5 Awesome Ways You Can Get More Speaking Opportunities: Social Media, Your Website, and More

LD I am a speaker

5 Ways to Use Your Website, Social Media and More to Get Speaking Opportunities

As a small business owner, I am a public speaker and speak professionally to meet new people and prospective clients. You have to let the world know you are a professional speaker, engaging, great at connecting with your audience, available and open to invitations to speak to a variety of groups and audiences.

I have been speaking since 2009 and couldn’t tell you how many times I have spoke about social media to groups, at conferences and more. I have been lucky because most of these opportunities have just come to me out of luck and great friends like you. Over the last 6 months, I have been proactive about watching others and learning from the strategies they use to get speaking opportunities.

Dedicated page on your website highlighting you as a public speaker.

  • On this speaker page include a short speaker bio, your digital headshot, presentation titles, testimonials from organizers and attendees. Make sure and include photos of you speaking to large crowds and closer up shots of you engaged with attendees afterwards. Include links to your long bio, speaker sheet, and speaker headshot for download.
  • If you have any audio or video of you speaking embed this on the page. Include a photo gallery on your speaker page of additional photos showing you in action, or link to your speaking album on social media.
  • Include the best way to contact you and email you with questions.

Ask for testimonials to share on your website and social media channels.

  • Follow up with organizers after the event and request a connection and testimonial on LinkedIn. Ask for permission to share on your website and other social media channels.
  • When attendees approach you afterward, shout out to you on social media or email you, ask them for a testimonial for your website and social media.
  • Offer a link-bank when requesting the testimonial to encourage a quick response to your request.

Hire a writer and graphic artist to create a speaker sheet.

  • Make it easy for event planners and organizers to easily access your information, present, and share it with others involved in the speaker selection process.
  • Include your brief bio, speaker headshot, and a minimum of two testimonials from event organizers, along with your presentation titles, your contact information, and links to your social media profiles.

Create a speaker photo album on your social media profiles, such as Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest.

  • In the description for each photo include the presentation title, event name and testimonials from the organizer and an attendee if possible.
  • Update this album every time you speak with new photos and testimonials.
  • Tag the appropriate pages in the descriptions, the organizer, etc.

Create your own demand.

  • When you book a speaking gig share the news online. If the event is a public event, volunteer to share the event online and to your email list. Other organizers will want to get you to speak, so you’ll do the same for them.
  • Remind your online friends you are a speaker.
  • Before, during and after the event share online about the event on-goings.

Bonus Tips

  • Ask the event organizer for photos, audio and video of you speaking when it becomes available.
  • Install a recorder app on your smart phone and record your presentation for transcription to use the content for blog posts, future books, etc.
  • Take a guest with you to photo you speaking for your speaker album, website and to share on social media during your presentation.
  • Take pre-event and after-event photos of you with the organizer, fans, other speakers, and event signage to share on your website and social media.
  • Get some close-up photos of you on the stage in advance to avoid awkward open mouthed, weird expression photos that always seem to get captured.
  • Have a speaking calendar on your website.
  • Ask event organizers to be recommended to their peers for other speaking opportunities.

It’s time for me to end the post and go drink my own Kool-Aid (update my website & more).

Comment below any tips you would add to the list for landing more speaking opportunities. “Share” the word online and lets get your friends involved in contributing their ideas too.

P.S. Help my bounce rate – click here to check out my speaker page, just made a few more tweaks. It is a work in progress alway

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