Key Takeaways:

• A twofold approach to pre/post speaking event prep
• Effective marketing makes the difference
• Logistics: don’t overlook the nuts & bolts
• Ace your event with this simple speaking event checklist

You’ve landed that speaking event – great!

As you likely know, there is SO much more to it than simply showing up on the day of the event.

Of course, you need to:

• Do research & know your audience.
• Outline/tailor your speaking topic.
• Develop your whole presentation.
• Even decide on what you’ll wear…

These are all essential steps to ensure a successful speaking event.

But that’s just the beginning…

We like to break it down deeper into two parts:

• Marketing & promotions
• Logistics (the “nuts & bolts”)

Every Speaking Event is a Marketing Opportunity

Whenever possible, it’s so important to warm people up before they get to your speaking event. How? If you can get an email list, send out some useful promo materials or ‘food for thought’ ahead of time. This could be your lead magnet, or even a pre-event assignment that boosts engagement.

Building up to the event:

• Consistently promote on your social platforms to build interest and excitement.
• Tailor your social content based on the platform to make your copy relevant – think short and sweet for Twitter; more professional for LI.
• Use both LinkedIn & regular email to connect to people; remember to add in all pertinent details about your event.
• Have your opt-in ready to share. Is it relevant to the event? Consider ways to add value and increase interest.
• Plan for event follow-ups. From beginning to end, show your audience your professionalism by staying engaged for follow-ups. This is a great way to gain feedback, too.

Wondering when you should start promoting? At least a month before is a good place to start.

If the thought of creating & sending out all those social media posts is overwhelming, consider an efficiency tool such as Hootsuite. It helps you manage all your social media platforms in one convenient place, plus you can track effectiveness and tweak as needed.

If you don’t have a Hootsuite account, you can sign up for a free trial to test it out. The social media experts at Marketecs can also lend a hand if you’d rather skip the effort & focus on what you do best – contact us to see how we can help.

Don’t Leave Out the Logistics…

“Technology makes it possible for people to gain control over everything, except over technology.” -John Tudor

Ahh, technology…love it or hate it, you need it…

AV is an essential component of any speaking event, and it’s just as critical as the marketing side of the process. Your goal is to ensure technology enhances the experience rather than getting in the way with frustrating glitches that distract and disappoint. Clearly set your expectations – and test, test, test everything before the event.

I recommend using a simple AV preferences template that you can customize as needed. It should cover:

► Your outline of AV preferences, which may be different based on whether you’re a keynote speaker or leading a workshop, i.e.:

• Notebook or laptop computer
• Wireless headset or clip-on microphone
• LCD projector with VGA connector cables
• Wireless internet
• Theater style (keynote) or classroom style (workshops) seating

► A list of recommendations to improve the quality of the event, for example:

• Place speakers in the front, middle & rear of audience
• Use additional light sources for the presenter
• Don’t overset the room – it’s better to have almost every seat taken, rather than empty spots

Got Bandwidth? If the event will be supporting multiple devices (laptops, phones, tablets), make sure there is the necessary bandwidth to sustain smooth streaming and consistency in upload and download speeds.

Stop the screech. Who wants to hear that? Because all electronic devices (phones & laptops, microphones, even projectors) emit signals at a certain frequency, make sure your microphone isn’t vying for center stage, which can cause that annoying “nails on chalkboard” sound.

Ask questions. Every speaking event is unique, so it’s important to get clear on what to expect. Don’t leave anything to chance or wait until the last minute to coordinate everything. You know the famous saying: “Failing to plan is planning to fail.”

Need expert insight to guide you as you prepare for your speaker event? Access our DIY Speaker Kit today.

An Easy-to-Follow Speaking Event Checklist

Before, during, and after… use this simple speaking event checklist so you don’t overlook important details that could make or break the success of your speaker’s event.

1) BEFORE THE EVENT, FOCUS ON PLANNING & PROMOS:

• Use social announcement/mentions to share excitement and “behind the scenes” preparations
• Mention your upcoming events and appearances in emails
• Leverage your website to post related blog(s) and podcast(s)
• Add details about upcoming event(s) to a dedicated page on your website

2) DURING & JUST AFTER THE EVENT, KEEP PEOPLE ENGAGED:

• Keep up with social media posts!
• Take pictures at the event – before, during (if possible), and after
• Tag photos with others whenever possible
• Share highlights and tips from other presentations you hear
• Be prepared with an opt-in opportunity for anyone you meet…
• Consider special business cards to hand out
• Find out if you can promote yourself ‘on stage’
• Implement text options to opt-in for increased engagement

Hint: Have your event collateral ready to distribute. Find out what is/is not allowed. Some examples include:

• Executive Summary
• Speaker One Sheet (Get our free DIY template here)
• Program Summary
• Sell Sheet(s)
• Recap, summary, or takeaway notes from your presentation

3) AFTER, INCREASE YOUR IMPACT WITH POST EVENT FOLLOW-UPS

• Use personal email to follow-up with people you met
• Establish LinkedIn Connections for everyone you met
• Setup an email campaign for any new opt-ins
• Share post event insights – blog/podcast, social posts, etc…

Do you have a Speaker One Sheet to share with meeting & event planners? Or maybe yours could use a dusting off? Start building your standout professional speaker’s one sheet today with our free Marketecs template.

You don’t need anything special to begin – just bring your creativity!

And if you want help with making your next speaking event a success, contact us to learn more.