What, me make a longer post?

Thanks for your thoughts guys. The real answer is it depends...only several things. It depends how they have learned and apply the information exactly as I've taught and they've learned. I have made it as easy as possible to understand so most have pretty decent results. First, you have to get over the misperceptions, such as press and media is only available to celebrities or large corporations (GM, McDonald's, Google, Exxon, Apple, etc.) and that all you have to do is find a press release template online, fill ii out and send it and walla, your in the media. No, not at all. I pretty much guarantee you if you do that it will not work very well if at all.

Also the goal is not to generate sales (bookings). Yes, it can and it does, but that is not the real purpose of it. I include 40 benefits and how press and media is best utilized in the program, and yes, one of them is getting bookings, but I actually think the other 39 are actually more important and create greater value, and long-term success.

As I mentioned above the benefits of awareness and letting your market know that you exist, who you are, what you offer, your area of specialty, and how and why you are different form everyone else (all determined in the Foundational level) is most important. Right along with this is positioning. This typically generates more bookings at better pricing by itself alone. Then of course is targeting, establishing and building credibility (such a huge one), along with marketing and promotion, separating your business from the competition, relationship-building, showcasing your services, just to name a few.

Yes, it looks good on your website and in your promo, which is typically at best is how most performers think to use it, but there are many additional and better ways to utilize it after the media has appeared (there are things to do before, during and after) that is so effective and long-lasting. Different media can be used in different demographics. In the program I discuss actual media demographics I used and tested and share the amazing results. This definitely resulted in bookings. I remember I was doing a wedding Bridal Fair, producing, hosting it, and exhibiting at it. Knowing there were going to be 11 other entertainers there, I strategically planned a media blitz for my business to hit the week of the event. I used different media to target different demographics of attendees of the event. I went into it (in February) with my Summer wide open except for one earlier booking, so we had 17 of the prime wedding season Saturday's open. Directly due to the press and media specifically I booked 11 of those dates at the event or in the first three days that followed. Doing follow up we booked the rest of the season dates and even some fall and a couple of next Winter dates.

So yes, I think performers enjoy getting the bookings from it but it is rarely one of the many benefits they get most excited about and share with me. It is the combination of all of the different benefits and results that blow them away. Especially with the overall long-term results for their overall business.

I really believe it is one of the (if not the actual #1) ways to promote your business and create actual value in an entertainment business. To pay for such marketing and promotion would actually cost you tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars which most could never afford. I do know however that it does result in bookings as many tell me once they have some initial success they stop most or all of their other marketing and advertising due to the results they get from their press and media marketing, so yes it can and does get substantial bookings both directly and indirectly.

Sure, as you said it does matter who you are selling to and the types of markets you serve. Many also misbelieve that press and media is really only designed for the public so therefore is best for consumer markets. While this can be true, press and media once understood can also greatly be used for professional and B2B markets, niche markets, and more often to even greater success when done properly. So it does depend on who you are selling to but there are methods and strategies to target all audiences, markets, and demographics.