When people think of public relations, the top activities that come to mind are probably writing press releases and pitching media for interviews. But one aspect that may not be as evident is submitting your business for speaking and award opportunities.
The two often go hand in hand, as both speaking and award submissions require creating a spreadsheet to track opportunities and drafting submissions that highlight individual or business-wide accomplishments. Both also have a long shelf life well beyond the initial speaking opportunity or award win.
How do you get started tracking opportunities and determine what’s a good fit for your business? Keep reading for the inside scoop on booking speaking opportunities for your business and stay tuned to our blog next week when we talk about how you can snag award nominations for your business, too!
What To Look For
When compiling speaking opportunities, there are local, regional and national conferences to consider. Determine what kind of audience you are trying to reach and how far you are willing to travel when narrowing your scope. To build out a list of conferences and events, look at local publications, as media organizations regularly host events. Research what events your competitors have been a part of. And look up key terms related to your industry.
Once you’ve built out a list of potential events, check first to see if there is a dedicated Call for Speakers. This means that the event is open to outside submissions for subject matter experts to create a presentation and speak at a session during the event. If there doesn’t seem to be a formal Call for Speakers, it never hurts to reach out to the event organizers to learn more about the speaker submission process and see if there’s still a way to participate.
Crafting a Submission
You have your list of potential events. Now what? The first thing is to organize everything in a spreadsheet to keep track of upcoming deadlines. Next, identify who from your business would be the best fit to submit as a potential speaker. Mapping out a list of subject matter experts is helpful not only for a speaking submission but is also great when determining who can speak to what when it comes to media interviews.
Every speaking submission is different, but one thing remains the same for all: don’t leave it until the last minute! Some are straightforward and just call for the speaker’s biography while others may require a proposed topic outline for the event session, a video component, or a detailed bibliography of past speaking engagements. It’s always best to allow plenty of time to compile!
Another thing to be aware of is pay-for-play events. A conference may look like a great fit for your business, only for you to discover that you have to pay to be a sponsor in order to secure a speaking opportunity.
The Benefits
In the short term, speaking as a subject matter expert at a conference is free advertising and a way to get your business in front of a crowd. The event itself can boast great networking opportunities. There’s also longevity beyond the event. Pitch local media about the speaking engagement. Post about the event across social media channels, including posting live from the session. Add a list of speaking engagements to your business’ website. The immediate impact of visibility gives way to a long-term benefit of credibility.
Curating a list of relevant speaking opportunities and cultivating a submission takes time. But when done right, it can result in a number of benefits. If nothing else, it provides your subject matter experts with a chance to further perfect their public speaking skills!
Interested in building out a list of speaking opportunities for your business? The Social Ape team is ready to help! Contact us today.
