10 Steps to Market Yourself As A Speaker for Ad Agency New Business

speaking for ad agency new business

Public speaking establishes credibility, a positioning of expertise and can produce a consistent flow of leads.

Speaking at conferences, seminars, workshops and webinars is a tremendous asset for agency new business. Attendees are often highly qualified prospects, who are interested in what you have to say. Many will view you as an expert just because you have been deemed qualified to speak at the event.

As you speak, your audience gets to know you and begin to form a relationship with you. Most people have a desire to work with other people that they know, trust and like. This can be your time to shine and cement relationships with your prospective client audience.

A good many agency principal’s are willing to be speakers. And a number of them are good at it.  But they don’t promote it. There is little or no information on their websites or blogs that would promote their speaking. They don’t even take the time to promote their speaking opportunities through social media.

Here are some action steps you can take that will help to increase your speaking engagements:

  1. Find a niche. You can’t be everything to everybody. You’ll build speaking opportunities much faster if you will select and focus on a niche.
  2. Create A Niche Blog. It will reinforce your positioning of expertise and provide a social media platform that will increase your speaking assignments. Here are samplings of niche blog’s that are built around agency principals: www.thestorestarters.com, www.profitableretail.com, www.the-lead-review.com, www.she-conomy.com and www.millennialmarketing.com.
  3. Add a speaker’s page. Be proactive by providing the basic information that most event planners are looking for such as your niche, accomplishments,  testimonials, presentation titles, expectations and your speaking schedule. Click on the following link to view my Speaker’s page. Michael Hyatt, former CEO of Thomas Nelson, is a great example on how to use social media the correct way to increase your opportunities as a public speaker. Check out Michael’s Speaking page.
  4. Include your speaker’s info in your eNewsletter. My newsletter highlights my next speaking engagement in the header. I also highlight my availability to speak on certain topics and provide a link to my Speaking page.
  5. Provide a Press Kit. A basic speaker’s press kit contains the following: Bio, testimonials, references, a description of your various speeches and any articles that have been published about you.
  6. Create a demo video. A video demo will probably be the most expense you will incur but, with the greatest return on investment.  Primeau Productions developed this helpful eTutorial, “Creating The Perfect Speaker Demo Video”. Your niche blog, agency website and video sharing networks like YouTube and Vimeo will create great visibility for your demo video. According to Forrester Research, adding video to your agency’s website makes your site SIX times more likely to convert a “browser” into a paying customer.
  7. Showcase your speaking opportunities. I have links on my blog to my video taped interviews, podcasts, webinars, digital photos of past speaking engagements, seminars and workshops, etc. The information and links highlight a lot of opportunities that create additional opportunities.
  8. Feature your speaking schedule. On my blog site, you will notice in the header portion of my homepage, my next speaking engagement. Also, speaking schedule is located in the sidebar and as a sub-page to my Speaking page. I’ve found that highlighting my speaking gigs “primes-the-pump” and is another way that facilitates additional speaking opportunities.
  9. Join a speaker’s association. There are many benefits to joining an association. You’ll learn how to get paid speaking engagements, make connections within the speaking community, receive training, learn the “tricks of the trade” and have access to association events. There are a number of associations to choose from such as the National Speakers Association  or the American Professional Speakers Association.
  10. Register with a speaker’s bureau. Bureaus want to work with speakers they can book easily and profitably.  To be considered, you normally must provide a professional, informational demo video (a DVD or online), a bio and a list of topics and presentations. Membership is usually free. Most bureaus work off commissions. To get started, you might consider offering them a higher commission rate.

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Photo credit: @TomMartin

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About Michael Gass

Consultant | Trainer | Author | Speaker

Since 2007, he has been pioneering the use of social media, inbound and content marketing strategies specifically for agency new business.

He is the founder of Fuel Lines Business Development, LLC, a firm which provides business development training and consulting services to advertising, digital, media and PR agencies.