How do you build your personal brand as a conference speaker?

1 Define your niche

Before you pitch your talk, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to talk about and why. What is your area of specialization, passion, or innovation? What problems do you solve, what insights do you offer, what value do you add? How do you differentiate yourself from other speakers in your field? Your niche should reflect your strengths, interests, and goals as a speaker.

2 Know your audience

Once you have your niche, you need to tailor your talk to your audience. Who are they, what are their needs, expectations, and challenges? How can you engage them, educate them, and inspire them? How can you make your talk relevant, useful, and actionable for them? Research your audience, understand their context, and adapt your content, tone, and delivery accordingly.

3 Craft your story

Your talk should not be a dry presentation of facts, figures, or theories. It should be a compelling story that captures your audience's attention, emotions, and curiosity. Your story should have a clear structure, a central theme, and a strong message. It should also have your personal touch, your perspective, your experience, your examples, your humor. Your story should showcase your personality, values, and vision as a speaker.

4 Polish your skills

Your story is only as good as your delivery. You need to practice your skills as a speaker, such as your voice, body language, eye contact, gestures, and pace. You also need to master your tools, such as your slides, props, or demos. You need to rehearse your talk, get feedback, and refine your performance. You need to prepare for different scenarios, such as technical glitches, audience questions, or time constraints. You need to be confident, professional, and authentic as a speaker.

5 Promote yourself

Your personal brand as a speaker does not end with your talk. You need to promote yourself before, during, and after the conference. You need to create a speaker profile, a website, a blog, or a social media presence that showcases your expertise, achievements, and testimonials. You need to network with other speakers, organizers, and attendees, and follow up with them after the event. You need to seek new opportunities, apply for more conferences, and grow your reputation as a speaker.

6 Keep learning

Your personal brand as a speaker is not a static thing. It is a dynamic and evolving process that requires constant learning, improvement, and innovation. You need to keep up with the latest trends, developments, and best practices in your field. You need to seek feedback, evaluate your performance, and identify your areas of improvement. You need to challenge yourself, try new things, and experiment with different formats, topics, and audiences. You need to be curious, humble, and open-minded as a speaker.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?