Promotion

After writing a little on the subject of self-promotion I thought it might be useful to briefly explore the subject of Promotion in order to put those other comments in perspective and context.

When I think of Promotion in the music industry, in the performing arts, in business and in general, the first thing that comes to mind is the military tradition of promoting people. If someone completes special training and upgrades their skills, exhibits some gift, or performs an act of heroism they become candidates for promotion.

Many soldiers begin their career as a "buck private". With good performance and adjustment to the military lifestyle they can be elevated to corporal or sergeant. A gifted and skilled or teachable soldier can reach higher ranks in the promotion process - captain, major, colonel, general and so on.

Soldiers in modern armies are usually organized into groups of varying sizes - company, platoon, corps, brigade, battalion, battle group, et cetera. As a person is promoted they gain recognition and authority on a wider basis and they are more visible as a result of their more elevated status.

At its core music and artist Promotion is related in this way. Some artists desire to be more visible, have more say, more authority, more influence, be seen and heard more. This is all quite possible if it suits a person's life values, personality and career goals. But that discussion would take us out of the realm of Promotion and into the area of Planning. Planning really ought to precede Promotion, but it is not the topic of this brief communication.

Promotion is a process by which a person or product or service is made more widely known and recognized in accordance with its branding. An artist seeking to promote his or her self and career should have a Plan in place and a clear sense of Purpose. That is also part of the Planning process and will be the subject of a future post.

I would venture a working definition of Promotion. It is that process by which someone is elevated in the esteem and consciousness of others. Thereby they can be seen, recognized, valued more highly and appreciated by more and more viewers or fans or interested parties. I personally prefer friends to fans.

In reading this post, please understand and recognize that I am NOT militaristic and only use this as an illustration.

Promotion is a key to success in many things. It is essential to the working artist who hopes for a successful career. Let's also remember that Success can be many things and is different for each person. To Promote yourself is to raise yourself up so more others can see you.