This is a presentation I gave for the National Speaker's Association Ohio ProTrack Branch. Goes over the basics of various social platforms, as well as the "hub and spoke" approach necessary for professional public speakers.

1. Social Media for Professional
Speakers
@sarahjstorer
NSAOhio ProTrack Seminar
3/17/12
Sarah J. Storer, The Karcher Group

2. Sarah J. Storer
Senior Content Marketing
Strategist, The Karcher Group
Master of Science, Marketing
and Communication
Internationally read blogger
since 2008
Pinterest addict
Speaker, writer, reader
@sarahjstorer

3. Follow, follow!
Use Hashtag #NSAOhio
Follow Tweets and updates from this
presentation at:
http://tweetchat.com/room/NSAOhio
Include @sarahjstorer or @canterucci

4. Suggested Tweet
I am really looking forward to this
presentation by @sarahjstorer.
Pretty sure my life is about to
change FOREVER. #NSAOhio

5. Blogging 101 Review
Why blog?
What should you write about?
How often should you write?
What platforms should you use?
How can you get noticed?

6. Suggested Tweet
Blogging is about telling your own
story on your own terms. Speakers
especially MUST blog to get work.
#NSAOhio

7. Blogging is…
(the boring definition)
A personal journal published on the
Web consisting of discrete entries
("posts") typically displayed in
reverse chronological order so the
most recent post appears first.

8. Who do you want to be?

9. How do you want to be perceived?

10. What to write?
What do you love?
What intrigues you?
What are you learning?

11. What to write?
What do you find important
that others must know?

12. How Often to Write?
What is your goal in writing?
How much time do you have?
What kind of community do
you want to build?

13. How Often to Write
Consistency
is more important
than frequency
(to start).

14. Suggested Tweet
How often should you blog? As
often as you can produce useful,
shareable, quality content on a
regular basis. #NSAOhio

15. Platforms

17. Platform Tips and Tricks
Get a custom domain name (godaddy.com)
Get a custom theme (themeforest.net)
Self-host (wordpress.org)

18. Platform Tips and Tricks
Make it fit.
Make it
your own.

19. How to Get Found (and Read)
Playground Etiquette:
Words
Use Your (key)
Play well With Others
Share, share, share

20. Why Blogging AND Social
Media?
(and why MUST speakers participate?)
(also, HOW?!?! It’s a lot of work!)

21. Hub and Spoke Approach
Branded YouTube
Channel
Pinterest
Social Listening Dashboard
(Hootsuite)
Blog or information
platform with engaging
content, education,
information &
SlideShare SEO/conversion best
practices
Twitter
Facebook Fan Page
LinkedIn (Timeline)

22. Linkedin
A living, breathing resume.

23. Advantages of LinkedIn
Living, breathing resume
who you are
who you want to be
who you want to connect with
Connection to Events, Event Organizers
Become an Expert with Answers
Staying up-to-date with Groups
Vetting Companies through Business Pages

24. LinkedIn Settings

26. EXPERIMENT

27. “Creating a profile on LinkedIn and then doing nothing more with it is
like attending a networking event, shaking hands with an individual you
meet, and then staring at them plain in the face.”
— Perry Maughmer, May 2009 perrymaughmer.wordpress.com

28. PROFILE BUILDING

29. http://learn.linkedin.com

38. Factors in LinkedIn Search
Results
• Relevant Keywords
• Direct Connection
• 2nd Degree Connection
• 3rd Degree Connection
• Connection via Group
• Outside of Network

39. Search For: Background Check (8,396 Results)

40. Search For: Background Check OH (63 Results)

41. Search For: Background Check Columbus OH (11 Results)

48. ANSWERS

52. ENGAGEMENT HABITS

53. Engagement Habits
• Complete your profile to 100%.
Follow the guide.
• Import your email contacts and invite those
already on LinkedIn
• Check your LinkedIn account BEFORE your
email inbox
• Spend time reading your streams at least once
per day

54. Engagement Habits
• At business meetings, talk about using LinkedIn
to your contacts. Let them know how you
intend to use it.
• Search for and invite each contact you make on
LinkedIn - use their business cards
• Use LinkedIn to follow up rather than email
• Search for and join your local area groups

55. QUESTIONS?
Suggested Tweet:
LinkedIn might not be the sexiest platform, but it’s the
best for making qualified, professional connections.
#NSAOhio

56. Twitter
Listening, Engaging and Sharing with
Hootsuite

57. Suggested Tweet
When it comes to Twitter, don’t be
a rooster in a room full of
songbirds. Share, connect, and play
well with others. #NSAOhio

61. Tweetable Tip
Use the search feature in
@Hootsuite to track conference
buzz, increase personal engagement,
and curate content. #NSAOhio

67. What to Tweet?
Share articles related to your niche
Promote & Re-Tweet others (but not with the
Re-Tweet button!)
Useful tips and tricks, funny things, insightful
observations
Make introductions, say hello, introduce
yourself, ask how you can help
Other ideas?

68. Engagement Habits
The “life” of a Tweet is about 3 hours. Schedule
content and interact with followers regularly.
Set a personal standard for response (e.g.
respond to all @replies within 1 hour, say “thank
you” for a RT within 10 minutes)
Personal promotion vs. other conversation
should be about a 1:10 ratio
Have fun, enjoy the conversation!

69. QUESTIONS?
Suggested Tweet:
Oh man, that @sarahjstorer sure is both
brilliant and humble. #NSAOhio

70. Facebook
Building your brand through
Timeline

71. Tweetable Tip
Use Facebook Timeline to tell the
story of your work, generate
conversation, and pick the brains
your community. #NSAOhio

80. Top Tips for Facebook Timeline
Mind your EdgeRank
Dig deep to maximize
engagement/sharing times
Curate and share content that invites
conversation
Crowdsource speech topics, slide
designs, etc.

81. Engagement Habits
Think of new twists on content to post to
Facebook…don’t use the same update as you’d use
on Twitter. Feel free to expand, encourage
conversation.
Pin important thoughts or content to get maximum
exposure (for 7 days, at least).
Post 2-3 times per day during the time fans seem
most active
Share media, take pictures of your audience, allow
people to tag themselves!

82. Questions?
Suggested Tweet
Facebook Timeline: a great way to tell a
story, make a personal connection…just
like a speaking gig! #NSAOhio

83. Pinterest
Keep Pinning, Keep Pinning…

86. Pinterest.com/about/goodies

95. Engagement Habits
Pin and Organize content that refers back to
your niche, subject or area of expertise
Track down and say “thank you!” for repins
and Likes
Always pin from the original source, if
possible
Have fun, and keep Pinning!

96. Questions?
Suggested Tweet:
Using @Pinterest is a great way to drive traffic
and visually organize thoughts and inspiration
for new presentations. #NSAOhio

97. Google+
Circle Up!

106. Engagement Habits
Customize your circles when you first get on the
platform. Make it easy to filter your audience (though
“Public” is usually the way to go!)
Share, +1, and leave thoughtful comments on posts
Use +username to tag other users
Feel free to post longer content
Use hangouts creatively—great for business, but also
great to “showcase”

107. Questions?
Suggested Tweet:
Google +: search, sharing and conversation. Just
gotta keep my eye off that little red “indicator”
icon. #NSAOhio

108. SlideShare
Let’s get visual

109. Why SlideShare for Speakers?
Upload presentations ahead of time, post on
your blog
If you’re great at design, upload presentations
to push thought leadership, drive traffic
A good way to push several platforms at once.
Allows others to embed your presentations
on their websites.

117. Engagement Habits
Upload either immediately before or immediately
after presentations (before is optimal to give your
audience a “sneak peak”)
Design and upload mini presentations that show your
expertise
Make good use of keywords and tags
Give your audience easy ways to find you on other
platforms

118. Questions?
Neat! @slideshare is a MUST for public
speakers. Gives us a chance to “strut our
stuff” beyond the podium. #NSAOhio

119. Social Media Best Practices
The Internet is Nice! Don’t be afraid
to share and promote
others…without expectation of
return. You never know who will
give back (and how!)

120. Social Media Best Practices
Don’t worry (too much) about
perfection. We’re human,
communicating to other humans. Use
the platforms to try new material, test
ideas. And if you screw up? An honest,
heartfelt apology goes a long way.

121. Social Media Best Practices
Practice makes perfect…try,
fail, try again. Then, after lots
of trial, error and research,
master it.

122. Social Media Best Practices
There is no “wrong” on the Internet. Aside
from being a total jerk to your followers on
purpose, there isn’t much you can screw up or
break. Be true to yourself and your brand, be
vulnerable, transparent and kind. In other
words…don’t worry about the tools, worry
about being a human being WITH the tools.

123. Social Media Best Practices
Find what works for you, match it with what
works for your audience. Some of you may
love Pinterest and get great results, while
others of you go far with Slideshare. Master
the basics (blogging, LinkedIn, Twitter), then
use combinations and habits that work best
for you. Study your analytics to see what
works for your audience, adjust…then boom.
You have a combination that works!

124. Final Questions?
Suggested Tweet
Major takeaway from today’s seminar? Social Media is
about connection. Period. As speakers, this is our job.
#NSAOhio

125. Find Me!
@sarahjstorer
www.sarahjstorer.com
Linkedin.com/in/sarahjstorer