7 Steps To Maximize Your Experience
Make More Music Business Contacts
And Advance Your Music Career
Artists are beginning to call and bitch to me that Southwest didn’t select them for a showcase this year. Having a showcase is not the only reason to attend and I invite you to think differently about this.
Over my 13 years of attending SXSW I’ve seen plenty of bands who did get a coveted showcase and not only did they not get signed, but also they did not meet anyone or benefit in any way by showcasing.
Reasons for this included: They received awful showcase venues and times, they were busy loading & unloading gear, babysitting band members, or getting tanked at parties to make the journey worthwhile, or they opted for their measly $100 stipend instead of for the gold – the festival pass.
Here’s my musician’s South by Southwest survival guide to get your through one of the most massive and overwhelming conferences of the year.
This guide is packed with tips to help maximize your experience, make more contacts and leave Austin feeling like you have made strides in your music career.
I believe all musicians should attend at least one music conference per year. They are expensive to get to, (but music lessons were at one time expensive, and so was your equipment) and those things are also vital for your career.
For those of you who do not have connections in the music industry, going to a music conference is your chance. This is an annual business trip you should never miss!
Austin, Texas, a wonderful city, and its distractions are many. But, keep in mind that this is not a vacation. It’s a work related learning experience, and with a little planning and foresight you can have a million dollar conference.
STEP ONE: BEFORE YOU GO – Get Connected!
Get involved with some online communities that are SXSW related
Facebook Group:
SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST 2008
1,499 members
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2307340129
MySpace Group:
21,000+ members
http://www.myspace.com/sxsw
Ning Group:
350 members
http://sxsw.ning.com/
Twitter:
When you get there: TWEET!
http://twitter.com/sxsw
SXSW Site: Use the SXSW REGISTRANT DIRECTORY
https://regdir.sxsw.com/registrants/login
Get registered to the South by Southwest directory and go through and determine who you may want to meet before you arrive in Austin, a producer?, A publicist? A manager? An agent? Drop them a personal e-mail using the amazing South by Southwest interactive tools website and introduce yourself. If you are playing, invite people to come to your showcase. Also post messages on the blog (and if you do blog, blog about it before you go!)
STEP TWO – Bring Business Cards, Fizzkicks Cards & Postcards
Go armed with business cards. If you over the age of 18, you should have a business card, especially at events like this. Your business card should not just have your name and number, but should have good information about what your band sounds like, your Myspace page, your Facebook, and links to any other places people might be able to find you on mind. A photo of you or a band logo would also be highly recommended.
I love fizzkicks cards because they double as a business card AND a music download card – http://www.fizzkicks.com
TIP: Put one sentence about your music (your PITCH) on your card and the instrument you play. A card with a “name and an address” is TOTALLY USELESS and unmemorable! Put a photo of yourself on the card or your band logo to add even more branding and recognition.
TIP: I do not recommend bringing a ton of CDs – people are overwhelmed with free CDS so its better to get people’s business cards and mail them a CD as a follow up after you get home.
STEP THREE – Network! Here’s How:
When You Go Into Any Networking Situation (a party, a chance meeting on Sixth Street):
The biggest goal of networking is: Be memorable.
How do you do that?
Simple: The more that they talk, the more that you are remembered.
When you meet someone, first ask a question about them. “What brought you to SXSW? What do you do? Are you a Musician?” Get them talking.
Never walk up to someone and say: “Hi, I’m David.” That makes it all about you. So, what you’re basically saying there is, “Hi, it’s all about me.” Let’s proceed.
Instead, you want to say something like: “So, Nancy, what do you do?” Or: “Are you having a good time?” Then, it’s all about them.
TIP: For this don’t think about yourself! Think: How can I be helpful to this person that I am talking to? So, let go of your story and your pitch and let them talk all about themselves.
After that, follow these Steps:
A. Know what to ask for (I suggest an email address as something you can always ask for if you do not have a specific goal).
B. Be a gatherer. Get as much information as possible about each person: interesting tidbits about them, what they like, who they know, where they go, etc.
C. When It Is Finally Your Turn To Talk: Here’s How To Position Yourself
When they are finally engaged (after they talked about themselves) and you are ready to make your pitch, talk about what other people say about you, instead of pitching yourself.
Why? Because people always believe what other people say about you more than they believe you saying it about yourself!
So, you could say something like: “People say my music sounds like Bob Dylan crossed with a touch of The Beatles.” OR “My voice gets compared to Annie Lennox.”
Be a walking advertisement for your music and what you are up to in the world as a musician. Figure out how to describe yourself in 15 seconds or less.
TIP:Use: http://www.15secondpitch.com
STEP FOUR – Take Risks
Introduce yourself to a stranger. I “accidentally” met Tommy from Universal Buzz at a bar because I thought he was someone else who I was supposed to meet, and we’ve been colleagues ever since. Don’t be scared to take risks and meet people. SXSW is a friendly place.
STEP FIVE – Attend Panels
It’s tempting to blow them off and hit all of the parties but you should make an effort to sit in on at least one or two panels per day, on any topic that interests you, and learn. Take notes.
TIP: On Wed Marh 12th they offer basic 101 panels which cover basics of all different areas of the industry. I highly recommend those.
STEP SIX – Sign Up For Mentoring Sessions
SXSW has amazing mentoring sessions where you can sign up to have one-on-one face time with the industry people that are paneling (and some of the most important people in the music business will be sitting there ready to meet with you !) I never, ever would have met one of the most important editors at Rolling Stone had I not signed up.
TIP: for when you do go to a one-on-one mentoring panel: be prepared when you meet these people, and make sure that you have researched and you have specific questions to ask them.
STEP SEVEN – Follow Up!
The moment you get home, make sure to send thank you notes, e-mails and follow up with every single person that you met. If appropriate, add them to your e-mail list.
Never send your pitch or talk about business in the first initial e-mail. Get people to respond to your follow up by just being friendly.
TIP: If you do not follow up your trip and hard work will have been a waste of your time – DO NOT Rip yourself off here!
Here’s to a productive and fun SXSW 2008!
I’ll be there, so please hook up with me. I can be reached at twitter/cyberpr
or at contact@arielpublicity.com
PS: SXSW Is Not The Only One
TIP: If you can’t make it to Austin, there are plenty of other great conferences that recommend Nemo, CMJ, Atlantis, and Folk Alliance are all wonderful as well and a LOT more manageable in size and cost. Yahoo has a nice list of them online:
http://dir.yahoo.com/Entertainment/Music/Events/Conferences/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR – Ariel Hyatt, Ariel Publicity & Cyber PR
Ariel Hyatt founded Ariel Publicity & Cyber PR 12 years ago this month. Ariel has placed tens of thousands of artists in countless outlets. Her company is now a 100% digital PR and she connects artists to online outlets such as blogs, podcasts, Internet radio stations and social networking sites.
Ariel writes Sound Advice, a free bi-monthly e-zine for musicians & entrepreneurs who want marketing, promotion and PR tips for navigating the new music business.
Sign up to receive Sound Advice and get Ariel’s LUCKY 13 – a list of 13 sites to instantly increase your online exposure.
http://www.arielpublicity.com
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The Indie Maximum Exposure List is Ariel Hyatt’s manifesto on how indie musicians can realistically profit from Web 2.0 & social media. 