The fundamentals of being an Entertainment Publicist in Nigeria

Wanna know what it takes to be an entertainment publicist or what to expect from your publicist? Entertainment Publicist Johnson Joweigha gives us insight into his job

A publicist is in charge of making sure that the artist gets media exposure. They also help create and grow a brand the brand. Getting media exposure for an artist is done through online exposure (this is done through social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Etc.), radio, television and print interviews. They are also in charge of making sure the artist is visible and stays relevant.

Being a publicist, I utilise my communication skills to cultivate and maintain the image that the artist wishes to express to his fans.

An artist’s image is of great importance to his art because that’s what creates more exposure for the artist which in turn can generate sales. Therefore maintaining the image includes promoting albums, campaigns and the likes. Being a publicist also includes promoting media tours which includes performances, interviews and general appearance at certain events. You may also be responsible for writing speeches, press releases, some of which have deadlines of four to six weeks prior to shows or performances. Another entertainment Publicist duty is planning a strategy for appearance related matters.

Like any other job, there will always be challenges. In this field, the biggest challenges come during the earlier stages of marketing your act to industry giants and finding ways of promoting your clients talent. It is important to always have a network chain and maintain relationships with personalities that are in the media. It is also important to keep an eye out and ears to the ground, in order to stay on track with what’s happening around the circles in the media, so doing things like reading blogs, staying in touch via email and Facebook chat is important.

As a publicist I’m on the job 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Most times i have to work long and late hours, as well as be willing to travel with my client as needed. It is my job to make sure the client is happy and everyone’s needs are met. One intriguing part of being a Publicist is the ability to create beautiful, interesting content and get pretty amazing reviews because in the end, it’s all about storytelling.

The only thing I really dont like about my job is that it’s hard for me to shut it off. Amongs all the things that are my responsibility, as a publicist, I am not responsible for distribution and revenue streams. I also do not market the album directly to the fans, it is marketed via the respective media platforms (radio, television and print). I also do not post on social media pretending to be the artist, band or brand. Lastly, a publicist doesn’t book shows and is not responsible for radio air play as that is the responsibility of the manager and the distributor respectively.

Written by Johnson Joweigha