How to Make the Most of Austin’s Startup Culture: Insights from an Austin Marketing Agency
Our home city of Austin, Texas is a great place to be a marketing agency. We’re lucky to work and play in one of the country’s fastest growing business hubs. If you live here you’ve likely encountered Austin’s startup culture in one way or another, or noticed a higher level of creativity that exists in the city.
When our marketing agency was first founded in Austin, we were also googling “startup networking near me” and trying to capitalize on the wealth of opportunities we were hearing about to meet customers and partners that would help fuel our growth. As an Austin marketing agency who’s been in your shoes, we’ll tell you what worked for us, what events to go to, and ultimately how to network and grow your business in Austin.
Leverage the Startup Ecosystem
Austin’s startup scene is fueled by renowned events like South by Southwest (SXSW), which is a magnet for innovators. While participating or sponsoring SXSW can put your business in front of a global audience, you don’t have to drop a ton of cash to get involved. Attending an event at Capital Factory is a great place to start. Aside from SXSW, another key event in the calendar is Austin Tech Week - it’s full of thought provoking talks and fun events to meet other business owners - and don’t miss Austin Startup Crawl for drinks and unbeatable networking (we find that a brewery makes ice breakers that much less awkward, and that much easier to connect).
Join a Coworking Space
Basing yourself from a coworking space means potential connections are around every corner. Capital Factory and Impact Hub are two examples of coworking spaces that offer more than just a desk. Take advantage of pitch competitions, events and workshops to connect and grow.
In fact renting a desk worked so well for us, we created our own coworking space in our office (which is filled with other startups so you’d feel right at home). Come and work with us! We’ve realized so much potential and connections from coworking that we even offer every client a complementary coworking pass, which means you can come work in downtown Austin, have a remote employee drop by for the day, or use our conference facilities any time. Plus you’ll benefit from having a listed business address on Google and be able to collect reviews and ratings, which makes all the difference for a startup (think of that as free DIY marketing advice).
Attend One of These Networking Events
Whatever your industry, Austin has a networking group for you, so grab a beer and get chatting to your next big client or partner. As an Austin marketing agency who was just starting out, we opted for regular workshops and happy hours (it’s easier to build a relationship with people you know you’ll see again). We like Austin Young Chamber, Austin Marketing Association, and BASHH.
For day-long events, check out Austin Small Business Expo or Texas Conference for Women. If you’re looking for a deeper connection, Constellation Dinners matches entrepreneurs with other business owners and investors for small group dinners.
Partner with a Local Agency
If you couldn’t already tell, we Austinites love supporting local businesses - besides who wouldn’t want to handle the marketing for a startup or business that would make where we live even cooler? By choosing a digital marketing agency based in Austin, you can work with experts who know the city’s media landscape inside out and can help you craft campaigns that resonate with a local audience (we know Austin’s audience because we are friends with them, we grew up with them, and sometimes we are them). Sangfroid! is Austin born and bred, trusted by local clients like the University of Texas, Medici Roasting, Golden Eye Chocolates and Euphoria music festival.
Final Thoughts
Austin is packed with opportunities for businesses, from globally-renowned festivals to hyper-local marketing channels. It’s a great place to be a marketing agency and we wouldn’t want to be based anywhere else. We tell our local clients that taking advantage of the city’s dynamic startup and tech scene can help them thrive in Austin and beyond. So our advice is to dive in, show up, and start making those connections.
If you want to know someone before even stepping foot into an event, or perhaps you’d like to know who we know (who doesn’t love a warm introduction), scroll down to connect with us!
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