Most exhibitions and network meetings use keynote speakers or special guests to deliver inspirational speeches at their event. It’s a win-win for everyone. It attracts more visitors to the show and speakers instantly gain exposure to potential clients.
Whether you’re an established speaker or just starting out, your ambitions are probably the same. To inspire and share your message with as many people as possible. Regularly promoting your events can quickly gather momentum, leading you to become a respected and well known figure in your industry. It is a fantastic and enjoyable way to grow your business.
Most businesses know the benefits of sharing good quality professional pictures of their event. However, booking a professional photographer is often overlooked and with lighting being notoriously bad at exhibitions, using your phone alone, will struggle to capture the key parts of your speech. Clubbing together with other speakers on the day to book a photographer will help spread the costs and ensure no-one forgets! This will give you a portfolio of professional pictures for your social media content. Helping you to increase your following and gain new clients.
When I photograph an event, I’ll do lots of preparation beforehand. I like to get an idea about the topic area, timings, use of props, audience participation, clothing and the types of action pictures you’d like to capture. This helps me to position myself exactly where I need to be, to achieve the best images.
I work with professional speakers to capture the highlights of their talk. Annica from Act2Exceed is a great example of someone who embraces pictures of herself presenting at events and engaging with the audience, to successfully promote her business. I have photographed her at many Speaker events. The pictures below are from her latest seminar at the Women in Business Exhibition near London.
Here are my 7 recommendations for Speakers – ‘Must Have Pictures’ that will increase your following and win new clients!
Close up pictures
It’s important to be instantly recognisable, especially when speaking at a large event. To help new followers quickly identify you from a large crowd, include close-up pictures of you presenting, when promoting your event. Your image needs to communicate approachability, confidence and professionalism. Choose your picture with care! It’s a well known fact that people take a split second to decide if you have the product or solution they’re looking for.
The Topic Image
Most public speakers have one or two main topics that they talk about at events With this in mind, it’s good to have a clear picture of you presenting next to a screen that visibly states the subject area you’ll be presenting. You can use this picture multiple times to promote future events. A strong and clear topic title helps potential audiences quickly identify your presentation as relevant, useful and a solution to their problems!
Capture the whole event
Make sure you social proof your event. When you post a story about your seminar and describe it as a ‘sell out’ or ‘standing room only’. People want to see the evidence. They want the reassurance that your presentation is worth their time. Seeing pictures of the audience engaged with your speech, can inspire others to book their place for the next event.
Audience close up pictures
Posting pictures of the audiences expressions and reactions to your speech informs people that you are a credible speaker. The image below clearly shows the audience is focussed and listening to every word spoken. They even have their notebooks out at the ready! Get to know the names of your most committed followers at the event. If they appear in a photograph, you can tag them in posts and increase your following.
Highlight your message
We’ve all heard the phrase ‘death by PowerPoint’ but if used correctly it can be a powerful tool. In this picture Annica is animated and delivering an inspirational quote that she believes will help others. Use images like these to post across multiple social networks to capture the essence of your speech and communicate an impactful message.
Animated pictures
I love this image, it shows how passionate Annica is about her business. Annica is very animated during her speeches which lends itself well, to capturing informative pictures. This image is so versatile and can be used for a variety of social media posts, website, blog, PR and press. It tells a powerful story about her mission to help others exceed!
Exclusive offers
Experts recommend offering your audience something exclusive and special like a signed book or special discount. This will help to build rapport and trust. It acknowledges how much you appreciate your audience taking the time out of their day to listen to you speak. Using this image as part of your marketing plan for future events, shows potential audiences you have something important to share which is worth finding out about!
