A SHORT MINI-RANT ABOUT NEWS RELEASES
The other day, when I wasn't doing what I should have been, I figured out that, in the last 40-odd years, I had written about 100 news releases every year. These days, you can fire them out via
e-mail (and, God, do I ever!), and Lord knows I get enough of everyone else's releases!
The most imprtant thing about news releases is that they contain news, factual information, and answer every question that they raise. The effective ones do not contain excessive hype ("Fred Smith is the best singer/songwriter since Bob Dylan." Yeah, Right! Also, they should avoid legalistic bull-shit.
So, all that said, what do you make of this (edited) release that I got from the kind folk at MuchMusic. It's a classic, complete with the legalistic (TM). Read this carefully, and answer the questions that follow!
CHUM Television Gets Joost
Original Content to Reach Global Online Audience through Joost Platform
(Toronto - Wednesday, March 7, 2007) CHUM Television today announced that it will partner with Joost, the first global TV distribution
platform, to provide CHUM programming to audiences around the world. This deal will deliver a generous sampling of programming from
Canada's premiere music and pop culture station for youth, MuchMusic, as well as content from SPACE, FashionTelevision, and CityLine - all through Joost's customizable video platform that delivers premium video content using state-of-the-art, secure, streaming technology.
"CHUM has always been on the front lines of the multi-platform
experience," said Roma Khanna,Senior Vice President, Content, CHUM Television. "So it makes perfect sense for us to partner with
Joost, since their platform is all about engaging audiences and
enhancing television viewing. We're happy to be on the ground floor with Joost."
"CHUM, and in particular MuchMusic, offers content that will have great appeal to our anticipated audience," said Yvette Alberdingkthijm, Executive Vice President of Content Strategy and Acquisition for Joost. "For artists and labels, Joost provides an opportunity for fans to interact
with artists like never before. This kind of enhanced experience is the essence of Joost."
"We're very excited to reach out to new audiences and advertisers through Joost," said Maria Hale, Vice President, Business Development, CHUM Television. "While the Joost model protects our content from piracy, we are able to extend our distribution strategy online."
More content will be added to Joost on an on-going basis.
Joost is currently available in limited beta and will launch to the world in the first half of 2007.
Questions: A free CD to everyone who can answer:
1) What is a Joost?
2) What is a customizable video platform?
3) Can "Senior Vice President Content, CHUM
Television" fit on a door at 299 Queen Street
West? Also, is there a JUNIOR Vice President
Content, CHUM Television?
4) What is "limited beta"?
5) How does a Joost enhance television viewing?
6) A give away to end: What does TM stand for?
Postscript:
And while we're going on about bafflegab, how about the sign on a hoarding just around the corner at College & Yonge: "COMING SOON EXCITING NEW RETAIL!"
I will, next week, call Northam Realty Advisors Limited and ask them about what this "exciting new retail" really is. I suspect it's going to be a shop.
Five Mistakes Band & Label Sites Make
(originally from www.43folders.com)
Admittedly, this is well off our usual fare, but please indulge me in a public service message on behalf of music fans across the Internets - five mistakes that band and label sites make (and a few tips on how to fix them). One data point from a fan.
Too much Flash
Okay, I get it. You're creative. Awesome. But you're totally wasting my morning as I helplessly wait for your designer's dancing sausages to finish loading. Perhaps worst of all, most all-Flash sites prohibit your fans from creating deep links to artist, album or song pages. Your fans are trying to drive people to the cash register, but you insist on making them watch a puppet show before they can even enter the damned store.
Tip: Use Flash like you would cilantro - sparingly and for a single high-impact effect. Nobody wants to eat a whole bowl of cilantro, and nobody wants an animated death march when they have a "passionate task" to complete. Also, build your pages to make it super-easy to link to anything. Use sub-page anchors, and clearly identify why they're there.
Crappy or non existent mp3 metadata
If I load up the mp3 of your big single and it says it's "Song" by "Artist" on the record, "Album," you've completely blown it already; I have no way to ever find you again. Ditto for file naming. Remember: people often download dozens or hundreds of songs at once, so it's really unlikely they'll remember where Track%2007.mp3 came from.
Tip: Fill every possible field of ID3 data with rich, correct information. This is the digital version of an album cover, so give the kids something to read while they're rocking. Basic track info is a no-brainer, but also consider adding cover art, track number, composer credits, genre and year information, and - duh - add a link to your web site and email address in the comments field. Posting an MP3 without metadata is like Safeway ordering the hair-netted sample lady not to tell hungry customers which aisle those nummy chicken fingers are in.
Too artsy, too fartsy
People are visiting your site because they want to learn more about bands and music - not to have a guided tour of your designer/brother-in-law's Photoshop brush collection. Don't be cute with the design, section naming, or navigation. Don't make your visitors solve a Rubik's cube to pull up your lyrics page.
Tip: Let the music be the star of the show and provide fast access towhat your visitors really came for: 1) mp3s/downloads, 2) lyrics/discography, 3) show dates, 4) contact info, 5) where can I buy this (preferably pointers to buying online for immediate download). Photos, old setlists, and diaries - anything that paints the personality of the band - are all great, too, of course, but they're still secondary to posting and updating the holy pentagram of items above. Save the artsy stuff for when you inevitably quit music to take up oil painting.
No search
Chances are good that fans coming to your site arrive with something extremely specific in mind - often a fragment of lyric or the name of one obscure song. If your site contains more than a handful of pages, provide a clearly labeled search box (or link to a search) on every page, and test it. Make sure your search works and drives visitors to your most popular pages without the need for pecking around.
Tip: Google has a free service for providing site search. It's not perfect or 100% timely, but it works, and it's free, and it's better than nothing.
One-way communication (served one way)
Your fans are not empty vessels or just (ugh) a street team; they have things to say too. Provide a clear contact email address (plus separate ones for press and booking inquiries if you're all famous and whatnot) and consider having a fan message board and mailing lists for tour and release updates. Read your email, and answer it.
Tip: Consider creating RSS feeds for your most frequently updated stuff (Sloan's site does this very well).
Just in general? Don't let your web designer build a portfolio piece on the back of your fans and your business. Ask your fans what they want, watch how they use your site, and then give them what they like without a lot of hooptedoodle.
