Exposure is always alluring. Right from the preteens to old age, attention and finding greater presence amongst others will always lure any and sundry!

It is not surprising that innumerable companies use the get paid by exposure trick to invite experts, to get more panelists and also bring in guests who would otherwise be uninterested. The event industry does use this get paid by exposure trick quite often. Experts in various subject matters, albeit relevant to a given event, are asked to make their presence felt, they are given some time to talk on a particular issue and then they are paid in kind. That being the exposure the expert gets at the event. This exposure has convinced people for decades but it is not working any more.

Exposure works when someone is absolutely unknown. A writer who has published a debut novel or a self help book in a niche can do with some exposure. The writer will have to promote the book and what better way to do so than to make some time, attend some events, interact with some relevant audiences and to speak about the subject, which the book is about or related to. In such cases, get paid by exposure is still relevant and does provide some level of impetus to a person. But it doesn’t work for experts, those who are already established in their respective professions or when people are aware of their skills, knowledge or authority.

A noted historian will always be willing to talk about something that is of interest and he or she may not ask for any payment if it is an academic get-together. But the same historian will not agree to appear time and again speaking on a range of historical aspects just for the sake of it. Organizers cannot avoid paying him or her and say that exposure is the payment.

Unless the exposure really helps someone to establish credibility or authority, to showcase one’s knowledge and expertise, to convert that exposure in some kind of monetary gains or to expand one’s network in a certain niche, there is really no rationale behind endless involvement. Constant exposure is time consuming. It is laborious and often doesn’t have any tangible returns whatsoever. It is not surprising why experts in diverse disciplines are increasingly declining propositions to have their presence at events wherein they would be paid nothing but get exposure.

WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON EXPOSURE?