You may think that brands only apply to companies — that memorable tagline or the company mission statement that aligns so closely with your values. But that’s not true. As a public speaker, you too have a personal brand.
What you want to do is continuously build and enhance it so that you experience more success. So, how do you achieve this goal?
There are both online and offline strategies for rewarding results, and that’s what we’ll cover in this article. But first, let’s see the key elements of a strong speaker brand and the benefits you can expect from it.
A strong speaker brand is defined by a combination of personal characteristics and actions. These characterize who you are both on and off the podium.
Here are the elements you need to pay close attention to:
Authenticity: Be sure to embrace your unique qualities and values and put them forward. Be genuine both with yourself and those you encounter in your life, personally and professionally.
Clarity: You’re a speaker for a reason. You have valuable insights that can be meaningful to your audience. Get clear on the message you want to convey so you can communicate it more effectively.
Consistency: Being consistent is vital if you want to build trust and a sound reputation of expertise. You need to deliver your message with consistency across all the offline and online channels that you use.
Visibility: You need to put yourself in front of your audience and make connections through your speaking engagements. Avoid being a fading wallflower in the background. Stand out and be heard.
Reputation: Your reputation precedes you. It’s what makes people want to hear what you have to say. It takes time to build through actions and interactions and you should put in effort to consistently deliver high-quality work, exceed expectations, and create positive relationships.
Speaking at public events comes with a myriad of benefits. The following are worth considering as you embark on your journey:
Stimulates your critical thinking skills
Reaches a wider audience
Increases your visibility
Establishes your credibility as an expert
Develops a consistent and coherent personal brand
Has an impact with each presentation
Builds valuable and lasting connections
Inspires your audience
Whether you have taken to the stage dozens of times or you’re about to make your first entry, there are a few important tips to consider before you get started.
Begin by identifying your target audience with as much precision and detail as possible. This will help you create more meaningful content that will resonate with them.
Next, identify your unique value proposition. Carefully consider what sets you apart from other speakers. Here, you could reflect on your strengths, skills, and expertise. Also, think about ways of resolving your audience’s pain points.
Then, you will want to create your brand story. This requires an extensive commitment to consistency. Aim to build a narrative that creates a bridge between your personal experiences, values, and achievements, which you’ll then communicate to your audience. Make sure to focus on aspects such as challenges and lessons and how these have shaped your approach. Be sure to be authentic, relatable, and compelling.
Lastly, work on boosting your knowledge about your specific topic and industry. Research and revision are key, no matter how good you may be or how much experience you may have. Whether it’s breaking news, trends, current issues, you need to be as up-to-date as possible.
Once you’ve put the building blocks in place, you are ready to start working on your online presence. This involves creating a website, managing your social media channels, and possibly advertising yourself through paid ads. Let’s explore these avenues further.
It’s no longer enough to be online. After all, you’re competing with some big names out there.
That’s why having an optimized website is a necessity. Your website should contain important information about yourself and your areas of expertise, and convey the value that you bring to your audience.
Your wording should be consistent in terms of what you present in-person at events. However, leave some space for a teaser; don’t give everything you’ve got on your website. Entice your audience to come and see you present and then give them the full power of your presentation.
That being said, you should not overlook the details such as strong visuals, excellent copy, and clear calls-to-action (CTAs) in your marketing plan. Naturally, you want to include high-search-volume, low-competition keywords in your text so that your site ranks at the top of the search results. Additionally, incorporating the keywords into high-quality content can be achievable with the best AI content writers out there.
There are many social media platforms to leverage for your speaker brand. You can be on as many as you choose, as long as they convey that same level of consistency in your brand messaging.
Furthermore, your social media channels should be managed on a regular and consistent basis. This ensures that your content and even the tiniest detail that you publish about yourself online creates a story that you are not only proud of but is consistent with your brand.
If you think that offline personal speaker brand strategies are outdated, you’re in for a surprise. There are many steps you can take to reach as many of the right people as possible.
Here are several options you can choose from and apply individually or in combination with each other.
Even if you are not a speaker at an event, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use the opportunity to get yourself noticed. Examples of events you can attend include conferences, seminars, workshops, and fairs. These are all excellent ways to connect with like-minded individuals.
Chris Masanto, the CEO and co-founder of PetLab Co., says, "Attending networking events has been a cornerstone of my strategy to elevate my personal brand within the e-commerce community. Even when I'm not a speaker, I seize every opportunity to engage with industry leaders and like-minded entrepreneurs. These interactions allow me to share insights, exchange ideas, and stay abreast of emerging trends. This proactive approach not only enhances my visibility but also solidifies my reputation as a knowledgeable and approachable leader in the field, fostering invaluable connections that often lead to collaborative opportunities."
Making your presence more meaningful and visible means taking steps and actions that may seem out of the ordinary in our digital world, such as creating direct mail campaigns. For this purpose, you’ll want to create compelling content that ensures your content is consumed — and importantly, remembered. Use personalization and creativity to get your audience’s attention.
By leveraging partnerships with local businesses, you become a part of people’s lives and increase your personal speaker brand’s exposure. This also builds a sense of community and trust.
Never underestimate the power of branded merchandise. These are not just freebies that you’re giving away. They have a special place in marketing your brand outside of online channels. As a tangible extension of your brand, consider offering high-quality, useful items that are aligned with your brand identity.
Becoming a face and name that everyone knows and remembers means community involvement, such as participating in charitable events, sponsorships, and volunteer work. This is a great way to align with your brand values and showcase your commitment as a caring and ethical brand and person.
Other offline strategies you might employ include regularly writing for your local newspaper or magazine; distributing and exchanging business cards; attending college alumni events; mentoring others and becoming a mentee; cold calling; placing targeted print ads and more.
Implementing each or a combination of these strategies is a great way to boost your brand as a speaker. However, as we wrap up, there’s something important to be said for measuring and tracking the success of each strategy you pursue. Be sure to gather insights that will drive your future initiatives. After all, it is only through data-driven decisions that we can continuously improve.
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