We recently hosted our brilliant Hannah Smith, Editor in Chief at WTS, in our WTS Community Slack for an Ask Me Anything (AMA).

For 1 hour, Hannah answered WTS member questions posted in our #general-motivation channel, on all things pitching to speak - from choosing the right conferences, to finding your unique talk angle, to overcoming imposter syndrome.

Hannah has spent nearly two decades in marketing, starting in offline marketing before moving into paid search, technical SEO, and ultimately specialising in creative content.

She is now the Director of Worderist.com!

She’s helped deliver thousands of pieces of linked coverage, led award winning campaigns, and spoken at conferences including MozCon, SMX, SearchLove, and BrightonSEO.

Want to join our next AMA or check out what else the WTS Community Slack has to offer? Head over here for more info.

Onto the AMA...

Getting Started with Pitching

How do you decide which conference to pitch?

I’m somewhat picky when it comes to choosing conferences - I like to be reasonably confident that I’m a good fit.

I like to attend the event beforehand to get a feel for the audience and see which types of talks resonate with me.

If attending a conference beforehand isn’t possible I like to:

• Look back on previous agendas to understand the types of talk organisers typically feature
• Ask past attendees which talks they really enjoyed
• Occasionally reach out directly to organisers, even if there isn’t a formal speaker pitch form

This helps me make sure the conference aligns with my expertise and that my pitch will be relevant and engaging for the audience.

Do you have a checklist you use to evaluate speaker pitches that I could reference when crafting mine?

I’m currently not involved in speaker selection for any conferences, but from past experience, the key considerations for most organisers are:

• Does this talk fit with the overall programming and agenda?
• Can the content reasonably be delivered in the time allotted? Pitches that try to cover too much often don’t work well.
• Strength of the pitch (e.g. value, relevance to the audience, clarity of what the talk will cover)

How you can deal with that stuff in your own pitches:

• Fit with the agenda

When pitching, you’re not typically exposed to the full programming, so don’t worry too much about this and focus on what you CAN control.

• Scope and timing

I provide a brief outline of the talk to ensure I can cover everything within the time allowed.

• Strength of the pitch

I can clearly communicate the audience takeaways and answer three key questions:

• Why am I the right person to give this talk?
• What unique perspective or point of view can I bring?
• Why is this talk relevant right now?

I feel like this approach helps make the pitch clear, focused, and compelling for organisers while ensuring you can actually deliver the talk effectively.

This post I’ve written may be useful to you!

How to Write a Compelling Speaker Pitch

Finding your Unique Topic

How do I narrow down what to talk about in my pitch?

Ha! I feel you!

Many conference organisers prefer a tightly-focused talk - a deep dive into one topic rather than skimming many.

To narrow down your focus, consider:

• Which areas have you done the most work in or have the most compelling stories to share?

More work/ more stories = more compelling

• Which topic are you most passionate about?

Passion makes the talk more engaging and fun to present.

• What isn’t being covered right now?

Offering a fresh perspective can make your pitch stand out

• What feels urgent or current?

Helping organisers understand why your talk matters now can improve your chance or acceptance.

Any recommendations on how to tailor topics to different conferences?

Similar to section 1, I like to attend before I pitch so that I can get a feel for who attends and which kind of talks resonate with the audience.

However, if again that isn’t possible I like to:

• See the types of talks which the specific organiser seems to like to stage
• See if possible to talk to some folks who attended and discover which talks they really liked
• If I have access, I’ll watch the videos from the conference and read a few round-up posts

Overall, I research each conference to tailor my topics to past audience responses. This ensures my talk aligns with the event's focus, resonates with attendees, and blends my expertise with their interests.

Overcoming Fear and Imposter Syndrome

How to get over imposter syndrome and click “submit” when you’ve never spoken at an event before?

HIT SUBMIT!

I want to hear your wonderful talk and so do countless other people!

Also, there are a bunch of conferences that are super-welcoming for first-time speakers, especially our own WTS events and brightonSEO!

How do I stand out if I don’t have much experience, and how can I pitch to decision makers who aren’t experts in my field?

If you ask yourself “What am I an expert in?” this can often trigger imposter syndrome and lead to generic talks.

Your expertise alone isn’t what makes your pitch compelling - your brain, perspective and lived experiences are!

Focus on creating a talk that only you could give and ask yourself:

• What problems or challenges have I personally faced?

Consider experiences that were significant to you or required creative problem-solving.

• Which ones did I work hardest to solve?

Talks based on challenges you’ve invested real effort in are naturally more compelling.

• Which do I care about the most?

Passion comes through in your delivery and makes your talk more memorable.

Other ways to create a unique pitch:

• Do a thing, then share what you learned

For example, if you ran a campaign, tried a new strategy, or experimented with a tool, frame the talk around your journey and insights.

• Challenge industry myths or frustrations

If something frustrates you, research it, experiment, and help others understand a better approach.

In an industry where numbers and wins get celebrated the most, how do you keep sight of your worth beyond the metrics?

Honestly, this is something I struggle with too.

I once saw a LinkedIn post claiming, “You’re only as good as your last PR campaign.”

That’s toxic and simply not true.

Tying your self-worth to results is unhelpful.

Remember that it’s not just successes that teach us valuable lessons, often we learn more from the times that didn't go as planned.

Mistakes and setbacks are part of growth!

Perfect your Speaking Style

Any tips for finding your speaking style?

Two words: BE YOURSELF!

I admire other speakers, but trying to mimic them just doesn’t work for me.

Being yourself, allows confidence to radiate through you!

Experimenting a little helps you find what works.

I also spend time thinking about the shape of my talks - i.e. what stories am I telling, what kind of a journey are we going on?

Plus I also think a lot about the pace, and volume of my talk - e.g. which sections are loud, and which are quiet? Where will I go fast, and where will I go slow?

I have some posts, which might be useful!

Speaking at Conferences - The Art of Persuasion (Part One)

Speaking at Conferences - The Art of Persuasion (Part Two)

What Event Organisers Look for

What factors do event organisers look for when choosing speakers?Most of the time, organisers choose talks and not speakers.

Their goal is to stage sessions that attendees will be excited about and find valuable.

To make your pitch stand out, focus on the value your talk brings:

• Your unique perspective, experiences and point of view
• Why the topic is relevant right now
• What the audience will gain or learn

I feel like highlighting these points will definitely help organisers see why your session is worth including!

How can I move from breakout sessions to keynotes - and do keynotes always need to be big-picture vs actionable?

I love this question!

Keynotes are usually ‘big picture’ and inspiration driven rather than super actionable or niche-specific - there’s a good reason for that.

A keynote needs to appeal to everyone, no matter their discipline or career stage, since it’s often the only session attended by the entire audience.

Organisers are generally looking for talks with broad relevance and wide appeal.

If you want to pitch to a keynote (as you should!), make sure your topic feels inspiring, universal and engaging for as many people as possible.

Dealing with Rejection and Getting Feedback

If my talk pitch gets rejected, should I ask the event organisers for feedback?

First things first - a rejected pitch doesn’t mean it wasn’t good!

There are SO MANY reasons why a pitch might get rejected. Maybe organisers already have a similar talk lined up, or your topic didn’t quite fit with the rest of the agenda at this time.

I’ve had plenty of pitches rejected and I don’t let it bother me!

Some of those same pitches have been accepted somewhere else and sometimes it’s just about finding the right conference for the talk you want to give.

You can absolutely ask organisers for feedback, but bear in mind they may not have time to provide it.

And definitely send it to peers for feedback (or to me - I’d be happy to take a look!)

Maintaining Integrity in the Age of AI

As an event organiser, with the rise of AI, how can we ensure that people continue to be authentic in their speaker pitches and their presentation decks?

It’s a good idea to be clear about your AI policies from the beginning. 

If you include them in your pitch forms and speaker briefings, everyone knows your stance on it.

This won’t completely eliminate the issue, but it definitely helps to set expectations.

Realistically, the only way to catch problems is through earlier deadlines and reviewing decks ahead of time.

Parting words from Hannah

Thanks so much for all your wonderful questions! I hope my answers were helpful.

This has been so fun to do, thanks so much for having me!

Key Takeaways:

Do your research

Look at past agendas, watch talk recordings, and tailor your pitch to the conference’s audience and vibe.

Keep pitches focused

A clear, tightly scoped talk with 2–3 audience takeaways stands out more than a broad, surface level one.

Pitch what only you could give

Your lived experiences and unique perspective are your superpower.

HIT SUBMIT

Imposter syndrome is normal! But your ideas are worth sharing, even if you’re a first time speaker.

Be authentic on stage

Find your own speaking style, experiment, and structure your talk as a story to keep the audience engaged.

Rejection isn’t personal

It’s often about fit, not quality. Ask for feedback where you can, and try again.

Stay current & ethical

Be transparent about AI use and embrace deadlines and feedback to keep your talks high quality.

Feeling inspired after Hannah’s advice? You could be next on stage!

Our speaker pitch calls are open throughout the year! If you’d love to share your story and join our incredible lineup of speakers at a future WTSFest, submit your speaker form today. We’d love to have you involved!