There are two types of keynote speakers in the speaking industry: the celebrities, like Olympic athletes or famous politicians, movie stars, CEO’s, etc., who immediately come into the business commanding top dollar because of their name recognition; and then there the rest of us–regular people who have build their clientele over years while learning how to market themselves and provide good content.

Establishing yourself as a keynote speaker begins with establish yourself as a thought leader and then promoting yourself to potential clientele. Here are a few ways to do that:

Create lots of content

This is a part of positioning yourself as a thought leader. Write articles on topics that relate to your brand and especially to your keynotes presentations. This will establish you as an expert and a trusted voice on the subject that you speak on. It can also help you reach a larger audience of prospective clientele. Creating content can also include book and/or article publications, these are great ways of establishing yourself as an expert keynote speaker.

Leverage social media

Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are a must for any keynote speaker to make themselves visible to potential clients. Other social media platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest, or Snapchat may be utilized if they seem relevant to your personal brand and message. You can also promote your content through social media  and attract followers organically as well as through paid online marketing.

Have a video

Keep at least one full length video of one your keynote presentations on hand, along with several 10 min or less clips. Every client who is booking a keynote speaker will want to see a video clip of their speaking. Once you have a few different videos, create a promo video or a speaker reel to put on your website and in your email signature.

Get testimonials

This may seem like the chicken or the egg scenario, but in order to get future keynote bookings you must have testimonials. In business today, reviews are a keynote speakers bread and butter. If you’ve formed an especially good relationship with a customer who enjoyed your talk, request his or her participation as a referral for future gigs. Better yet, ask for introductions to any other organizations that might need a speaker.

Create a website

This should be obvious, but as a keynote speaker you should have a website promoting your speaking abilities. The site should include: a headshot, a bio, titles and summaries of your keynotes, testimonials, video footage, social links, a contact form and instructions for booking. Once you start getting some gigs on the calendar, you can also include your speaking schedule for the next few months so people can see you’re in demand.

Another good idea is to obtain representation through a speakers bureau to handle the logistics of your keynote talks. Depending on the individual agency, it will handle your marketing, travel, and contracts in exchange for a flat fee per gig or a percentage of your speaker fee.

Good luck future keynote speaker!