Some times you gotta hear the bad news first, so here it is: Just because you give a TEDx Talk doesn’t mean anyone will see or watch it. Just look at YouTube – the overwhelming majority of TEDx Talks have fewer than 5,000 views!

Here’s what I know about you – 5,000 views just won’t cut it! You want your talk to have a HUGE impact, a Simon Sinek, Brené Brown, Shawn Achor impact.

So here’s the good news: You have a lot more control over your view count than you think. And it starts long before you give your talk.

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Follow these 5 pre-event marketing tips for a successful TEDx Talk:

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1. Get a current professional headshot

If you don’t have a current professional headshot, you should get one as soon as you’re confirmed to speak at TEDx. The TEDx organizers need your headshot for their website, social media, and print program. And you’ll need it for your website, LinkedIn, etc.

Search for photographers in your area. Or find an artistic friend with an iPhone and have them take it for you.

Follow these 3 Headshot Tips:

• The top of your head and both of your shoulders should be in frame.
• You can always crop if needed, but you can’t make a tight shot wider.
• Your headshot should be at least 1000 pixels wide or long. You can always copy the file & decrease its size, but you can’t scale up a small, low-res photo without it getting pixelated.
• No weird filters or artsy instagrammy shit. You’re a professional.

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2. Clean up your online presence

Delete, change, or lockdown anything you don’t want the public to see. Check your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, Google Plus, YouTube, Vimeo, Reddit, Medium, Quora, etc. 

On most of these sites, you can make your profile private or make content unlisted / password protected if you don’t want the public to see it.

Then, if you don’t already have one, make an account on TED.com. If you already have one, make it better.

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3. Create a website

If you don’t already have a website, make one. It doesn’t have to be fancy; think of it as an online business card. Headshot, bio, contact form. That’s good enough. 

You just need a way for online viewers to find you, contact you, and hopefully offer you money to speak at their event because they loved your TEDx Talk. That’s the purpose of your website.

If you wanna be “extra” (as the youth say), make a page on your website for TEDx viewers & publish it on the same day as your TEDx event. Embed your video when it’s posted on YouTube and include information that’s relevant to your talk. 

For example, if your TEDx Talk is about increasing youth voter turnout, your webpage could include a free youth voter registration kit, canvassing tips, and state-by-state voter registration instructions.

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4. Make business cards

“Business cards are soooooo old fashioned,” you say. And you know what? I completely agree.

But if your TEDx event has any sort of social gathering where you meet with attendees, you should bring a stack of business cards.

If you don’t want to give everyone your email & phone number, don’t. 

Put your website on it and people can contact you that way (see above!).

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5. Notify relevant media outlets

Now it’s time to create buzz about your talk! Reach out to relevant media outlets & tell them you’re speaking. They might want to cover your event or embed your YouTube video on their website.

Here’s a list to get you started:

• Your hometown newspaper or TV station
• Your current local newspaper or TV station
• Your university newsroom
• Your alumni organization
• Any professional organizations that you belong to

It’s not bragging – it’s sharing! Unless your local paper is The New York Times, they’re probably hungry for content. And they want to be able to say, “Look, this guy who grew up here, in our small rural Nebraskan town, is so successful. There’s hope for the rest of us!” or “See, prospective parents, Metro State University alumni give TEDx Talks. That could be your daughter or son IF you pay us $50,000 a year in tuition.”

If you’re embarrassed, make your BFF or your mom do it for you. Your mom is going to brag about you regardless – you might as well make it official.

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Bonus Tip: Hire a professional speaker coach.

A boring talk won’t go viral. Sorry to be so blunt, but that’s the truth. 

For a TEDx Talk to go viral, it has to appeal way beyond your inner circle – to strangers who’ve never met you, and to their friends, and their friends, and their friends.

In other words, the secret to viral success is to have a really, really good talk – a talk that people really, really want to share. That’s where a professional speaker coach comes in. Find out more here.