Media Pages
What Speakers Should Put on Their Media Pages
Sasha was asked to speak at a local event. She happily said, “Yes!” But when she saw the promotional flyer for the event, she cringed. The event coordinator had used an old photo of her that was low-resolution. It distorted and looked terrible. The bio that the coordinator had included was horribly out of date, too.
Things like this happen when speakers don’t keep their information updated. Every speaker looking to land work should have a “media” or “promotional” page on their website. Here’s what to include on yours…
Your Bio
You want both a short biography (2-3 paragraphs) as well as a longer one (4-5 paragraphs). Ideally, you want to mention your mission statement, what you focus on, as well as any important credentials.
For example, if you’ve written a book that went on to become a New York Times Best-Seller that information should be included in your bio. If you speak at conferences for marriage therapists, then mention that you’ve been a licensed marriage counselor for the past two decades.
Your Headshot
These should be full-resolution photos that would look good if they were printed in a magazine. You need a minimum of 2-3 headshots that you feel confident about and wouldn’t mind seeing plastered everywhere.
Keep in mind that you may need several headshots for different audiences. For example, you might speak at tech conferences and parenting ones, too. You’d have some headshots featuring you at work or on your laptop. But you’d also want a second set of images that show you relaxed and smiling at home with your kids.
An Audio (or Video) Clip
Your media page might be the first time an event coordinator has heard of you. You want their first impression to be that you’re capable and professional. So if you have some clips where you’re speaking, be sure to add them here.
You only need 1-2 videos or audio files and they can be short (think less than five minutes). Make sure this content plays in the browser as the coordinator may not want to download your big files.
Your Contact Information
Finally, you want to make it easy for hosts to book you. That means including relevant contact information on your media page. An email address is best for this task. If you’re worried about spam, try a special email like inquiries @ yourwebsite.com or speaking @ your website.com.
You may also want to add a contact number here as well. This helps coordinators who want to talk with you on the phone to get a feel for your personality. If you don’t have a dedicated phone line for this, try getting a Google Voice number. They’re free and they can be forwarded to your regular cellphone.
Designing your media page doesn’t have to be difficult. Just make sure to include the information listed above. Remember that you can always update this page as often as you need.
Fran Watson
What if you could boost the visibility of your business? What if you could easily connect with potential clients in person? What if you got clarity around your message and influenced even more people with it?
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- The 4 Big Benefits of Becoming a Speaker
- Create a Message You’re Proud to Share
Talking Money: What to Expect as a First-Time Speaker
- Speaking Gigs Are Right Under Your Nose! Here’s How to Find Them…
- Why Every Speaker Needs a Media Page (& What to Put on Yours!)
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