July 27, 2023 • 30 mins
Ready to amplify your voice and cultivate a powerful personal brand? Excited to learn how to stand out in the crowded digital landscape? Join us as we dive headfirst into the world of social media and branding, demonstrating how it can be used to enhance your speaking career. This episode is all about creating a consistent image across all platforms, making your brand unforgettable. From the art of brand storytelling to the power of a unique visual identity, we're sharing strategies that will resonate emotionally with your followers and set you apart from the crowd.
Have you ever wondered how to optimize your social media profile to show off your expertise and achievements? Are you ready to create a captivating bio that encapsulates your personality, and a tagline that leaves a lasting impression? This episode is your playbook for success, providing you with a complete guide to maximizing your social media presence. We cover everything from the StoryBrand framework for creating a compelling brand script to using consistent handles across all platforms. You'll learn how to design branded templates for quotes and visuals, and even write a style sheet for anyone working on your brand.
In the age of digital sprawl, creating a strong and consistent social media image has become more crucial than ever. This episode is packed with tips and strategies to help you build brand recognition, engender trust and credibility with your audience, and ultimately amplify your voice. Discover how to use content curation to foster meaningful conversations with your followers, and how to craft a consistent brand message that underlines your expertise. So, tune in and get ready to transform your social media game – your journey to a more powerful online presence starts here.
Get a copy of my latest book - Micro Course Profits: Build a 7 Figure Income with Bite Sized Courses! Click the Link below...
Brad Hauck
I help you optimise and accelerate your digital marketing using smart strategies and AI tools.
Proficlix.com.au
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to episode 36 of the Profitable Speaking
Podcast, where we providepractical tips and insights to
help you succeed as a publicspeaker.
In today's episode, we're goingto be looking at creating
consistent social media images.
In today's digital age, socialmedia has become an
indispensable tool forprofessional speakers to amplify
their voices, connect withtheir audience and establish a
(00:22):
powerful personal brand.
As a professional speaker, yoursocial media presence serves as
a virtual stage, enables you toshowcase your expertise, your
insights and unique speakingstyle to a global audience.
However, standing out amongstthe vast sea of online content
requires more than just sporadicposting.
It demands a strategic approachfocused on creating a
(00:44):
consistent social media image.
Building a strong andconsistent social media image is
essential.
It not only enhances brandrecognition, but also cultivates
trust and credibility with yourtarget audience.
In this podcast episode, we'regoing to explore some of the
fundamental principles thatunderpin the compelling social
media branding strategyspecifically tailored to you
(01:09):
From brand storytelling thatforms an emotional connection
with your followers toleveraging visual identity to
convey your unique speakingpersonality.
I'm going to delve into somepractical techniques that you
can use to elevate your socialmedia presence and propel your
speaking career.
In today's digital age.
As a speaker, your social mediapresence serves as your virtual
(01:31):
stage, remember that, and it'salways out there working for you
.
However, you need to keepworking on it at all times.
So what can we do to improveour social media presence so
that it actually engages ouraudience in the way that we
(01:52):
really want them to?
So, number one, the first, isbrand storytelling.
As a speaker, your brandstorytelling is at the core of
connecting with your audience.
You need to share the journeythat led you to become a speaker
, your passion for your topicand the impact you make with it,
that you're trying to getthrough your presentations, your
(02:14):
unique experiences andperspectives will create an
emotional bond with youraudience, making them more
receptive to your message.
So let's look at what you cando to make that happen.
First of all, let's make a listof stories that you can use.
So sit down and make a big listof stories of things that
(02:36):
relate to your topic.
So, in my case, I might writedown a whole pile of leadership
stories that are relative tofirefighting, as that is my
topic as leadership from afirefighter's perspective.
Then go through and write outsome short outlines about each
of those topics and tie it to amessage.
Remember, we're trying to tiethis content in with our overall
(02:59):
brand message.
So make sure that you don'tjust write random stories, that
they're actually tied to amessage that you're trying to
get across to your audiencewhich is related to your theme
and topic.
Then group those stories intothemes.
Okay, so there might bedifferent things.
One might be change, one mightbe leadership, you know, one
might be teams, you knowwhatever they happen to be for
(03:21):
you, depending on your specifictopics.
Then you need to use thosestories.
Okay, use them on stage, usethem in videos, use them in
reels, use them in all yoursocial media and understand
where you know you can use thosestories.
Now, it doesn't have to alwaysbe video stories.
(03:42):
You can use excerpts on socialmedia posts and again integrate
those stories in.
And if you've got a, you know,signature story, as most people
have, maybe, use some elementsof that on a regular basis.
Make sure that you tell thosestories through the pictures you
use as well.
So when you're doing yoursocial media posts, use pictures
(04:03):
that illustrate the story.
It doesn't have to actually befrom that day, so to speak, and
it should still reflect themeaning, the feeling, the visual
of what you're talking about,and remember that you're trying
to keep the same themethroughout, okay, so remember we
did silo them into theme groups.
(04:24):
Make sure you keep them through.
Number two second thing we needto look at is our visual
identity.
Okay, developing a distinctivevisual identity is essential for
you as a speaker.
Your logo, your colors, yourdesign elements should reflect
your personal brand and yourspeaking style.
Consistency and visual elementsacross your website, social
(04:46):
media and marketing materialswill enhance your brand
recognition and it'll reinforceyour expertise.
Colors are really powerfulthings, okay.
When you use consistentcoloring in all of your
marketing materials, it becomeslinked to you.
I have friends that are onlyseen in pink and they're well
(05:07):
known for that.
Okay, and so you have thesevisual identities that get
attached to you depending onwhat you wear.
In my case, I use RuralFirefighter Orange, which is a
special color orange that ouruniforms are, and I use that
with black and red to othercolors and white that are
related to fire.
(05:27):
So I don't know what yourcolors are.
I mean, it's up to you, but geta set that work together.
Remember, you can look that uponline and get color sets, okay,
and then consistently use thoseand remember different colors
have different effects on people.
So blue is calming, for example, and indicates trust.
You'll read all those sorts ofthings, but I don't overthink it
(05:49):
, but just remember if you'restuck and you don't know where
to start, maybe look at someinformation on that.
But careful with the fonts youuse.
Make sure that they're readable, that they're styles that are
professional and that they makeimpact when people read them, so
that they cut through on yoursocial media posts.
Otherwise, you know, if you'reswitching fonts all the time,
(06:10):
there's no consistency there.
Now, often we do social mediaposts and we will make something
up and we'll throw some fontson there that are pre-designed.
You can't do that.
If you want consistency, okay.
So what you can do is a wholepile of things and I will go
into that further.
So I'm getting ahead of myselfhere.
(06:30):
You should also look at choosinga brand picture.
In my case, I use a half andhalf, where it's half me in
business and half me on fireground clothing.
So that is consistent, that youknow I'm half business and I'm
half volunteer firefighter.
You might have a photo or twoor three that are from a set
wearing a particular suit orsomething like that, but keep
(06:54):
that visual identity.
I've seen it done really wellby a friend of mine recently who
has a green suit on and it's onthe cover of her book and I see
it consistently around herstuff.
So you're looking for that, sopeople see it straight away.
And there's that brandrecognition.
If you're gonna use a photo,link it with a story, okay.
Again, coming back to thecolors in the photos is also
(07:16):
important and then linking it toa story pulls those colors,
those fonts and the storytogether as one.
Remember, once you've chosenyour colors, that your website,
your PowerPoints, your printedmaterials and all your socials
should be consistent in usingthose.
Now, at first you're gonna flipback and forth a bit, but once
(07:38):
you get it down, you've gotsomething consistent that works
well for you, that visually isidentifiable and clean and easy
to read when it's up on the bigscreen and all that sort of
stuff.
Then lock it down and stickwith it.
Okay, the longer you use theconsistent brand styling, the
more effective it becomes.
(07:58):
The more you change it, theless it becomes useful to you
People who see your posts.
They should know who sent thatpost before they even read it.
Just scrolling down, you knowhow you flick your phone and
just scroll the Unreal fast.
As soon as they see that colorscheme, they should know it's
you.
That's the sort of impact thatyou're looking for.
(08:21):
Number three we've got profileoptimization, so you need to
optimize your social mediaprofiles to showcase your
expertise and accomplishments.
Okay, using a consistent handleor username across all your
platforms makes it easy forevent organizers and your fans
to find you online.
Your bio should be succinct andcompelling as a representation
(08:42):
of your unique, your mouthfulthere and your unique value
proposition as a speaker.
Okay, go through and match allyour profiles on your social
media.
Okay, they shouldn't all bedifferent.
They should be all the same.
Try and get the same or similarname on all your platforms.
Make sure that you bring yourbranding colors across to all
(09:09):
your social media profiles andmake sure the images are
consistent as well.
Go through and check your bioand make sure that's the same,
because we all know that thingschange over time and when you're
using your social media,remember that different people
like different platforms, soyou'll need to work out where
your audience is, and that'sprobably the place where you
should spend your most time andthen share your information as
(09:31):
you post across all the otherplatforms.
One of the things you can do tohelp that is to link all your
profiles together by using atool like Okoya.
There's a whole pile of socialmedia tools that are available
to you that will actually allowyou to basically post once and
have it come out on allplatforms.
Now remember, if you wantinteractivity but you're going
(09:51):
to have to work on the platformthat you're wanting to interact
with people on, and that meansactually logging into the
platform and continuing to do it.
Number four we need to look atour visual content guidelines.
You need to establish clearguidelines for your visual
content to maintain aprofessional image.
This includes branded templatesfor quotes, images, visuals
(10:14):
that reflect your speakingpersonality.
Visual consistency will helpcreate a cohesive and
recognizable brand across yoursocial media platforms.
I highly recommend that you usetemplates for your design.
Everybody thinks that you canjust use anything, but templates
make life so much easier.
If you've got a set oftemplates, you can work with
(10:34):
those templates and know thatyou're going to get the same
look every time, and I see thiswhen I scroll through other
speakers feeds.
I can see certain speakers areusing templates and it's really
obvious, because the minute Isee their stuff, I know it's
theirs Again.
It has consistent layout,consistent colors, consistent
fonts.
Okay, one of the things you cando is just get a set of them,
(10:57):
find a set that you like andthen stick to those.
Okay, if you've got 10 to 20different styles, as long as you
change the message and thepictures in that you don't need
a thousand different layouts,okay, you just don't.
Canva has plenty of designsthere.
The key is finding a consistentset that you can use over and
(11:20):
over.
Now, one thing you can do isyou can actually buy them from a
designer, so you can go toFiverr or Upwork and get a
designer to make you a set, oreven go to Etsy and places like
that, because on Etsy, you canactually buy sets of Canva based
social media posts.
Then you just open the filethat they give you and it opens
(11:40):
up in Canva as a template, andthen you save it as a new file
and you get all your templateslaid out ready to go, and it's
very easy and very costeffective.
Okay, all you need to do, then,is customize the messages and
the photos used and the colorsin some case, to reflect your
branding.
But the great thing is whenyou're using Canva and you've
(12:00):
got a set, if you change thecolor of a heading down the
bottom of the Canva screen,you'll see change all colors
that match this to this color.
So you can go change this tored and every single post in
that set will change to red, soyou can really change the whole
lot over your branding colorsvery quickly.
(12:20):
Okay, as I said, remember to useyour brand colors and your
fonts.
Don't mix it up.
Be consistent, and that's theadvantage of getting a set made
or buying a set.
And the last thing you probablyshould do is write a style
sheet that anyone doing work foryou can use and apply when
they're doing the work.
So if you are going to hiresomeone to create a set of
(12:41):
templates for you, please writeup a brand script with your
colors, your fonts and someexamples so that they know
exactly what you need and whatyou want and how you want it to
look.
Do not just let people flyfreely unless you really don't
know what you want.
Okay, but that is the long wayto getting where you want to go.
Make some choices yourselffirst and then give them their
(13:03):
head to do the development ofthe designs.
And number five, your bio andtagline.
Okay, your bio and tagline areyour elevator pitch to potential
clients and your differentevent organizers.
Crafting a captivating andconcise summary that highlights
your speaking niche, your keyachievements and the value that
you bring to your audience isreally important.
Okay, a compelling tagline, orelevator speech, as I prefer to
(13:26):
call them, can instantlycommunicate your expertise and
capture attention.
If you don't know where tostart, write something and then
use chapter GPT and just put itin there or get it to ask you
some questions and then get itto write you a bio, okay, that's
the easy way to do it, and thenyou can craft it and fiddle
with it and make it better orwhatever, but at least you'll
(13:47):
have a baseline piece of contentthat you can work from.
It's always easier to work froma piece of content than it is
to create a piece of contentfrom scratch.
Okay, now, one thing I dorecommend is go and have a look
at the storybrandcom framework.
That will help you craft thatframe of the brand script that
you need to use to create otherthings, such as your bio and
(14:11):
your tagline.
Remember, when you create a bio, you're going to need multiple
length bios.
You're going to need, obviously, your bio for your website.
It's quite large, but thenyou're going to need your short
one, which is your high impact,big punch type welcome to stage
in bio that you give to your mcsand by the place.
Like that, Storybrand willdefinitely help you write a good
(14:34):
elevator pitch.
Okay, I've just been doing thisagain myself to try and tidy up
a few things.
And if you listen to themarketing made simple podcast,
which is a fantastic podcastthere's been a recent episode
about this it's about getting itto talk about the problem, the
solution that you provide andthe result that they get, and if
you use that formula, it'spretty straightforward.
So I solve how I do it and whatlife is like after using me.
(15:00):
But I'll let you investigatethat a little bit further
because it's absolutely worthgoing down the rabbit hole for
storybrand.
It will make a massivedifference to your business and
a massive difference to yourimpact.
Number six content curation.
Oh, I love this one.
It's one of my favorites.
You can create curate contentthat aligns with your speaking
topics and expertise so you canshare valuable insights, thought
(15:21):
leadership articles andengaging content that reinforce
your authority as a subjectmatter.
Expert.
Consistency in the type ofcontent you share will position
you as a reliable source ofinformation for your audience.
Content curation is about thefact that you can't create
everything, and there's a lot ofother clever people out there,
so why should you?
It's better to actually useother people's content, as well
(15:46):
as your own, to reinforce yourpoint of view, because you can
give your advice or your opinionfor discussion on that article.
So I might find an article inthe news that Joe said this
about that and I can comment andsay, hey, check this article
out, it's really interesting.
But I don't believe that'snecessarily a case.
I actually believe that thetwist is this, or whatever what
(16:06):
do you think?
And that invites theconversation.
It doesn't require you tocreate a full article.
It just requires you to read afew articles and find some good
content that you believe isactually worth sharing with
people.
It's not about just findingstuff and shoving it out there.
It's actually about findingstuff that's consistent with
your brand message.
There's a couple ways to dothat.
(16:27):
You can surf the news.
You can use tools like Feedly,google News, etc.
And you can filter them forkeywords or hashtags to find
stuff specifically related toyour topics.
Remember, keep it short yourcomment and ask what people
think.
Do they agree with you or don'tthey agree with you?
Remember, you're trying tocreate a discussion, trying to
(16:49):
get people to think about yourtopic, and just because you're
using someone else's informationdoesn't mean that should change
.
Number eight you need aconsistent message.
As a speaker, consistentmessaging is vital for
reinforcing your expertise andyour brand identity.
You need to maintain aconsistent tone and language in
(17:10):
your captions and directionswith your audience.
This consistent voice, as wecall it not voices in speaking,
voices in the overall feeling ofwhat you say will help you
build familiarity and trust withyour followers, making them
more likely to engage with yourcontent and attend your future
events.
Along with your design, youneed to make sure that you focus
(17:32):
in on your key messageconsistently.
It's pretty simple.
Don't be running 15 differentmessages.
You need to really narrow itdown.
Okay, minor, agile leadershipand dealing with rapid change,
because that's what I do as afirefighter leading teams going
into fires when things changereally quickly and they do all
(17:53):
the time on the fire ground.
So that's my message and that'swhat I'm trying to get through
in my content.
Make sure you keep the themestrong in everything you do.
Okay, don't just roll offbecause you see something
interesting.
I am guilty of shiny objectsyndrome.
Okay, oh, look, here's a newsocial media tool.
Oh, here's a new piece ofsoftware.
Because it hard on my geek andthat makes it, you know, hard
(18:14):
for me.
But the fact of the matter isthe messages I push out to other
people need to be on brand.
Even though this stuff isreally interesting I can talk to
my friends about that it's notnecessarily what the audience
needs to hear.
Okay, the stronger your theme is, the more that people get to
know you as that person for thetopic that you talk about.
(18:34):
Remember, go deep, not wide.
Okay, we can't go wide.
If we go wide, we get shallow.
Why, it's fine if you'retalking about an overarching
sort of topic and there isplenty of keynotes that work in
that area, but when you're in acrowded area, then you need to
be more specific, otherwise youwon't get any cut through.
And stick to your messaging.
(18:57):
Stick to those key themes thatyou're trying to cover.
I was listening to a podcastwith a New York Times
bestselling author and it's abook that everybody would know,
but I won't mention it and hesaid basically it took him three
years to get any traction atall with that book.
So for three years got no cutthrough, got the occasional
podcast interview and that sortof stuff.
(19:17):
But by consistently working onthat message and pushing that
message and pushing the book andstaying on theme, he got cut
through and now he's abestselling author with multiple
versions of the book, et cetera.
The key thing to understandthere is that consistency is
important and staying on thelong path.
(19:38):
Too many people roll over intonew paths regularly and I'm as
guilty as anyone else of this.
Stay on the path, keeprepeating your message until you
get cut through and if you feelyou're not getting cut through,
ask some people, find outwhat's not working.
Get them to have a look.
I'm sure that they can tell youwhat's going on.
(20:00):
So I hope you found this episodeof our podcast on creating
consistent social media imagesInteresting and if you did, I
have a challenge for you.
Please hit that like button andsubscribe to the podcast right
now and then share this episodewith another speaker who could
use the tips and strategieswe've shared.
Let's help each other, grow ourbusinesses and make an impact
(20:21):
in the speaking world.
Together, we can reach evenmore people and make a bigger
difference.
So don't wait.
Take action now and share thelove.
Thanks for tuning in and getready for more exciting business
building tips in the nextepisode.
Cheers, welcome to episode 36of the profitable speaking
podcast, where we providepractical tips and insights to
(20:43):
help you succeed as a publicspeaker.
In today's episode, we're goingto be looking at creating
consistent social media images.
In today's digital age, socialmedia has become an
indispensable tool forprofessional speakers to amplify
their voices, connect withtheir audience and establish a
powerful personal brand.
As a professional speaker, yoursocial media presence serves as
(21:04):
a virtual stage, enables you toshowcase your expertise, your
insights and unique speakingstyle to a global audience.
However, standing out amongstthe vast sea of online content
requires more than just sporadicposting.
It demands a strategic approachfocused on creating a
consistent social media image.
Building a strong andconsistent social media image is
(21:27):
essential.
It not only enhances brandrecognition, but also cultivates
trust and credibility with yourtarget audience.
In this podcast episode, we'regoing to explore some of the
fundamental principles thatunderpin the compelling social
media branding strategyspecifically tailored to you
From brand storytelling thatforms an emotional connection
(21:48):
with your followers toleveraging visual identity to
convey your unique speakingpersonality.
I'm going to delve into somepractical techniques that you
can use to elevate your socialmedia presence and propel your
speaking career in today'sdigital age.
As a speaker, your social mediapresence serves as your virtual
(22:09):
stage Remember that and it'salways out there working for you
.
However, you need to keepworking on it at all times.
So what can we do to improveour social media presence so
that it actually engages ouraudience in the way that we
(22:29):
really want them to?
So, number one, the first isbrand storytelling.
As a speaker, your brandstorytelling is at the core of
connecting with your audience.
You need to share the journeythat led you to become a speaker
, your passion for your topicand the impact you make with it
that you're trying to getthrough your presentations.
(22:50):
Your unique experiences andperspectives will create an
emotional bond with youraudience, making them more
receptive to your message.
So let's look at what you cando to make that happen.
First of all, let's make a listof stories that you can use.
So sit down and make a big listof stories of things that
(23:13):
relate to your topic.
So in my case, I might writedown a whole pile of leadership
stories that are relative tofirefighting, as that is my
topic is leadership from afirefighter's perspective.
Then go through and write outsome short outlines about each
of those topics and tie it to amessage.
Remember, we're trying to tiethis content in with our overall
(23:36):
brand message, so make surethat you don't just write random
stories, that they're actuallytied to a message that you're
trying to get across to youraudience which is related to
your theme and topic.
Then group those stories intothemes.
Okay, so there might bedifferent things.
One might be change, one mightbe leadership, you know, one
might be teams, you know.
(23:56):
Whatever they happen to be foryou, depending on your specific
topics.
Then you need to use thosestories.
Okay, use them on stage, usethem in videos, use them in
reels, use them in all yoursocial media and understand
where you know you can use thosestories.
Now, it doesn't have to alwaysbe video stories.
(24:19):
You can use excerpts on socialmedia posts.
So and again, integrate thosestories in and if you've got a,
you know, signature story, asmost people have, maybe use some
elements of that on a regularbasis.
Make sure that you tell thosestories through the pictures you
use as well.
So, when you're doing yoursocial media posts, use pictures
(24:40):
that illustrate the story.
It doesn't have to actually befrom that day, so to speak, but
it should still reflect themeaning, the feeling, the visual
of what you're talking about,and remember that you're trying
to keep the same themethroughout, okay, so remember we
did silo them into theme groups.
(25:01):
Make sure you keep them through.
Number two second thing we needto look at is our visual
identity.
Okay, developing a distinctivevisual identity is essential for
you as a speaker.
Your logo, your colors, yourdesign elements should reflect
your personal brand and yourspeaking style.
Consistency and visual elementsacross the website, social
(25:23):
media and marketing materialswill enhance your brand
recognition and it'll reinforceyour expertise.
Colors are really powerfulthings, okay.
When you use consistentcoloring in all of your
marketing materials, it becomeslinked to you.
I have friends that are onlyseen in pink and they're well
(25:44):
known for that.
Okay, and so you have thesevisual identities that get
attached to you, depending onwhat you wear.
In my case, I use RuralFirefighter Orange, which is a
special color orange that ouruniforms are, and I use that
with black and red two othercolors and white that are
related to fire.
So I don't know what yourcolors are.
(26:07):
I mean, it's up to you, but geta set that work together.
Remember you can look that uponline and get color sets, okay,
and then consistently use those.
And remember different colorshave different effects on people
.
So blue is calming, for example, and indicates trust, and
you'll read all those sorts ofthings, but I don't overthink it
, but just remember.
(26:27):
If you're stuck and you don'tknow where to start, maybe look
at some information on that.
Be careful with the fonts youuse.
Make sure that they're readable, that they're styles that are
professional and that they makeimpact when people read them so
that they cut through on yoursocial media posts.
Otherwise, if you're switchingfonts all the time, there's no
(26:48):
consistency there.
Now, often we do social mediaposts and we will make something
up and we'll throw some fontson there that are pre-designed.
You can't do that.
If you want consistency, okay.
So what you can do is a wholepile of things and I will go
into that further.
So I'm getting ahead of myselfhere.
You should also look at choosinga brand picture.
(27:10):
In my case, I use a half andhalf, where it's half me in
business and half me on fireground clothing.
So that is consistent, that I'mhalf business and I'm half
volunteer firefighter.
You might have a photo or twoor three that are from a set
wearing a particular suit orsomething like that, but keep
(27:31):
that visual identity.
I've seen it done really wellby a friend of mine recently who
has a green suit on and it's onthe cover of her book and I see
it consistently around herstuff.
So you're looking for that, sopeople see it straight away and
there's that brand recognition.
If you're gonna use a photo,link it with a story okay.
Again, coming back to thecolors in the photos is also
(27:53):
important and then linking it toa story pulls those colors,
those fonts and the storytogether as one.
Remember, once you've chosenyour colors, that your website,
your PowerPoints, your printedmaterials and all your socials
should be consistent in usingthose.
Now, at first you're gonna flipback and forth a bit, but once
(28:15):
you get it down and you've gotsomething consistent that works
well for you, that visually isidentifiable and clean and easy
to read when it's up on the bigscreen and all that sort of
stuff, then lock it down whenstick with it.
Okay, the longer you use theconsistent brand styling, the
more effective it becomes.
(28:35):
The more you change it, theless it becomes useful to you.
People who see your posts.
They should know who sent thatpost before they even read it.
Just scrolling down, you knowhow you flick your phone and
just scroll the Unreal fast.
As soon as they see that colorscheme, they should know it's
you.
That's the sort of impact thatyou're looking for.
(28:56):
Number three we've got profileoptimization, so you need to
optimize your social mediaprofiles to showcase your
expertise and accomplishments.
Okay, using a consistent handleor username across all your
platforms makes it easy forevent organizers and your fans
to find you online.
Your bio should be succinct andcompelling as a representation
(29:19):
of your unique, your mouthfulthere and your unique value
proposition as a speaker.
Okay, go through and match allyour profiles on your social
media.
Okay, they shouldn't all bedifferent.
They should be all the same.
Try and get the same or similarname on all your platforms.
Welcome to episode 36 of the Profitable Speaking
Podcast, where we providepractical tips and insights to
help you succeed as a publicspeaker.
In today's episode, we're goingto be looking at creating
consistent social media images.
In today's digital age, socialmedia has become an
indispensable tool forprofessional speakers to amplify
their voices, connect withtheir audience and establish a
(00:22):
powerful personal brand.
As a professional speaker, yoursocial media presence serves as
a virtual stage, enables you toshowcase your expertise, your
insights and unique speakingstyle to a global audience.
However, standing out amongstthe vast sea of online content
requires more than just sporadicposting.
It demands a strategic approachfocused on creating a
(00:44):
consistent social media image.
Building a strong andconsistent social media image is
essential.
It not only enhances brandrecognition, but also cultivates
trust and credibility with yourtarget audience.
In this podcast episode, we'regoing to explore some of the
fundamental principles thatunderpin the compelling social
media branding strategyspecifically tailored to you
(01:09):
From brand storytelling thatforms an emotional connection
with your followers toleveraging visual identity to
convey your unique speakingpersonality.
I'm going to delve into somepractical techniques that you
can use to elevate your socialmedia presence and propel your
speaking career.
In today's digital age.
As a speaker, your social mediapresence serves as your virtual
(01:31):
stage, remember that, and it'salways out there working for you
.
However, you need to keepworking on it at all times.
So what can we do to improveour social media presence so
that it actually engages ouraudience in the way that we
(01:52):
really want them to?
So, number one, the first, isbrand storytelling.
As a speaker, your brandstorytelling is at the core of
connecting with your audience.
You need to share the journeythat led you to become a speaker
, your passion for your topicand the impact you make with it,
that you're trying to getthrough your presentations, your
(02:14):
unique experiences andperspectives will create an
emotional bond with youraudience, making them more
receptive to your message.
So let's look at what you cando to make that happen.
First of all, let's make a listof stories that you can use.
So sit down and make a big listof stories of things that
(02:36):
relate to your topic.
So, in my case, I might writedown a whole pile of leadership
stories that are relative tofirefighting, as that is my
topic as leadership from afirefighter's perspective.
Then go through and write outsome short outlines about each
of those topics and tie it to amessage.
Remember, we're trying to tiethis content in with our overall
(02:59):
brand message.
So make sure that you don'tjust write random stories, that
they're actually tied to amessage that you're trying to
get across to your audiencewhich is related to your theme
and topic.
Then group those stories intothemes.
Okay, so there might bedifferent things.
One might be change, one mightbe leadership, you know, one
might be teams, you knowwhatever they happen to be for
(03:21):
you, depending on your specifictopics.
Then you need to use thosestories.
Okay, use them on stage, usethem in videos, use them in
reels, use them in all yoursocial media and understand
where you know you can use thosestories.
Now, it doesn't have to alwaysbe video stories.
(03:42):
You can use excerpts on socialmedia posts and again integrate
those stories in.
And if you've got a, you know,signature story, as most people
have, maybe, use some elementsof that on a regular basis.
Make sure that you tell thosestories through the pictures you
use as well.
So when you're doing yoursocial media posts, use pictures
(04:03):
that illustrate the story.
It doesn't have to actually befrom that day, so to speak, and
it should still reflect themeaning, the feeling, the visual
of what you're talking about,and remember that you're trying
to keep the same themethroughout, okay, so remember we
did silo them into theme groups.
(04:24):
Make sure you keep them through.
Number two second thing we needto look at is our visual
identity.
Okay, developing a distinctivevisual identity is essential for
you as a speaker.
Your logo, your colors, yourdesign elements should reflect
your personal brand and yourspeaking style.
Consistency and visual elementsacross your website, social
(04:46):
media and marketing materialswill enhance your brand
recognition and it'll reinforceyour expertise.
Colors are really powerfulthings, okay.
When you use consistentcoloring in all of your
marketing materials, it becomeslinked to you.
I have friends that are onlyseen in pink and they're well
(05:07):
known for that.
Okay, and so you have thesevisual identities that get
attached to you depending onwhat you wear.
In my case, I use RuralFirefighter Orange, which is a
special color orange that ouruniforms are, and I use that
with black and red to othercolors and white that are
related to fire.
(05:27):
So I don't know what yourcolors are.
I mean, it's up to you, but geta set that work together.
Remember, you can look that uponline and get color sets, okay,
and then consistently use thoseand remember different colors
have different effects on people.
So blue is calming, for example, and indicates trust.
You'll read all those sorts ofthings, but I don't overthink it
(05:49):
, but just remember if you'restuck and you don't know where
to start, maybe look at someinformation on that.
But careful with the fonts youuse.
Make sure that they're readable, that they're styles that are
professional and that they makeimpact when people read them, so
that they cut through on yoursocial media posts.
Otherwise, you know, if you'reswitching fonts all the time,
(06:10):
there's no consistency there.
Now, often we do social mediaposts and we will make something
up and we'll throw some fontson there that are pre-designed.
You can't do that.
If you want consistency, okay.
So what you can do is a wholepile of things and I will go
into that further.
So I'm getting ahead of myselfhere.
(06:30):
You should also look at choosinga brand picture.
In my case, I use a half andhalf, where it's half me in
business and half me on fireground clothing.
So that is consistent, that youknow I'm half business and I'm
half volunteer firefighter.
You might have a photo or twoor three that are from a set
wearing a particular suit orsomething like that, but keep
(06:54):
that visual identity.
I've seen it done really wellby a friend of mine recently who
has a green suit on and it's onthe cover of her book and I see
it consistently around herstuff.
So you're looking for that, sopeople see it straight away.
And there's that brandrecognition.
If you're gonna use a photo,link it with a story, okay.
Again, coming back to thecolors in the photos is also
(07:16):
important and then linking it toa story pulls those colors,
those fonts and the storytogether as one.
Remember, once you've chosenyour colors, that your website,
your PowerPoints, your printedmaterials and all your socials
should be consistent in usingthose.
Now, at first you're gonna flipback and forth a bit, but once
(07:38):
you get it down, you've gotsomething consistent that works
well for you, that visually isidentifiable and clean and easy
to read when it's up on the bigscreen and all that sort of
stuff.
Then lock it down and stickwith it.
Okay, the longer you use theconsistent brand styling, the
more effective it becomes.
(07:58):
The more you change it, theless it becomes useful to you
People who see your posts.
They should know who sent thatpost before they even read it.
Just scrolling down, you knowhow you flick your phone and
just scroll the Unreal fast.
As soon as they see that colorscheme, they should know it's
you.
That's the sort of impact thatyou're looking for.
(08:21):
Number three we've got profileoptimization, so you need to
optimize your social mediaprofiles to showcase your
expertise and accomplishments.
Okay, using a consistent handleor username across all your
platforms makes it easy forevent organizers and your fans
to find you online.
Your bio should be succinct andcompelling as a representation
(08:42):
of your unique, your mouthfulthere and your unique value
proposition as a speaker.
Okay, go through and match allyour profiles on your social
media.
Okay, they shouldn't all bedifferent.
They should be all the same.
Try and get the same or similarname on all your platforms.
Make sure that you bring yourbranding colors across to all
(09:09):
your social media profiles andmake sure the images are
consistent as well.
Go through and check your bioand make sure that's the same,
because we all know that thingschange over time and when you're
using your social media,remember that different people
like different platforms, soyou'll need to work out where
your audience is, and that'sprobably the place where you
should spend your most time andthen share your information as
(09:31):
you post across all the otherplatforms.
One of the things you can do tohelp that is to link all your
profiles together by using atool like Okoya.
There's a whole pile of socialmedia tools that are available
to you that will actually allowyou to basically post once and
have it come out on allplatforms.
Now remember, if you wantinteractivity but you're going
(09:51):
to have to work on the platformthat you're wanting to interact
with people on, and that meansactually logging into the
platform and continuing to do it.
Number four we need to look atour visual content guidelines.
You need to establish clearguidelines for your visual
content to maintain aprofessional image.
This includes branded templatesfor quotes, images, visuals
(10:14):
that reflect your speakingpersonality.
Visual consistency will helpcreate a cohesive and
recognizable brand across yoursocial media platforms.
I highly recommend that you usetemplates for your design.
Everybody thinks that you canjust use anything, but templates
make life so much easier.
If you've got a set oftemplates, you can work with
(10:34):
those templates and know thatyou're going to get the same
look every time, and I see thiswhen I scroll through other
speakers feeds.
I can see certain speakers areusing templates and it's really
obvious, because the minute Isee their stuff, I know it's
theirs Again.
It has consistent layout,consistent colors, consistent
fonts.
Okay, one of the things you cando is just get a set of them,
(10:57):
find a set that you like andthen stick to those.
Okay, if you've got 10 to 20different styles, as long as you
change the message and thepictures in that you don't need
a thousand different layouts,okay, you just don't.
Canva has plenty of designsthere.
The key is finding a consistentset that you can use over and
(11:20):
over.
Now, one thing you can do isyou can actually buy them from a
designer, so you can go toFiverr or Upwork and get a
designer to make you a set, oreven go to Etsy and places like
that, because on Etsy, you canactually buy sets of Canva based
social media posts.
Then you just open the filethat they give you and it opens
(11:40):
up in Canva as a template, andthen you save it as a new file
and you get all your templateslaid out ready to go, and it's
very easy and very costeffective.
Okay, all you need to do, then,is customize the messages and
the photos used and the colorsin some case, to reflect your
branding.
But the great thing is whenyou're using Canva and you've
(12:00):
got a set, if you change thecolor of a heading down the
bottom of the Canva screen,you'll see change all colors
that match this to this color.
So you can go change this tored and every single post in
that set will change to red, soyou can really change the whole
lot over your branding colorsvery quickly.
(12:20):
Okay, as I said, remember to useyour brand colors and your
fonts.
Don't mix it up.
Be consistent, and that's theadvantage of getting a set made
or buying a set.
And the last thing you probablyshould do is write a style
sheet that anyone doing work foryou can use and apply when
they're doing the work.
So if you are going to hiresomeone to create a set of
(12:41):
templates for you, please writeup a brand script with your
colors, your fonts and someexamples so that they know
exactly what you need and whatyou want and how you want it to
look.
Do not just let people flyfreely unless you really don't
know what you want.
Okay, but that is the long wayto getting where you want to go.
Make some choices yourselffirst and then give them their
(13:03):
head to do the development ofthe designs.
And number five, your bio andtagline.
Okay, your bio and tagline areyour elevator pitch to potential
clients and your differentevent organizers.
Crafting a captivating andconcise summary that highlights
your speaking niche, your keyachievements and the value that
you bring to your audience isreally important.
Okay, a compelling tagline, orelevator speech, as I prefer to
(13:26):
call them, can instantlycommunicate your expertise and
capture attention.
If you don't know where tostart, write something and then
use chapter GPT and just put itin there or get it to ask you
some questions and then get itto write you a bio, okay, that's
the easy way to do it, and thenyou can craft it and fiddle
with it and make it better orwhatever, but at least you'll
(13:47):
have a baseline piece of contentthat you can work from.
It's always easier to work froma piece of content than it is
to create a piece of contentfrom scratch.
Okay, now, one thing I dorecommend is go and have a look
at the storybrandcom framework.
That will help you craft thatframe of the brand script that
you need to use to create otherthings, such as your bio and
(14:11):
your tagline.
Remember, when you create a bio, you're going to need multiple
length bios.
You're going to need, obviously, your bio for your website.
It's quite large, but thenyou're going to need your short
one, which is your high impact,big punch type welcome to stage
in bio that you give to your mcsand by the place.
Like that, Storybrand willdefinitely help you write a good
(14:34):
elevator pitch.
Okay, I've just been doing thisagain myself to try and tidy up
a few things.
And if you listen to themarketing made simple podcast,
which is a fantastic podcastthere's been a recent episode
about this it's about getting itto talk about the problem, the
solution that you provide andthe result that they get, and if
you use that formula, it'spretty straightforward.
So I solve how I do it and whatlife is like after using me.
(15:00):
But I'll let you investigatethat a little bit further
because it's absolutely worthgoing down the rabbit hole for
storybrand.
It will make a massivedifference to your business and
a massive difference to yourimpact.
Number six content curation.
Oh, I love this one.
It's one of my favorites.
You can create curate contentthat aligns with your speaking
topics and expertise so you canshare valuable insights, thought
(15:21):
leadership articles andengaging content that reinforce
your authority as a subjectmatter.
Expert.
Consistency in the type ofcontent you share will position
you as a reliable source ofinformation for your audience.
Content curation is about thefact that you can't create
everything, and there's a lot ofother clever people out there,
so why should you?
It's better to actually useother people's content, as well
(15:46):
as your own, to reinforce yourpoint of view, because you can
give your advice or your opinionfor discussion on that article.
So I might find an article inthe news that Joe said this
about that and I can comment andsay, hey, check this article
out, it's really interesting.
But I don't believe that'snecessarily a case.
I actually believe that thetwist is this, or whatever what
(16:06):
do you think?
And that invites theconversation.
It doesn't require you tocreate a full article.
It just requires you to read afew articles and find some good
content that you believe isactually worth sharing with
people.
It's not about just findingstuff and shoving it out there.
It's actually about findingstuff that's consistent with
your brand message.
There's a couple ways to dothat.
(16:27):
You can surf the news.
You can use tools like Feedly,google News, etc.
And you can filter them forkeywords or hashtags to find
stuff specifically related toyour topics.
Remember, keep it short yourcomment and ask what people
think.
Do they agree with you or don'tthey agree with you?
Remember, you're trying tocreate a discussion, trying to
(16:49):
get people to think about yourtopic, and just because you're
using someone else's informationdoesn't mean that should change
.
Number eight you need aconsistent message.
As a speaker, consistentmessaging is vital for
reinforcing your expertise andyour brand identity.
You need to maintain aconsistent tone and language in
(17:10):
your captions and directionswith your audience.
This consistent voice, as wecall it not voices in speaking,
voices in the overall feeling ofwhat you say will help you
build familiarity and trust withyour followers, making them
more likely to engage with yourcontent and attend your future
events.
Along with your design, youneed to make sure that you focus
(17:32):
in on your key messageconsistently.
It's pretty simple.
Don't be running 15 differentmessages.
You need to really narrow itdown.
Okay, minor, agile leadershipand dealing with rapid change,
because that's what I do as afirefighter leading teams going
into fires when things changereally quickly and they do all
(17:53):
the time on the fire ground.
So that's my message and that'swhat I'm trying to get through
in my content.
Make sure you keep the themestrong in everything you do.
Okay, don't just roll offbecause you see something
interesting.
I am guilty of shiny objectsyndrome.
Okay, oh, look, here's a newsocial media tool.
Oh, here's a new piece ofsoftware.
Because it hard on my geek andthat makes it, you know, hard
(18:14):
for me.
But the fact of the matter isthe messages I push out to other
people need to be on brand.
Even though this stuff isreally interesting I can talk to
my friends about that it's notnecessarily what the audience
needs to hear.
Okay, the stronger your theme is, the more that people get to
know you as that person for thetopic that you talk about.
(18:34):
Remember, go deep, not wide.
Okay, we can't go wide.
If we go wide, we get shallow.
Why, it's fine if you'retalking about an overarching
sort of topic and there isplenty of keynotes that work in
that area, but when you're in acrowded area, then you need to
be more specific, otherwise youwon't get any cut through.
And stick to your messaging.
(18:57):
Stick to those key themes thatyou're trying to cover.
I was listening to a podcastwith a New York Times
bestselling author and it's abook that everybody would know,
but I won't mention it and hesaid basically it took him three
years to get any traction atall with that book.
So for three years got no cutthrough, got the occasional
podcast interview and that sortof stuff.
(19:17):
But by consistently working onthat message and pushing that
message and pushing the book andstaying on theme, he got cut
through and now he's abestselling author with multiple
versions of the book, et cetera.
The key thing to understandthere is that consistency is
important and staying on thelong path.
(19:38):
Too many people roll over intonew paths regularly and I'm as
guilty as anyone else of this.
Stay on the path, keeprepeating your message until you
get cut through and if you feelyou're not getting cut through,
ask some people, find outwhat's not working.
Get them to have a look.
I'm sure that they can tell youwhat's going on.
(20:00):
So I hope you found this episodeof our podcast on creating
consistent social media imagesInteresting and if you did, I
have a challenge for you.
Please hit that like button andsubscribe to the podcast right
now and then share this episodewith another speaker who could
use the tips and strategieswe've shared.
Let's help each other, grow ourbusinesses and make an impact
(20:21):
in the speaking world.
Together, we can reach evenmore people and make a bigger
difference.
So don't wait.
Take action now and share thelove.
Thanks for tuning in and getready for more exciting business
building tips in the nextepisode.
Cheers, welcome to episode 36of the profitable speaking
podcast, where we providepractical tips and insights to
(20:43):
help you succeed as a publicspeaker.
In today's episode, we're goingto be looking at creating
consistent social media images.
In today's digital age, socialmedia has become an
indispensable tool forprofessional speakers to amplify
their voices, connect withtheir audience and establish a
powerful personal brand.
As a professional speaker, yoursocial media presence serves as
(21:04):
a virtual stage, enables you toshowcase your expertise, your
insights and unique speakingstyle to a global audience.
However, standing out amongstthe vast sea of online content
requires more than just sporadicposting.
It demands a strategic approachfocused on creating a
consistent social media image.
Building a strong andconsistent social media image is
(21:27):
essential.
It not only enhances brandrecognition, but also cultivates
trust and credibility with yourtarget audience.
In this podcast episode, we'regoing to explore some of the
fundamental principles thatunderpin the compelling social
media branding strategyspecifically tailored to you
From brand storytelling thatforms an emotional connection
(21:48):
with your followers toleveraging visual identity to
convey your unique speakingpersonality.
I'm going to delve into somepractical techniques that you
can use to elevate your socialmedia presence and propel your
speaking career in today'sdigital age.
As a speaker, your social mediapresence serves as your virtual
(22:09):
stage Remember that and it'salways out there working for you
.
However, you need to keepworking on it at all times.
So what can we do to improveour social media presence so
that it actually engages ouraudience in the way that we
(22:29):
really want them to?
So, number one, the first isbrand storytelling.
As a speaker, your brandstorytelling is at the core of
connecting with your audience.
You need to share the journeythat led you to become a speaker
, your passion for your topicand the impact you make with it
that you're trying to getthrough your presentations.
(22:50):
Your unique experiences andperspectives will create an
emotional bond with youraudience, making them more
receptive to your message.
So let's look at what you cando to make that happen.
First of all, let's make a listof stories that you can use.
So sit down and make a big listof stories of things that
(23:13):
relate to your topic.
So in my case, I might writedown a whole pile of leadership
stories that are relative tofirefighting, as that is my
topic is leadership from afirefighter's perspective.
Then go through and write outsome short outlines about each
of those topics and tie it to amessage.
Remember, we're trying to tiethis content in with our overall
(23:36):
brand message, so make surethat you don't just write random
stories, that they're actuallytied to a message that you're
trying to get across to youraudience which is related to
your theme and topic.
Then group those stories intothemes.
Okay, so there might bedifferent things.
One might be change, one mightbe leadership, you know, one
might be teams, you know.
(23:56):
Whatever they happen to be foryou, depending on your specific
topics.
Then you need to use thosestories.
Okay, use them on stage, usethem in videos, use them in
reels, use them in all yoursocial media and understand
where you know you can use thosestories.
Now, it doesn't have to alwaysbe video stories.
(24:19):
You can use excerpts on socialmedia posts.
So and again, integrate thosestories in and if you've got a,
you know, signature story, asmost people have, maybe use some
elements of that on a regularbasis.
Make sure that you tell thosestories through the pictures you
use as well.
So, when you're doing yoursocial media posts, use pictures
(24:40):
that illustrate the story.
It doesn't have to actually befrom that day, so to speak, but
it should still reflect themeaning, the feeling, the visual
of what you're talking about,and remember that you're trying
to keep the same themethroughout, okay, so remember we
did silo them into theme groups.
(25:01):
Make sure you keep them through.
Number two second thing we needto look at is our visual
identity.
Okay, developing a distinctivevisual identity is essential for
you as a speaker.
Your logo, your colors, yourdesign elements should reflect
your personal brand and yourspeaking style.
Consistency and visual elementsacross the website, social
(25:23):
media and marketing materialswill enhance your brand
recognition and it'll reinforceyour expertise.
Colors are really powerfulthings, okay.
When you use consistentcoloring in all of your
marketing materials, it becomeslinked to you.
I have friends that are onlyseen in pink and they're well
(25:44):
known for that.
Okay, and so you have thesevisual identities that get
attached to you, depending onwhat you wear.
In my case, I use RuralFirefighter Orange, which is a
special color orange that ouruniforms are, and I use that
with black and red two othercolors and white that are
related to fire.
So I don't know what yourcolors are.
(26:07):
I mean, it's up to you, but geta set that work together.
Remember you can look that uponline and get color sets, okay,
and then consistently use those.
And remember different colorshave different effects on people
.
So blue is calming, for example, and indicates trust, and
you'll read all those sorts ofthings, but I don't overthink it
, but just remember.
(26:27):
If you're stuck and you don'tknow where to start, maybe look
at some information on that.
Be careful with the fonts youuse.
Make sure that they're readable, that they're styles that are
professional and that they makeimpact when people read them so
that they cut through on yoursocial media posts.
Otherwise, if you're switchingfonts all the time, there's no
(26:48):
consistency there.
Now, often we do social mediaposts and we will make something
up and we'll throw some fontson there that are pre-designed.
You can't do that.
If you want consistency, okay.
So what you can do is a wholepile of things and I will go
into that further.
So I'm getting ahead of myselfhere.
You should also look at choosinga brand picture.
(27:10):
In my case, I use a half andhalf, where it's half me in
business and half me on fireground clothing.
So that is consistent, that I'mhalf business and I'm half
volunteer firefighter.
You might have a photo or twoor three that are from a set
wearing a particular suit orsomething like that, but keep
(27:31):
that visual identity.
I've seen it done really wellby a friend of mine recently who
has a green suit on and it's onthe cover of her book and I see
it consistently around herstuff.
So you're looking for that, sopeople see it straight away and
there's that brand recognition.
If you're gonna use a photo,link it with a story okay.
Again, coming back to thecolors in the photos is also
(27:53):
important and then linking it toa story pulls those colors,
those fonts and the storytogether as one.
Remember, once you've chosenyour colors, that your website,
your PowerPoints, your printedmaterials and all your socials
should be consistent in usingthose.
Now, at first you're gonna flipback and forth a bit, but once
(28:15):
you get it down and you've gotsomething consistent that works
well for you, that visually isidentifiable and clean and easy
to read when it's up on the bigscreen and all that sort of
stuff, then lock it down whenstick with it.
Okay, the longer you use theconsistent brand styling, the
more effective it becomes.
(28:35):
The more you change it, theless it becomes useful to you.
People who see your posts.
They should know who sent thatpost before they even read it.
Just scrolling down, you knowhow you flick your phone and
just scroll the Unreal fast.
As soon as they see that colorscheme, they should know it's
you.
That's the sort of impact thatyou're looking for.
(28:56):
Number three we've got profileoptimization, so you need to
optimize your social mediaprofiles to showcase your
expertise and accomplishments.
Okay, using a consistent handleor username across all your
platforms makes it easy forevent organizers and your fans
to find you online.
Your bio should be succinct andcompelling as a representation
(29:19):
of your unique, your mouthfulthere and your unique value
proposition as a speaker.
Okay, go through and match allyour profiles on your social
media.
Okay, they shouldn't all bedifferent.
They should be all the same.
Try and get the same or similarname on all your platforms.
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