Speaker Promo Cards: How to Make Them and Get Them Shared

Speaker promo cards are the small, shareable images that announce a speaker and invite their audience to come. They are one of the most reliable ways to reach people you could not reach otherwise, because a speaker's followers trust the speaker more than they trust an event page. This guide covers what goes on a card, how to build a speaker social media kit, when to send it, and how attendee cards complement the speaker cards you make.

What speaker promo cards are, and why they work

A speaker promo card is a single image, usually a photo of the speaker with their name, role, the event's name and date. It is made to be posted on a social account. When a speaker shares it, their own audience sees the event, and that audience is exactly the group most likely to be interested in what the speaker has to say.

That is why the practice is so common at conferences. It turns each speaker into a small channel for your event. The card does not need to be elaborate. It needs to be clear, accurate and easy to post.

There is one caution. A speaker who feels pushed to post can do it badly, or not at all. Treat the card as a gift you have prepared for them, not a duty you have placed on them, and the results will be better for it.

What to put on a speaker highlight card

Keep the card simple. A reader should understand it in two seconds. These are the parts that matter:

Check contrast and size on a phone, because that is where most people will see it. Text that looks fine on a laptop can be unreadable on a small screen. If the photo is dark, put the name on a solid band instead of over the image.

• A clear photo. Ask the speaker for one they like. A sharp, well-lit head and shoulders photo beats a stylised one.
• Name and role. Spell both as the speaker does. Check titles and organisations before publishing.
• The event name and date. Use the same wording on every card so the set looks like a series.
• One line on the topic. What the speaker will cover, in plain words, not a slogan.
• Space around the edges. Platforms crop images differently, so keep text away from the borders.

How to get speakers to promote your event

The most common reason a speaker does not post is that it takes effort. They have to find the date, write a caption, find a photo and work out what to tag. You remove that effort by doing it for them, and making the ask small.

Send a kit rather than a request. A kit is a folder or a page with the cards, suggested captions, the tag and the link, all ready to use. The speaker can post it in a minute or edit it to sound like themselves.

Time it well. Send the kit at the same time as the confirmation, when the speaker is most engaged, and follow up once, a week or two before the date. Thank the speaker publicly when they post. It costs nothing and it is remembered.

Some speakers have a team that manages their accounts. Ask who to send the kit to, and send it to that person as well as the speaker. If a speaker never posts, do not chase. Accept it, and promote them on your own channels instead. For more ways to fill your calendar around speaker news, see event marketing ideas, and once the event is over, the event analytics report shows how many guests came back for their photos.

Build a speaker social media kit

The table shows what a useful kit holds. Two card sizes, a square for most feeds and a landscape for professional networks and link previews, cover most needs. Add two or three suggested captions in different tones, so the speaker can choose one that sounds like them.

Keep the kit in one place, and give it a short, clear name. A single link is easier for a speaker to forward to their assistant than a long email with attachments.

Name one person as the contact for changes. If a speaker's title changes or a photo needs replacing, they should know who to ask. And check every detail with the speaker before the cards go out, because a misspelt name is the kind of mistake that gets noticed.

Speaker announcement post: timing and wording

Announce speakers in stages rather than all at once. A steady run of announcements gives you something to post for weeks and gives each speaker their own moment. Start with the names that will draw the most interest, and keep a strong one back for later.

Write the announcement as you would tell a friend. Say who the speaker is, what they will talk about and why it matters to your audience. Avoid adjectives that could apply to anyone. Include the date, the place and the link.

The rest of the run-up is covered in the guide to event countdown posts, which shows where speaker announcements fit in a timeline.

Tag the speaker and their organisation where they have agreed to it, and use the name of the session if there is one. If two speakers share a session, announce them together, because a pair is easier to picture than two separate names.

How attendee cards complement speaker promo cards

To be clear about what is what: speaker promo cards are something you make in your own design tools. Eventiere does not make them. Eventiere's I'm attending cards are for attendees. Each registered guest can create a card with their own photo and name, announcing that they are attending, and post it themselves.

The two work well together. Speaker cards announce who is on stage and reach the speakers' audiences. Attendee cards show who is in the room and reach the guests' networks. Between them, the event is announced by the people on stage and the people in the seats, which is the idea behind attendee advocacy.

Design both with the same colours and event name so they read as one campaign. And agree the event tag in advance, using event hashtag ideas if you need help choosing it.