4 Ways to Promote Keynote Speaker

4 Ways to Promote Keynote Speaker

Whether you’re looking to attract a crowd for your annual charity event or work on team-building within your organization, one of the largest attractions to your event is the centerfold: the keynote speaker.

Proper promotion can drive a ton of foot traffic to your event and build excitement for attendees waiting for your event.  In addition to traditional mailers and direct marketing to your customers, employees, or professional contacts there are plenty of ways you can promote your keynote speaker and increase the success of your event.

1.  Prepare Promotional Materials with Your Speaker

First thing to promote keynote speaker for your event is to prepare promotional materials. It’s likely that your speaker already has some type of promotion materials prepared for their keynotes and training programs that can attract guests to register and attend.  If you can, ask the keynote speaker to create a short video that asks for the attendance of potential guests and tells them what to expect during the keynote presentation

Make sure the video is short, sweet, and to the point.  Outline the core benefits and tell them exactly what they’re going to get from attending your event.  Try to tie the video in with the language you’re already using to promote the event (such as the title of the event).

2.  Use Your Company or Event Website to Advertise the Event

Your website is the digital handshake guests can access at any time of day.   Use it as one of the main resources you use to advertise your event and speak to your potential audience.

Post the video you asked your speaker to record on a main tab on your website.   Talk about the session, the public speaker on your website.  Include pictures, videos, and any promotion materials your speaker has provided to you.  If at all possible, consider writing blog posts or other long form content that can tell your audience more about your speaker and what they will learn during your sessions.

Build authority for your keynote speaker by including any books, articles, or media that allows your potential audience to get associated with the speaker and their material.

3. Leverage Social Media Channels

It’s undeniable: Social media is an essential tool in modern promotion, and one of the best ways to promote keynote speakers for your event.

Try to use predetermined hashtags that align you with the speaker or the event.  Work to get all organizations involved and try to create a sense of community around your event.  Create groups on Facebook, share flyers on Instagram, and use #hashtags to reach guests on Twitter.

For example, our hashtag #SBCspeaks helps our colleagues attract followers and gain attention from potential guests.

The biggest benefit of using social media to leverage your event?  Speakers are social people.  More often than not, their social media channels are traffic-heavy communities with people who are truly interested in what your event is all about.  Part of the benefit to hiring the best keynote speakers is the notoriety that comes along.

4. Invite the Media to Your Event for Publication

Looking to invite the local news to your event?  Before the event, send a short news release to the editors of the newspapers and news channels you’re interested in inviting to the event.  Send promotional materials as well as a copy of the program and invite them to publicize the event.

Talk with your keynote speaker to arrival times, leaving times, and interview times.   Try to connect them with the association leaders who have expressed interest in publicizing your event.  Keep your eye on the news and if you see an opportunity to relate your event to a current event.  Think about what you can do that will generate good visuals, photos, and media buzz.  Your keynote speaker should be able to connect with your event organizer to explore these avenues further, as well as create a game plan for managing the media when they arrive.

By following these 4 steps your event will gain momentum before, during and after it transpires. Speakers welcome the chance to promote themselves and your event, delegates love the opportunity of personal engagement and most of all, you are the one who can take credit for the success of the event. Please do keep in mind that it takes some time to build all 4 steps working in the same direction and off one another, but once it does, the event will not only be a success, but the event itself will gain long term popularity with its own sense of identity.

By Roger Breault, President
& Gordon Breault, Executive Director
Speakers Bureau of Canada
Jan 12^th, 2017