JULY 25, 2023

Welcome to The Tilt, a twice-weekly newsletter for content entrepreneurs.

Add Speaking to Your Business

Speak for free before you speak for pay.

Among expert content creators, 21% say speaking engagements are a revenue stream in their business, according to The Tilt’s Content Entrepreneur Benchmark Research.

But speaking usually doesn’t start as a revenue stream. It starts as an opportunity to showcase your expertise, grow an audience, market your business, and demonstrate you can execute on the stage (virtual or in real life).

Fortunately, you are well prepared to add speaking to your services list. You know your target audience. You already create content. You have a content tilt that differentiates you from everybody else. Those are the main ingredients of every speaking strategy.

Now, let’s go into more specifics to help you land speaking gigs (unpaid and paid).

Identify speaking opportunities. Look for organizations, conferences, groups, etc., that host speakers and have audiences you want to reach.

Think local. A chapter of a business or nonprofit organization or a chamber of commerce can be a good starting point. They usually rely on local speakers who are more likely to understand their audience and don’t require a fee or travel expenses. Even if they don’t offer the ideal target audience, you can gain valuable experience from those stages.

Go where your audience goes. What conferences do they attend? What podcasts do they listen to? What webinars do they watch? Visit the site for each one to assess the speaking opportunities.

Conferences often have a call for speakers posted six months to a year before the event. Mark the dates for their next submission time. Look at past agendas and formats to get familiar with what they look for. Note if they pay for speakers or travel expenses. (Often, the compensation is free admission.)

Listen and watch the podcasts, webinars, etc., to learn if they use a guest speaker format. If they do, add them to your prospect list.

Reach out to land speaking gigs. Outreach typically falls into two categories – direct one-on-one contact and online submissions.

With local organizations and solo and small business platforms, you can usually reach out to their contact with a pitch. In this format, you briefly introduce yourself and your expertise and say something that indicates you’re familiar with their organization/podcast/webinars, etc. Be specific. Saying you think they have a great podcast isn’t helpful. Saying something you learned from a recent guest is specific. Then briefly share an idea of what you could offer their audience. (If they’re interested, you can go into more detail in follow-up correspondence.) Close with your contact information and a promise to follow up. (And make sure to follow up by email or even a phone call.)

Conferences typically fall into the online process. Before you submit, walk through the application and note what information they want, such as the title, description, learning objectives, and takeaways from your presentation. They also will want to know about you – your credentials, existing audience, social platforms, etc. Sometimes, they will ask for references from previous speaking engagements or clips/links to past presentations. (If you don’t have a clip, create one. Host a LinkedIn Live or Twitter Spaces, or book some space at your local library to host a presentation open to the community and record it.)

Don’t give up if you don’t secure a speaking gig on your first attempt. Grow your relationship with their organization or business while you build your speaking portfolio elsewhere.

– Ann Gynn

Supported by

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Entrepreneur: Melissa Rifkin

Biz: Melissa Rifkin Nutrition

Tilt: Registered dietitian and mom

Primary Channels: Website, Instagram (395K), newsletter

Other Channels: TikTok (3K)

Time to First Dollar: About two years

Rev Streams: Brand sponsorships, private clients

Our Favorite Actionable Advice:

• Recognize your worth: Melissa did brand deals in exchange for product for a couple of years before she realized her expertise deserved something more valuable than Splenda packets.
• Don’t give up: Persistence is a requirement. “You actually have to say no to my face for me to stop following up with you,” she says.
• See the possibilities: Some early-stage creators can be intimidated by more successful content entrepreneurs. Don’t be. “Find something that sets you apart from other people,” Melissa says. “It’s a big sea out there.”

– Sarah Lindenfeld Hall​
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​Read the detailed story of Melissa Rifkin. ​

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• The majority of creators struggle with how to display pricing information. Here are a couple of examples of good and bad pricing methods. (Content Inc.)
• Joe and Robert talk about how advertising continues to plummet. When will we hit the bottom? (This Old Marketing)
• Mark your calendar for 12 p.m. US ET July 25 for Tilt Your Content Business: A Weekly Mastermind for Entrepreneurs in the Creator Economy.
• ​Have you said thank you to your customers? (Small Business Trends)
• ​Avoid these five toxic startup recommendations. (Entrepreneur Handbook)

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