Why speakers don't post
It's rarely reluctance. Most speakers want a full room. They don't post because promoting isn't on their list: writing something takes thought, finding the right link takes effort, and a request that says "please share with your network" has no deadline and no first step.
So don't try to motivate them. Remove the work.
Ask when you invite them
The right time to raise promotion is in the invitation, while you're offering them something. Afterwards, it's a favour. A sentence is enough:
A line for the speaker invitation
One small ask if you say yes: we'll send you a ready-made post and image, with a link that counts who you bring. Could you share it once, about two weeks before? It's the biggest thing that fills the room.
This also lets you be fair: sharing the audience you've got for a slot on their stage is an exchange, and saying so openly is better than hoping.
What goes in a speaker kit
A good kit is short. If it takes more than two minutes to use, it won't get used.
- A share image with their face and name. It feels like their news rather than your advert, which makes it easier to post. Use the "I'm speaking" format, with date and title.
- Their own link. So you can credit what they bring. Better still, a short one, because a pasted link can lose its tags.
- A QR code, for their own slides or a talk they're giving beforehand.
- Two posts to paste, in a voice that could plausibly be theirs: one short, one a bit longer.
- The date, title, time and the one-sentence promise.
- The bit they can't do without: how to join on the day, and when to turn up.
Three templates
The kit email
Subject: Your kit for [event name], and one small ask
Hi [name], Here's everything for [event name] on [date]. It takes two minutes. Your image: [link] Your link: [their link] Your QR code, for slides: [link] Could you post once by [date]? Something to paste is below, but your own words will do better. I'll send you a note on how many people you've brought. Thanks, [your name]
A LinkedIn post they can paste
I'm speaking at [event name] on [date]. I'll be talking about [the promise, in one line]. Three things I'll cover: - [one] - [two] - [three] It's free, it's [online / in city], and there'll be time for your questions. Register here: [their link]
A short post
On [date] I'm explaining how [the promise]. If that's your problem too, come along, and bring your hardest question: [their link]
Encourage them to change it. A post in a speaker's own words will do better than yours, and a template's job is to make starting easy. Tell them what to change: the first line.
Time it around the event
| When | Ask |
|---|---|
| When they accept | Confirm the one-post ask, get their photo and bio |
| About 3 weeks before | Send the kit, with a date for the first post |
| About 2 weeks before | A quick nudge to anyone who hasn't posted, with a current count |
| 2 days before | Optional: "last chance" post, only if they're keen |
| The day after | A thank-you, with what they brought and a share of the recording |
Should you use a leaderboard?
A leaderboard showing who brought the most people works on friendly, competitive speakers and partners, and it makes the partner conversation factual. It can also embarrass a keynote who brought four, so be thoughtful. For most events, share the board with partners and send speakers their own number privately, framed as thanks. Reward people if it suits your event, with a seat, a discount or an introduction, but an honest thank-you covers most cases.
The same kit works for sponsors and partners
Replace the speaker's face with the partner's logo, and you've got a partner kit. The numbers matter even more here: a partner who can see they brought 40 people has a reason to do it again, and a sponsor can see what they got. For larger events, see conference partner tracking.
Doing this in Programmable Talk
Each speaker and partner gets a kit: their own tracked link, QR codes, a share card with their name and face, the registration email address and copy to paste. If you've connected your own AI key, posts can be written for each platform. The leaderboard counts who brought whom, and speakers can join the session from the same kit.