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Create a Viral TED Talk: The 3-stage Formula

November 4, 2017 by Ryan Hildebrandt 1 Comment

Check out the number of views on these 2 TEDx videos. They were filmed at the same TEDx event (TEDxHouston) in the same year (2010). One went viral. The other definitely didn’t.

While 1 talk has had a total of 1,601 views in the last 7 or so years, the other has had 1,000 TIMES THAT AMOUNT (and ended up getting picked up by TED, where the same video got another 31 million views).

What the hell? Don’t all TED Talks go viral?

How did a talk get 32 million views and the other only get 1,600 from the SAME EVENT? And how can you ensure you don’t end up with a TED Talk that flops?

If you believe Brené Brown’s success was all luck, you should stop reading now. This article isn’t for you.

Instead, let’s look at the intentional things you can do to increase the chances your TED Talk will go viral and get you long-term results (paid speaking, book deals, consulting customers and more).

Is your topic good enough for a TED Talk?

October 26, 2017 by Ryan Hildebrandt Leave a Comment

I get a lot of requests for feedback on a topic for a TED Talk. They often look like this:

If you’re wondering if your topic is good enough for a TED Talk, this article is for you.

Speak at TEDxWomen: The Complete Guide (2019 update)

October 18, 2017 by Ryan Hildebrandt 1 Comment

Here’s a surprising thing that most women don’t know — there are 180 TEDxWomen events every year that coincide with the TEDWomen conference, and many of them have open speaker application forms. This means it’s possible for anyone to apply to speak at TEDxWomen!

NOTE: if you aren’t sure about your topic, want to do all this right, and are looking for expert guidance (or, you tried this on your own and got turned down), click here to book a call with me.

If you’re a woman that wants to do a TEDx Talk, this is a HUGE DEAL. If you know a woman that wants to do a TEDx Talk (or should do one), they need to see this article.

5 lies keeping you from a TED Talk

May 17, 2017 by Ryan Hildebrandt Leave a Comment

The process to land a TED Talk is confusing. As a result, there are a ton of lies about how to speak at a TED Talks event that keeps you stuck.

Let’s dispel them, shall we? 😉

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The Preacher and the Detective

January 10, 2017 by Ryan Hildebrandt Leave a Comment

In any field that requires spreading of products and ideas (speaking, writing, app development, making videos etc), there are 2 core roles you must take on.

The Preacher…they’re the one you see. The Preacher stands on stage and speaks, posts their latest blog post on Facebook, shares a Tweet, and updates their website.

They express ideas from the heart, ask a speaker coach and their audience for feedback to improve their delivery, attend Toastmasters meetings, update their blog, and do as much speaking as they can. Ideas come out of a Preacher.

The Detective is hidden. In any great work, you never see the detective, and often never realize The Detective is even there. But, their work is critical.

The detective doesn’t work from a stage or behind a desk, but from the line waiting for Starbucks. In order to discover the message the audience needs to hear most, they know the audience has to be involved. They know they’ve got theories, but they also know that their theories could be improved. Information comes into the Detective to better refine their ideas.

Without the Preacher, the Detective is a smart researcher that nobody hears.

Without the Detective, the Preacher shares ideas that are heartfelt to the preacher, but may not be heartfelt to the audience.

But together, that’s where the magic happens. Alone, the Preacher says “I have an important message I want to share”. The detective says “people can’t stop asking me about this idea I have…I should share it”. Together, they’re able to spread a message people can’t stop talking about.

In your quest to become a better speaker through Preacher activities (like speaker training, reading books and attending Toastmasters), don’t forget the Detective work.

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I’m not famous…can I still do a TED Talk?

September 30, 2016 by Ryan Hildebrandt Leave a Comment

TED Talks speakers are famous. They’re eloquent. They have a ton of Twitter followers. They are amazing speakers, writers, coaches, entrepreneurs, story-tellers.

Right??

The truth is, there are some amazing TED Talks out there by people like Simon Sinek or Brené Brown. Some that go viral. These are the ones that stick in your mind. Some people assume that they have to be like that too.

There are also many by regular people that aren’t famous.

Kate Simonds was not a famous TED Talks speaker — 2.5 million views is pretty good for a non-famous speaker!

I know what you’re thinking — “but Ryan, it’s obviously better to have more followers or more qualifications than none, right?!”