This weekend the PodCamp train came to Boston, leaving a mass of tired (but excited) campers and little stuffed cows in its wake.
For those of you who don’t know, PodCamp is a “conference-like” gathering of anyone and everyone interested in social media. I say “conference-like” because PodCamp bills itself as the “un-conference,” essentially, a conference without the stuffiness of a regular conference.
This was my first PodCamp and as such, I was there primarily to listen and try to grab and digest some of the thinking that was floating around from the great minds there. While the amount of information shared there was enormous, here are the top five lessons I managed to pull out:
1. Social networks are a means, not an end.
So often, people seem to get too steeped in the details of the social networks themselves: how many followers or friends they have, how many subscribers they have, whether they are connected to the social media “heavy hitters” or not, etc. But as Chris Brogan said, it’s not about the numbers. That stuff is relevant and important, sure, but it’s not the goal. The goal is (or should be) to help, to inform, to share. Or as Chris Penn pointed out, your presence on these websites is just a billboard to steer people toward your content, which brings me to the next lesson.
2. Content is king.
I heard this echoed throughout a number of different sessions: it’s all about the content. The whole purpose of social media is to share content. So your focus, again, should not be on the nuances of the networks themselves, but on how you can share meaningful content. Because without contributing–at least some of the time–in a thoughtful, interesting, or helpful way, you’re never going to be able to build a community of people who not only listen, but interact with you.
3. Participate, participate, participate. And then? Participate.
A lot of the sessions at PodCamp focused on building or growing your community. But the only proven way of doing that is to actually interact and participate with people. Respond to their messages, comment on their blog posts. It’s not just about putting good content out there. You can have the most thoughtful and cutting-edge website/blog/podcast etc. out there, but it will be difficult to get people to engage with you, if you’re not willing to do the same for them. Gary Vaynerchuk is a great example of this. He personally responds to every email he receives (I know. I’ve emailed him.). People really appreciate it when you do participate, which only makes you more memorable, and more valuable, to them.
4. Everyone, no matter how much gravitas they command, is human.
This one is for all the newbies out there (a group I like to think I’m floating away from). Every single person involved in social media is human, no matter how much of a “rock star” they are. They all appreciate when someone responds to their messages. They all have worries and goals. Approach them. Ask them questions. Let them know you admire and value their contribution. (By the way, this goes for everyone you in you community, not just the big guys.) And, when the time is right, dive in to the conversation with them.
5. Help yourself by helping others.
If nothing else, this is the single most important lesson to take away from PodCamp. Helping each other should be something that everyone who takes part in social media sets as a goal. We all bring unique skills to this enormous table and without a doubt, if you need something, someone out there is going to be able to get it for you. So if you don’t have an answer, help connect someone to someone else who does. Support each other. That’s what we’re here for. As C.C. Chapman said, “go out, be human, do what you love, be active in the community, and give back.”
Thank you to everyone who made my first PodCamp experience such a great one (and if we met this weekend, then yes, I’m talking about YOU).
Congratulations on a cogent, nicely-written summary of PodCamp Boston 3. I’m a little jealous that you were able to collect your thoughts so concisely and quickly, as I haven’t quite gotten anywhere past “PodCamp, good. Social, important. People, nice.” Perhaps a good night’s sleep will inspire me–something I haven’t gotten in a couple days…
Great wrap-up! I agree totally. It was a pleasure meeting you — hope to see you again soon.
Simple, short, sweet and true. Good points. I have my thoughts on PCB2 vs 3 on my blog at: http://whatisnoise.com/2008/07/podcamp-boston-3-pcb3-thoughts-vs-podcamp-boston-2.html
Humans. You’ve hit the biggest point there, actually. I say biggest because it’s the one companies won’t get. They’ll miss the mark every time.
Super great getting to meet you.
Wow, I couldn’t have said it better myself. Very nicely done.
To echo everyone else: Well said, my dear. I don’t even need to review my notes anymore! You’ve captured it here perfectly.
To build on point number 3 a little bit, I once read an article about branding and a local newspaper. A particular local newspaper’s brand was Names, Names, Names. That’s what the editor told all the reporters. The newspaper succeeded because it got as many local folks’ names into its paper as possible. People love to see their names in print, or in lights, or in blogs, podcasts, tweets, etc. They’ll tell all their friends about it and buy extra copies (in the case of the newspaper). Not bad advice for people looking to get additional viewership for their blogs and social networks either.
Poignant wrap up of the weekend’s message. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with the world.
Very well said and it was a pleasure meeting you as well. Even if you didn’t get the quesadilla
Good post. Were you at Brogan’s Social Media Strategies event? When I saw the title of your post pop up on Twitter, I instantly thought of Chris’s comment about doing lists.
Anyway, good work!
Now I wish I could have made it to PodCamp even more.
Sounds like there were some great sessions, and great people.
Also, thanks for giving such a clear wrap-up. I’d definitely say you’re floating your way towards the rock star group.
Hey Shelley,
Great to meet you this weekend, glad we are connected now.
I love how you really captured the key takeaways here.
For me, number 5 in particular was a tremendous message.
Helping others came through loud and clear in every session, and it’s so refreshing to have such a large group of like minded, intelligent individuals coming together as group with the unified intention of helping each other to grow and learn.
I’ll surely be carrying the message forward.
#PCB3 was a terrific experience, and thanks for your insight.
Excellent summary. You managed to boil the whole weekend down to five points, although I am glad I was there to hear all the details.
Brilliant! I’ve just quoted you in my own wrap up on Media Bullseye. Great to meet you!
good recap. Sorry I missed. any other events coming up that are similar in nature?
Yes, this makes me so sorry that I missed PodCamp as well! It sounds like everyone had an amazing weekend, and I’ll be sure to be at the next one.
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