How to get Most Value from Promo Feedback & Turn it into Sales

In our latest instalment of industry advice, we chart the journey of promo feedback throughout the supply chain of music distribution, and explain how to really make it work and ultimately generate more sales.

We've all seen it in the industry hype machine, "wicked track - full support" or "lovin' the remix - will play" etc. etc. but what exactly does all of this feedback really mean?

On the face of it, it can mean a great ego boost to the artist - the very thought that Superstar DJ Mr X may be playing their track on the Space Terrace that night makes all that fiddling about in the studio seem worth it after all - but positive feedback is much more than just a compliment; it is a commercial necessity… a vital cog in the hype machine.

Phase 1 - Initial Promo Mail Out (6 weeks before release date and earlier):

So from the top, it's probably fair to say that the very beginning of the feedback process is often quite informal… no machines here, more a chosen few friends/contacts of the artist or label receiving a newly-signed track before anyone else. This can often create some initial interest to begin generating hype around the music.

The dream scenario for the label at this point would be to receive positive feedback from any high profile members of this small group, because their quotes can then be attached to all future mailshots to add weight to the wider promo campaign; but even negative feedback at this point can be useful. Sure, negative feedback is not going to be quoted during the rest of the campaign, but it can help whoever is managing the campaign judge what kind of DJs/Press should be targeted during the next, bigger mailshot.

Phase 2 - Main Promo Mail Out (approx 4-5 weeks before release date):

And this is when it really starts. The label, or often, the promo company that is acting on behalf of the label, puts together the promo mailshot. If they have been lucky enough to receive some good early feedback from influential members of their initial group, it will be repeated here. Then, having taken on board some of the earlier opinions, an appropriate list of recipients is drawn up, which normally totals a few hundred people.

Sometimes there may be two or three different mailshots/lists put together with slightly altered content to suit different audiences, but either way, it is at this point that the main tastemakers are targeted, so that is club DJs, radio presenters/shows, and journalists/blogs.

As the feedback begins to come in, it is wise to sift through the comments and note any kind of positive action that might be worth monitoring in future, so for DJs that would be something like "will support in chart" or "will feature in mix/compilation"; for radio it would simply be "will play on X Show" and for the press/blogs, "will review/feature". Key comments can also be filtered out in ongoing marketing activities.

Having a tight and organised system to check up on these next actions is very important. Firstly, if someone promises something in feedback that doesn't actually materialise, a good system ensures that the campaign manager is able to remind them to prompt them if necessary. And secondly, once the track has actually been charted/played etc., news of this should be fed back to the label (if a promo company is in charge of the campaign) and more importantly, collected in such a way that it can be used as ammunition for the next phase of the campaign.

Once the actions are organised and monitored, the more general musical comments should also be organised in some sort of order of importance, so a world famous DJ saying something positive would feature high on the list.

Phase 3 - Distributors & Retail (approx 3 weeks before release date):

Now the feedback is really converted into a powerful commercial tool, because it is at this point that the music retailers see it for the first time, and make a judgement over the commercial appeal of the release, i.e. whether the feedback is good enough for the retailer to feature the release in a prominent position. The major online retailers like Beatport often only deal with a third party aggregator/distributor acting on behalf of a label to handle this part of the process, but some of the more specialised stores will accept feedback directly from the label/promo company.

Whoever it is that ultimately deals with the retailer, it is vital that the feedback is packaged effectively. The generally agreed standard for this is the 'Sales Notes', also commonly referred to as the 'One Sheet' (because it is typically one page in length), which is sent to the retailer containing the following feedback:

- DJ comments

- DJ chart/mix/set support

- Radio play (plus, ideally, the actual dates of play)

- Reviews written or pending

The information should be filtered so that the very best support is presented. Generally 15 comments of support from DJs is more than enough along with whatever radio and press interest has been generated.

And in addition to the feedback, this is a good opportunity to promote the artist(s) further with more information, such as future releases on other labels, mixes, collaborations, prestigious tour dates etc.

A good One Sheet at this stage can make a big difference to sales. As mentioned above, music retailers use these One Sheets as a way of deciding which releases command the optimum display positions in their stores. In the case of Beatport, this ultimately translates into different grades of banner coverage.

Phase 4 - Marketing & Consumers (date of release and after):
This is the time to put the icing on the cake, and re-cycle the best feedback/coverage from the previous few weeks to, hopefully, help generate some sales. Websites and other relevant profiles should be updates and it can be useful to send a simple mailshot to all of the fans of the label, containing all of the highlights from the feedback and coverage, a bit of general information, and where people can buy the track. A good way to do this is to embed a music player from one of the online stores - this can contain previews of the release as well as a link to purchase them.

It also also very useful to pass over the feedback you have gathered to the artists (and other interested parties) that are involved with the release so that they can help distribute it and spread the word to their own networks.

Ongoing Social Media Updates:
Of course, there are many more uses of feedback outside of the individual campaign structure - it isn't all about consolidating it into a list - because the immediacy of Social Media is great for labels/promo companies to capitalise on good feedback, as it happens. Twitter is ideal for repeating a particularly juicy DJ quote or links to a DJ chart, but the comments sections of Soundcloud and Youtube can be just as useful for sprinkling positive bits of feedback or highlighting a blog article; and of course Facebook can easily be updated with a positive comment or review. The same can apply to reviews/blog postings - as soon as a review goes live, it's very easy to advertise the fact by posting a link on the outlets mentioned above.

The Final Word:
Feedback generated from running promo campaigns extends much further than simply getting the music into the hands of tastemakers and using their comments as an ego boost. If you think carefully about who else the feedback and support is useful for - including other tastemakers, distributors, retailers, your artists and consumers - then the benefits that promo feedback can offer can be far greater and will ultimately translate to higher sales of your music.

To talk to Kahua Music about promo campaigns for your music please email us or visit out website.

How to get Most Value from Promo Feedback & Turn it into Sales