Marketing for Professional Speakers

Marketing for Professional Speakers

Having a marketing plan is essential for professional speakers who want to grow their businesses and reach new audiences. By clarifying goals, identifying their target audience, creating a consistent message, allocating resources effectively, and tracking progress, a speaker can create a roadmap for success and achieve their business objectives.

  1. Clarifying goals: A marketing plan helps a speaker clarify their goals and objectives. By identifying specific targets, such as increasing bookings or expanding their reach, a speaker can create a roadmap for achieving those goals.
  2. Identifying target audience: A marketing plan helps a speaker identify their target audience and create messaging and campaigns that resonate with that audience. By understanding their ideal clients, a speaker can tailor their marketing efforts to meet their needs and preferences.
  3. Creating a consistent message: A marketing plan helps a speaker create a consistent message across all marketing channels, from their website and social media to their email campaigns and speaking engagements. A consistent message helps build brand recognition and reinforces the speaker’s expertise and value.
  4. Allocating resources: A marketing plan helps a speaker allocate their time, money, and other resources effectively. By identifying the most effective marketing channels and campaigns, a speaker can maximize their return on investment and make the most of their resources.
  5. Tracking progress: A marketing plan provides a framework for tracking progress and measuring success. By setting specific goals and metrics, a speaker can evaluate the effectiveness of their marketing efforts and make adjustments as needed.

Creative Marketing Strategies for Professional Speakers

As a professional speaker, there are a variety of creative marketing strategies that you can use to promote your business and reach your target audience. Here are some ideas:

  1. Leverage social media: You already know that social media platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram can be used to share your expertise and engage with your audience. But how?  Make sure you share snippets from your talks, engage in conversations with others around topics relevant to your niche, and post updates about your upcoming events.
  2. Create a YouTube channel: Share videos of your speeches, interviews, and behind-the-scenes content on YouTube. Create a promotional video to share with potential clients, giving them a sense of what they can expect from you. The video can include clips from speeches, testimonials from satisfied clients, and an overview of the speaker’s expertise and background. This can help you reach a wider audience and establish yourself as an expert in your field. 
  3. Write a book: Publishing a book can help you establish your credibility and build your audience.  Prospective authors can self-publish on Amazon through their platform called Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). KDP allows authors to publish their books in digital and print formats and make them available to readers worldwide. You can use your book as a marketing tool by giving away copies to attendees at your events or using it as a lead magnet on your website.
  4. Offer a free webinar: Hosting a free webinar is a great way to demonstrate your expertise and generate leads. You can use your webinar to share tips and insights on a specific topic and promote your upcoming events.  Speakers can use Zoom for their webinars, but another idea is to use GoToWebinar, which offers features such as registration forms, customizable branding, and automated email reminders.
  5. Collaborate with other speakers: Partnering with other speakers can help you reach a wider audience and build your network. Consider hosting joint events, collaborating on content, or guesting on each other’s podcasts.
  6. Attend networking events: Attend industry conferences and events to meet potential clients, stay up-to-date on industry trends, and build relationships with other professionals in your field.  These events also provide opportunities to practice your public speaking skills, such as by giving elevator pitches or participating in panels. 
  7. Develop a referral program: Encourage satisfied clients to refer you to their friends and colleagues by offering incentives such as discounts or free consultations.  Platforms like ReferralCandy, RewardStream, TapMango, and Ambassador allow businesses to create and manage their own referral programs. They offer features such as referral tracking, customizable rewards, and analytics.
  8. Create a podcast: Hosting a podcast can help you establish yourself as an authority in your field and build your audience. You can use your podcast to share insights and interviews with other experts in your industry. Podcasts are a popular medium for consuming content, and starting a podcast can help a speaker reach new audiences who might not be familiar with their work.
  9. Use paid advertising: Consider using paid advertising on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to reach your target audience.
  10. Create a blog: Writing regular blog posts can help you establish yourself as an authority in your field and improve your search engine rankings. Share your blog posts on social media and promote them to your email list.