For aspiring or professional public speakers, giving a compelling talk on a stage is just a small part of what it takes to succeed. Getting booked and paid to speak requires that potential clients know who you are why they should hire you. This is where speaker marketing comes in.
But navigating the business world today sometimes feels like shouting into a void. Everyone is trying to figure out how to market themselves and their products or services in this noisy world. It’s easy to feel lost, struggling to make your voice heard.
You’ve honed your skills and perfected your craft, and yet, recognition seems just out of reach. But there’s hope. In this information-saturated age, learning how to market yourself isn’t just a good idea – it’s a necessity.
Building a personal brand takes effort, but it’s worthwhile. Some believe that talent alone is enough to open doors. However, it’s like having a great product hidden on a dusty shelf. If nobody knows about it, how will it ever sell?
#1: Build Your Personal Brand
You might not fully realize what makes you marketable. That’s completely fine and happens often. Carefully think through what sets you apart. What skills or knowledge do you have that are special and not common?
Defining Your Audience
You might have a top-tier content marketing strategy and a sleek online presence. However, if you haven’t defined your target audience, your efforts will go nowhere. This means digging deeper than just age and gender. You should focus on finding a problem to solve. As a public speaker, speaking about something you find interesting isn’t enough. To appeal to potential clients, you need to present yourself as a solution to a common problem your audience has.
To discover who your audience is, start by identifying who you enjoy helping most. Their problems will guide your strategy, and your expertise will position you as the perfect solution. What problem are your skills uniquely qualified to solve? The answers to these questions can help shape your efforts.
Understanding yourself is a great starting point for defining your audience. Your hobbies and passions may mirror your clients’, allowing you to market your skills authentically. By tapping into the needs of the individuals who benefit from your work, you’re creating a loyal following.
Harnessing the Power of LinkedIn
The online world offers avenues that were unimaginable a decade ago. Amidst the noise, LinkedIn stands out as a great platform for building a strong online presence. Consider it your digital business card. Unlike platforms for capturing daily life, LinkedIn is tailor-made for professional connections.
Having a LinkedIn profile is just the start. Ensure your LinkedIn profile makeover includes proper grammar, clear formatting, recent accomplishments, and recommendations. Share valuable content, participate in industry conversations, and grow your network. Doing so can establish you as an authority in your field.
Embracing Public Speaking and Content Creation
Direct interaction is key when considering how to market yourself. Join professional associations, speak at business events, participate in conferences, find relevant podcasts, start a YouTube channel, or try guest blogging.
For a low-pressure speaking option, explore audio-based formats like Clubhouse. These allow real-time interaction with potential customers, offering valuable feedback without needing to dress up. Regardless of your route, authenticity is key. Communicate your values clearly, share unique insights, and let your passion shine.
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#2: Collaborate With Others
While some thrive on solopreneurship, many enjoy the synergy of collaboration. It’s not just a social media marketing method; it’s one of the most effective content marketing strategies.
Benefits of Seeking a Mentor
As a public speaker, the value of a mentor cannot be overstated. Someone further along can keep you motivated, illuminate pitfalls, and act as a sounding board.
If you find a seasoned mentor who believes in your journey, their impact can be incredible. They’ve learned hard lessons and built valuable relationships, which they can now share with you.
Becoming a Mentor Yourself
Mentorship is a two-way street. Pay it forward by becoming a mentor yourself. Don’t discount the value of your experience, even if you haven’t walked in your mentee’s shoes exactly.
Mentoring others is mutually beneficial. It allows you to review past missteps, celebrate successes, and distill years of hard work into understandable steps. Additionally, it forces you to evaluate your own skills and experiences.
Partnering with Peers
Learning how to market yourself should include collaborative efforts with your peers. This is especially beneficial if you have close friendships with other successful individuals who can share information and skills.
First, you should use industry connections and networking events to forge mutually beneficial relationships with other speakers in your industry. Many speakers can’t take every gig they’re offered, so these peers can recommend your services to clients they had to turn down who may book you instead. Always remember to offer referrals in exchange. Partnerships are a two-way street.
This can also extend beyond speaking gigs to content creation – which is a big part of a personal brand – and mentorship as well.
Here are some examples of successful collaborations:
- Hosting joint workshops and conferences.
- Podcast guest interviews.
- Co-authoring a book.
- Regularly meeting to bounce ideas off each other.
Collaboration not only promotes growth but also acts as powerful marketing, organically increasing exposure. As you connect with other professionals, opportunities for collaboration increase.
#3: Become a Leading Expert in Your Field
While finding creative ways to generate sales leads can be effective, honing your focus on a single niche is a good alternative. There’s no substitute for the hard work of becoming a recognized specialist, even though many hope for a shortcut to do the work for them.
Focusing Your Efforts on One Specific Area
While everyone enjoys learning, only a few possess the dedication to master a specific area of knowledge. These niche skills can be in a wide variety of fields. Regardless of your specific expertise, understand the value of honing your skills over time. Your knowledge will be valuable content marketing strategy elements that can drive clients to your business.
#4: Use Social Media to Promote Your Work
Social media is a powerful tool, but it’s a double-edged sword.
Choosing a Suitable Social Media Platform
Determine which social media platform best suits your expertise and intersects most closely with your audience. Is your audience on visual platforms like Instagram or TikTok? Are they business professionals on LinkedIn? Do they prefer articles, blogs, and online communities?
You might be tempted to create accounts across multiple platforms. However, this spreads your focus and slows your progress toward becoming an expert. Unless you have a support team to handle social media marketing, focus on one or two platforms that resonate with you and your target audience.
Engaging People Authentically and Meaningfully
Imagine spending weeks on Instagram posts, only to discover the images are poorly sized and lack visual appeal. Or perhaps your videos have distracting background noise and poor lighting. These roadblocks can derail even the best social media marketing strategies, wasting time and money.
Before you begin, identify any roadblocks that might hinder your growth. Determine whether you have the skills to overcome them or if you need to acquire new ones. Don’t rush the process of building your following on any of your social media accounts.
Thoughtfully answer comments, provide helpful tips, ask engaging questions, and create original content. Avoid solely posting promotional content or advertisements. While it’s tempting to reuse existing marketing materials, it’s best to create unique content for each social media platform to improve user experience.
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FAQs About Marketing Yourself
How can we market ourselves?
While social media marketing is valuable, don’t underestimate in-person networking. Regularly attend business events:
- Join your local chamber of commerce.
- Attend networking events.
- Go to relevant trade shows.
- Attend business card exchanges.
- Go to alumni gatherings.
- Have coffee with successful individuals.
Remember to do your homework beforehand. Determine how you can mutually benefit the people you meet.
What’s the best way to promote yourself?
Volunteering is a powerful yet often overlooked method of self-promotion. Not only is it personally rewarding, but it allows you to connect with your community. It also allows you to develop relationships with potential customers and employees who resonate with your values.
For example, if you own a small company that primarily helps minority-owned businesses, volunteer your services within those communities. Consider hosting workshops, partnering with local charities, featuring these businesses in your blog content, or participating in forums offering advice.
Remember, the most effective marketing feels natural. This is easier to achieve when you demonstrate a genuine desire to serve and support those in need.
Conclusion
Navigating the business world can feel overwhelming. The online world changes quickly, with new platforms appearing constantly. Staying current is part of successfully marketing yourself.
However, some things never change. While social media is great, traditional networking remains valuable. Keep your marketing efforts truthful, clear, and well thought out to avoid wasting time and hurting your long-term growth.
While there’s no foolproof method for getting noticed, consistently implementing even a handful of these ideas will benefit your personal brand.
For more on how to market yourself effectively, check out our ultimate guide to speaker marketing, where we go through some of the most important tools in your marketing arsenal – like your website, demo video and more.
