6 Easy Ways You Can Use Twitter to Build Your Speaker Profile

If the thought of using Twitter for your speaking business makes you burst out into a cold sweat, you are not alone. Unlike social peers such as Facebook and Instagram, Twitter is often considered to be the most challenging of social networks because of its real-time roots and stickler policy for brevity. However, with some consistent practice, you will be able to be a part of 330 million active users who send out more than 500 million tweets per day. As a speaker, not having an active Twitter profile can place you at a disadvantage. Twitter is a platform that most live event planners use to drive conversation and boost visibility about a conference, festival, or workshop through hashtags. By consistently engaging on Twitter before, during, and after speaking gigs, you can build influence and followers.

Here are several quick and easy hacks you can use to become a Twitter rockstar for your speaking business:

Capitalize Your Twitter Bio to Boost SEO

Your Twitter bio is essential for telling people who you are, what you do, why you do it, and who you do it for. You have 160 characters in this section, so it is important to make it count. Identify the keywords that are closely aligned with your work and/or speaking topics. Use hashtags; however, do a search on the hashtag to determine its popularity. You don't want to use a hashtag that gets little to no traffic.

A hack that is also becoming more common on Twitter is using your name section in a similar fashion to LinkedIn headlines. For me, instead of simply using my name, I chose to put Whitney L. Barkley, M.S. | Visual Brand Strategist. This not only helps with keyword searches but it will give profile visitors an idea of what I do before they read my complete profile.

If you have your own unique hashtag for your brand, be sure to place it in your profile -- when others conduct a search, your profile will likely pop up. If you have spoken on major stages like TED or been on mainstream media outlets or blogs like CNN or Huffington Post, use their Twitter handles in the bio section to add credibility to your profile.

Another consideration for your Twitter bio is to utilize the link space. Unlike Instagram, Twitter allows you to place links in both your bio paragraph body area and your website section. Use this section if you want to link to your website and/or a promotion that you may have (i.e. preorder link to a book).

Pin a Tweet of Your Speaker Reel, Presentation Clip, or About Me Pitch

A pinned tweet is located at the top of your Twitter profile. No matter how old a tweet is, you can pin it to the top of your profile for as long as you desire. It is recommended to pin a video at the top of your profile that shows someone what you do better than you can tell them. If you are a more seasoned speaker with a speaker reel, pin it at the top of your profile. Twitter only allows up to two minutes of video, so it is important to make sure your reel reflections the time limitations. If possible, make sure your reel contains testimonials from others to provide social proof of the great delivery and value you bring to the stage. (Side note, if you need help collecting the right testimonials, this article can help.)

If you are just started out and do not have an arsenal of clips under your belt, consider showing a short clip from a presentation to give others a taste of your style. Or if you are SPANKING brand new (i.e. no speaking engagements -- yet....we speak it into existence!) create a two-minute About Me video that discusses who you are, what you speak about, why you are qualified to speak on the topic, and how people can contact you.

Regardless of where you are in the game, a video is a great way to connect with others to allow them to see and hear you outside of 280 character tweets.

Use the Advanced Search feature to Find Call For Speaker Announcements

The Advanced Search feature is one of Twitter's best-kept secrets. Using the Advanced Search feature can help you identify other speakers in your niche you can gain inspiration from, listen to conversations from others in your industry, and the best of them all -- help you find speaking engagements. Whether you are looking for paid speaking engagements or speaking engagements outside of your city, the Advanced Search feature can help tremendously.

To use the Advanced Search section, you must first be on the Desktop. I won't go into the intricate details on how to do it (I have an article from Hubspot that can help!), however, I will show two nice screenshots of the possibilities:

My Search for "Call for Speakers in a Specific Date Range"

The Results:

Create or join a Twitter Chat Relevant to Your Expertise to Build Trust

Throughout my time on Twitter, I have come to learn that Twitter Chats are one of the most effective ways to build credibility and expertise. If you are unfamiliar with the term, a Twitter Chat is an event that is curated around a hashtag (i.e. #SpeakerChat by the Women's Speakers Association or #MillennialTalk by Chelsea Krost). These chats can be held monthly, bi-weekly, or in a series style to promote an upcoming live event. Typically the chat has a host and a guest who tweet back and forth Q&A style while spectators also provide commentary. Use Twubs.com to find chats in your industry. If you have an active and engaged following, be bold and start your own. People truly enjoy Twitter chats because information is shared in a quick digestible format. It also gives access to influencers and experts who typically have no problem interacting on Twitter. Use Twitter Chats to its advantage and identify ways you can network with others who may have the keys to introducing you to your next speaking engagement.

Make a Twitter List of Accounts You Want to Build Relationships With

Twitter lists are gold. If scrolling up and down your timeline feels overwhelming, Twitter lists can consolidate groups of people you want to follow into lists, so that it is easy to keep track of what others are doing. Use Twitter lists to follow event planners, fellow speakers, event attendees, influencers in your industry, and potential sponsors for live events that you may want to host. By organizing everyone into a list, you can efficiently engage with their content. Twitter gives you the benefit of making lists public or private and it is your personal preference of what you would like to do. Keep in mind, if you make your list public, users will be notified that you added them to a list.

A particular hack you can use to drive others to your profile is creating a Twitter list of resources. Let's say you are a speaker that talks to parents to help them find money for their children to go to college. You can make a Twitter list of accounts you consider to be a resource for college planning and promote it at the end of a presentation as a way to build your Twitter following.

Make a regular effort to visit your lists and also check and see what lists you have been added to. Often times when people enjoy your content they will add you to a list and through observation, you can understand how your brand is being perceived based on the list description and title, and make adjustments if necessary.

Go Live to Provide Quick Tips or an Inside Look into Your Presentation

While live streaming for users has taken off on Facebook and Instagram, Twitter has long held a stake in the game through its subsidiary live-streaming company Periscope. More recently, the platform allows users to live stream directly from Twitter. Twitter reports that in Q3 of 2017, it live streamed more than 830 events and 96 million hours of user-generated content. Take advantage of live streaming by giving a sneak peek inside of your presentation or providing regular nuggets for your audience. The real-time coverage of your abilities will keep you at the top of mind, and most importantly show people what they may be missing out on when you speak live. If you commit to regular quick tips be sure to engage with your audience and answer any questions they may have about your topic. Building an active live-stream audience doesn't happen overnight; however, if you remain consistent and provide value with your voice, you will grow a loyal following.

With these tips, you should be a Twitter rockstar in no time! How are you using Twitter to build your brand as a speaker? Tweet me at @whitneylbarkley -- I'd love to hear how you are using the platform.

Whitney L. Barkley, M.S. is the Chief Creative Officer of Speakerazzi, a visual branding and real-time social media marketing firm in Columbus, OH. Sign up for the official website launch at speakerazzi.com.