One of our most frequently asked questions from aspiring public speakers is “what’s the best way to get speaking gigs?” Truth be told, there are several different factors that contribute to landing a paid public speaking gig that it’s impossible to name just one. Everything from your keynote content to your marketing strategy to your network outreach is important for getting booked and paid to speak. If you’re just starting out in your speaking career, here are some of the best ways to position yourself to land paid speaking gigs.
Focus on One Keynote Topic
The first step to landing a speaking gig is writing a value-packed keynote talk about a singular topic. The key to a great keynote (see what we did there?) is focusing on one topic, not a variety. Believe it or not, the more focused and specific your keynote subject matter, the better for getting speaking gigs. In your keynote, include an introduction, conclusion, and supporting stories in between that relate to your overall transformation promise.
Set up Google Alerts
Once your keynote is written and ready for the stage, it’s time to begin the hunt for speaking gigs. Google Alerts is high on our list of the best ways to get speaking gigs. We recommend setting up several specific Google Alerts that include your ideal speaking audience, location, and event type. For example, use keywords like “women’s conferences,” “business convention,” “call for speakers,” “leadership summit,” etc. Wait & watch the gig opportunities roll in!
Connect with event organizers and meeting planners on social media
As you start to think about the types of events that are right for you, you will want to start finding the key people who are in charge of booking speakers for those events. You can find these people on the event’s website (look specifically in the “about”, “who we are” or “contact” tabs), or by doing research on LinkedIn. Some key titles you will want to keep an eye out for are:
Executive Director
Conference, Meetings, Event Planner
Education Coordinator
Programming Coordinator
Director of Meetings
Program Development
Subscribe to the Mic Drop Workshop newsletter
It’s no secret that finding upcoming events and current calls for speakers takes a lot of time and effort. That’s why we’re making it easy on you with our new biweekly newsletter featuring speaking submission opportunities events to keep an eye on. That’s right – we’re sending Mic Drop-curated speaking gigs sent straight to your inbox twice a month. Subscribe to the Mic Drop Workshop newsletter at the bottom of this page to make sure you’re on the list for the next edition!
Speaker Sister Facebook Group
No one has your back quite like your fellow women speakers. When you join Mic Drop Workshop, you get instant access to a private Facebook community of over 1,400 women supporting each other with speaking tips and event referrals. Week after week, women share past events they’ve spoken at that are seeking new speakers, podcast guest opportunities, and more.
Take Speaker Sister Saz for example, who can now add TEDx Speaker to her bio.
Ready to take the leap and learn all of our tips and tools for building a speaking career? Let’s do this!
