You know who you are and what you do, but is that all it’s going to take to get you where you want to go with speaking? Of course not. But you already know that. It’s just that sometimes we need to be reminded of what’s so easy to forget! And with that in mind, here are my top three speaker-marketing reminders.
The Obvious Reminder – Are you letting people know you’re a speaker? I know… you grew up being told not to brag. It’s time to get over it! You have something valuable to share and if you really, really, really want to share it to help people solve the problem(s) you have a solution(s) for, you’re going to have to let people know you’re a speaker.
Make sure you share it in your elevator speech, email signature, your LinkedIn profile, etc. Even your business card for when we’re back to meeting in person again. You get the picture, right? Let people know!
The Technical Reminder –If you were to talk to someone this week and that person asked you to send them more information about you as a speaker and an expert, would you have something ready to send them by the end of the day? Is your speaker one-sheet up to date? How’s your list of testimonials looking? Is your signature presentation ready to go whether they want you to speak for 10, 30, or 45 minutes?
Taking the time to make sure your speaker marketing/media kit is up to date may seem like a pain in the butt, but it’s an excellent way to make a great first impression. Having a presentation that already fits within a specific amount of time is going to show you off as a pro.
The Where’s Waldo Reminder – Here’s the truth… if people want to know about you, they’re going to check you out online. That’s not a bad thing. In fact, it can be a really good thing as long as you have stuff online for them to find. So, how’s your website looking? What will a Google search of your name reveal? Videos? Articles? Interviews? Books? Events? Social Media?
I realize that like me (still working on my new website!), you might need help figuring out how to show up online, but once you do and you begin to put content in place, it’s the kind of marketing that works while you sleep, so it’s worth your short-term attention for a long-term gain.
There are other things worth remembering too, but the year is just getting started and I don’t want to overwhelm you or your speaker to-do list. Just start by picking one of the speaker-marketing reminders I shared and start working on it. If needed, break it into bite-size activities and work on it one bite at a time. This approach is going to make your speaker marketing a whole lot easier and much more effective.
And just think… by deliberately taking small actions over the course of a few weeks, it will be that much more likely (and easier!) for people to find you!
‘Til we speak again,
~Beth