As you may or may not know I am currently in the depths of writing a book.

It’s a marketing book (I am sure that doesn’t surprise you!)

I had this astonishing realisation recently whilst writing a chapter – and it was a little disbelief that I have penned so many blogs and voiced hundreds of podcasts, and not once have I spoken about public speaking as a marketing strategy!

I’ve often said that my podcast has been the best thing I have done for my business, as far as marketing goes, but I guess the reality is that really it is my speaking that has put my business on the “map”.  So, this blog is all about using public speaking as a marketing strategy.  And if you don’t like speaking in public, that’s ok, I am here to convince you that you can do it!

I was a little over 40 before I pushed myself to do public speaking – in fact before I signed up for a course that taught public speaking.  There were three gurus who I looked to in this space at the time – David Penglase, one of the best keynote speakers in the country, Lisa McIness who is not only one of the best motivational speakers in the country but also named in the International hall of fame and Paul McCarthy, a CSP (Certified Speaking Professional). They were the ones who taught me how to speak in public.  They shared their experiences, and methods with the group but the thing they did the most was inspire confidence.  I still have a voice recording on my phone of the first time I nailed my 3-minute pitch in front of the group and these three inspiring humans.  Sometimes, I still listen to their feedback, because it is so heartwarming and gives me a smile that I did it – I actually did it!

Do I still get nervous when I get up to speak to an audience?  Most times yes.  Not always but most times.  And the times I don’t it’s because I have been mingling with the audience before I speak.  I’ve heard stories, I’ve learned about their businesses and given some hugs and handshakes out.  I feel the room is a great place to be.

But – bring me in cold, where I haven’t had the chance to mingle, then absolutely, every time, after years of presenting and keynoting, I still get butterflies.  They normally disappear after a few minutes though. Once I get the first joke out the way, get the audience smiling and laughing and I have warmed to you and then I’m off!

I tell you these things because I think if you aren’t someone who is confident in speaking in public, you think that everyone who does and who does it for a living or part of their marketing strategy, must not feel like you.  They must not have nerves or feel butterflies, but the opposite is true.

David Penglase who I mentioned before as an incredible speaker and one of my mentors, shared his story that he still gets nervous.  Now he’s been speaking for 20 or more years and has travelled the world and is highly sought after – so if he has a routine before he speaks, so he doesn’t get nervous, then we mere mortals can too!

So, my point, is don’t let nerves be the thing that holds you back from public speaking.

We hear the stat all the time that people would rather face death than face a crowd of people they had to speak to or 98% of the population would rather die than public speak – but honestly, when I went hunting, I couldn’t find any concrete source as to where those stats come from. But I do half believe them, as someone who thought that public speaking was probably the worst thing ever until after I turned 40, I get it.  But people wouldn’t really rather die …. It is scary and heart-pounding but it is also a rush and a high.  When I see someone in the audience give that “AHA” face or expression, as in finally they get it or finally they understand it, these are some of my proudest moments because I know right there that I have made a difference to them.  That rush is worth any nerves as far as I am concerned.

Some of the perks of making public speaking part of your marketing strategy:

1. Increased Visibility: Public speaking provides a platform to showcase your expertise and knowledge in front of a live audience, helping you gain visibility and exposure for your business and brand.
2. Establishing Credibility: By delivering compelling presentations and sharing valuable insights, you position yourself as an authority in your field. This builds trust and credibility among your audience and potential customers, making it more likely for them to choose your products or services.
3. Brand Building: Public speaking allows you to align your brand with the topics you speak about. By consistently delivering valuable content and insights, you reinforce your brand image and values, establishing a strong presence in the minds of your audience.
4. Networking Opportunities: Speaking at industry conferences, events, and seminars puts you in direct contact with like-minded professionals, potential clients, and influencers. This offers valuable networking opportunities that can lead to collaborations, partnerships, and business growth.
5. Lead Generation: When you deliver a compelling presentation, you capture the attention of the audience. By providing relevant and useful information, you can attract potential customers who are interested in your products or services. This can result in lead generation and new business opportunities.
6. Amplified Reach: Public speaking engagements are often recorded, live-streamed, or shared on various platforms, extending your reach beyond the physical audience. This allows you to reach a wider audience, including those who couldn’t attend the event in person, increasing your brand exposure.
7. Content Creation: Creating presentations and speeches requires thoughtful preparation, research, and organisation of ideas. This process can lead to the development of valuable content that can be repurposed in other marketing channels, such as blog posts, videos, social media updates, and eBooks, further expanding your content marketing strategy.
8. Thought Leadership: Regular public speaking engagements help establish you as a thought leader in your industry. As you share your expertise and insights, you contribute to industry conversations, gain respect from peers, and enhance your reputation as a go-to resource, attracting more opportunities and recognition.
9. Enhanced Sales Pitch: Public speaking hones your communication and presentation skills, making you more effective at delivering sales pitches. The ability to articulate your value proposition, address objections, and connect with the audience boosts your sales effectiveness and increases the likelihood of converting prospects into customers.
10. Differentiation from Competitors: By actively engaging in public speaking, you differentiate yourself from competitors who may not be utilising this marketing strategy. Being a confident and knowledgeable speaker sets you apart, making you more memorable and increasing your perceived value in the marketplace.

Public speaking can be done online, offline, in front of a live audience, in front of an Instagram audience – in front of 2 people or 2000 people.

And – you probably ALREADY DO IT, but just aren’t thinking of it as a marketing strategy that you could hone and do all the things I mentioned just before.

However, if you are thinking “Jenn, it’s just not going to happen babe!”, then let me nudge you a little more.

Consider reaching out to a business friend and ask if they’d do an Instagram live or a Facebook live with you – that way holding the audience’s attention and talking isn’t just about you, there’s someone else to help if you’re nervous (but again, nerves are a good thing!).  Reach out to me – I’ll do it with you!

As far as content goes, my top tip is to look at your social media content and think which bits could you repurpose into a presentation or a live and because you have already produced the content before, you know that your audience will be interested, which takes the pressure off.

Try it and try it again and again.  I have spoken to people who have done a Facebook live, no one showed up, so they never did it again.  You can’t do that – people probably watched the replay!  This marketing strategy can be so groundbreaking for your business, it needs to be a fall down 3 times, get up 4 scenario.  If you can speak to people in real life, you can do this public speaking thing.

I did a course and paid thousands to learn. And as much as the people who taught me to speak were amazing speakers themselves and they shared their stories and their resources, what I really got for my thousands of dollars was confidence.  Confidence in my expertise, confidence in myself, and confidence that I had something to say that others would want to hear.  If you don’t have thousands to do a speaking program, that’s ok too – you just need to find your confidence as I did.

Got questions or thoughts?  Get in touch or head to the Facebook group – Like Minded Business Owners and share with everyone over there. Or if you want to talk more deeply with me around speaking and what it can do for your business, get in touch.  Email me jenn@jenndonovan.com.au or DM me on Instagram or LinkedIn – I would love to hear from you.

So, that’s it.  I have now after so  many blogs and podcasts finally done one on speaking as a marketing strategy – yay me!

Hope you got something from it.  Would love to hear about your speaking journey or lack of it.

If you are thinking you would like to build public speaking into your marketing strategy but are looking for further direction, head to https://calendly.com/jenn-smm/discovery to book a call with me, and we can have a chat!

CONTACT JENN:

I would love for you to book a free discovery call with me to talk about how I can help your nail your business goals, planning, strategy and marketing! Simply click the link and grab a spot!

My Like Minded Business Owners Facebook group is also a great community to join – full of awesome people in small business!

Or you can DM me on Instagram or LinkedIn, or send me an email jenn@jenndonovan.com.au

I wish to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Yorta Yorta People, on which I conduct my business today and pay my respects to their Elders past and present. I extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples reading this blog post today.

About the Author:

Jenn Donovan of Social Media & Marketing Australia.  Jenn’s an expert marketing coach and mentor from rural NSW. She is all about empowering business owners to earn what they’re worth so they can make a bigger difference in the world.  Not only is she a sought after expert on all things marketing for Small Business, she is a keynote speaker, author, was the Founder of Buy From a Bush Business and a Co-Founder of Spend With Us e-commerce marketplace, and is the host of the very popular podcast Small Business Made Simple and Stories from the Bush. Jenn is all about community and humans interacting with humans!  H2H Marketing – human to human marketing. Jenn talks the talk but importantly walks the walk!

Get in touch – www.socialmediaandmarketing.com.au

On Instagram – @jenndonovan_

On Facebook – Jenn Donovan

Or on LinkedIn as Jenn Donovan