Beyond the Presentation – How to Amplify Your Speaking Engagements

Speaking is so much more than just a presentation to a group of people within the confines of a convention room. In fact, a speaking engagement is the perfect catalyst for amplifying and augmenting a variety of other marketing communications vehicles. There are many activities that can be done before, during and after a presentation to leverage each to the fullest and maximize its impact.

Weeks before the event:

• Leverage social media to promote your speaking session beforehand and use the conference social media handles and hashtags to garner even more impressions and followers. Connect with other conference speakers as well.
• If available, obtain a media list from the conference organizers to arrange interviews before or during the conference. You may want to issue a media alert about your speaking session to schedule meetings with any press who might be in attendance or to garner a mention in any pre or post show media coverage.
• Plan a relevant company or product announcement to coincide with your speaking engagement to further entice the press for interviews.
• Inquire with conference organizers as to whether they will be conducting any pre-coverage of the event via one on one interviews with speakers or social media blitzes.
• Let your sales team know you will be speaking and arrange meetings with customers or potential customers either at the event or in the area to maximize use of your time.
• Ask the organizers if the event (including your session) will be live steamed and/or captured on video.  We’ll leverage that post conference!

When the day arrives for your presentation ensure you have set up your social media activity for the day:

• If possible, plan ahead and have someone in the audience take pictures and/or tweet quotes on your behalf during your session using both your personal handle as well as the company handle. Be sure to use any conference handles and hashtags as well.
• Ensure your fellow co-workers know about your speaking session and encourage others in your company to re-tweet your posts.
• If the event is being streamed, ensure to provide a link to the live stream.
• Re-tweet other conference speakers posts to elevate your exposure.

After your speaking engagement there are many ways to further leverage and re-purpose your presentation content in order to continue the dialogue and amplify your message:

• Leverage the material to develop blog posts and whitepapers- connect those to your Twitter and LinkedIn accounts and use them on your company Web site
• Turn the discussion into a by-line article and submit to a publication
• If your session was taped or streamed add that link to your biography, especially if you plan to speak elsewhere.  Conferences are requesting they “see” potential speakers in action and these links will prove to be fruitful for you many times over.