NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 17, 2009 — Meeting and conference organizers planning to feature the hot topic of social media at upcoming events can be easily overwhelmed when they begin their search for possible speakers. Case in point, a Google query for social media speakers yields over 22 million results, for social media experts, more than 68 million. (Compare that to about 1.5 million results when searching for motivational speaker on Google.) As an alternative, The Speakers Group offers meeting planners a selection of pre-screened social media speakers capable of addressing the subject on as basic or as complex a level as an audience requires, with a range of fees to fit a variety of budgets.
Recognizing the widespread relevance of social media for their clients across multiple industries, The Speakers Group began establishing a niche of social media speakers on their roster earlier this year. In particular, they have sought out speakers who bring diverse perspectives to the social media discussion and who can address audiences outside the fields of technology and social media just as easily as they can address those within – an important distinction.
"Just because someone has spoken at a bloggers conference, a social media event or SxSW does not mean that speaker is the right fit for traditional audiences," points out Jeff Hurt, a conference planner who has scheduled more than 2,500 speakers over the past 10 years. "Just because someone is a great writer, blogger or author does not automatically qualify them as a great speaker."
Beyond offering a directory of proven social media speakers, The Speakers Group offers additional value to meeting organizers by being able to discuss their specific needs and objectives related to social media to ensure they secure the appropriate authority for their unique situation.
"There's no shortage of businesses and more specifically, the individuals who represent them, seeking insight, answers and direction to simplify, organize, and elucidate the intimidating and confusing social media landscape," said Brian Solis, respected authority on social media and author of Putting the Public Back in Public Relations. "Likewise, social media experts are seemingly ubiquitous. Working with an organization that can effectively connect precise expertise to the forums where they can be fully assimilated, appreciated, and effectively practiced is invaluable to all parties involved."
By being actively engaged in social media in their own business operations – with a blog that began in 2005 and with profiles on sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter – and understanding what meeting organizers and audiences expect of their speakers, The Speakers Group is uniquely equipped to help planners seeking to add value to their events by featuring this important topic.
For more information, read The Speakers Group's recent blog post titled "Social Media and Your Meeting: No Longer an Optional Topic" and monitor their growing roster of social media speakers at http://SocMedSpkrs.com, or call (615) 526-6600 to discuss social media options for your program.
Contact:
Shawn Ellis
The Speakers Group
(615) 526-6600
Email
http://www.thespeakersgroup.com
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