As a public speaker, your LinkedIn presence plays a crucial role in establishing credibility, attracting event organizers, and engaging with your audience. LinkedIn’s professional network allows you to connect with industry leaders, share your expertise, and showcase your speaking engagements. Here’s a guide on how to effectively build your LinkedIn presence as a public speaker.
Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile for Public Speaking
Your LinkedIn profile serves as your digital business card, and it needs to clearly reflect your expertise as a public speaker. Start by optimizing the key sections of your profile to make it clear that you are a skilled speaker available for events.
Headline
Your headline is one of the first things visitors see. Make it specific to your speaking niche to grab the attention of event organizers. For example:
“Keynote Speaker | Expert in Leadership Development & Workplace Innovation”
Your headline should communicate your role as a speaker and the value you bring to your audience.
Profile Photo and Banner
Use a professional headshot for your profile photo. It should reflect confidence, warmth, and professionalism. Additionally, customize your banner image to promote your speaking brand. You can feature your tagline, a high-quality photo of you speaking, or a collage of events where you’ve spoken.
About Section
The “About” section is where you can give potential clients and event organizers insight into who you are, what you speak about, and how you can add value to their audience. Highlight your speaking topics, your experience, and any notable achievements. Use this space to reflect your personal story and passion for speaking.
Here’s an example:
“As a keynote speaker with over 10 years of experience, I specialize in leadership and organizational change. I have delivered talks to audiences ranging from 100 to 10,000 attendees, helping professionals at every level embrace innovation in their workplace. My goal is to inspire action through engaging, data-driven presentations that leave a lasting impact.”
Featured Section
Use the “Featured” section to display high-quality content like videos of your past speaking engagements, articles, or media mentions. This is a great way to show your skills in action and add proof of your expertise.
Showcase Your Speaking Experience
LinkedIn allows you to add more than just job roles. You can include specific speaking engagements under the “Experience” section or create a dedicated section for them.
Add Speaking Gigs to Your Experience Section
Under the “Experience” section, list your past speaking engagements with descriptions of the events and your role. Be sure to include the event name, topics covered, and the size of the audience.
For example:
“Keynote Speaker, XYZ Leadership Conference (2023) – Delivered a 60-minute keynote on ‘Navigating Change in the Digital Era’ to an audience of 1,500 industry professionals.”
Add Media to Your Experience
Where possible, add media like videos, slides, or photos from the event. This helps potential clients visualize you in action and adds credibility to your speaking experience.
Leverage LinkedIn Content to Demonstrate Expertise
LinkedIn provides several content-sharing tools that can help you amplify your voice and demonstrate your expertise as a public speaker. These include posts, articles, and videos.
Share Speaking Highlights
Post regularly about your speaking engagements. Share videos, snippets of your presentations, and key takeaways from your talks. After an event, post a reflection about the experience, tagging the event organizers and key attendees to widen your reach.
Example:
“Honored to have spoken at the ABC Summit today on the importance of leadership in times of crisis. Grateful for the opportunity to engage with a fantastic audience and share actionable strategies for building resilient teams!”
Publish LinkedIn Articles
Long-form content, like LinkedIn Articles, allows you to dive deep into your speaking topics. Write about trends in your area of expertise, share thought leadership pieces, or repurpose content from your talks. These articles can establish you as an authority and are shareable with your network.
For example, if you speak on leadership, you could publish an article titled, “5 Leadership Lessons for Thriving in Uncertain Times.”
Use LinkedIn Live or LinkedIn Video
Videos are an effective way to engage your audience. You can use LinkedIn Live to host live Q&A sessions or mini-talks on topics you cover in your speaking engagements. Alternatively, you can record and share video snippets of your presentations to give a glimpse of your speaking style.
Engage With Your Network
Engaging consistently with your network is critical for building relationships and establishing a strong LinkedIn presence. Engaged connections are more likely to recommend you for speaking opportunities or introduce you to event organizers.
Engage With Relevant Content
Follow industry thought leaders and other public speakers to stay updated on trends and discussions in your field. Engage with their posts by liking, commenting, or sharing insights of your own. This increases your visibility and positions you as an active participant in the conversation.
Join LinkedIn Groups
Find and join groups related to public speaking or your niche industries. Engage in discussions and share your thoughts. This can help you build relationships with like-minded professionals and potential clients. Additionally, some event organizers look to these groups to find speakers.
Build a Recommendation Network
Ask for recommendations from event organizers or attendees who have seen you speak. Recommendations add social proof to your profile, showing that others value your expertise and speaking skills. Don’t hesitate to return the favor by recommending others as well.
Use LinkedIn’s Search Filters to Find Speaking Opportunities
LinkedIn is a powerful tool for prospecting speaking gigs. You can use LinkedIn’s search functionality to find event organizers, conference hosts, and companies that might be looking for speakers.
Search for Event Organizers and Decision Makers
Use search filters to find professionals with titles like “Event Coordinator,” “Conference Manager,” or “Head of Marketing.” Connect with them and, if appropriate, send a personalized message expressing your interest in future speaking opportunities.
Follow Companies and Conferences
Stay updated on relevant industry events by following companies or conferences. Many organizations post calls for speakers or event updates on their LinkedIn pages. Being proactive can put you ahead of the curve when these opportunities arise.
Promote Testimonials and Media Mentions
If you have been featured in the media or have received testimonials from past speaking engagements, use these to build your credibility.
Share Testimonials
When you receive positive feedback from event organizers or audience members, ask for their permission to share their testimonials on LinkedIn. You can add these to your “Experience” section, the “Featured” section, or as a post to highlight the value you bring as a speaker.
Highlight Media Mentions
If your speaking engagements have been covered in the media, share the articles or interviews on your profile. This not only boosts your credibility but also expands your reach by getting you in front of a broader audience.
Conclusion
Building a strong LinkedIn presence as a public speaker involves optimizing your profile, showcasing your speaking engagements, and sharing content that demonstrates your expertise. Consistent engagement with your network, sharing relevant content, and seeking opportunities on the platform can help position you as a go-to speaker in your niche. With a clear strategy, LinkedIn can become a powerful tool to grow your speaking career and attract new opportunities.