Sam Decker is founder and CEO of Mass Relevance and former CMO of Bazaarvoice. A licensed Twitter partner, Mass Relevance integrates real-time social content experiences for media and brands through a hosted platform.
What are you doing at SXSW Interactive to help your business? ??
Most of the impact you can get from SXSW comes from rigorous preparation. For instance, pre-release your product, set up meetings, and plan effective gatherings with clients and prospects.
Even at this late stage, plan event and post-event strategies to maximize SXSW momentum.??
First, it?s important to recognize that SXSW is a festival, which is different than a tradeshow, summit or conference. More than 20,000 attendees gather in Austin, TX where they?ll encounter a head-spinning velocity of parties, panels, tweets, pitches and food. As such, you may feel that surviving hangovers and food trucks sums up a successful SXSW experience. On the other hand, if you?re attending for business, you can do better.
??Because it?s unlikely you?ll have the visibility of Twitter or Foursquare when they launched at SXSW, target specific people you want to meet ? prospects, clients, partners and recruits. Focus on ways to connect with and meaningfully impact these people. ??
With those goals in mind, here are a few tips to make your trip to Austin count.
1. Be SXSW Socially Active
??Announce to prospects, customers and partners (multiple times) that you plan to attend SXSW. If you typically share this type of news on one social network, expand your distribution this week. Share tips, observations, funny SXSW pictures or stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram and Pinterest. ??
2. Create a Command Center at the Office
??Maybe you and a colleague are going to SXSW, leaving the rest of the team behind. It?s difficult to stay on top of calls and communication at SXSW, when you?re always on the go.
Therefore, implement a central command back at the office to help research and coordinate your activities. Ask colleagues to keep an eye on social networks for relevant prospects and networking opportunities; then ask them to reach out and coordinate introductory meetings for you. Designate a couple of go-to meeting spots, such as lobbies of nearby hotels or a major sponsor booth on the first floor of the convention hall.
3. Party for Business
Attend the parties where you?ll have the best chances of actually talking to the people that matter, or where you know the hosts, who can introduce you to attendees. Find partners hosting parties that have similar clients. Consider smaller parties and venues that may not be as loud, allowing you to network more effectively. When you get to a party, don?t spend all your time with your colleagues! Divide up to have more meaningful conversations.??
4. Leverage Partners and Austin Friends
??Leverage partners who have something cool going on at SXSW, as well as your connections in Austin. Hang with partners and friends that are more connected than you ? introductions will come.
If you know a startup with offices close to the convention center, perhaps you could meet clients there (a quiet place). Or maybe a partner who has similar client base will allow you to invite joint client to its suite?
My company rented a suite complete with food, drinks, WiFi, massage chair, SXSW ?survival kits? and a big table for meetings. I spent less time running around from meeting to meeting and more time in the suite, where clients gladly flocked to our ?oasis.?
5. Invite Your VIPs Along
Do you have invites to private parties or VIP gatherings? Do these events allow you to bring a +1? Offer the invite to key people with whom you want to meet. Grabbing lunch by yourself or with colleagues? Use the opportunity to ask a client to join. If you?re getting a pedicab, can you offer a prospect a ride?
6. Make Your Meetings Memorable
??Everybody is doing something to stand out, which means no one is standing out. The client you plan to meet with is also meeting with 50 other people. Therefore, it?s vital that your interactions with prospects, clients and consumers are relevant. ???
First, get your elevator pitch down and make it compelling. Highlight things your future clients need to share with others back at the office, for instance, what competitors are doing. Keep the conversation light and fun (matching the atmosphere). Make it personal by telling stories or taking a picture with them at a landmark.
If you give products away, make sure they?re useful or cool, like a mini survival kit, something they?ll access throughout the show and after. And give them something to write down, like a URL to a demo site or a download.??
7. Make Your Product SXSW Relevant
??Think about what people would need and want during or after SXSW. Can your technology or service help them? Last year, GroupMe and Hurricane Party launched to help people stay in touch with colleagues and find where friends were gathering for SXSW.
At this late stage, could you provide useful pro-bono service to a partner? Showcase your product in a way that?s relevant to SXSW.
8. Meet, Greet and Share Your Objectives
??SXSW has the networking ?vibe? that encourages meeting interesting people. If you don?t have something going on, actively introduce yourself to others. Prepare a few sentences to explain your business, your objectives and the type of people you want to meet. You never know who you?ll run into who can later become the perfect connection. ??
9. Challenge the Team
When attending events with salespeople or colleagues, propose challenges. At SXSW, come up with fun ways to encourage meaningful networking. For instance, award a prize to the person who can earn the most business cards.??
10. Fast Follow Up
During the event, share relevant conversations back with the team. Then immediately follow up with contacts to send information, share pictures, make introductions, schedule meetings or set up demos. The more effectively you follow up with press, prospects and partners, the better chances you have for gaining traction. ??
?Money and time are two sides of the same coin.? Meaningful networking at events like SXSW accelerates brand interest and buzz. Then partners execute, prospects sign and customers buy. While you?re executing a job well done, enjoy the SXSW festivities!
Images courtesy of Merrick Ales, JoJo Marion, Earl McGehee
Source: http://mashable.com/2012/03/07/sxsw-business/
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