Public Speaking and Promoting

In recent years the internet has exponentiated in users and with this boom of broadcasting grew an ever increasing audience. And just as there are numerous online opportunities for promoting yourself or product there are also great ways to generate awareness outside of the digital realm. The easiest way to promote is during a conversation (you and another's - not disrupting two people) asking the person what they think about a certain subject. Whether they know the subject or don't, you can share your thoughts on an idea or theme related to your 'brand'. Since my product is novels I would talk about topics related to what I'm writing to create potential interest. This, of course, doesn't have to be everytime you talk with someone, but the opportunities to do so are more than what it seems.

Speaking to groups is a great way to gain attention and awareness. The number of attendees that you're addressing is most times not as vital as the location and, more importantly, the content (given that you're not stage shy). If you are uneasy with speaking in public, practicing with a friend or someone who can give positive and constructive feedback is an excellent way to begin. If you were to speak at the library or book club group (and posted event flyers well in advance) there might be five or twenty-five people who attend, but if you arrived underprepared then five people might be all who stay interested. And of those five, who would likely tell a friend of the event, two or three might be interested in what you were offering.

It's favorable to your audience and advantageous to yourself to research, gather your notes and assemble a hierarchy of topics and main points that you'll present with an engaging enthusiasm. You never know who will be there and it just might be someone that wasn't interested, being dragged there by a friend, then finding your talk more enjoyable than they had first thought.

Researching not only includes using ideas and themes that you already know, but making certain that you're aware of your target audience (or close to it). For instance, the library. Depending on what day or time you schedule, there will be a different crowd of people. Even with flyers showing the time and day. If your presentation is during a weekday afternoon after schools let out, there may not be as many teens who show up. For instance, due to after school sports, homework or watching a sibling. However, if you present on a Saturday afternoon, there will be a greater for a larger audience. Another strategy (and primary one) is to host a speaking engagement based on a platform or theme in your story or for your product. Choose a location central to your platform then the audience will follow and be ready to listen.

There are numerous ways to promote what you've written or created and there are just as many people who want to know about it. Make public speaking part of your promotional plan and you'll discover the fun and rewarding benefits!