Recently I was thinking of an old business friend for a potential speaking opportunity when I realized something: I hadn’t “seen” them online in a while. Which isn’t uncommon on social media with algorithms that are always changing. But when I looked them up, I found that they were doing something completely different with their business.

This happens more than you think. (Hello, 2020.) If you’re pivoting your business or have shifted it already, you need to make sure your speaking strategy can sustain the change.

If you loved this episode, I’d love for you to leave a review on iTunes and tell me about your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram Stories, and tag me @jessicarasdall.

Leave a review!

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Grab your Speaker Social Media Guide and Visibility Plan
Join the free Speak to Scale Community!
Other speaker resources in The Speak to Scale Shop

How pivoting your business affects speaking

Let’s get this out of the way first: pivoting your business happens. It’s normal! You change your offers, adjust your audience, or take your biz in a different direction. The important thing is to shift your speaking strategy as well, so you can continue to be a thought leader in your (new) space.

You want to be that go-to speaker or industry expert when hosts and organizers are looking for a speaker. You want them to refer you to others so that you’re booking more and pitching less. That’s how you make speaking a sustainable, profitable part of your business.

Now imagine you’ve positioned yourself as a thought leader that people instantly think of for speaking engagements. They land on your website to request you to speak…and find out from your website that you’re serving a new audience or working in a totally new industry.

You miss out on speaking opportunities and chances to keep building up your speaker reputation. So, don’t neglect your speaking strategy if you’ve shifted your business! You could be confusing your audience or driving away people who are ready to book you.

Let’s talk about how to refresh your strategy to match your new biz.

Audit your online presence

First, take stock of how you’re showing up online right now. Can someone looking at your social media or website tell who you are, what you do, and how to contact you to speak?

Check that all of your information is up to date on your:

Social media platforms
Business website
Speaker page

Make sure your speaker page has the correct info so that people who want to book you know exactly what they’re getting. Your signature presentations, audience and topic, and marketing assets need to be accurate and reflect the shift in your business. The last thing you want is to have to turn someone down because they requested an outdated talk you no longer offer.

Check your content strategy

Next up, check in with your content strategy. You should already be publishing content consistently that positions you as a subject matter expert. Does your content match the direction your business has taken?

Depending on how much you’ve shifted your biz, you may need to tweak your content strategy a little bit, or basically start from scratch. Check that your topics, audience, and voice are aligned. No matter what, your content strategy should match your biz strategy and speaking strategy.

A single social media post about pivoting your business isn’t enough! You have to build your reputation back up again. You have become a thought leader in your new space again, remember? The more you’ve pivoted, the more you’ll have to work to become that go-to expert and speaker.

Start speaking

Last but definitely not least, I want you to start speaking! There are a few ways to gain traction, but speaking as soon as possible is the fastest way to grow your new audience.

“Okay, Jess, but how do I do that fast?!” Great question. You can start by:

Pitching yourself. Reach out to podcast hosts and event organizers. Look within your network to find potential opportunities.

Talking to your connections. Ask people who have booked you in the past if you can come back with your fresh new perspective and/or presentation. (But only do this if it still aligns with your business and speaking strategy!)

Creating your own stage. If you can’t book ‘em, make ‘em yourself. Host your own summit or workshop. Set up an interview for yourself. Record a video or speak in a livestream. Show up on your own stage!

Don’t worry about confusing your existing audience. If you’ve followed the previous two steps and aligned your online presence and content with your new biz direction, they’ll get it. And they’ll follow you along.

Map out everything with an action plan

You’re gonna face unexpected challenges and you’re gonna feel some growing pains as you shift your business model in a new direction. The best way to overcome these obstacles and ease those pains is to pivot your speaking strategy along with your business strategy. That’ll also help you grow your thought leadership and continue to serve your audience.

When you’re exploring uncharted territory, it helps to have a map to lead you toward your destination. You avoid retreading the same ground and wasting energy wondering if you’re going the right way.

And lucky for you, I have a map that will guide you along your new speaking path: the Speaker Social Media Guide and Visibility Plan!

This 90 Day Plan will teach you:

How to audit your online presence
What content to share to build your speaking reputation and platforms
How to make outreach, pitching, and booking a consistent part of speaking
And more!

Basically, everything I recommended here! But of course, that’s not all you get. This plan also includes a 90-day speaker workbook, social media prompts, plug-and-play social posts, and more. Grab your plan today and get going on your new speaker path!