Have You Heard the Latest?

If you're following me on Social Media - where you can always find me - then you will know that last week, major news broke concerning this here very blog.

As of September 5th, this here home will be getting an overhaul. That is to say, that we will be having a relaunch party week, with a new name, and a few well-known faces dropping by to say hello; so make sure you're with Yours Truly, to kick off this new phase in ESP history. #MusicMonday will be back, and more melodious than ever, for the pleasure of musical connoisseurs everywhere; whilst #WearItWednesday will be more fashionable than ever before with the number of labels and designers that will be traipsing across these hallowed pages! In the meantime, I have already attended my first event in 2.5 years, and I plan to visit a few more between now and launch day, just to give you some extra interesting things to read about! 

#BREAKINGNEWS #NEWSALERT #WatchThisSpace!!!!!!!! #mblogger #jewellery #fblogger #fashionblogger #fashionbloggers #fashiontrends #stylelovers #Instafashion #Influencers #InstaArt #iLove #iWant #Style #Chic #Fashion #Writer #Innovation #Creativity #Individuality #PersonalStyle #ESintheP #Blogger #Diversity #ChronicIllness #ChronicAwareness #UKbloggers @BBlogRT

A video posted by Erica Sharlette (@esinthep) on Jul 13, 2016 at 4:56am PDT

The ethos of the ESP blog has, and will, never change - the goal is to bring you the information that other blogs don't, by giving you in-depth 'How To' advice from the only people really 'in the know' - those who have walked the walk, and as such, are best placed to advise people like me (who is just like you), on the best way to go about getting into the sectors of work that you are most interested in, within the Music and Fashion industries.

So circle the date in your diaries, save it in your calendars, planners, and set your reminders - September 5th, the week before the start of London Fashion Week AW17, when I will be bringing you some musical treats to kick off our launch party.

Stay tuned, cuz I'm going to be needing your attention for all that I have planned!

Until September 5th...

ES 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY US - ESP LTD IS 4!

Today is a somewhat bittersweet day, as we reach another birthday of the namesake company that has become my surrogate child!

When EricaSharlette Promotions Ltd. was born four years ago, there was an instant connection between an idea and the possibilities to make a dream into reality. The initial adjustments were rocky, as I tried to find a place in my rigidly set life for this new, self-made responsibility, and there have been many sleepless nights, particularly in the earlier stages as I tried to establish a balance between my professional, and personal life for this new entity. What no-one tells you when you create a new company, is how greatly it becomes a part of your genetic make up. You are always thinking about it, always worrying about making the right choices, and always concerned about how to keep it healthy, so that business and name grow well. Take it from this virtual Mum - it never stops!

Where is my cake and candles then?!

No doubt you will have noticed the quiet over this year and that has been as a result of long-term health issues, that have forced me to step away from ESP Ltd. temporarily and focus on recovery, but rest assured, I am never too far, I will continue to post as and when I am able (have I ever got some doozies for you - watch this space), and lookout for bigger and better features coming your way soon!

I do hope you've enjoyed the ride with me - I know it's my personal favourite of all time.

Until the next...

ES ;)

#MUSICMONDAY is a WIN-WIN for us BOTH! Enter the #FLASHINGLIGHTS COMPETITION to get yours!

#MusicMondays are a chance for YOU to put your own name in the spotlight. Through a dedicated Submission Space for you aspiring Artistes, win a total of hundreds of pounds worth of prizes from ESP! If you want to submit your track* for review** email it along with up to 2 press photos, and your single's artwork too, then you can not only win an #ESPspotlight Review worth £9.99rrp (single only); but if you drum up enough Social Media support for your feature through Shares and Likes, and earn the highest audience response of the month***, then you will also win that month's prize - up for grabs in June is...

From the ESPshowcase 'Lights' menu; the 'MegaWatts' package sees the creation and maintenance of accounts on the 5 main websites that any musical newcomer should have a voice on: Twitter, Facebook, ReverbNation, SoundCloud, and YouTube. The prize includes customised, uniform branding, tailored to your Artist Persona. All inclusive, this prize bundle is worth over £50 in the ESPstore.

Send Me Your Sounds!

And if that's not enough...Even bigger and better than before, you can also now submit your track to be played by my mate Ms Charley Jai, Real Talk Radio Presenter on Itch FM, through the ESP Website:

Click to email your tracks!

Here's A Message from Ms Charley Jai...

CALLING ALL 

SINGERS / MUSICIANS 

ON THE ESP BLOG! 

Email your NAME/BIO/Links (clean tracks only) for a (potential) opportunity to have YOUR music played on the Real Talk Radio Show UK, to feature in the Real Talent segment! 

Tweet @MsCJ80 

Entries are accepted up to 5pm every Friday, with winners announced during the following #MusicMonday, on the ESintheP Blog.

So what are you waiting for? GET ENTERING!!!
ES ;)

*    Single tracks only will be considered, mixtapes and other multitrack compilations will be ignored.
**   Winning Entrants ONLY will be reviewed.
*** Month period is 1-28 any given month.
^     Up to 3 individual entries will be considered per person, by separate entry.

A SPECIAL #WEBWEDNESDAY ESP is 3 - But YOU Get The Presents!

Raise a glass and join a toast if you will, as the inhabitants of ESP HQ pause for a 'Celebratory Moment'...

3 years ago today, Yours Truly closed her eyes and leapt - metaphorically speaking, when what started out as a suggestion that I originally laughed off, took it's first fledgling step - EricaSharlette Promotions Ltd. was born!

Originally about the business of marketing fashionable and musically-inclined friends, managing their events, and organising their administration for smoother, more functional day-to-day operations, there was no way of predicting the ups, downs, twists and turns this company's road would take. As with any endeavour one undertakes, managing the ESP brand has never been easy, but it has never been predictable either! True to form, this latest landmark happily coincided with another of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that Chance graciously dropped in my lap. Earlier today, I spoke with not one, but two hugely talented individuals, one a beautiful songbird, starting a relatively new journey in the next chapter of an amazing career so far, and the other? Well he's someone who you might just recognise, from the Silver Screen, the Billboard charts, and even the New York Times Bestseller List...

Sworn to secrecy until this Monday, you'll just have to come back to find out who was kind enough to share over an hour and a half of their time with me, as well as get your hands on an exclusive gift, straight from them!

Fear not though - you know that I would never leave you empty-handed! From now until 23:59 this Sunday, you Dear Readers, can claim 3-4-2 on all services up to £49.99 and, a whopping great 30% OFF of all ESP Ltd. services totalling £50 and above! Whether Graphic Designs, Event Photography, Marketing and Promotional Services, or Event, Product, or Music Reviews - claim massive savings for yourself, or gift them to a friend - the choice is YOURS!

Come join in the celebrations! All this week at EricaSharlette Promotions Ltd. Of course, if you feel like gifting ESP, then connecting on Social Media is always welcome and appreciated!

Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter / YouTube

See you in CyberSpace!

ES ;)

*Quote #HBESP342 to claim 3 services for the price of 2 up to, and totalling, £49.99 or, #HBESP30 to claim 30% OFF of all orders totalling over £50.00. Visit the ESP website to place your order, or for further enquiries.

#ESPspotlight REVIEW: 'THE ART OF LETTING GO' - MARIAH CAREY (SINGLE)

Well now, if ever there was a better set up to a big week at ESP HQ, than a new +Mariah Carey single, Yours Truly has most definitely yet to discover it!

'The Art Of Letting Go' - the second single from Mariah Carey's forthcoming 14th studio album, was released via an unorthodox Listening Party on Mariah's Facebook Page earlier this afternoon; where a brave, simultaneous fan Q & A also accompanied the big launch. Hailed by other music critics as the next 'Vision of Love', I'm afraid this here music blogger and longtime fan must disagree - in fact, I fail to see, or hear any comparison to the modern day classic at all. What I do hear, is a typical 'Mariah Moment'; similar to the Christian forgiveness of letting Bygones be gone, better known as 'I Wish You Well' from 2008's E=MC2 - in thematic content at least (minus the actual Scriptures). Being that I have been listening to this woman, and studying every form of her style since I was in single figures, I anoint myself with the qualification to dispel that myth, and instead provide this correction - amongst a few other things...

On the first listen, whilst I do love the authentic throwback of the 'needle on vinyl' opening, I would be outright lying if I said it had the initial 'Instaspark' that used to come as standard with new Mariah music - the OG Lambs know to what I refer. It was there in the ORIGINAL, unfussed with version of 'Triumphant', it reappeared for the Young Jeezy remix of '#Beautiful'; but it did not appear here, because sadly, TAOLG is not Single material. Doubly disappointing (and concerning), is the missing certified stamp that normally comes with a Rodney Jerkins Production. Don't get me wrong; clearly the usual "Darkchild" intro that every artist and his Mother announces at the top of their collaborative efforts would be grossly out of place, on the groundbreaking moment where this Classically-trained music maker goes back to his roots. But if anyone can truly state that they hear one of his Surefire Hits on their first listen, then they are either unfamiliar with his previous work, or competing with Pinocchio.

All of that being said, what I did notice the more I listened, was that retro, 40s Femme Fatale that we were introduced to (and LOVED), in 'It's A Wrap' (Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel, 2009). It has the feel of a revered Legend, deigning to respond to an impudent child, just desperate for a momentary shine of glittery attention, and from her, it is effortless. Essentially Ladies and Gents - Mariah done testified in a 'Sunday Mornin Moment', she's shedding the shackles of the bad relationship weighing her star down, and now she's back on the rise; no Baby, Letting Go ain't easy...but it doesn't mean that she won't!

Post by Mariah Carey.

Raw vocals, and lyrics that quite clearly tell you and your hateful intentions to 'Have A Seat' - 'The Art Of Letting Go' from her as yet untitled forthcoming album* is unfortunately, exactly that - a brilliant album track. It's just not Single material. I personally feel, that because she released two Radio-friendly singles, which were (unfairly) rejected by the masses, it comes across as a release forced into the confined pigeonholes of what so-called 'fans' want - and that is a real shame.

Reading through posted comments on her Facebook page, most seem jubilant in the fact that the song is "All Mariah - No Rappers!", as one fan claimed; a straight 'Tell It Like It Is' ballad. Rather than the first husband issues as many strangely suggest, I would say, this seems more directed at sending jumped up little upstarts, with a 5-minute limelight back to the sidelines - or at least several rows behind the judging panel - where they belong...

Do I LIKE it? Yes. Is it a commercial huge hit? I highly doubt it. Is it worth YOUR £0.79p? Well, of course it is, it's Mariah at her cathartic finest!

The 'Art Of Letting Go' is out now via iTunes. Visit Mariah's Facebook Page for your local direct link. I know many of you will disagree - tell me why politely below, and let's discuss!

Enjoy, Folks!
ES ;)

*do your homework before you attack fellow Lambs - Jermaine Dupri and Rodney Jerkins tweeted TAOLG as the upcoming album name back in June, which Ms. Carey-Cannon herself swiftly refuted - at no point has she ever referred to the album with that title.

#ESPNEWS: Are you following all things ESP on Bloglovin?

Did you know that you can now follow all things ESP on Bloglovin?

The latest addition to the ESP Social Media Catalogue, that means in addition to G+, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Soundclound, Twitter, The ESP Website and YouTube - you can now keep up to date with all the latest blog posts straight away, or even save them for a later date!

So what are you waiting for?

Follow my blog with Bloglovin!

ES ;)

#FindOutFriday - Summer School Series, Lesson 4: How to Build a STRONG Social Media Catalogue...

One of the staple things that I work on with each of the brands within the ESP Family, is building a solid foundation network for all of you lovely readers; so that you can access all of the latest information and content that we produce. Using most of these sites daily, I'm fairly confident in the use of them; but in bringing my own catalogue up to date and looking at ways to expand over the past few weeks, I was surprised at how little helpful advice exists in what you would think were the most obvious of places!

So this week, with the help of my own personal Web & Graphic Design Superheroine - better known to you all as the lovely Charli-Anne (have another read of her #FindOutFriday if you need reminding of her never-ending super powers...I mean multi-talents); we're going to look at what a Social Media Catalogue actually is, how you can create your own and finally how to use relevant Social Media to your advantage. By no means are we claiming our methods to be the best, we're just going to share a few of the tidbits that have gotten Us the biggest response from You...Shall we get started?

Social...Media...What Now?

Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Tumblr, ReverbNation, Soundcloud, WordPress, Blogspot...

All of these and many, many more, are the Medium that most of us  use to keep up with the latest from our friends, family, people and topics of interest. Twitter didn't settle on the term 'Trend' for nothing; it's the shorter, more effective (and less annoying) equivalent of a Hilton-esque, "That's Hot" Seal of Approval. Whether for personal or professional use, most of us have built ourselves a catalogue. With the added ability of direct interaction, that's when online storage becomes our own Social Network.

Now this is the point where I take my technophobic Mother and make her my muse - see? You DO inspire me...What if you now understand what a Social Media Catalogue IS, you want to start building your own, but don't know how to go about prettying it up and avoiding the dreaded Spam Trap? Read on Class, this is the Tony Hart vs. Blue Peter in 4D part. Or for you non-80's Babies of the BBC-era; here's where the Expert takes over...

Charli-Anne's Cyber Creative Corner

Ever wondered how you can make your Social Media profiles say WOW? Well when it comes to graphics, there are ways to do this well and ways to do it badly! Read on to find out how to avoid the classic mistakes and follow some simple tips to create your own slick graphics!

The Avatar - and we don't mean the blue thingies...

ESP Twitter

This is a graphical representation of YOU, The User. It is usually square in shape, no bigger than 150 pixels squared and used as the thumbnail (miniature) image for your profiles. This could be a photograph of yourself or if you are a business, you could use this tiny graphic in a number of ways:

• The Logo - Simply shrink down your logo to fit in the box
• The 'Alt' Logo - This is far more effective in my opinion, as most logos distort and become illegible when shrunk down. Your 'Alt' logo needs to be a bite-size version of your actual logo, so it's important to stick to the same fonts and colours.
• The Random Image - You could use an image of one of your products or something that represents you, or what you are currently promoting. But remember - the less detail in the image, the better!

TOP TIP! When using a photo, create a great graphic by focusing in on one small, but interesting square of the image and crop it for your avatar!

Photoshop Tidbit: To do this, create an Avatar template file (.jpg or .png), by making a blank square of the correct dimensions (851 x 315 pixels for Facebook, 1040 x 180 for Google Plus, etc.) and saving it. Then simply open it in Photoshop and drag and drop the image you want to use straight into it! You can then just move it around and resize it within the square to see what looks best as an Avatar.

The Facebook Timeline 'Cover' - For Girls, Boys AND Brands...

LIKE Deer Oh Deer on Facebook...

This is the image that appears at the top of the new FB Timeline pages for both personal and business profiles. There are some very strict rules around the use of this area and what you can display, so make sure you are following all of them!  Basically they are:

• No Price or purchase information
• No Contact Information or Web Links
• No reference to 'Liking' or 'Sharing'
• No Calls to Action (read full list of rules)

Don't despair though! You can still use the cover as a great showcase. You could keep it simple with a product snap; or go all out and create an image incorporating text, photographs and graphic elements, without breaking any of the rules - just think creatively! ;)


TOP TIP! Take a funny snap of yourself pointing up and use that as your Avatar! This will not only make people laugh, but it will let people know that you want them to look at your 'Cover' image above!


Photoshop Tidbit: Create a brightly coloured square and place it in the area where your Avatar will overlap, so that you can see how it will look on your page. Make sure you keep the square as the top 'Layer' and you might want to make it slightly translucent using the 'Opacity' slider, so that you can see what you are doing in other layers.


The Wallpaper Background - you won't find these in B&Q...


Twitter, YouTube, MySpace and Tumblr are all good examples of sites that encourage you to fully customise your profile / home page. The best aspect of this is that you can upload your own background image so really, the Sky is the limit! They all have different size specifications and upload size limitations (try 1350 x 605 for Twitter, but you will have to tweak for the new 'Let's Fly' update; file size is maximum 800kb), but you could create one great branded image that can be adapted for use across all sites (with a bit more tweaking)!

Follow Drassick DIGITAL on Twitter...

Familiarise yourself with the areas of a background that are visible and not obscured by a text box, video or image. Use those areas to place images and text. Keep text to a minimum! Just a couple of links and a quote is more than good enough ;)

Follow Lekhem on Twitter...

TOP TIP! Don't be afraid to 'Crop'! Avoid 'stretching' images to fit; it looks much more professional to have images in the correct dimensions, even if you can only see part of them!


Photoshop Tidbit: If your background image doesn't 'fit' the dimensions of your wallpaper, hit the 'Shift' key while you resize it, to stop it from stretching.


In conclusion I would say, if you can afford a Graphic Designer, use one, but Shop Around! You don't always get what you pay for. Equally, don't just go for the cheapest deal! A logo for £20 is NOT going to fully meet your needs, or be bespoke in any way. Look at examples of their work first; give them your deadline before they start and make sure there are no hidden costs!


If you can't afford to pay someone professional, it IS totally possible for you to use simple imagery effectively. If you fancy dabbling in the world of Photoshop but have always been too scared...don't be! There are some great tutorials on the net and you only need to know the basics to create a perfectly good graphic. Just keep it simple, avoid tacky comedy fonts and text effects (these take practice to get right), follow the 'Crop' TOP TIP and you will be good to go!

There is a Graphic Designer in all of us...just remember, less is more!

Charli-Anne - x -

So now you know what it is, you know how to make it look A+MAZING; the last thing you want to do, is put all your hard work to waste, by placing it in the wrong professional arena...


Share and Share a(nd) LIKE...


Don't just assume that by sticking to one site, you are automatically reaching the biggest and best audience. The Rise of YouTube is doing absolute wonders for Musicians, but the big sites have made it possible for you to integrate your accounts, to match a growing demand. That does not mean you should saturate the net with your content; because you then run the risk of annoying cross-audiences into ignoring you and all your hard work. Don't forget, there is such a thing as a 'trickle effect'! Once your work is out there, your audience will help you share it and Word of Other Mouths have a much greater effect than your own!

deerohdeer.co.uk

Control your distribution by putting it out in the Top 5 sites, but then look for the targeted websites that specialise in what you do. For Kawaii and Vintage-inspired fashion label Deer Oh Deer Ltd., Charli-Anne and I often target Vintage Fashion bloggers and the Japanese Kawaii market.

reverbnation.com/Lekhem

Lastly; there's no better Social Media base than your own website. Often, musicians don't have the means or ability to get their own together right away. Prior to the launch of LekLane last October; Lekhem and I used his ReverbNation account to it's fullest capacity as, for an indie artist-based website, it covered absolutely every aspect that we needed to present, while we began building his foundation and encouraged the customisation that Charli-Anne spoke of earlier.

Follow Jelli Ltd. on Twitter

And there you have it for this week! Huge thanks to super-talented Expert, our very own Charli-Anne; I don't know about you, but I've got some updates to make! For more of her a+mazing creations, connect with her works and services through the Jelli Ltd. Social Media Catalogue!

Twitter / Facebook / Jelli Ltd. Website

We hope you enjoyed this week's lesson - feedback, as always, is appreciated via the comment box below!


See you soon!
ES ;)