SXSW: The NY Egotist Runs You Through the Dos and Don'ts

Thanks, Mashable, for giving us these very insightful (and sometimes obvious) suggestions for how to market startups at SXSW; they provided very useful tips about how to use social media and get the room buzzing. But we’ve got a couple extra tips here for you Egotists.

Do: Go into the bathroom right now, look at yourself in the mirror, and practice your elevator speech TEN TIMES to yourself, trying different variations of a non-threatening smile.

Don’t: Check your phone while talking to someone powerful and important at SxSW. Even if you're in the tech world, it's annoying.

Do: Get every single tech-pun pickup line out of your system. This is your time to shine, boys and girls.

Don't: Talk about nothing Twitter and Facebook and call yourself a "social media strategist." You have the skills of an 11-year-old. Congratulations.

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Do: Talk about your product like it’s the hottest shit anyone’s ever seen.

Don’t: Get in a bar fight.

Do: Wear bright colors so that people notice you

Don't: Puke bright colors onto anyone else.

Do: Download the SXSW drinking app.

(By the way, we were kidding about the bright outfits, guys. DayGlo is not anyone's color.)

One serious takeaway: prepare your pitch. We at the Egotist think the best thing you can do is have a great idea and be able to explain it. Don't dumb it down, but your idea won't sell if only the tech-elite can understand it.

Now go to the mirror and practice.

-Annie Rose Strasser