Getting Started

Welcome to ComedySpeaker.com! This guide will walk you through everything you need to set up a compelling profile, get discovered by event planners, and start receiving bookings.

To get started:

1. Create your account — Click "Join Free" and select "I'm a Speaker."
2. Fill out your profile — Add your photo, bio, comedy types, fees, and video reels.
3. Wait for approval — Our admin team reviews and approves profiles (usually within 24 hours).
4. Get found — Once approved, your profile appears in search results.
5. Receive inquiries — Event planners browse and send you booking inquiries.

Building Your Profile

Your profile is your storefront. Event planners make decisions based on what they see here. A complete, professional profile is critical to getting bookings.

Navigate to Dashboard → Edit Profile to update your information. Key fields include:

• Stage Name — If you perform under a name different from your legal name, add it here.
• Location — Your home city/state helps planners searching locally.
• Comedy Types — Select all styles that apply to you.
• Speaking Topics — Add keyword-rich topics that corporate clients search for.

Profile Photo

Your headshot is the first thing planners see. Tips for a great speaker photo:

• Use a professional, high-quality photo with good lighting.
• A square crop (1:1 ratio) works best — at least 400×400 pixels.
• Use a clean background — solid color or a stage setting works well.
• Smile! You're a comedian — warmth and approachability matter.
• Accepted formats: JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP. Max file size: 5MB.

Adding Video Reels

Video reels are the single most powerful element of your profile. Planners want to see you perform before they book you.

Navigate to Dashboard → Videos to add your reels.

• Only YouTube URLs are accepted.
• Your primary video (marked with a star) appears at the top and is used as your thumbnail preview.
• The number of videos you can add depends on your plan:
  • Free: 1 video
  • Basic: 4 videos
  • Pro: 10 videos
  • Elite: Unlimited
• Label your videos clearly — e.g., "Corporate Keynote Clip," "Stand-Up Festival Set," "TEDx Warm-Up."

Writing Your Bio (SEO Tips)

Your bio is read by both event planners AND search engines like Google. A well-written bio helps you rank in search results when planners look for comedians in your style or city.

Best practices for your bio:

• Write in the third person ("Jane Smith is a corporate comedy keynote speaker based in Chicago…").
• Include your city, state, and country naturally in the first paragraph.
• Mention specific comedy styles you perform (corporate keynote, clean comedy, stand-up, etc.).
• List notable events or clients you've performed for.
• Include speaking topics if you're a keynote speaker (leadership, teamwork, sales, etc.).
• Mention your availability for virtual events if applicable.
• Aim for at least 200–400 words for the best SEO effect.

Short Bio (max 500 characters) appears in search result cards. Make it punchy and include your primary style and location.

Setting Your Fees

You have two options:

• Show public fee range — Display a min/max fee range on your profile. This is recommended as planners can self-qualify based on budget.
• Contact for pricing — Hide your fee and ask planners to inquire. Works well for high-end speakers who customize packages.

Fees are listed in USD. If you work internationally, note currency requirements in your bio or travel section.

Comedy Types — What to Select

Select every style that accurately represents your work. Here's a guide:

• Corporate Keynote — You deliver a structured, content-driven keynote with humor woven in.
• Stand-Up Comedy — Your primary format is stand-up performance at events.
• MC / Host — You host and emcee events, award shows, galas, or conferences.
• Clean / Family Comedy — Your material is appropriate for all audiences and corporate settings.
• Improv — You perform or facilitate improv comedy.
• Roast / Roast Master — You roast individuals, leaders, or teams at events.
• Musical Comedy — You use music as part of your comedy act.
• Virtual / Online — You perform for virtual and hybrid events via Zoom, Teams, etc.

Testimonials & Past Clients

Testimonials build trust with event planners. Navigate to Dashboard → Testimonials to add them.

For each testimonial include:

• The exact quote from the client.
• The author's full name, title, and company.
• The event type where possible ("Annual Sales Conference," "Holiday Gala").

Past Clients (company names or logos) also appear on your profile and signal credibility.

Membership Plans

ComedySpeaker.com offers four tiers:

• Free — 1 photo, bio, 1 video reel. Always free.
• Basic ($19/month) — 4 videos, 3 social links, basic priority listing.
• Pro ($39/month) — 10 videos, 7 social links, high priority, analytics dashboard.
• Elite ($79/month) — Unlimited everything, top priority, featured homepage placement.

Annual billing saves approximately 17% compared to monthly. Upgrade from Dashboard → Upgrade Plan.

Uploading Leads

If you know of a client or event that needs a comedy speaker, you can submit a lead through ComedySpeaker.com. This is available to ALL plans including free.

Navigate to Dashboard → My Leads and fill out the form with the client's contact details and event information.

Once you submit a lead:

1. Our team reviews and contacts the client on your behalf.
2. If the lead converts to a booking, your agreed commission is paid out.
3. You track lead status (Pending, Contacted, Converted, Lost) in your dashboard.

Commission Split

When you submit a lead, you choose your commission split using the slider:

• The default split is 50% to you / 50% to ComedySpeaker.com.
• You can adjust from 10% to 90% in your favor.
• Higher site share (e.g., 60% to site) = higher priority follow-up from our team.
• Commission is paid via PayPal once the booking is completed and payment received.

For platform bookings (where a planner finds you through search), a standard 10% booking fee is charged on the confirmed speaker fee.

Receiving Bookings

When an event planner sends you an inquiry:

1. You receive a notification and can see the inquiry in Dashboard → Bookings.
2. Review the inquiry details (event type, date, location, budget).
3. Click Send Quote to respond with your speaker fee.
4. The planner reviews your quote and can Confirm the booking.
5. Once confirmed, the messaging system opens for both parties.

Messaging

Messaging between speakers and planners is only available after a booking is confirmed by both parties. This keeps communication organized and documented within the platform.

Once confirmed, go to Messages from your dashboard or the booking detail page to start communicating.

Profile Approval

After creating your account and filling out your profile, it goes through an admin review. This typically takes 24–48 hours (often faster).

We review profiles to ensure quality, accuracy, and appropriateness. During the review period, you can continue filling out your profile — changes will be visible once approved.

You will receive a notification when your profile is approved and goes live.

Analytics (Pro & Elite)

Pro and Elite subscribers have access to the Analytics Dashboard, which shows:

• Profile views over the last 30 days (daily chart)
• Total all-time views
• Inquiry count and breakdown by status
• Inquiries received by month (last 6 months)
• Average rating from reviews

Use analytics to understand when traffic peaks, what drives inquiries, and how your profile performs over time.

SEO & Visibility Tips

To rank higher in ComedySpeaker.com search results and on Google:

• Complete your profile 100% — Photo, bio, videos, topics, fees, and location.
• Upgrade your plan — Higher tier = higher priority score in search results.
• Get reviews — Ask past clients to book through the platform or leave reviews.
• Add testimonials — More social proof = more credibility.
• Use keywords in your bio — Include city names, event types, and comedy styles naturally.
• Link your profile — Share your ComedySpeaker.com profile URL on your website, social media, and email signature.
• Keep it fresh — Update your bio, add new videos, and update your topics periodically.