Speaking is often one of the most effective marketing channels for:
Developing relationships
Gaining visibility
Increasing credibility
When you are the featured speaker at an event, people want to talk to you after your presentation. This is a great opportunity to make real-life connections with people. You are positioned as the authority figure in the room and people treat you as such.
So how do you land speaking engagements in a world where most in-person events have been cancelled? You pitch online presentations.
Below are four steps to help you land online speaking engagements.
1) Do your research.
Find out what events have moved online and which events will take place in-person in the future. Don’t assume that websites are up-to-date. We are finding that a lot of events listed on websites are no longer happening, and many events that are coming up are not yet listed.
2) Make contact.
If there is not a formal speaker proposal process, don’t send a blind proposal to an organization’s general contact for or general email address. Instead, contact the organization to find out who makes the decisions regarding speakers. Once you have a name and email, reach out to that person directly, but do not include a formal proposal in the initial email. Instead, start with a few questions.
Questions to ask include:
Is there a formal speaker submission process? If so, what is it?
Is the organization currently accepting speaker proposals?
Are events in-person or online?
What topics are they looking for?
3) Submit a proposal directly to the decision maker.
Once you receive a response from the decision maker regarding the questions above, you will know the appropriate proposal process, as well as how to best position your proposal to be a hit.
4) Use testimonials.
When you submit your speaker proposal, include testimonials from attendees of previous speaking engagements. These goes a long way in adding credibility, especially if you are targeting similar events.
Relevant Example:
SowGrow PR researched business associations in metro Atlanta. We contacted each organization to find out who is responsible for speakers. We reached out to the individuals directly. We submitted proposals and have already landed four online speaking engagements for a client.
Challenge for Marketers:
Develop two speaking topics and submit proposals to organizations that reach your target audience.
Sources:
www.sowgrowpr.com/speaker-opportunity-database
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