We've told you some ideas for using sites like Hype Machine for finding blogs to send your music to, but what exactly do you say to them? As you might have read in the Golden Rules For Blog Promotion, you want to avoid sending mass spam emails. So instead of just blasting out your press releases, attachments and links, you might want to start out with a personal introduction letter. After that, having links to your stuff or referencing what you've been up to is fine, just make sure you lead with something personal first. Follow us after the jump and we'll go over some ideas of what you might want to say and how best to say it.
1. Do your research. It will help to find out some information about the blog. Make sure you're sending to the right blog for you. Also, you'll want to make sure you're sending an email to the correct person at the site. Sometimes with a little research you can find out which writers are more likely to like your music and post something favorable. Doing your research also means finding out what their submission requirements are. Some blogs like full press releases, some prefer links to your streaming music and some just want you to use SoundClound or something similar. Make sure you find out and avoid pissing off anyone of unnecessarily.
2. Mention a similar artist. It helps if it is someone that the blog has written about before. If you've taken our advice on finding blogs on Hype Machine that will likely write about your music, you might want to mention the exact artist that you searched for to find their blog. Remember that these guys receive TONS of emails all the time and they don't know you from Adam so make sure you ground yourself by a slight comparison.
3. Be complimentary. No one like an obsequious ass kisser, but having something nice to say about their blog or music taste can take you a long way. You're writing to them because they have some power/status and can do something for you, right? Well make sure you find a way to be complimentary because it can go a long way in what they have to say about you in return. Think about what they might want to hear (where you found out about them and what you like about the site/music they discuss).
4. Exercise brevity. As in most things in the world of business, be brief. It isn't necessary to write a dissertation about your band and all the great things you've done. Keep everything you say to a paragraph or less if you can. These people often see hundreds of emails a day and just the site of your long-winded jabber will probably cause you to end up being skipped over or in the trash bin.
5. Talk About Yourself Last. Remember: these blogs most likely don't know you and don't care about you. Although you're really excited to announce that your band just released an awesome new 7" that looks like a sweet pepperoni pizza, they could not care less. First, show them you're interested in them (with insights into their work and site) and then you can tell them why they might be interested in you. Leave your links and announcements for last.
Leave a comment