Video Interview from the Podcast & New Media Expo
I just returned from the 3rd annual Podcast & New Media Expo held in Ontario, California. It was a fantastic show, with a lot of educational content in the general sessions (held in large ballrooms and other conference rooms) and on the show floor. The “Podango Unconference,” held in Podango’s booth was especially good. I’ll be posting photos and highlights from the show over the next few weeks, but for now, I’d like to post a link to a video for which I was interviewed. I spoke with Kara Ratliff from WebProNews about the presentation I gave during the show on Saturday entitled: How To Make Your Content Easy For “Grandma” to Consume: Simplifying RSS Feeds, Video Formats and Flash Players for Your Audience. Click on the screen shot below to view the video on WebProNews.com.
You can also find more than 15 other interviews on WebProNews.com from the Podcast & New Media Expo here.
Podcast & New Media Expo Just a Week Away: 9/28-9/30, 2007
Next week (9/28-9/30, 2007), the Podcast and New Media Expo (PNME) in Ontario, CA (about 50 miles east of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)) will begin. This is the third year of the annual event, and I’ve attended the Expo the first two years it was held. In a word, the show is fantastic. Unlike many conventions which bring together people of just one profession, this one attracts people from many different walks of life–from professional musicians, to independent podcasters, to radio show hosts and producers, to CEOs of Silicon Valley startups. This year, from looking at the list of seminars and exhibitors, the show will have about a 50/50 mix of topics covering audio and video. There will also be many business-related topics which cover not just audio and video, but any type of publishing.
At this year’s Expo, I’ll be doing a one hour session entitled: “How To Make Your Content Easy For ‘Grandma’ to Consume: Simplifying RSS Feeds, Video Formats and Flash Players for Your Audience.” I think that those who have compelling content and who make their content easy for anyone to listen to and/or view will attract a larger audience and will have greater potential for making more income with that content.
There will also be a trade show at the Expo with companies representing products and services tailored to audio and video producers. Besides all the opportunities to learn at the conference sessions, the show offers great networking opportunities. I’ve made many new friends at the show and met many of the people who I listen to and watch on a consistent basis, like Joanne Colan and Andrew Baron of Rocketboom (one of my favorite shows which I now primarily watch on my TV and subscribe to through my TiVo DVR).
Joanne Colan, Andrew Baron and me (center) on the show floor at the 2nd annual Expo. Photo credit: Mark Williford
If you haven’t been to the show, or if you just want to get a feel for what it’s like, I have two articles with many photos available on this site: Article with photos from the 1st Annual Expo (2005) and Article and photos from the 2nd Annual Expo (2006). You can also just do a search on your favorite search engine or Flickr.com for “Podcast Expo” and you will find many images and comments from attendees.
A day before the Expo begins (Thurs. 9/27/2007), Podcast Academy #6 will be held. I attended the first Podcast Academy in 2005 and it helped me to better understand what hardware and software options are available (in many different price ranges), as well as how to brand, promote and “monetize” a podcast and blog. I also met many people at Podcast Academy who I continue to stay in touch with, and look forward to seeing them at the Expo. You can find out more about Podcast Academy #6 here.
Also on 9/27 will be PodCamp SoCal, a free full day event (10:00am – 5:00pm) with sessions on audio and video podcasting, blogging, marketing and much more. I highly recommend attending Victor Cajiao’s session if you are interested in learning more about using Talkshoe, a live interactive way to produce audio programs and make them available as podcasts. I had the opportunity to be a guest on one of Victor’s Typical Mac User Talkshoe programs, and it was a great experience. I spoke about digital photography, gave some suggestions about what digital cameras one might consider depending upon a number of factors. I also discussed software like Apple Aperture, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Apple iPhoto and answered questions from “the floor.” You can find that show here: (TMUP Live 29).
In case you wanted more events to attend during the PNME, on Friday 9/28 starting at 4pm will be the Attendee Networking Reception and 2007 People’s Choice Podcast Awards Ceremony. You can find out more about the awards on the Podcast Awards site. Also, on Friday evening (8-11pm) will be the Culture Catch Salon (Video, Music, Art…and much more), and on Saturday evening (6:30 pm – 9:00 pm) will be the 1st Annual New Media Expo Concert. The Culture Catch Salon looks like quite an event, with an aerial ballet and a raffle with over $7500 of gear (including a Gibson Les Paul guitar). I also can’t wait for the New Media Expo Concert because I think all the artists performing are fantastic.
And on a related note, I highly recommend checking out Jason Van Orden’s article: How to Get the Most Out of the Podcast and New Media Expo. I’ve learned an incredible amount about podcasting and marketing from Jason’s books, websites and podcasts, and I thank him for highlighting my upcoming session at the Expo in that same article.
I hope to see you there! -Andrew
Our Harry Potter Year 7 book has been delivered! A look at the marketing side of the saga.
Please note: No plot line or other story-related info regarding Book 7 is revealed in this article:
My wife is a Harry Potter fan(atic). I personally haven’t read any of the books, but I’ve enjoyed the movies (I’ve seen the first four thus far).
This morning at about 11am, the final book in the series arrived: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. A warning notice in red on both sides of the box clearly stated: “ATTENTION MUGGLES – DO NOT DELIVER OR OPEN BEFORE JULY 21!”
I think that the Harry Potter books are a great example of the power of the written word. It’s fantastic to see so many children being energized by the story, and I would expect that the popularity of the books will help kids to discover other written works. Many movies, like the Potter series, are adapted from books, and according to my wife, the most recent movie (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) was a near perfect match to what she was “seeing” in her mind as she was reading the book.
I also see the Harry Potter series as a great marketing case study. From the initial licensing for the book’s rights by Random House, to the movie adaptation, video games, character ice cream cakes, merchandise, unofficial podcasts (just do a search for “harry potter podcasts” on your favorite search engine) and many other related items, it is a story similar to Star Wars. And let’s not underestimate the power of the launch date. I flipped on my TV set this morning to see a feature on CNN with a group of 7 to 70 year old kids at a Barnes and Noble book store as the clock struck 12:01 AM (well past most kids’ (and adults’) bedtime). I give them credit for being able to get so much PR, and I think that other publishers can learn from the Harry Potter franchise.
In the package that we received, a few pieces of advertising were included. There were two cards: one for Seagate (a 10% discount code was included for any of their FreeAgent products) as well as a promo for two movies: Stardust and The Spiderwick Chronicles (coming to theatres in 2008). On the back of the order receipt was an ad for Windows Vista, Windows Live OneCare and Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium. Advertising inserts are common with virtually all book deliveries I’ve received from Amazon.com, and I think it is smart marketing, especially if they offer coupon codes, and as long as there are not more than a few advertising pieces in the package.
Maybe, when my forthcoming book
Related Link:
Harry Potter 110 Question Trivia Quiz
Sponsored Links
The main Harry Potter page
Current price for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)
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