Friendship-Focused Marketing, Take 1
I had a pretty good time at SXSW Interactive this year, largely free of the self-consciousness and second-guessing I had put myself through the first two times around. I don't know about you, but when I'm around thousands of talented, motivated, and smart people, I wonder just how I stack up. I'm old, maybe washed up, but I still have The Dream. Some tiny part in the back of my mind whispers that it is too late for me to have such dreams; I should settle down and find a good, steady career with great health benefits. Fortunately for me, that part of my brain is speaking Chinese, which I don't understand very well, so it's relatively easy to ignore as I blithely continue down my path toward wherever it's going. SXSW has become my yearly pilgrimmage to stock-up on inspiration and find new stars to guide me.
This year's SXSW was also different because I've had to introduce myself to more strangers. The previous two years, I hung out with groups of people who already knew me from online groups. This year, I hung out with mostly new acquaintances and got to know them the old fashioned way: by talking to them in person. I met a lot of new people just by sitting in the hall flashing my OLPC XO, through the core conversations, and through acquaintances I've only talked to at previous SXSWs. The impromptu situations that arise through the sharing a power outlet lead to the exchanging of cards. As I handed out my cards, I silently kicked myself because I knew my website was a mess. It doesn't really convey who I am succinctly or rapidly. Because my categories are all broken, it's whatever happens to be on the home page that will feed that first impression.
I found it notable that I was so concerned about how my website reflected on me, so I gave the matter more thought. Conveying who I am has always been really important to me, I knew, and it has colored the way I've presented myself to prospective clients. In fact, I started the blog as a deliberate attempt to avoid putting up a regular design portfolio / services website, having developed a severe allergy to crap marketing writing; I wanted to speak my thoughts plainly, not hide behind empty superlatives and ambiguous references to excellence. I told myself that maybe I would lose out on clients seeking "professional" designers, but at that time in my life reclaiming my sense of identity was much more important.
But why?
