I have just returned from Austin, Texas and the South by Southwest 2012 (SXSW for those in the “know”.) For those who have never heard of it, SXSW is a conference/festival that includes music, film and interactive portions. Being into social media and blogging, or a “geek” as Lynn so affectionately puts it, I really wanted to go to the interactive sessions. These are geared towards new media and therefore social media, game development, and blogging. All covered by use for businesses.
When I walked in on the first day, the first thought was I didn’t know there was this many people in the world. Okay, maybe a bit of an exaggeration but it was a lot of people. Over 40,000 people were in Austin for SXSW alone. So yeah, it got pretty crowded, but awesome to see this atmosphere packed with innovators and businesspeople. Just the kind of person I aspire you to be.
Amidst the freebies and the unique marketing techniques was some very informative sessions on how to use new media in your business. They were mostly focused on start ups, but there were definitely lessons that could be taken away and applied to companies such as RogersGray Insurance.
One of the biggest lessons I took away from the entire experience was be different when marketing. This was evident around SXSW. All these startups had their own unique ways of trying to get their name out there. They did that with costumes, freebies, and in-your-face marketing techniques.
This is something that anyone can apply to their business, no matter how big the company, or small the budget. You just have to be creative and realize that people like to be entertained. If you entertain them and create a meaningful connection, then you have done pretty well and it doesn’t matter how much you spent.
Can’t wait to go back to SXSW again. Anyone else go?
