Five Ways to Use Google Alerts in Your Professional Speaking Business

If you’re not using Google Alerts… why not?  🙂  Here are a few ways in which you can benefit from using Google Alerts:

1.) “Call for speakers” is the traditional term used by organizations looking for people to speak at events or conferences. You never know when you’ll run across an alert from a group in your niche… this is a great way to get instant notification of speaker openings. Be sure to put quote marks around the phrase, so you don’t get a bunch of alerts referring to Bose Speakers. :o)

2.) Set up an alert for your own name and/or brand. I have an alert specifically for “Butterfly Herder.” As a result, I’ve seen many Facebook posts & tweets from colleagues & friends who have referred me to potential clients. It’s kinda cool! I was able to send a quick note of thanks almost immediately after they posted. Great way to show appreciation.

If there’s a chance that your customers, colleagues, or potentials would have a reason to criticize your company or brand, this can be very helpful for ‘putting out fires’ or crisis management. As soon as your name starts showing up on websites, you’ll see the notifications and can address the issues right away.

3.) Got competition? We all do. Use alerts to keep track of other speakers in your industry. What are they doing? What aren’t they doing? Could you be doing more — or differently — to get new speaking clients?

4.) Are you a Toastmaster or NSA member? Google Alerts are handy for keeping track of the regional & national activities of your organization. Share that info with fellow members so they’ll understand that there is life “beyond” the local group.

5.) Working on a new product? Use alerts to do research! If you’re working on a new product that’ll help new managers become better managers, consider creating an alert for “new managers” and “job skills” — or whatever terms work best for you. Keep track of the info being posted all over the ‘net. This is a fabulous way to make connections with other speakers & authors… and it’ll increase your own field of vision, too!

Those are just a few ideas — do you have others? Post your suggestions below!

Cynthia Lay

Known by some in the speaking industry as “the Butterfly Herder,” Cynthia works closely with emerging professional speakers as they grow from speaking as a hobby to getting paid to speak full-time. In addition to creating websites for professional speakers, she consults in the areas of online presence & credibility, public relations, and content & product creation. Visit her website at www.SpeakerWebsites.com.