Lauren Pibworth

March 22, 2023 by Lauren Pibworth Leave a Comment

For professional speakers, having a strong online presence is crucial to establish their brand and connecting with their audience. Launching a new website is an important step towards achieving this goal. Here are some tips on how professional speakers can effectively promote their new website launch:

1. Add an announcement line to your email signature.

It may feel like a ‘no brainer’ – but this first and easiest step is the most overlooked. Highlight the web address in a new colour and invite your email recipients to check it out.

2. Utilize Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool for professional speakers to connect with their audience and ensure a successful website launch. Chances are you are already leveraging social media in your everyday promotion, but pre-launch you can generate hype and talk about the launch day (much, in the same way, you would generate buzz around your new book).

Use hashtags and tag relevant individuals or organizations to increase your reach. Share snippets of your speaking engagements, have followers vote on the photography you are going to use, and share screenshots of ‘really cool elements’ to generate interest in your website and brand.

3. Leverage Your Email List

Professional speakers often have a large email list of past clients, event organizers, and interested individuals. Utilize this list to promote your website launch. Send a dedicated email with a clear call to action to visit your website. Offer a special promotion or give away an eBook or other free gift to incentivize visitors to explore your website. In fact – see point 4 😉

4. Hold an ‘easter egg hunt’.

“Hide” images or keywords in your site during your launch period, that when clicked will download items of value for the people visiting your site. Tie it to your list-building activities.

5. Leverage your high-value opt-in

You would not launch a website without a new lead-generating mechanism – so show it off right off the bat. Share your lead gen pages as an incentive to attract visitors to continue to explore your site: two birds, one gift.

6. Optimize for SEO

Professional speakers should optimize their websites for search engines to attract organic traffic. Now – this should have been done during the build, but still. Use keywords related to your niche and optimize your website structure and content. Include testimonials from past clients and speaking engagements to establish credibility.

7. Partner with Industry Influencers

Partnering with influencers in your industry or niche can help promote your website launch to a larger audience. Identify individuals with large followings who align with your brand and collaborate on a social media campaign or sponsored post.

8. Partner with Other Speakers

Partnering with other professional speakers in your niche or industry can help you reach a wider audience and promote your website launch. Collaborate on a social media campaign, co-author a blog post, or host a joint webinar to promote each other’s website.

9. Host a Launch Event

Professional speakers can host a launch event to generate excitement and buzz around their new website. Invite industry leaders, event organizers, and past clients to attend. Offer refreshments and entertainment to create a memorable experience. Use the event to promote your website launch and your brand.

10. Utilize Guest Blogging

Guest blogging on relevant industry websites or blogs can help you establish credibility and promote your website launch to a new audience. Include a link to your website in your author bio to drive traffic to your website.

11. Be a Podcast Guest

Being a guest on a podcast related to your niche or industry can help you reach a new audience and promote your website launch. Identify podcasts that align with your brand and expertise and contact the hosts to pitch yourself as a guest. Share your website link in the podcast episode description or show notes to drive traffic to your website.

And here’s one more tip to promote your website launch I bet you never thought of…

Interview Your Web Designer

I don’t mean it to only sound self serving, but…

Why not interview your brand strategist and web designer?

If you have worked with a company that specializes in speaker marketing as Pibworth does, then chances are they will have a large following of their own – AND they will really have a clear understanding of your brand and your goals. Filming a short interview or podcast with them can offer your customers, and theirs, insights into your brand (and opportunities to showcase your expertise) in a way that you might feel uncomfortable doing yourself.

Think about how excited the Pibworth Team is when we launch your site. Our enthusiasm for You carries weight and gives us both a reason to talk about the intricacies of your why, your brand, and your service promise in a way that is not self-promoting, but simply opening the curtain to reveal the ‘real you’ behind the brand. It becomes a conversation steeped in celebration – not a boast session.

It goes without saying, but apparently, I am going to say it anyway. DOING all of these things is great – but you have got to get eyeballs on what you do. So, share your content EVERYWHERE

And honestly, this is just the start. My quick ideas. What have YOU done lately to promote your new website? I’d love to update my list!

December 20, 2022 by Lauren Pibworth Leave a Comment

Hello and Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah – or whatever you celebrate this holiday season.

We, humanity that is, tends to look at a new year and decide we are going to make changes in our lives, and often in our businesses that will ‘make all the difference’ in the year moving forward. Sometimes we keep those promises to ourselves, and sometimes we don’t. But I find if I put out my intention publicly, I tend to work harder to keep it. My mother taught me to “do what you say you are going to do”. As a teenager, I struggled with keeping my word, but as an adult I find it to be more a matter of character and integrity, so I struggle less.

They say character is who people say you are when you are not in the room. As a marketer – I think that also defines your brand. Your brand is not what You say it is – it is what your customers say it is. As a business owner, no matter how hard you work to ‘look successful’ by having a stellar website. Or to ‘sell more’ by building a well-thought-out sales funnel. Your business is ultimately defined by what your customers say about you. Now, don’t get me wrong, you need a stellar website and you need to be positioned to attract our ideal clients. But you also need to deliver on that level of service and expertise. You will be fighting a losing battle if you don’t in fact, do what you say you are going to do.

This brings me back around to the whole reason for this post. The New Year is a time for new beginnings and new promises to ourselves – and sharing my promise to myself out loud makes me more likely to keep it.

In that spirit – I wanted to share my theme for 2023 with you. – and – well, show off my Santa hat. Because along with a bit of bling, every girl needs a fun Santa hat or two.

My theme for 2023 is “Step OUT in order to Step UP”.

2023 goals, Step OUT in order to Step UP

I have big plans for PibworthPS in the next 5 to 10 years, and in order to bring those plans to fruition, I need to get out of my own way. I need to Step OUT of several things.

I need to step out of doing a lot of the task-focused work in my business. I have a team of professionals who are trained and fully capable of doing any and all tasks that come our way. I need to be more strategic in how I spend my time. I need to spend more time in – well – strategy rather than implementation. In 2023 I will focus on helping my clients understand and envision the big-picture goals they have for their business – and I will rely on my team to execute that strategy. I have spent a lot of time in 2022 training and putting together systems that will support this 2023 goal, and now it is time to unleash the Pibworth team to the wild (so to speak).

My hope is that the level of care and the #PibworthHug level of service won’t diminish. In fact, it will increase because the team members are in fact much better at most things than I am. That is how we build a successful business after all. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you are.

So yes. I will embrace the art of delegating and step out of anything that does not serve the long-term vision.

Step OUT in order to Step UP

I will Step UP so I can:

Say yes to growth.

Say yes to the influx of clients that are already coming our way.

I will step up and walk in my zone of brilliance.

I will create workshops that will help my speaker clients get more leads, build next-generation websites, and help my clients build the speaking businesses they have always dreamed of.

I will say yes to presenting at as many CAPS and NSA chapters as I can.

I will say yes to a broader and more global reach.

I say yes to Step OUT in order to Step UP

What are you going to say yes to this year? And more importantly – what are you willing to say no to so you CAN say yes to those things that mean the most to you?

What are you going to create in 2023?

I’d love it if you shared your goals and dreams with me. But for now – I want to wish you the happiest of holidays, and the merriest of Christmases – and I wanted to share one more PibworthHug before we close for the holidays.

See you on January 3 everyone.

July 5, 2022 by Lauren Pibworth Leave a Comment

Video marketing is nothing new to us who work in the speaking business. Back in 2018, I wrote a blog about easy tips to create videos for your marketing strategy. And now, at least 70% of the content I see online is video. So I thought why not update that blog and talk about improving video marketing for speakers?

Here are some tips to help your videos stand out in 2022.

Take advantage of “the magic window”

Most people have a — very— short attention span. But there’s a window of time that you can take advantage of, and you should! This is what I call “the magic window” — also called “hook”– and it lasts for about 15 seconds.

Video marketing for speakers is all about showing potential clients what you can do. Within those 15 seconds, you should capture the attention of your audience, and give them a reason to go past those 15 seconds!

Think about different kinds of content

Video is a format with a lot of possibilities apart from your sizzle reel. And, as a speaker, I know you have a lot more to say so why not turn it into shareable videos?

Explainer videos and FAQs are the most common. But it’s up to you and your brand what other kinds of content you can and want to do. My recommendation here is to start with videos you like to see and then turn them into something that works for you.

Also, take into consideration the kind of content your target clients are sharing. You might find some interesting ideas that you haven’t thought of and that can be done from home as well.

Plan out your content

I already gave this advice in my previous blog. But I think now more than ever if extremely important if we are talking about video marketing for speakers. Every day, thousands of videos and photos go out on the internet and what we think is ‘famous’ now, can die, metaphorically, in a matter of days. Videos are just the same, so planning them allows you to post them when it is more convenient, and more likely to be seen.

You should also think about the platform you are sharing your videos on. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok are the apps most people see videos on. And, more often than not, people will be seeing those on their phones.

How many times haven’t you lost hours looking at video recipes or hacks on your phone? I know I have! When planning your content, think about the phone format as well, and make it comfortable for potential clients to see!

What are you waiting for to start making more videos for your brand? Apart from your sizzle reel, other kinds of videos can help you share your message with more people inside and outside of your speaker website!

June 12, 2022 by Lauren Pibworth Leave a Comment

In one of my last blogs, I talked about the importance of sizzle reels and everything you should know about them. It’s quite an extensive blog because it has all you need to get started, but I’m a practical gal and if there’s a short and simple guide to learn something, I’ll go for that one first. That’s why I wanted to dedicate this bite-size article to talking about sizzle reel essentials.

Here’s a question for you: when was the last time you saw a video on your computer?

The last video I saw was an Instagram reel of a salad recipe that had a message saying “please, put your phone in horizontal” And I thought “really? Is it necessary to have a warning like that? I’m not a child” But then I asked myself the same question I’m asking you. And the fact was that most of the videos I see, I see them on my phone, and they are vertical. More times than not, I scroll down if the video is not comfortable for me to watch.

So I came to a realization: people — including myself— will often choose the path with the least resistance, very much like electricity. We actually do need easy-to-follow messages that make our lives simpler because most of the time, we get distracted and something as simple as a salad recipe can get lost.

That’s the first thing we need our sizzles reels to be: simple and easy to follow.

So, what are the sizzle reel essentials for us busy people?

Introduction

Tell people who are you and how you can help them. Leave that clear in the first couple of seconds and maybe even support that information with graphics of your name and logo.

Tagline and topics you cover

Your potential clients will appreciate you taking their time into consideration and tell them right away if you are the speaker they are looking for. Remember they are as busy as you are! Here you could also add the benefits for your potential clients and listeners.

B-Roll or complementary footage

One of the most underrated sizzle reel essentials: B-Roll. This can be videos of you on your presentations, footage of your audience, or even stock material if you don’t have any footage yourself.

Contrary to what you might think, people will be more motivated to hear you if you add a couple of B-Roll footage as a “break” rather than having a long video featuring you talking to the camera.

Call To Action

If you’ve managed to retain people’s attention to this point, a Call To Action is the perfect way to encourage clients to see more of you. Could be a simple “Hey, share it with someone who wants to eat a salad that’s more than lettuce and vinegar” — If we take the salad example from before— Or maybe promote a freebie and invite people to go to your website to download it.

Of course, these are just the essentials for an introductory sizzle reel, but there are other kinds of reels that you can do. I’ll cover them in another post. Meanwhile, let’s create simpler and useful videos with these sizzle reel essentials.

March 9, 2022 by Lauren Pibworth Leave a Comment

Event planners and meeting professionals are busy people and if you are fortunate enough to have attracted them to your website, you have a matter of seconds to command their attention. When you are presenting, you know you have to immediately get your audience on your side, but you usually have a ‘captive’ audience, and even if your first point falls flat, you can win them over in time.

When it comes to your website, you have a matter of seconds to make that great first impression and often there is not another opportunity to win them over. If you don’t get to the point and answer the question on their mind right away, they have moved on to the next speaker website on their list.

So, what do meeting professionals look for when hiring a speaker? And what should you include on your website to have that initial conversation with them? Here’s the little secret I’ve unveiled over my years in this business: you have to remember who you are talking to.

It is great to please the audience, but it is better to please the one who hired you. THAT is the key to a speaker website that gets repeat bookings and an increase in your bottom line!

Sometimes we get so caught up in audience feedback that we forget that, unless you are putting on your own event, the audience did not hire us. It was that meeting planner, that decision-maker who decided if we would be a good fit for their meeting or conference. Those meeting professionals hiring speakers are the ones we need our speaker websites to talk to!

When I am strategizing with clients on websites and marketing planss, we sit down and decide, among other things, exactly who is likely to be hiring them, and why. Before you write a single page of content for your site think about who pays you and the questions they might have.

So, what are the 5 main questions your speaker website needs to answer to get hired more often?

1) What do you talk about – will you fit with the theme for my conference?

Showcase your expertise and include your speaking topics within the first pages of your website. Event planners looking to hire new speakers need to know right away what you do.

2) Do you have credibility on the subject matter?

You can easily show them this by adding your bio or relevant credentials and awards to your website. This is crucial, with the number of competitions there’s online. And it’s the second thing event professionals hiring speakers will look for on your website.

3) Are you any good?

Well, of course, you are! But event planners will need more than your word in this case. It is helpful here to add a couple of videos or short clips of your conferences. And don’t forget your sizzle reel!

4) Who have you spoken to before – and did they like you?

Audience testimonials! Your meeting professionals want to know how good you are. It is always better when the one saying this is someone who has attended your conferences and can recommend you to others.

5) Are you likely easy to work with?

This question can be tricky, but it all comes down to this: Will you show up on time and stay within your time limit? Will you go the extra mile for my attendees?

This is something only other event professionals can vouch for, so don’t underestimate their reviews!

To be perfectly honest, there are a lot more questions after these to answer. But you only have 15 seconds, if that, to get an event planner’s attention to make them stay long enough on your site to entice them to book their call. Make sure you answer these main questions before anything else. When dealing with event professionals hiring speakers, it’s always better to be remembered as someone who was considerate of their time from the first conversation — the one they have with you from your website!

February 17, 2022 by Lauren Pibworth Leave a Comment

Nowadays, online video is predicted to be the leading source of web content by 2022, being more than 80% of all web traffic. And if you followed my speaker website posts, you know that I always say that good video is a necessity for a speaker site and they are excellent content for social media as well – but what constitutes great speaker sizzle reels? What are the elements you need and how do you make yours stand out? Here’s what I found has worked in the last few years.

The basics

The first thing you need to know about speaker sizzle reels is that, by definition, sizzle reels are short video clips that showcase your experience and abilities. And when I say short, I mean it. These videos can be as short as 2 minutes or as long as 10 minutes. Often, up to 5 min are more than enough for many speaker sizzle reels.

When creating your speaker sizzle videos, keep in mind these three basic elements: quality, length, and content. I’ll briefly explain them next:

Quality

I cannot stress the importance of video and audio quality enough in this blog! Now that everything is digital, and everyone has a mobile device, video and audio quality are a huge factor in whether people stay or swipe away from your video.

If you are recording your own videos, try to set your camera at the minimum resolution required for HD quality, which is 1280×720. Anything above that is great too! Just keep in mind that the higher the resolution, the heavier the file.

As for the audio, if you are recording your voice, try to record in a room or a closet to reduce echo and unwanted background noise to get cleaner audio. If you are using any other sound or recording, sticking to your usual MP4 format will work just fine.

Length

I mentioned before that anywhere between 2 to 10 minutes is a good length for speaker sizzle reels. That’s because, in this case, longer doesn’t necessarily translate to better. In most cases, short videos are more effective in maintaining people’s attention.

The truth is that most people on the internet pay attention to the first 10-30 seconds of your video. So keep your most engaging content upfront. Who are we kidding – it ALL has to be engaging, but if someone was only going to watch 15 seconds, what would you absolutely need them to see?

Think about it, if you already invested 30 seconds of your time watching a video, and you liked it, you’ll watch 2 minutes. And if you REALLY liked it, you’ll probably watch 10 minutes more.

Another factor to think about to determine the best length for your speaker sizzle reels is where are you going to share them. Your website is one thing, but on social media, you want your video to share. Some platforms such as Facebook favors videos of up to 3 minutes long while others like LinkedIn recommend clips of up to 90 seconds.

Content

Your speaker sizzle video doesn’t have to tell all of your stories from A to Z — unless you want it to.

Of course, there are a lot of different sizzle reels formats out there. Some choose to go for a more narrative-driven video, and others simply use organic footage. Any of them work as long as you answer this question: are you capturing the imagination of your prospective clients? What do they need to know about you so they can make a buying decision?

This article from Motion Cue has some great tips on how to make more content-focused sizzle reels, so check it out for more insights!

Now that we are done with the basics, what should speaker sizzle reels have?

As I mentioned before, your reel doesn’t have to follow a specific set of rules, but there are some elements you want to consider for an effective sizzle reel.

1. Brand consistency

Your speaking sizzle reel is also part of your message, so the way you show up on stage is the way your reel should represent you.

If you are a ‘casual, laid back’ speaker, but you get dressed up in a suit and tie for your reel, your audience is going to get the wrong idea. If your talks are fast-paced, energetic experiences – show that. But if you are more of a technical, content-rich speaker who does not stand on a chair pretending you are skiing during your talk, don’t do it in your sizzle reel. (p.s. – do you know which speaker I am referring to in that scenario – shout him out in the comments if you do)

2. Organic footage

If I’m looking at your sizzle reel, I want to see you in it! Showcase all of your talents adding some footage from your own events or testimonials. That helps build up credibility and allows people to see you performing your best.

Another option to add organic footage is to record some segments yourself. This is a great opportunity to show yourself in a different environment as well, as long as it stays consistent with your branding.

3. B-Roll or audience footage

An effective sizzle reel often includes a “break” from the narration or testimonies. It helps people process the information you give them and it helps you emphasize important parts of your speech.

B-Roll can be anything from footage of your audience laughing and enjoying your events to simply stock footage. Either way, consider it in your plan when creating sizzle reels.

4. Motion graphics

This one is not that common, but it has become a common practice to add motion graphics and simple animations to create dynamic videos.

Graphics are good resources to help people remember certain facts and phrases that stand out from your speech.

5. Music

How boring would a video be without music! Don’t let your video be forgotten just because you missed this crucial part of it!

There are hundreds of free and paid options to get good quality music from, just choose the ones that better suit your brand.

Finally, how much does it cost to do a speaker sizzle reel?

The million-dollar question — Don’t worry, doing a sizzle reel can be a lot cheaper than that!—. Sizzle reels can be done at a variety of prices, depending on what you need. This is my best recommendation:

Everything costs, but you get to choose the currency.

The two most often used currencies are time and money. If you have technical abilities and are great with software, then yes, there is no reason you cannot invest the time yourself to edit this together.

There are some great editing tools on the market, one very easy to use is InShot, for example. And I have seen a few iPhone speaker reel videos people are creating and they are spectacular.

If you do not have the time or the talent – then video is a wise place to spend your money. Invest in a professional videographer who has experience in creating speaker sizzle reels. Ask to see their work first. Speak to their previous clients. Do your homework and choose someone whose customer service skills match their quality because this is not going to be cheap. Expect to pay between $1000 – $5000 depending on what your requirements are. A few of my favourite video genuises are Josh from Defiant Astronaut and Chris from Video Narrative

Make sure you own the rights to everything you use. If you include audience shots, have you had the audience sign a waiver before you filmed the show? Don’t forget to get media releases for testimonials as well. Did your videographer purchase the rights to the photos he may include? Are you allowed to use that media clip? Check everything ahead of time to avoid being told “sorry, you can’t use that” after you have already invested.

I know it’s quite a lot of information, but it’s worth going through it again to create or improve your sizzle videos for your speaker website and social media.