Building a personal brand online takes time, effort and a lot of consistency. One way to accelerate your recognition is to take on speaking gigs. Online speaking is a great way to get started but in-person opportunities will help you gain recognition with a more engaged audience and establish your expertise on a specific topic.
This week at #SproutChat, Sprout All Star and tenured social media marketing speaker Neal Schaffer shared advice on how he’s grown his personal brand by taking on various speaking engagements.
Position Yourself as an Expert
Before you can get in front of large groups and garner the room’s undivided attention, it’s essential to build an online reputation in the subject area you plan on presenting on. Be present where your target audience is and engage in the conversations happening around your topic on and off-line. Create and publish content related to the industry you’re targeting. Remember that it doesn’t hurt to write a book on your topic either ;-).
A1: The best way to maintain and/or position yourself as an expert in your field is to let your expertise be known! #SproutChat
— Neal Schaffer (@NealSchaffer) August 3, 2016
A1 Of course written form is preferred by some and is another great way to display or maintain your expertise: blog, book, etc #SproutChat
— Neal Schaffer (@NealSchaffer) August 3, 2016
A1. Actually understand the concepts you are trying to teach better than anyone else #sproutchat
— Chris Desadoy (@EliteYouTubePro) August 3, 2016
A1: engage in your niche where they visit; i.e. forums, blog, social media, skype, webinars, offer help, content market, etc. #sproutchat
— ThinkTank (@Think_Tank_Mktg) August 3, 2016
A1. Maintaining a solid web and social presence is also key. NOT just on your channels. Guest blog, participate in Twitter chats #SproutChat
— Nathan Young (@notnathan) August 3, 2016
A1 Conferences, chats, etc. But I've also found doing high exposure pro-bono work also does wonders, but be selective! #sproutchat
— Terry Lo (@calgarydreamer) August 3, 2016
Always Vet Your Opportunities
It’s important to know what your non-negotiables are. When you’re just getting started, it’s natural to want to proactively seek out and say “yes” to any opportunity that comes your way. As your reputation grows, it’s important to know which opportunities will help you reach your target audience and grow your recognition. Once your reputation is solidified, you should be more selective about which speaking engagements are worth your time and effort.
A3 I c speaking opps in terms of: $, exposure, or relationship-building. I must see + ROI in either of those three to accept. #SproutChat
— Neal Schaffer (@NealSchaffer) August 3, 2016
Q3: You can learn from every opportunity, even the bad ones! But do your research before to avoid being caught off guard. #SproutChat
— Marketing Support (@MarkSuppNet) August 3, 2016
A3 Does the topic and audience actually matter to your business? Can you even speak with authority about the topic? #sproutchat
— Terry Lo (@calgarydreamer) August 3, 2016
A3b Also, what would be the benefit? Goodwill? Business? Money? Cupcakes? Your time matters, so is it worth the effort? #sproutchat
— Terry Lo (@calgarydreamer) August 3, 2016
A3: I rarely say no to a speaking engagement. Large or small it gives me a chance to refine my skills and meet new people. #SproutChat
— meghan speer (@meghan5580) August 3, 2016
A3: Cost to attend, does it help my own or co's brand, learning opptys, networking. Can I reuse content elsewhere? #SproutChat
— Tim Mohler (@TimothyMohler) August 3, 2016
A3 It's important to understand the audience that attends an event + level of promotion you'll receive. #SproutChat https://t.co/W8PaWLEnci
— Erika Heald (@SFerika) August 3, 2016
A3: An engaging opportunity-relationship building + networking. Goal: awareness of your brand whether it's personal or business. #SproutChat
— B. (@hellobrittnee) August 3, 2016
Keep Your Presentation Content Polished, Fresh & Interesting
One daunting aspect of securing speaking opportunities is the time and effort it takes to put together decks that are thoughtful and interesting. If your audience across gigs is similar, it may be tempting to give the exact same talk. Challenge yourself by always refreshing your decks. You can do this by incorporating recent content examples and finding creative ways to bring a new perspective to your presentation. Edit your presentation several times and practice with a trusted colleague to ensure professionalism and value.
A5 My presentations often have lots of "evergreen content" – however there's still a sanity check to strive for newest content. #SproutChat
— Neal Schaffer (@NealSchaffer) August 3, 2016
A5: I write it far in advance. Leave it alone after 1 full edit. 1 week before, I check relevance. 1 day before, I finalize it. #sproutchat
— Annaliese Henwood (@MktgInnovator) August 3, 2016
A5: No deck should stay the same from one presentation to another. Your speech should change as your new experiences change you. #SproutChat
— Matt Slippy (@MattSlippy) August 3, 2016
A5 Infographics, high level bullet points, UGC + Twitter handles or hashtags in footer. Relevant memes #SproutChat https://t.co/qgLwqMGGfs
— Peter Syravong (@petersyravong) August 3, 2016
A5: Research! Don't be afraid to make a last minute change. Social media is up to the minute, your presentation should be too #SproutChat
— Rachel Sprouse (@SprouseRachel) August 3, 2016
A5: @Evernote – How I keep track of fresh examples, stats, etc. tagged by topic so I can update later. OneNote is great too #SproutChat
— Tim Mohler (@TimothyMohler) August 3, 2016
A5: Know your audience. Cultivate your content to their needs. Speak their jargon. #SproutChat
— Anik G. (@complexkickz) August 3, 2016
Join us Wednesday, August 10 at 2 pm CDT for #SproutChat on using social media for social good with Sprout All Star David Pride. Until then, join our Facebook community to connect with other chatters.
This post #SproutChat Recap: How to Incorporate Speaking Engagements Into Your Career originally appeared on Sprout Social.
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