MozCon is bringing the Future of Search to Seattle this August 7-8, and we’re excited to announce the return of our annual call for up-and-coming community speakers!
Every year, we take great pride in reserving space on our stage exclusively for new voices. Are you the person that everyone in your network looks to for digital marketing advice? Perhaps you’ve been honing your voice on podcasts or blogs, all the while dreaming of stepping onto the big stage to share your innovative ideas? Now’s your chance to submit your pitch for the opportunity to join industry leaders on the MozCon stage in front of 1,500 of your peers. (No pressure!)
Not sure what a community speaker is?
At MozCon, we have a speaker selection committee that identifies practitioners at the top of their professional field with a mean speaking game. But these spots are by invite only, and we know the community is bursting at the seams with hidden gems ready to share groundbreaking research, hot tips, and SEO tests that drive results.
Cue our MozCon community speaker program!
We’ve reserved two 15-minute community speaker slots throughout our conference for fresh faces to shine on the big stage. We encourage anyone in the SEO community to submit their best and most exciting presentation ideas for a chance to be selected as a community speaker at MozCon. Not only are these sessions incredibly well-received by our attendees, but they’re also a fantastic way to get your foot in the door when it comes to the SEO speaking circuit.
Interested in pitching your own idea? Read on for everything you need to know:
How to submit
To submit a pitch, fill out the community speaker submission form. Only submit one talk! We want the one you’re most passionate about. Talks must be related to digital marketing and be a topic you can cover in 15 minutes.
[Pro tip: Keep it actionable and be sure to include 3-5 key learning outcomes the audience will come away with from your session in the pitch.]
Submissions close on Tuesday, February 28th at 5pm PDT — no exceptions!
If chosen, you’ll be required to present your talk in person at MozCon in Seattle, WA on August 7-8, 2023. Incomplete submissions will not be considered, and all decisions are final. All speakers must adhere to the MozCon Code of Conduct.
If you submit a pitch, you’ll hear back from us regardless of your acceptance status, so please be patient until you hear back — we’ll work hard to make our decisions as quickly as we can! Please note that due to the volume of submissions we typically receive, we’re unable to provide specific feedback on individual applications.
What do speakers receive?
As a community speaker you will receive:
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15 minutes on the MozCon stage for a keynote-style presentation
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A free ticket to MozCon (we can issue a refund or transfer if you’ve already purchased yours)
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Travel and accommodations during MozCon
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Support and feedback as you build your final presentation deck to make sure you deliver the talk of your life on our stage.
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And a few more surprises…
How we select our speakers
We have an internal committee of experienced Moz team members, speakers and subject matter experts that review every pitch. We analyze each topic to make sure there’s no overlap and to confirm that it’s a good fit for our audience and conference focus – for 2023, our content theme is The Future of Search.
Next, we look at the entirety of the pitch to help us get a comprehensive idea of what to expect from your talk on the MozCon stage and how it might be received by the audience. This is where links to previous decks, content, and videos of past presentations are helpful (but aren’t required).
Here’s how to make your pitch stand out:
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Keep your pitch focused on digital marketing. SEO topics are great but we also love topics that compliment or sit adjacent to SEO. The more actionable the pitch, the better.
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Be focused and concise. What value does your talk provide? We want to hear the actual takeaways our audience will be learning about and why it’s important — not just a vague reference to them. Remember, we receive a ton of pitches, so the more clearly you can explain the tactical steps and learning objectives for the audience, the better you’ll stand out.
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Do your research! Review the topics presented at past MozCons, on the Moz Blog and in our Whiteboard Friday videos for a sense of what resonates with our audience— we’re looking for fresh, new presentations that round out our agenda to add to the stage.
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Brush up on how to prepare for speaking.
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No pitches will be evaluated in advance, so please don’t ask 🙂
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Using social media to lobby your pitch won’t help. Instead, put your time and energy into the actual pitch itself!
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Linking to a previous example of a slide deck or presentation isn’t required, but it does help the committee.
Leading up to MozCon
If your pitch is selected, the MozCon team is here to support you along the way. It’s our goal to make sure this is your best talk to date, whether it’s your first time under those bright stage lights or you’re a seasoned speaker who feels perfectly at home in front of a big crowd. We’ll answer any questions you may have and work with you to deliver a talk you’ll be proud of. Here are just a handful of ways that we’re here to help:
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Topic refinement
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Helping with your presentation title and description
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Reviewing your presentation outlines and drafts
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Providing plenty of tips around best practices — specifically with the MozCon stage and audience in mind
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Comprehensive show guide
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Being available to listen to you practice your talk
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Reviewing your final deck
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A full stage tour on the Sunday before MozCon to meet our A/V crew, see your presentation on the big screen, and get a feel for the show
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An amazing 15-person A/V team to support your presentation every second it’s on the big screen and beyond
We’ve got our fingers crossed for you. Good luck!
