Your SXSW work doesn't end when you pack up. Making the most of your experience requires a variety of post-festival follow-ups. (Image via sxsw.com)
Congratulations to all of the musicians who attended this year's SXSW! Whether you performed at festival-sanctioned events or unofficial parties, you should be proud of yourself for enduring the melee in the name of marketing. And while that's a triumph in itself, your journey isn't over just yet. Part of making the most of your experience is what you do after bidding adieu to Austin. Follow this four-step guide for help wringing every bit of usefulness from your stint at SXSW.
1. Follow up on connections
If you read our guide to getting the most bang for your buck at SXSW, your guitar case, purse, book bag, fanny pack, or what-have-you is probably stuffed with business cards acquired from tireless networking. Gather 'em up, 'cause you're about to put them to use. The music portion of the fest is the last, so about a week after it's over – early April this year – you can begin to follow up on the connections you made. Here's some loose protocol for approaching those contacts via email.
- Keep in mind that the folks you met likely met just as many, if not more, people than you did. Reintroduce yourself, say it was great to meet them and include some context (e.g., at the Red 7 BrooklynVegan party) to help jog their memory.
- If you have the contact info for someone you know helped organize an event at which you played, thank them for the opportunity. Not only is it a kind gesture, but also it betters your chances of working with them again next year.
- If you didn't work with a specific outlet, venue, or organizer this year but discussed the potential to do so in the future, remind them of that. Graciously ask how you can get things in motion. Be sure to include a refresher on where your band is – a new LP in the pipeline, a single premiering next week, etc. – and the ways you hope they can help.
2. Share coverage with fans
The bulk of your fans probably weren't at SXSW, so we hope you shared your experience on social media during the festival in real time. The deluge of coverage by the press and blogs, however, doesn't stop until days, even weeks, afterward. See below for tips on where to find photos and reviews of your performances.
- Social media notifications: A blog writer, solo photographer, or any number of outlets may have tagged you online. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with alerts, especially while you're busy at a festival as hectic as SXSW. That's why it's important to carefully sift through them often, and do another thorough check once all is said and done.
- Local outlets: Search your name in the Austin Chronicle, Soundcheck Magazine, The Deli, Austin Fusion, Austin 360, and other local publications covering the music portion of the festival.
- National outlets and blogs: If you played a magazine's party, well, duh, you might be represented in their coverage of the party. Same goes for blogs. Any outlet attached to any event at which you performed might have posted photos or a review of your set.
- Corporations: If you played a corporate-sponsored party, check their website and social media accounts for coverage of the event.
- Venues: Check the social media accounts of venues where you performed. They might have had their own designated photographer covering events. Google your band name and SXSW to see if anything else comes up.
3. Share coverage with the press
Consider adding any coverage you find to your press kit. It's nearly impossible for writers to keep up with all the SXSW alerts, much less attend all the events we're aware of. We don't need an update simply to say you played the festival, of course, but including info on how things went for you this year is a relevant update to the info you'll send when you've got an album, EP, video, or other announcement to deliver.
4. Prep for next year – starting now!
Did you know more than 250 Sonicbids artists were selected to play SXSW 2015? The application window opened early July last year at a reduced rate, then was increased in a bit in the fall. If you missed your chance last year, let this serve as a reminder to be ready for the 2016 announcement. Get your EPK in order ahead of time, as Sonicbids is the official platform for SXSW applications.
Did you perform at SXSW 2015? Tell us your experiences in the comments!
Jhoni Jackson is an Atlanta-bred music journalist currently based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she juggles owning a venue called Club 77, freelance writing and, of course, going to the beach as often as possible.
