of each new episode, currently draw as many as 250 views
the day they’re posted—at no cost except the initial investment in the video camera and the time and effort to create
them. The strategy depends on pulling people in instead of
pushing information. Then, if users choose to click over to
her blog or Web site, they’ll find more free articles and
videos, or details about free meetups in Second Life.
Each of Schreck’s technology pieces emphasizes the
importance of two-way relationships, even with people she’s
never met in person. “I can only go to so many networking
events, and you meet 10 people that you keep up with,” she
says. “The other day, 27 new people started following me
on Twitter and possibly tuning into Gettin’ Geeky. Who are
these people? They’re all potential clients. They can refer
business, pass along my name, watch a video. It’s a matter of
engaging them in conversation.”
While the audience for Gettin’ Geeky is growing, only a
small percentage of the current viewers are speakers. “I feel
like an evangelist,” Schreck says. “I don’t want to be a tech
pusher, but the reality is that if you’re not out there, you’re
going to get left behind. If my topic as a speaker is effective communications, how can I not deal with these tools?
People aren’t going to read a long email or text-heavy Web
site—so how are you adapting your information into a format they’ll use?”
Schreck has consciously avoided making any direct sales
pitch for her speaking services in her videos. “Anytime I watch
something that ends with a commercial, I don’t want to watch
anymore,” she says. “Yes, it’s a leap of faith for speakers—I’m
giving away intellectual property. But my experience has been
the more I serve as a resource, the more they’ll come to me.”
DePriVaTion aPPreciaTion
In November 2008,
a writer’s retreat in
Napa, Calif., presented
a unique challenge for
Schreck: four days of no
Internet, no cell phone,
and no TV. While writing exercises were to be
conducted with pen and
paper—no laptops!—
she took the opportunity to sneak in her
video camera for a few
episodes of Gettin’ Geeky
Unplugged, including
one contrasting the
use of technology by
the Obama and McCain
presidential campaigns.
“When I Twittered
about taking this trip, I
had 10 people immedi-
ately direct reply with
funny comments, like
asking me, ‘Are you going
to churn your own butter?’” she says. “But it provided insight to be without all of my toys for that
long. My iPod was like
my desert-island gadget,
because I have videos
and music on it. I couldn’t
even call my family, so I’d
look at photos. That’s as
gadget-y as I could get,
along with the headlamp
I needed to get to the
dining hall in the dark.
“Writing with pen
and paper—who does
that anymore?” Schreck
laughs. “It was total
deprivation! OK, maybe
I was being a little
overdramatic.”
On the other hand, Schreck is considering sponsored episodes
for specific purposes down the road; for example, she could
produce a special show for an office supply company’s preferred customers, hosted on its own Web site.
Schreck plans to offer a variety of hosts and topics, to the
point that people want to drop in daily to see what’s cookin’
at Gettin’ Geeky. One thing’s for sure: She may run out of
time, but she’ll never run out of material. “What’s great is
there’s a new gadget every day,” she says. “Now, people contact me all the time, saying, ‘Hey, have you heard about this?
You should do an episode.’”
Contributing writer Jake Poinier’s favorite geeky
gadget is his Olympus DS-2 digital recorder—he never
leaves home without it. Poinier can be reached at
jpoinier@cox.net.
