“Perception is reality”
Have you ever heard the saying “perception is reality”? For most individuals, seeing something makes it real or true to them. This idea marks social media a very powerful tool. People are able to project an image they want you to believe. For example, an “artist” you never heard of might seem very successful – perhaps they’ve hired a marketing team allowing them access to A List parties and events. They could have raised enough money to engage a top-notch production team to remix a single. They may have employed a PR firm to connect with designers for free clothes. Social media can make a pretty convincing argument that someone is an overnight success.
But here’s the truth – there is no such thing as an overnight success. This person may be going to cool parties and have a shiny remix, but that doesn’t mean they’re a success. It just means they bought their way in to the party, but they have nothing to show for it. True success comes from consistent effort over time. A slow build-up of small wins over a number of years could look like a sudden success to outsiders, but the reality is that successful people network like crazy, soak up information like a sponge, take all the opportunities given to them and work hard for each little bit of success. When they do become successful it’s because they’ve been persistent and had a strategy.
“Ones to watch”
About 9 years ago I had a babysitter who wasn’t able to sit one night because her father was taking her to see her favorite singer at the Mercury Lounge. For those who don’t know, the Mercury Lounge is a standing room only venue in Manhattan that holds about 250 people. Since I fashion myself as someone in-the-know, I was surprised that I’d never heard of the singer she was going to see. She knew every word to her songs and had, apparently, played them for my then 2-year-old. The artist? Billie Eilish. So, while it may have seemed like a quick rise to fame when Billie had a hit radio single two years later, the fact of the matter is that the opposite was true. I am sure many readers have seen the videos of Justin Bieber, Gracie Abrams and Shawn Mendes singing both cover songs and original material on YouTube when they were young. That was one of many things these artists did to build their success.
Then there’s the story of Austin Mahone, who had a totally manufactured buzz and sadly went nowhere. Even an “MTV One to Watch,” teen magazine profiles and a buy-on to the 2013 Taylor Swift Red tour couldn’t help Austin. He didn’t have the goods to back up the buzz.
“Hard work and perseverance”
Chasing overnight fame is like a dog chasing their tail. There is no such thing as a rocket ship ride to success. Artists need a foundation – a team, a plan for music promotion, a radio single (or 2 or 3 or 4), a radio promotion strategy, a lot of people who believe in them, constant practice, networking, songwriting, sleepless nights traveling to shows and taking any opportunity that gets them seen. As someone who has worked in entertainment their whole adult life, I know how hard it is to ‘make it.’ I’ve seen insanely talented people work for years to get the break they deserve. Overnight success doesn’t exist – hard work and perseverance does, filled with 24-hour workdays, tough breaks and down periods. It is the artist that constantly works to be the best at what they do that you will hear about some day. Just because you’re not aware of someone’s story from the beginning doesn’t mean there isn’t one.
Success is all about consistency. Want to get on that radio promotion strategy? Caster is here to help. Learn more here!