Is Your Manager Working It Out For You?
I took a call from a very talented singer this AM; she had a few questions about the business and my client asked if I could field them for her. Of course I obliged. Her first question is a common one so I am going to break it down here on tumblr as well.
The question was (and I’m paraphrasing to protect the innocent): What else should my manager be doing besides promoting me online? Is there a proactive component to management?
This question raised a very concerned eyebrow with me, but on further contemplation, it makes utter sense. Now that music and technology have become inextricably linked, and we’ve all been briefed on the importance of social media presence, it is easy for a manager to place outsized focus on social media. For starters, it’s the easiest task I do in a day - post a few e-flyers about an upcoming gig on FB, Twitter, Reverb, etc. But it’s certainly not the primary function of an artist manager.
Your manager is your evangelist. S/he is the ambassador of your brand. With that in mind, managers always have something to do. When you are in a quiet period (i.e., huddled in a studio working on a new project, nothing to really push), that doesn’t mean your manager should also be quiet. If anything, the Manager’s work is just beginning!
Now would be a good time for Mgr. to tap into your Rolodex and send a communique to some of your associates and let them know “hey, artist is in the studio right now, heard some trax, it’s hot!” Keep your artist’s name in the minds of industry contacts. Stay in touch. Make new contacts. Formulate strategies. Remember, a manager’s job doesn’t start when it’s time to promote. Marketing Plans need to be formulated, third parties need to be drafted to the cause, articles about the state of the industry need to be read.
