Hire Erik Deckers to speak at your next event
I’ve given more than 400 presentations on personal branding, content marketing, digital marketing, entrepreneurship, and writing, and have owned a content marketing agency since 2009. I have also been a regular speaker on writing humor, dialogue writing, and how to write a book.
I co-authored Branding Yourself: How to Use Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself (3rd ed.), No Bullshit Social Media: The All-Business, No-Hype Guide to Social Media Marketing, The Owned Media Doctrine. I also ghost-wrote half of Twitter Marketing for Dummies in 2009. I published my first novel, Mackinac Island Nation in 2019 and will publish my next novel in 2024.
I’ve been a writer for 30+ years, an entrepreneur for 15, and a blogger since 1997. I’ve been doing Internet marketing since it was just called “marketing.” And I’ve been a newspaper humor columnist since 1994.
My talks are informative and humorous, and I use stories and case studies to convey my message. I customize every presentation to each audience, their industry, and their issues.
I can name 7 of the 10 commandments. I know most of the state capitals. I know what “metonymy” means. I never read my slides. I enjoy speaking to large crowds, but get nervous speaking to small ones. And I know real words that rhyme with Orange, Purple, Silver, and Month.
Speaking Topics
- Using Social Media and Networking to Find Your Next Job: Using the Branding Yourself book as a backdrop, I’ll show you the best (and worst) ways to build your personal brand through social media and face-to-face networking, whether new to the job search, changing careers, or re-entering the work world after a long hiatus. Ideal for anyone looking for a job, starting a small business, or changing careers.
- Using AI to Boost Your Content Marketing, Not Replace It: Artificial intelligence writers like ChatGPT have marketers worried, but there are some ways you can use AI writers to help you and make your life easier. I’ll show you different ways to harness the power of AI and avoid it replacing you. Target audience: Marketers, writers.
- The Future of Content Marketing: Producing good content is a big concern for content marketers, and it’s not getting any easier. I’ll show you how to make it stand out, by writing well, producing important — but less frequent — content, and relying on your social networks to share your message. Target audience: Marketers, content marketers, small business owners, and anyone who says “content marketing” without rolling their eyes.
- 12 Professional Secrets to Improve Your Writing: Writing is not everyone’s cup of tea, but most people have to use it in the corporate setting. Many people like to use jargon, or use big words, or write in passive voice, and it creates cluttered, uninteresting writing. I’ll show you how to tighten up your writing and make it sing! (Or at least not bore the pants off your readers.) Target: People who have to regularly write reports, emails, and other content for others in the workplace.
- Content Marketing Secrets Learned From the Giants of Fiction: Today’s content marketing writing is so jargon-filled and boring, it’s downright painful. Good content marketing stands on the shoulders of giants of literature, and uses their secrets to make their work more interesting. I’ll share secrets from Ernest Hemingway, Agatha Christie, Kurt Vonnegut, Joyce Carol Oates, Hunter S. Thompson, and P.D. James. Target audience: Content marketers, business owners, and people using the written word to sell products.
- Secrets to Using Humor In the Workplace: Humor can be dangerous if used improperly or in the wrong hands. This presentation will show you the professional humor writing secrets I’ve used for 20+ years and how to use it in the workplace (or your marketing campaign) without getting called down to HR. Target audience: Writers, marketers, corporations.
These topics may be given as keynote talks, stand-alone presentations, or as part of a half-day or full-day seminar.
Erik Deckers’ Speaking Testimonials
Erik Deckers provides solid, actionable advice that instantly improves both my skills and site. Each time I hear him speak, I walk away with practical knowledge to build my brand and increase business. — Heather Sokol, professional blogger and owner of Inexpensively.com
There are two qualities that unite every good business speaker: The ability to hold the audience’s attention and the ability to provide actionable value the audience can put into practice right away. Erik Deckers delivers both consistently. What’s even more satisfying about an Erik Deckers talk is that regardless of your familiarity with the subject matter, you still learn something good. He’s definitely worth paying to see. — Jason Falls, Director of Digital and Social Strategy, Cornett.
Erik Deckers’ keynote: The Future of Digital Marketing, Confluence Conference, September 2017
Finding community online, TEDxFortWayne, June 2012
