The document provides information on developing a marketing and PR strategy for artists. It discusses the importance of marketing and strategy, identifying goals and audience, developing a personal brand and messaging. It also covers creating a marketing plan, tools like newsletters and social media, analyzing results, and public relations best practices like identifying newsworthy stories, developing press materials and building media relations over time.

1. Developing a Marketing & PR
Strategy
Spacetaker ARC Workshop
led by Carey Kirkpatrick & K.C. Scharnberg

2. Marketing
• Basic marketing theory
• Identifying goals, audience & message
• Tools
• Results
PR & Media Relations
• Identifying what’s newsworthy
• Tools
• Timelines
• Local resources

3. • Why is marketing so important for artists
– Self-managed marketing is a way for you to broadcast your
message and create awareness of your product beyond your
regular circles – think of marketing like casting a wide net
• Why a strategy is important
– Strategy enables you to stay focused, on message, and on plan.
• Am I bragging or branding?
– Bragging is a boastful proclamation.
• “I’m the best painter since Picasso! [link]”
– Branding is staying on message.
• “Check out this NYTimes review of my exhibit on view at…”

4. • Identify your goals & objectives
– Keep goals and objectives simple
– attainable
– limited in number (5 or fewer)
• Define your audience
– Who are you trying to reach?
• Develop messaging for your audience
– Develop the tone of your messaging for your target audience
• Develop your personal brand
– What is your personal brand?

5. • What is a marketing plan?
– A marketing plan is your roadmap. It keeps you on track and leads you down the path to
success.
– It’s a good idea to have a strategic, over-arching plan, then more detailed plans for
specific initiatives
• Example of Strategic plan: awareness campaign
• Example of Targeted initiative: exhibition opening
• How to make a marketing plan
– Sample plan
• How to implement your marketing plan
– Once you’ve defined your goals and audience, and created an outline of
your marketing plan, now you can start putting your plan and message into
action
• What kinds of tools are at your disposal?
– website
– e-marketing platform
– social media
– Other tools?

6. Examples: Justin Garcia Art Newsletter:
• Monthly newsletter
• Welcome message
• Upcoming event announcement with
image of artwork
• “Collector’s Corner” with photo and
Opera in the Heights on quotes
Facebook: • “Giving back” – a section about working
with the Texas Children’s Hospital
• Photo contest surrounding current http://bit.ly/iaOFMu
show (way to engage fans)
• Regularly posts reviews and photos

7. • How do you know your plan is
working?
• Tools for analysis
– Google analytics
– Google alerts
• Set metrics and goals

8. group brainstorm session

9. – Public Relations
• “Public relations helps an organization and its
publics adapt mutually to each other.”
– Public Relations Society of America’s official
definition
– Media Relations
• Involves working with various media for the
purpose of informing the public of an
organization's mission, policies and practices in
a positive, consistent and credible manner

10. • Public Perception
• For individual artists, your public
perception can mean the difference
between a hobby and a career
• For an organization, your public
perception can mean the difference
between existing and going under

11. • Press release, Calendar release,
Media alert
• Pitch
• Media List
• Photos
• Website
• Social media
• Networking
• Tenacity

12. • Timing – current; in relation to something that’s happened
recently (i.e. Chinese government not allowing Univ of Penn Museum of
Archeology to have the Secrets of the Silk Road exhibit gives HMNS opportunity to
comment)
• Significance/Impact – the number of people affected;
who, what, how affected (i.e. TCA funding cuts)
• Proximity – the closer the story to home, the more
newsworthy (i.e. local actor gets lead role in Broadway musical, credits high
school theatre teacher; Houston artist first-timer in Bayou City Art Festival lives in zip
code coverage area of x newspaper)
• Prominence – well-known things, people or organizations
get covered because they are well-known (i.e. famous classical
singer from NYC comes to Houston to do a show with your company)
• Human Interest – stories that appeal to emotion (i.e. local artist
teaches children with cancer how to express their emotions through painting; end
result is public art show & auction to raise money for cancer research)

13. • Calendar release - basic who, what, where,
when, why, how much & for more info
• Press release - more details about the event,
about you and your background
• Media alert - an alert for media only typically
used to alert them of a unique coverage
opportunity; includes photo opp and/or
interview

14. • 1-2 pages maximum (400-500 words)
• “For Immediate Release”
• Date
• Media contact name, email & primary phone
• Headline that encompasses what the release is about in 7-10 words (must stand
out, catch reader’s attention)
• Sub-headline is not necessary if the entire news hook is included in the headline
• Strong lead paragraph that states the who, what, why, when, where & how –
gets to the crux of the release in a short, to-the-point opening paragraph;
contains the hook (the reason this event is important, interesting or unique, etc)
• Further details in subsequent paragraphs, including “expert” quote(s)
• Where to find more (web address, blog, social media links)
• Boilerplate info (about company xyz; about artist x)
• ### or -30- at the end

15. • Use clear, concise, vivid language
• Sentences and paragraphs should be short and to
the point
• Utilizing AP Style limits the need for editing
• Check for proper grammar, spelling, punctuation
• Provide neat, clean copy
• Distribute on a timely basis; meet deadlines
• Proofread

16. • Important to read what the arts &
feature writers are writing about
• Craft a unique pitch for each media
outlet or writer
– Mass email to group of writers with no personalization can be
easily overlooked.
– You have to think about why they’d be interested in your story.
– Keep your pitch concise and relevant.
– Example of a bad pitch and why: http://bit.ly/eFself

17. • You need a list of media contacts
that make sense for your field of work
• Update regularly
– Look on media outlet website or call
• Keep up with social media
messaging of media outlets and
writers

18. • Have 4-6 high resolution photos
available to send at a moment’s
notice
– 300 dpi (print resolution; you want MB, not KB)
– Variety – horizontal, vertical, action, portrait, serious,
fun, etc.
– Include photo credit
– Include caption (short descriptive text; if it
includes more than one person, identify each person
going left to right)
– No text on images – dates, captions,
watermarks

19. • 2.5 to 3 months out (or at least by the 1st of the month prior to your
event) – Distribute calendar release; Set up Google Alerts; Identify your
top target list and who to talk to at each media outlet
• 4 to 6 weeks out – Distribute press release & begin pitching to your
targets; follow up
• 2 to 3 weeks out – Post event to online event calendars; Send
personal invitation to select media to attend
• 1 week out – final follow ups to online writers, include photos
• 1 to 2 days out – Distribute media alert to TV news desks and
daily and weekly print photo desks
• Follow up within 3-4 days from distribution date

20. Common Mistakes
• Poor timing - not starting early enough, missing deadlines
• Spamming - only write and send a release when you have a
newsworthy story to tell
• Not Bcc-ing
• Sending your press release as a pdf attachment;
paste release in body of email; include URL to image download
• Not being available or answering a reporter
immediately
• Not following up
• Working in a vacuum

21. • Being successful in media relations means building
relationships with reporters and editors over time. It’s not a
sprint, it’s a marathon.
• Don’t only reach out to them when you have something you
want them to cover. If they do cover you, send a thank you.
• Make sure you always deliver on what you’ve said you can or
will do.
• Finally, supplement any media relations campaign with other
promotion efforts (social media campaign, your own blog
posts, team up with other people or organizations that can
promote you/your event, print & distribute flyers/posters, make
personal invitations to the media, ticket giveaways, invited
targeted groups, etc). BE CREATIVE

22. Reliable arts marketing resources:
http://www.artsmarketing.org
http://www.artmarketingstrategy.com
http://www.inspiri-art-and-craft.com/artist-marketing-plan.html
http://www.artmarketingrevealed.com
http://www.marketingpower.com
Reliable PR resources:
http://www.prsa.org
http://service.prweb.com/learning/article/editorial-guidelines
http://www.suite101.com/content/press-release-template-a12386
http://www.copyblogger.com/killer-press-release/
http://brendonshank.com/2010/12/03/top-10-things-not-to-do-with-your-press-release-
part-1/
http://brendonshank.com/2010/12/07/top-10-things-not-to-do-with-your-press-release-
part-2/
http://www.theprcoach.com
Gawker post that includes Dos/Don’ts when contacting him by the Houston
Chronicle’s arts/society writer Douglas Britt:
http://gawker.com/#!5643042/arts-writer-sends-1400+word-email-on-how-to-
communicate-with-him

23. Free press release distribution services:
www.spacetaker.org/culture_wire
www.pitchengine.com
www.prlog.org
www.free-press-release.com
www.pr.com
http://www.onlineprnews.com/
www.pr-inside.com
www.przoom.com
prurgent.com
www.newswiretoday.com
Image resizing tools:
Photoshop
http://www.irfanview.com

24. Online Houston-based event calendars:
– Spacetaker - www.spacetaker.org/culture_guide
– Artshound - http://www.artshound.com
– GHCVB - http://www.visithoustontexas.com/events-list
– KUHF - http://www.kuhf.org
– Chron.com - http://www.chron.com/entertainment/calendar/submission.html
– Houston Community Newspapers -
http://www.hcnonline.com/calendar/submit/
– Houston Press - http://www.houstonpress.com/feedback/SubmitAnEvent
– KHOU.com -
http://www.khou.com/community/calendar/event-submission-form
– Eventful - http://www.eventful.com
– Houston Going - http://www.houston.going.com
– Houston Backpage - http://houston.backpage.com/Events/
– Upcoming - www.upcoming.org
– Yelp Houston - http://www.yelp.com/houston
– Do713 - http://www.do713.com
– CultureMap (unlike the calendars above, you must submit your event info via
email) - submissions@culturemap.com