Off to PodCamps

As PodCamp Boston II approaches, it’s time to look back on PodCamps in general and their use as a marketing tool.

In August of 2006, I decided to attend the first PodCamp in Boston. This was the first in what has been a series of events given by podcasters for podcasters. Given that podcasting was our exact target market, I decided that it made sense for TalkShoe to attend, and we contributed $500 as a company. It was certainly a risk in terms of money spent, but I had a hunch that it was going to be worth our time, effort and money, given that I’ve been to many new conferences and trade shows that turned out to be a bust.

PodCamp Boston was billed as an “unconference” which meant that instead of having high-profile speakers and mostly companies speak, instead anyone, and everyone was allowed and encouraged to give a talk in one of the 4 breakout rooms and the large main room. For our sponsorship, TalkShow was sort of given a table to display our product, given out litterature and talk to PodCampers. Personally, I signed up for two speaking sessions.

It soon became clear that the PodCamp was going to be a unique venue. It was strange. Everyone was actually helping everyone else!!! It wasn’t like your typical conference where companies would spend every moment figuring out who to sell something to.  Instead, it was about podcasters who knew something, helping out podcasters who didn’t, including how to podcast, how to market your podcast, audio and video gear selection, and so on. And the people were truly from all walks of life, young and old.

For a while, I was feeling like a fish out of water. I’d been so used to giving sales pitches, that it took some time for me to just talk to people about themselves and their podcasting experiences. But it was great! I felt like I was back during Freshman Week at college when you could walk up to anyone and introduce yourself. And when people were indeed interested in what TalkShoe could do, they quickly got other people interested too.

Since Boston, I’ve been to 5 other PodCamps (New York, Pittsburgh I, Pittsburgh II, Atlanta, and Toronto), and other TalkShoe people have been to several more. They continue to be worth our time and effort as a company, but most imoprtantly, they’re fun, interesting and a great way to interact with others of similar interests.

Overall, more than anything else, I began to understand how to un-market, and un-sell at the un-conference.