This Is Not An Acceptable Promo Kit! | 6 Must Haves In Your EPK !

ASTinc | http://AllStarTalentInc.com

NEVER Give An Agent A CD And A Napkin!

The Fastest Way To The Trashcan!

This might seem like a joke but I can assure you it is 100% real. Fellow All Star Talent, inc Talent Coordinator Stephanie Fulton was out and about scouting a few of the local Myrtle Beach bands we sometimes book for events and clubs around town and one of them found out who she was and what she did for a living and decided to give her a promo kit he happened to have in his car.

Not An Acceptable Promo Kit! | ASTinc.

Now this is nothing new any quality act will have a certain amount of promotional material to hand out when in a networking situation, but what was a bit odd is the fact that the "Musician" was not playing at the venue where she was nor did what he give her resemble anything close to being a professional demo kit.

He literally handed her a plain CD no case, no sleeve just the disk with the name of his act written in Sharpie™ on the front of it with a bar napkin that contained his real name and phone number!

Some people believe that there is nothing wrong with this and that giving her something right there was better than nothing, I can assure you ... it is not!

So What Should A Professional Grade EPK Contain?

Electronic Press Kit, or E.P.K. as it is referred to by most agents or producers, is a set of promotional materials sitting in cue ready to be fired out in an e-mail or link at a moments notice. In this day and age not having something to be able to send in a matter of minutes after a few quick customization's and alterations is leaving a lot of money on the table!

Here are 6 things that you must have ready when you get a call or inquiry about a gig:

#1 Video - 

Your newly benefit oriented, engaging, exciting, and short demo that is chock full of gems screaming book me now, should be hosted somewhere that potential clients and prospects can click a link to see in a matter of seconds. You Tube is a good start and I am sure there are a million other web based video hosting sites that are free out there. It does not matter where you host it just get it uploaded ASAP!

#2 Bio - 

Having a short but descriptive couple of paragraphs telling your history and credits, past performances or training is recommended. Not every producer or agent needs one for the first go around but it is always good to have it ready.

#3 Head Shots - 

A picture tells a thousand words right? You have to have good quality pictures ready and waiting. Make sure you are clearly visible. You should have one head shot which would be full face or 3/4 body shot for every look or costume you offer and a full body shot showing your costume . If you have action shots include these as well, it will help put them into the look and feel of your show or act. Make sure they are saved in a file format that can be easily viewed like jpeg or gif files.

#4 One Sheet - 

This is a marketing tool designed to help prospects make up their minds about you. Often times producers are part of a committee making the last decision. Having one sheets ready allows everyone to see what you offer when you are not there to tell them yourself. It should include a short benefit rich show description, a picture of you and a call to action like "Call this number to book now". This can be either a document or pdf file. You should have a one sheet for every act or different show you do.

#5 Testimonials - 

You should have a couple of different testimonials in your E.P.K. Keep in mind you will need to filter these out every year or two, no one want to see what you did in the 90's. Testimonials come in different types: References, Letters of Recommendation, Audio or Video. Make sure you include them, they can be the key element in swinging the gig your way or the other way!

#6 Website - 

Websites are a great way to promote your act's business. They offer a place to store your promotional materials, make you look professional and give people and prospects a chance to learn more about you. Not everyone can build and maintain a website but if you can go for it. If you can not there are people out there that can help, and it is no where near as expensive as you think. If you are still nervous about it and do not want to take the dive just yet then I recommend at least having a separate Blog, Facebook or Myspace page for your clown business so you can host pictures and videos and prospects will get a better feel for what you bring to the table.

Electronic Press Kits are easy to build and maintain. They make you look more professional and put you ahead of the competition. Make sure you are constantly updating them and building on what you have and you will find yourself that much closer to getting more gigs!

Bryan Fulton is the VP of Talent and Production for All Star Talent, Inc. All Star Talent, Inc. specializes in providing top quality entertainment for trade show events and unique team building experiences all over the world. If you would like more details on when, where, or how to implement different types of entertainment for your next event you can visit us online at http://AllStarTalentInc.com/. You can also call (843) 491-4812 or email All Star Talent, Inc. at info@allstartalentinc.com today and one of our agents will help you look like a superstar at your next event!