategy to promote the new release through your social networks like MySpace, Facebook, iLike, Imeem and other music sites that you have identified as your target market. Create promotional campaigns and/or contests to get others to viral the release for you.

Abridged:  Mona L. Loring