One of the many benefits of working in WordPress is the community of developers, designers, marketers and many more experts who are passionate about all things WordPress. Indeed, being part of the WordPress community can feel like you’re a member of an exclusive club. And one of the greatest benefits of this club is the chance to attend WordCamps.
But the big question for visitors, particularly those attending for the first time, is how do you make the most of WordCamp? At WPML, we spoke to WPFeedback’s Vito Peleg as part of our WordPress Marketing podcast in which we get tips from some of the most successful people in WordPress. Vito revealed to us how he used WordCamps to promote his business.
Pre-WordCamp: Plan your visit before you arrive
Before you even step inside the halls of WordCamp you need to be thinking about exactly who you want to speak to. WordCamps usually provide a list of attendees. Go through the list and identify individuals and companies you want to network with that can help your business.
Think about which people are running companies that match with your idea. That way they would be interested in forming a potential partnership with you as they will understand what they have to gain from it.
Furthermore, you should also think about how you can promote yourself while at the event. Rather than simply handing out flyers with your information, what could you give out that people will benefit from? For example, Vito used a WordCamp Europe to conduct a survey asking attendees questions about how they use WordPress. He then presented these results to potential partners who stood to gain from his findings. Once you have piqued their interest it is always useful to have a business card handy to give to them so make sure you bring enough.
At WordCamp: Speak to people and take part in events
When you are at WordCamp itself you will need to think about what you will say to WordPress influencers. Rather than going in with a hard pitch about your product, try and approach people and ask about their work. The conversation will naturally turn to what you do. Once it does, make sure you have your laptop on hand as showing a live scenario of your product is worth a thousand words. Potential partners will instantly be able to see the value you can bring to them.
In addition, offer to appear at any events you can including podcasts and speaking opportunities. Podcasts are a great way to discuss in-depth what you do and to connect with your audience. All of the biggest podcasts will be at WordCamp.
One of the most effective ways OnTheGoSystems promotes Toolset is by speaking at WordCamps – and WordPress Meetups. They are a fantastic way to interact with your audience and outline exactly why they should care about what you’re doing.
Our company also organizes workshops at WordCamps to teach attendees how to customize product pages, create front-end forms, create a custom search and much more without using PHP. Guests will leave with valuable knowledge which will help them build websites more quickly and they will be more inclined to use Toolset for them.
Post-WordCamp: Maintain relationships with contacts
The end of WordCamp does not mean the end of your hard work. If anything, when you return from WordCamp that is when you need to put in a further effort to maintain the contacts you forged face to face. Send follow-up emails to those you want to work with and, as succinctly as possible, outline exactly what you want to do with them.
When you arrive home from WordCamp you can also review how it went and what you can do for the next one. Perhaps you will want to sponsor the next WordCamp or limit the number of talks you go to so you can spend more time in the hall meeting others in a more casual setting. Each person is different and will have different methods that work for them, of course.
Ready to attend WordCamp Prague 2020?
Attending WordCamps is a proven way to boost your profile and/or your business. With these tips, you will be ready to become the star of WordCamp Prague 2020!
For more advice from the most important people in WordPress make sure to check out all of WordPress Marketing’s podcast episodes.
The WordCamp checklist
- Apply to speak or host a workshop.
- Make a list of people you want to meet.
- Bring business cards.
- Make sure you have a demo of your product ready to go on your laptop.
- Decide what value you can bring to potential partners.
- Think of an interesting marketing campaign which will grab people’s attention.
- Think about the events you should attend.
- Get in touch with podcasts beforehand.