Five things speakers need to know about online events

If you want to get booked for online events, it's essential to create a video of yourself that demonstrates to organisers your ability to perform, writes Jon Card

Ever since the pandemic struck, the events industry has been thrust into the online world. Whether you’re a speaker, an organiser or an MC, it’s been a steep learning curve for us all. While I miss in-person events, I can’t help but feel a world of opportunity has opened up and that entrepreneurs and business leaders would be missing out unless they actively sought to get involved.

If you like speaking at events, you should ensure you have some video, or ‘showreel’, of you doing just that. Event organisers are far more likely to book you if you’re able to provide them with a video of you in action. They want to get a flavour of what their prospective speaker will look, sound and feel like, before they take to the virtual stage.

Thankfully, Zoom and other platforms make it very easy to record while speaking. So, after speaking, you can simply download your video and edit as you see fit. But, before you hit record, here are my top five tips to getting it right.

1) Ensure sound quality is high

For me, sound is the most important factor. The YouTube generation can just about forgive grainy images, but sound should be crystal clear. There's one simple way to do this: buy a decent microphone. I'm currently using a Samson SAQ2U, which plugs into one of my laptop’s USB ports, and it’s been a great investment.

2) Check your internet connection

Next up is internet connection and, if yours is at all dodgy, you need to improve it. The internet is full of clever ways to do this and many companies sell Wi-Fi boosters. But I found the simplest method was to not use Wi-fi. That’s right folks, a long cable running from my laptop to the router provides lighting fast internet speeds - I guess I’m just old school. Please note: some laptops don’t have ethernet connections, but you can cheaply buy an ethernet to USB adapter online.

3) Set the scene

For me, this is one of the biggest challenges. If only we all lived in homes with nicely lit studies and pristine bookshelves behind us, setting the scene would be easy. But there are simple ways to improve your setting. Lighting is the most important thing, so search your property for a spot which has plenty of natural light and create the scene behind you. Perhaps add a plant and stow away all those unfashionable or politically contentious books you've been reading.

4) Work that camera

Webcams became unattainable during lockdown as the world moved online, all at once. Everybody wanted that same Logitech device and most of us failed to obtain one. If your laptop or tablet already produces clear video, you might not need an extra camera. In the end, I purchased a Microsoft Lifecam to improve my picture quality and it’s certainly a lot better than my laptop’s camera. Using a webcam has the advantage that I can look at the camera separately, rather than at my screen. If you are speaking to your laptop, try to look at the white dot above your screen, as it means you’re making eye contact with your virtual audience - it's harder than it sounds.

5) Create picture based slides

Many people find it impossible to listen and read at the same time, so let’s stop putting lots of text on slides. However, a few strong images will help keep the audience engaged. They might also want to connect with you afterwards, so do create a nice finishing slide that includes your chosen social media handles and email address. Of course, if I wanted to write a number six it would be to create truly entertaining, educational and informative content and to never bore the audience. But I’m sure you knew that already. Good luck.