When it comes to your speaker biography, you need to highlight your value as a thought leader. Public speakers lead with their experience, perspective, and influence. While it’s impossible to sum up a lifetime of experience in a single passage, a speaker bio is a way to capture your credentials to boost your marketability. However, it’s helpful to use a speaker bio template to make sure you’re focusing on the things decision-makers want to see.
As a thought leader, your speaker bio is one of the most important marketing materials. It’s something that lives on your website, email features, event pages, and so on. Above all, it’s a way to make a strong first impression. As a professional, you only have up to 27 seconds to make a positive first impression. If you fail, it’s hard to turn things around. This is why a strong speaker bio template is so valuable.
Understanding the key components of winning speaker bio templates is what sets you apart. Regardless of your experience level or writing ability, you want to put your best foot forward. Truly impactful bios do more than capture the reader’s attention. They also establish your value when it matters the most.
Whether you’re just getting your start as a thought leader or you’re an experienced professional, it’s important to keep your speaker bio up-to-date. In this guide, we’ll explore the only speaker bio template you’ll ever need as a thought leader. This was designed by industry professionals with insider knowledge, and it’s proven to help you stand out. Are your marketing materials up to the latest standards?
How did we define this speaker bio template?
First, how did we create this speaker bio template? If you’ve ever sat down to write your own biography, you might have realized it’s easier said than done. Though it should be easy to talk about yourself, this isn’t always the case. As a society, we’re taught not to boast too much about our achievements. It’s seen as rude and distasteful, and this is an obstacle many have to overcome when creating their own speaker bios.
In reality, everyone should know how to tell their own story. We defined this speaker bio template through our own experience, and also by looking through dozens of speakers’ bios within our network. We know how hard it can be to articulate what makes you special. A speaker bio template breaks down these barriers so you can identify your own experience, skills, and selling points.
Our speaker bio template was influenced by:
- Our connections within the National Speakers Association
- Examining high-performing speakers on bureau websites
- The inspiring examples we’ve seen throughout the speaking industry
This isn’t our first time exploring speaker bios. We’ve outlined a complete beginner’s guide to writing a speaker biography that’s a great place to begin. This speaker bio template is a more in-depth way to share your expertise within your marketing materials. Though far from one-size-fits-all, it’s easy to customize this template to suit your specific needs and your audience.
When can you use this speaker bio template?
With that in mind, when can you use this speaker bio template? This speaker bio template serves a lot of different purposes, and you can use it however you wish. In general, it’s intended to be used as a “base” speaker bio template. This is something you can use in places like:
- Your website
- Speaker bureau websites
- Event speaker pages
- Social media
- Email marketing materials
- Print marketing materials
However, it’s recommended that you customize your bio as needed for specific events. While your base bio is a great starting point, you shouldn’t copy-paste it whenever needed. Customizing your bio to your specific audience cuts down on information that’s not relevant. There’s no point taking up precious real estate with things that won’t help you sell your skills as a speaker and thought leader. Though you might be a jack of all trades, you don’t want to appear like a master of none.
Along those lines, it’s also a good idea to create multiple versions of your bio. For example, you can have one that’s between 100 and 150 words, and one that’s super short (under 50). Some platforms (like social media) limit your word count for your bio, so having different versions is important. This speaker bio template is ideal for building your longer, more robust speaker biography. From there, edit it down to suit the situation and platform.
What are the elements of the speaker bio template?
Before we share the actual template, what are the basic elements? When you see these as a big picture, you can see how they work together to create a clear image of your role as both a speaker and a thought leader. Regardless of your industry, you’ll want to highlight the following elements:
- Professional experience: Of course, your professional experience is the foundation of your speaker biography. It’s how you establish your credentials and that your insights are valuable and credible.
- Personal experience: If you bring any specific personal information to the table that would matter to your audience, you should share this as well (passions, volunteer work, goals, etc.)
- Education: Also, share your degrees, certifications, and other educational achievements.
- Publications: Don’t be afraid to name-drop any publications or features. This is a form of social proof, showing that other names in the industry trust your expertise.
- Fun facts: Last but not least, your speaker bio doesn’t have to be stale. Including fun, personal details adds color and makes you relatable.
Ultimately, you need all of the above elements to create a winning speaker bio formula. Though it might seem natural to lean completely on your professional experience and education, don’t undervalue the importance of your personal experience and what makes you unique. This is how you truly stand out. People want to hire those they like and trust.
The Speaker Bio Template
Now, let’s break down the speaker bio template for thought leaders. No matter your industry, you can use this speaker bio template to share your experience, certifications, publications, and more. It’s about painting a clear picture of your value. As the saying goes, show don’t tell. By showing how you’ve proven yourself in your space, you demonstrate worthwhile potential.
Summary of Relevant Professional Experience
To begin, start with the basics. This means summing up your relevant professional experience. This should be front and center, making sure it’s clear from the first sentence that you know what you’re doing. While you can list facts, try to make them a bit more personal to help you stand out.
When discussing your professional experience, the keyword is ‘relevant.’ You don’t need to list every professional role you’ve had. In fact, this could have the opposite effect of being too overwhelming. Instead, focus on the most relevant professional gigs and accomplishments to make it clear what you bring to your specific audience.
Example: “Susan Smith is an award-winning writer who has been featured on TV shows like Shark Tank, Cheddar News, and Good Morning America. She graduated from the University of Florida in 2002 with a degree in Sociology. From there, she found her footing in the nonprofit space, discovering the power of words to influence real-world change.”
Summary of Relevant Personal Experience
Next, share a summary of any relevant personal experience. You’re more than your professional experience. It’s important to be a well-rounded person, and likability is a huge factor in the speaker hiring process. People don’t just trust thought leaders because they have experience. They trust them because they’re personal and relatable. In other words, show your humanity.
Explain any personal experience that connects you with your audience. You might be a parent, teacher, industry professional, or lifelong lover of sweets. Consider what personal experiences resonate with your specific audience and leverage these to build real connections.
Example: “Suzie Barnes, mother of four rambunctious children, is passionate about helping mothers everywhere reclaim their time. After struggling to ‘have it all,’ she sought to break down what it means to balance motherhood and career.”
Brief Mention of Degrees and Certifications
Of course, your speaker bio should also include a mention of your degrees, certifications, and so on. While education isn’t everything, it does carry some weight. The same goes for any professional awards or accolades. However, try to frame these in a way that’s relevant. For example, most people probably don’t care that you won a juggling competition in college!
Highlight the achievements that tie closely to your audience. How do they pair with your subjects and topics? What do they bring to the table, and how can you make them stand out? Consider that other thought leaders might have their own qualifications, so you should frame yours in a way that really shines a light on your experience.
Example: “Indy October is a graduate from the Harvard School of Economics where he led a panel on Young Leaders in Economics. Considered one of the top experts of his generation on all things money management, he uses his education to help others set ambitious financial goals.”
Mention of Relevant Publications (Papers, Books, Etc.)
Similarly, don’t be afraid to shout out any relevant publications. This includes papers, books, features, and so on. In today’s world, you might also include modern publications like podcasts, videos, and digital features. Again, consider what’s the most relevant in your specific industry.
Most thought leaders have a lot of publications, but you’ll only want to include the most eye-catching. Though you might be in dozens of small research papers or magazines, stick with the ones that are most well-known in your space. Since many event planners simply skim bios of potential speakers, you need to ensure your key publications stand out quickly.
Example: “Trisha Crew’s bestselling book How to Influence Others was featured on the New York Times Bestsellers List for 10 weeks. Along with her column in The Huffington Post and her podcast, Making It Count, she reaches engaged audiences across the United States and Canada.”
Fun & Memorable Facts About You
Who said your speaker bio had to be boring? In our speaker bio template, we recommend you include fun and memorial facts about yourself. The world isn’t black and white. We aren’t only the sum of our accomplishments in our portfolio. We’re complex, real humans, and it’s okay to let some personality shine through.
When you come across as a real person on your speaker bio, this is memorable. People connect with other people. They want to know, like, and trust you before they hire you. Nobody wants to hire a speaker without a personality.
Example: “When not helping companies reclaim their time, Johnny Appleseed can be found at home with his three kids playing a mean game of hide-and-seek. A proud father and dog parent, he believes there’s no such thing as a dull moment.”
Additional Things To Include
Finally, there are some additional things to make sure are in your speaker bio. You should always make sure your speaking titles like “keynote speaker” or “two-time TEDx speaker” are front and center. Your bio should also be written in your own words. While it’s expected to write in third-person, that doesn’t mean it has to be stiff and formal.
Lastly, your speaker bio should be professional but engaging. You want your readers to feel excited about reading it, so don’t treat this like a formal writing assignment for English class. The goal is to be relatable, interesting, and relaxed without compromising on important elements.
Example: Bryson Davey is a TEDx speaker who uses his 30 years of psychology research to help others utilize the deepest corners of their brain to accomplish more. After decades of working within the walls of MIT’s research lab, he decided it was time for a disruption. Today, he helps professionals push beyond what’s ‘expected’ to create monumental shifts.
The Bottom Line
Ultimately, if you want to write a speaker bio that captivates event planners, you need the right speaker bio template. As you’ll quickly realize, it’s not as simple as throwing words on your portfolio. You need a strategic approach to make sure your bio stands out, communicates the right message, and feels targeted to your audience.
Whether you’re just getting started or you’re an industry pro, your speaker bio is non-negotiable. It’s an essential part of your digital and print marketing materials, attracting event planner attention at the right time. Beyond this, it’s a networking tool and warm introduction, opening the way for future opportunities as a thought leader.
