Prep for '24: Are your speaker kit images ready-to-go?
The speaker/media kit is often your golden ticket to securing speaking engagements, media and podcast appearances.
If you’re an expert who speaks, trains, coaches and consults, it’s a must-have.
As 2024 nears, it's vital to ensure that this asset is as sharp, relevant, and powerful as it can be. Here are some guiding questions to evaluate the photos in your current speaker/media kit:
Does It Accurately Represent You Now?
Have you changed your look or style since your last photo session? It might sound trivial, but ensuring that you're instantly recognizable from your photos when you step onto a stage or into a meeting is essential. You need to look like the person you are in photos as you do in real life, or, it could affect the way your audience perceives you…in NOT a good way.
Does It Have The Right Combination?
Your kit needs to have a variety of images that can be used by different outlets in different ways. Ideally, you want 2 types of headshots (tightly cropped photo showing only your face), a vertical portrait (cropped from the top of the head to mid-thigh), 2 wider portraits of you sitting, standing or leaning against a wall (cropped from the waist to the top of head), and a close-up photo of you speaking on stage, passionately delivering your presentation. This variety offers a catch-all solution for potential speaking engagements, podcast appearances, and other promotional materials.
Do They Evoke the Right Emotion?
Based on your body language and facial expressions in front of the camera, how do you want to be perceived by those who view the photos? What are the words that encapsulate this perception? Trust? Confidence? Inspiration? Openness? Curiosity? Motivation? If your current images don't align with these emotions, it's time to refresh what you have. Using misaligned images is not putting your best foot forward as it sends the wrong message to the audience.
The images in your speaker/media kit are more than just photos; they're a visual narrative of your journey, expertise, and impact. As you gear up for 2024, take a moment to critically evaluate if they're telling the story you want them to – and if not, make it a priority to create imagery that does.