Tips to Get More Public Speaking Gigs
If you enjoy doing presentations, are looking to diversify your income stream and expand the range of services that you offer, then getting more public speaking gigs may be a viable and lucrative option for you. By speaking gigs, I mean in person presentations, or workshops to groups of people.
Although much of the content of this article was gleaned from my coaching work with private practice clinicians and coaches, the strategies outlined here are relevant to anyone looking to add presentations, workshops, and trainings to their service offering. This article outlines some basic tips that once implemented, will dramatically increase your chances of getting more public speaking work.
Ways to Let People Know You What You Offer
- Use Your Website
It amazes me how many clinicians I work with that tell me that they are doing some presentations but fail to mention those events on their website. Whether you are currently offering presentations or want to do this in the future, I recommend that you add a page on your website that has a list of your presentation offerings. You can add a page on your website entitled “Events” or “Speaking Events,” to highlight upcoming speaking engagements and generate some interest. There are a number of good event scheduling websites like Eventbrite that you can link to your website page and make it possible for you to list your events online, incorporate email lists, allow registration and payment, and even enable participants to print out tickets. These are no cost to you if your event is free, and a nominal fee if these are fee-based events.
- Use Social Media to Get More Speaking work
Event pages can also be linked to social media sites so you can maximize your exposure by posting events and relevant content from the presentations on sites like Linkedin, Twitter, and Facebook. Content from your blogs, videos, testimonials, and pictures can be posted to social media sites. I do recommend a social media marketing plan and a social media policy if you are a clinician who has a social media presence.
- Use Video to Generate Interest for Speaking Gigs
Using video is a great way to give people a taste of what you offer. You can use a video sharing site like Youtube to host your videos or have them reside on your website. Since people prefer to watch video over reading text you will give people the opportunity to see what you have to offer firsthand and get to know and trust you. This is invaluable to getting more speaking gigs as your video can serve as your digital resume so to speak. There are search engine optimization techniques that can help you to be found online by optimizing your video to show up on the first page of a Google search. You can link your blog articles, social media sites and web pages to your videos for maximum exposure.
- Use HARO (Help-a–Reporter-Out) To Get More Speaking Gigs
Help a Reporter Out (HARO) is an online service set up for journalists to quickly find experts on topics for which they are writing articles. Journalists often need valuable advice, information and quotes from subject experts for articles they are writing. Once you join, you get on a list to receive notification from authors who need your expertise and contact them when you see something of interest. Get a quote in a major publication can lead to other opportunities such as radio or television spot, which can be huge for getting the visibility you need. The HARO website is located at http://www.helpareporter.com/
- Use Your Networking groups to Get Speaking Gigs
If you have a social, professional, or networking group for which you are already a member, let them know you are planning on getting more speaking gigs. See what events they have coming up where your presentation may be relevant. Offer to do a presentation for your networking group so they can see what you have to offer. If you are not already a member of a networking group, then consider joining one. Meet with group members individually and find out if their businesses sponsor outside speakers, ask which other networking or membership groups they belong, what topics would be of interest to them, and see if they have any interest in having you present as a speaker.
- Write Press Releases
Writing press releases is an easy way to get your presentation topics out to a broad audience. There are many free press release distribution sites like www.prlog.org that can send out a listing of your presentation to search engines. You can also pay a fee to get a wider distribution to the Associated Press (AP) and syndication to news sites. This can be picked up by local media and can result in even more coverage.
7. Create a Marketing Plan
If you are serious about offering more presentations-I suggest that you create a marketing plan that helps you organize and prioritize your implementation of these strategies and determine which of these will work best for you. Creating a marketing plan will also enable you to determine who your target market will be, outline pricing and outreach strategies. Adequate planning allows you the time to reach out to your contacts, as well as event and conference coordinators since the program planning for many events begins up to a year in advance.
8. Don’t Go It Alone
Maybe you can do it all yourself, but can you do it well all by yourself? Oftentimes, working with an internet marketing services company or business coach, graphic/web designer, or PR professional who has skills in these areas can help you set realistic timeframes, give you encouragement, do things you do not want to do and help you fill gaps in your skill set so you do not waste time, get stuck, or procrastinate.
All in all, if you enjoy doing presentations as much as I do, why not expand your service offering by creating some interesting and needed presentations? With the right amount of planning, dedication and creativity, you will not only establish yourself as a sought after and valued speaker, adding a lucrative income stream, but also the added outreach and publicity will also help grow your core business offering.