How to navigate networking

In an increasingly diverse and competitive industry, making partnerships with fellow musicians has never been more vital. We all know the road to fruitful partnerships is successful networking – but how do you get started, especially when face-to-face meetings seem a distant memory? Ruth McPherson, Senior Partnerships & Marketing Manager at the ISM explains more

What is networking?

The old saying goes ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’. Interacting with others is one of the best ways for music professionals to find work and collaborators, to get yourself noticed, to improve your understanding of the industry and to build a team around you, whether you’re an artist, session musician, composer or teacher. It’s not just about talking to people – it’s about creating relationships and discovering new opportunities. Other musicians can be incredibly useful in terms of making connections as they most likely know or have worked with other people in the industry like publishing companies, music lawyers, and booking agents.

Networking can be done in various ways, both in person (Covid permitting) and online.

Face-to-face networking

If pandemic restrictions allow, it’s always best to build relationships face-to-face – people are much more likely to want to work with you if they feel they know, like and trust you – and it’s much harder, although not impossible, to build up that relationship online.

Whatever type of relationships you want to build, there is likely to be some kind of annual event that the people or companies you want to work with will be attending. There are music conferences, trade shows, seminars and events that cover all sorts of topics from music teaching to performing and from songwriting and composing to working in the industry. Find out which ones are happening and make the effort to go along. You can also make valuable connections with other musicians and music professionals at gigs and rehearsals.

Local business networking is great if you want to meet other businesses to collaborate with. For example you might meet a company who want you to play at their Christmas party, or an accountant who could help you with your tax return. It’s also an opportunity to meet lots of people based in your area who might want music lessons or know someone who does.

Preparing for face-to-face networking

You’re keen to make new contacts or you’ve been invited to an industry event where you’re likely to meet some useful people. There are a few things you should think about before you go.

1. Consider what you want to get out of the networking opportunity. Do you have a particular aim or aims, such as finding a manager, a new member for your ensemble or some pupils for your teaching practice?

2. Know your audience. Can you ask the host who’s going to be there or get access to a list of guests? Is there someone you particularly want to speak to? And have you met them already or do you need someone to introduce you? If you’ve never met them, consider asking for an introduction by the organiser or someone you know.

3. Think about what you want people to know about you. You want to make sure others know that you know what you know! Develop a short, memorable introduction that focuses on the things you want people to remember – your ‘elevator pitch’.

4. Consider bringing business cards. We may live in a digital age, but business cards are still an essential way to maximise connections. Make sure they are up to date!

5. Finally, think about what you’re going to wear. Is there a dress code you should be aware of? If you don’t know, ask the host – they would want you to feel as comfortable as possible at the event. One way of making yourself more memorable to others when you’re networking is by wearing something colourful or unusual, like a brightly coloured jacket or an unusual pair of shoes – the ‘peacock effect’.

Afterwards

Try to follow up with your new contacts as soon as possible afterwards – ideally the next day. Send an email or a direct message on social media saying how nice it was to meet them and a few details to remind them what you talked about. Keep your message to the point and tailored to the person you are contacting. Don’t be afraid to chase them if they don’t get back to you within a week or two but don’t bombard them...

Digital networking

It’s not always possible to meet people face-to-face, especially not since the coronavirus crisis began, and social media is a fantastic free tool to promote yourself and connect with fans, other musicians and organisations who might be able to help you achieve your career ambitions. Make sure your social channels and website have a clear, succinct bio, use high quality, correctly sized photos and are up to date with interesting and relevant content i.e. promoting your latest album or tour.

If someone goes onto your Instagram to check you out, they should immediately get a sense of who you are and what you’re working on.

Interact with other people on social media, both individuals and organisations. When posting, engage with, mention and tag relevant organisations and people to encourage them to engage with/share your posts i.e. if you’re an artist who just did a gig at Wigmore Hall, tweet thanking the venue for a great gig and they might retweet it. Use hashtags when you’re at events so that other people can discover you. As with face-to-face networking, don’t go in with the hard sell straight away – engage with people in a valuable and interesting way before asking them for help.

The ISM offers a wide range of networking opportunities for those working in the music sector, both face-to-face and digital, and also signposts to further opportunities from other organisations. Some ISM opportunities are for members only, but some are open to all. Find out more at ism.org.

For even more advice about networking and partnerships as a musician, watch the ISM Trust’s latest webinar ‘Partnerships and networking for music professionals’, delivered by Ruth, at ismtrust.org/webinars.