Comments on: Building Your Own Publicity Machine: And Here's a Template You Can Use

By: admin

admin — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 13:13:00 +0000

First, nothing I’ve ever written honestly is meant to get you placement in the NY or LA Times or the Chicago Tribune for that matter. Big city newspapers are a terrific goal, but it’s not where you start. But even in New York there are all sorts of local publications.

The original post with the press release template is meant to be a starter, a building block. And in a local community it DOES work – not that press release by itself, but getting to know some of the staff at the local paper, building relationships, etc.

All of this takes time – it doesn’t happen overnight, but every photographer has the ability to be their own publicity machine and develop those releationships that eventually do bear fruit. Joe Elario in Albany has been featured several times in the local wedding magazine with his images. His work being published didn’t happen by accident and it didn’t happen overnight.

I was never suggesting that one press release was all it was going to take, it’s a process, but you have to start some place.

By: Prefer Anon

Prefer Anon — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 15:16:09 +0000

I’ve done press releases. I’d take the initiative to contact the local symphony, the local legislators, for example, and offer to photograph them. This is nothing new of course but what came out of it was this: The orchestra loved my work, and they asked me to become their official photographer. I accepted, and wrote a press release announcing that to the local town paper. They refused to run it saying it wasn’t news. They also added that I had no priority with them to incite them to run it since I also wasn’t a paying advertiser! Was I supposed to argue with them about how if only the advertisers get their news published, then it’s not a free press? Losing argument when you’re dealing with a business, and a newspaper is a business. And that was in a small town. Big cities are even more difficult, I can’t imagine such a press release getting any consideration at all in the NY or LA Times for example. Especially one saying “There’s never been a more exciting time to have images created by a professional”. That smacks of an ad. How is the fact someone attended a trade seminar considered newsworthy? “Joe Schmoe Photo Attends Photo Conference” Let’s be real. At best that’s good for 3 lines of filler on page 49. Maybe.

Another time I actually was interviewed by a publication. I didn’t pay for it and it wasn’t an advert-editorial. It was an honest to gosh real interview about me and my photography. I tried to use that article to further my career. While shooting a wedding at a very nice venue, I spoke with the banquet director there. Showed her a copy of the article and she summarily dismissed it, saying, “That’s just advertising”.

Fact is these people, these “gatekeepers”, have their own agenda, their own pet people, and unless you’re “in” with them or you photographed some major celebrity’s wedding or other major serendipitous event occurs that they can’t ignore, I’m afraid a press release likely does nothing. Maybe that’s why we don’t see too many of them.

By: Kim Cooley

Kim Cooley — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:35:42 +0000

Skip, I too meant to be one of the few who emailed you for this template after PartnerCon in New Orleans. Even though I never did, I did sign up for your blog. Thanks for sharing this info again.

Hope all went well with your move. We are finally moving the office out of our home and the various storage buildings this week and as I have be trying to go through stuff and purge I have thought often about your recent comments on moving.

Thanks for all that you do!

By: links for 2010-01-28 | Steve G. Bisig, Photographer

links for 2010-01-28 | Steve G. Bisig, Photographer — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:03:09 +0000

[...] Building Your Own Publicity Machine: And Here’s a Template You Can Use Marketing Essentials International (tags: photography marketing) [...]

By: Phat Photographer

Phat Photographer — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:28:21 +0000

Thanks for the concrete, actionable recommendation.

By: Elena Hernandez

Elena Hernandez — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:17:18 +0000

Well said Skip.
Thank you for sharing the template! We all learn from your wisdom.

By: Angie

Angie — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:43:25 +0000

Great, practical advice. Thank you!

By: amy t schubert

amy t schubert — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:23:22 +0000

I would add – contact one of the major wire services (BusinessWire.com is the biggest, but there’s also MarketWire.com, PRNewswire.com and others). They can distribute your press release WAY more cost effectively than you can.

By: Geoff Ball

Geoff Ball — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:13:54 +0000

Thanks Skip! I remember you talking about this at Summer School, but I forgot to e-mail you for the template. We have some community work planned for the coming months, and this will work very well.