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CountryMusicVIP.com Press Coverage!
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Press Coverage
Our 2,500 sites & 5 million users offer you an excellent opportunity for incredible press coverage. Get Started!
Indie artists and indie representives, please read this information before contacting us about PR! - The first step is to build an artist profile!
Types of Coverage
- Press Releases
- Artist Bios
- Artist Intreviews
- CD & Concert Reviews
How to Get Coverage
Major Labels, Major PR Firms & Major Ad Agencies feel free to contact us! While we are interested in indie artists, there are over 250,000 indie country artists. So, we obviously can't talk to each of you.
Here are some recommendations on how to get coverage from us.
- Major label artists - Have your PR rep contact us.
- Indie Artists - Hire a professional PR firm who already represents major artists.
- All Artists - Create a Free Artist Profile & manage it professionally. This will automatically give you coverage on our network. If we like what we see, we might offer you press coverage!
- Competitions - We will offer indies the opportunity for front page coverage through several competitions. So, keep watching!
Tips for Online PR
I have a blog that details each of these points. I will be adding it soon. However, here are some tips that will help you get more coverage with online publications and make it easier on editors!
- Use the standard format for press releases - There is a standard format for press releases. You should know it. But, PR reps should absolutely know it! Improper format, missing information or extraneous information can be quite annoying for editors. It only takes a split second for an editor to skip you!
- Date & City Format - Be sure that the date and city are listed in the appropriate place on the correct line. We are constantly having to move these into the correct position.
- ALL CAPS - Do not use all caps even in the title. Online it is considered rude, yelling and possible spam. But most of all, it is hard to read.
- Do not place extraneous information or graphics between the title, subtitle and body - We often see contact information, notes to editors and photo links at the top of the release. This should be at the bottom of the press release and never distributed in an rss feed!
- It's a press release not an advertisement - Press releases should be written in news format, not like an ad. However, if you have a promotion, concert or product you want to promote, we welcome that. Just make sure the press release is written like news.
- Limit Superlatives - Just because you think you are the greatest thing since sliced cheese, does not mean everybody else does. We want facts! But, it should also be substantiated. For instance, we receive at least 10 press releases per year that 10 different artists are the number 1 artist for the year, sometimes on the same measurement. So, if you claim something, please include specific details and your references in the press release.
- Substance - While it may be impressive that you have the most friends or followers on a social networking site, we know that these numbers are more about the available time you have to spend on these sites and not about actual fans! Most social networking sites are pretty much about, "You add me and I'll add you!" They are also loaded with fake profiles. CD & download sales, concert ticket sales, merchandise sales and official fan club members matter a lot more than any other measurement!
- Originality - I've always said that there are only 10 artist bios. Most of them look like templates to me now. Almost all of them for new artists make incredible claims of future stardom and use the same cliche phrases like rising star, next greatest, feel good story of the year, etc. The best bios are the ones that include facts. But most of all, the best bios are like the best songs; they are written from the heart.
- Do not send us PDF files - PDF files cannot easily be copied. Copying them often strips paragraph breaks and adds breaks on each line. If you want to include them on the artist or label site, that is your choice. But, always have a version in regular HTML.
- Do not include a byline (written by) - This means it is an article, not a press release or bio! If your PR rep does this, tell them to stop or change PR reps!
- Press Coverage and Press Releases are different! - Do not include press coverage in with your press releases. Have a different section just for press releases so editors can go straight to them and know that they can pull anything in that section.
- Press Releases on Your Web Site - A properly labeled 'Press Release' section should be on the artist, label and PR firm web sites.
- RSS Feeds with Full Copy - Including an RSS feed that provides the full press release allows editors to install the feed in their site and never do anything else. This gives you automatic coverage in their site. Of course, if your press releases are not properly formatted, you will not get any coverage!
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