Have TED Talks Lost Their Luster? (TED in 2024 and beyond).
Do you have a big idea that you’ve been carrying around in your head and want to share with the world? Do you think it will make the planet a better place?
If so, there is no more a potent platform for spreading ideas than a TED Talk stage and screen. In 18 minutes or less, you can share your vision with the audience and later viewers of your talk’s video.
With active daily viewers of TED.com in the millions; collective views of top tier talks in the billions; and world-changing impacts on issues ranging from human trafficking to malaria and climate change…
A TEDx stage is the modern era’s most potent way of sharing “ideas worth spreading” and a catalytic path to influence.
The potential that your idea can garner hundreds of thousands of views (or more) is very real.
Very. Real.
A successful TEDx Talk is also an immediate credibility booster for any presenter. In fact, in most publishing and corporate event or conference circles, it is a must-do checkbox.
One major speaker bureau owner recently confided, “Any emerging author or leader who hasn’t claimed ‘the red dot’ [the circular red TED stage rug] is a low-value speaker; someone we may pass on representing.”
Ouch.
And so, claiming distinction as a million-view TEDx speaker has never meant more.
ONE STORY OF THE “TED EFFECT” ON ONE RESEARCHER.
Consider the experience of one of my “alumni” clients, once a little-known academic researcher.
When we met, Dr. Robert Waldinger didn’t even know TED was an acronym (Technology, Entertainment, Design). Fact is, he’d never even watched a TED Talk!
But after many months of working together on his talk, his big idea hit center stage — and EXPLODED.
After his first million views… Everything changed in his world. And a new world of leaders and funders know him.
The same has happened for many of my high-performing speakers…
[ ] Tribe-building grows
[ ] Bestselling status happens
[ ] VIP world travel becomes a norm
[ ] Nonprofit projects are heavy-funded
[ ] Speaker honorariums (fees) hit $30–50K
[ ] Consulting fees hit head-smacking 6-figures
[ ] Speaker bureau and book agents fly in for lunch
[ ] Traditional New York publishing houses make offers
[ ] Major media outlets clamor for TV and print interviews
[ ] Even Amazon Prime deals take form over dinner with Jeff Bezos**
** OK, that’s rare. But it did happen for one of my clients. Captain Tammie Jo Shults of Southwest Airlines Flight #1380 was actively courted over two dinners by Amazon’s CEO. Her movie is in production; her book is a bestseller.
So clearly, the answer to the above title question about TED’s luster… is NO!
The TED platform has not lost luster.
TO SHAPE YOUR BIG IDEA WORTH SPREADING.
Beyond what that candid speaker bureau CEO shared, there’s never been a better time to cue up a TED Talk.
You’re a niche expert.
You’ve got something to say.
You’re on FIRE to spread your idea.
You’ve got a sticky insight to make our world better.
To begin, you need to craft idea into a format that will appeal to a TED conference producer. First steps?
1. Rough it out. Get your idea roughed out as a loose 400-ish word statement. You can even dictate it into your phone.
2. Support it. Undergird your singular, BIG IDEA with 3 (or fewer) key points.
3. Half it. Fully redraft (or re-dictate) that idea as a 200-word version.
4. Seek feedback. Refine your 200-word draft it by circulating it with 5 trusted advisors from varied backgrounds.
5. Ask an expert. Send it here (in rough, preview mode) for confidential feedback by a TED coach.
6. Learn more. Download a (FREE) learning resource (2 Pathways To Your Own TED Talk) by submitting your Big Idea here.
And know this:
Your idea can be world-changing!
And there’s no better way of catapulting it into the universe than a TED stage. Because rather than losing its luster, TED is SPARKLING with potential to spread it in 2024 and beyond!
DEVIN D. MARKS is known as The TED Talk Whisperer. His team helps leaders, just like you, catalyze insights.
You can call Devin at 617–804–6020; or email him by clicking here.
YOUR TED TALK TYPE.
Ever wonder what category of talk you are best suited to deliver? There are 8 distinct types of TED Talks that take center stage. To get clarity on which one could be yours, click here.
In just 12 questions you’ll have your answer and a PDF with worksheets, TEDster examples, and ways to begin shaping your idea worth spreading!
WANT ONE EXAMPLE OF A TALK TYPE?
Here’s a brief look at one of the 8 classics:
THE PERSONAL JOURNEY: Your primary goal in your future TED Talk is best categorized as a “Personal Journey” due to your focus on sharing insights from your own experience and lessons gleaned! Some attributes of a Personal Journey TED Talk tend to include the following:
[ ] Offers insights gleaned
[ ] Is uniquely your experience
[ ] Is an adventure or learning curve
[ ] Is relatable, connecting for audience
[ ] Offers the audience clarity on next steps
[ ] Positions audience as the story hero, not you
A TOP 10 VIRAL TED TALK.
Want to view that breakaway TEDx Talk that was delivered by my “alumni” client, Harvard Researcher Dr. Robert Waldinger?
What keeps us happy and healthy as we go through life? If you think it’s fame and money, you’re not alone — but, according to psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, you’re mistaken. As the director of a 75-year-old study on adult development, Waldinger has unprecedented access to data on true happiness and satisfaction. In this talk, he shares three important lessons learned from the study as well as some practical, old-as-the-hills wisdom on how to build a fulfilling, long life.
To view his talk, click here.
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