#1 reason you aren't getting wedding business

You're being too secretive!

I'm sure that you've heard "content is KING!"  What does that mean?  It means that when you're marketing to brides you need to provide her with relevant information that she can use to plan her wedding.

For example, if you're a wedding planner then share with brides on your blog, Facebook and Tweet tips like;

• How to create "out of the box" wedding favors
• 5 money saving wedding tips

If you're a wedding photographer you could share information like;

• 5 creative ways to use your engagement photos as your invitations (or save the date cards) 

A common issue that I hear wedding vendors say is that "if I provide brides with my "tricks" then she'll just go out and do it herself."  Are you thinking that too?  If so, let me ask you a question -  have you ever "Googled" the internet for DIY  information?    Don't you think brides are doing that too?  When she googles information about wedding planning, for example, wouldn't it be nicer if your blog pulled up?  It will if you're using the key search phrases that she's typing into Google.

I know that it seems counterproductive to make your tips public but with the new age of social media you just can't afford not to...because everyone else is and she's going to use the wedding vendor that she feels is the most helpful.

I guarantee that you'll be left behind if you don't start marketing to brides this way.  Times have changed my friend.  STOP being afraid of it and start engaging brides.


If you're not sure what to write about then shoot me an email and I'll give you some ideas. jakki@bridalmarketinggroup.com .

5 Tips on how to profit from a wedding show booth

It's wedding show season, am I right?   From now until about mid April you'll see that most wedding vendors are putting their marketing effort into creating fantastic bridal event booths...and for good reason.

Bridal show booths can bring in a ton of business.  I heard of one wedding venue who booked 94 weddings from one show.  So how do you make it so that you're booking 94 weddings from one show?

Here are some tips:

1- Stand Outside your Booth
Running a wedding show booth is like selling peanuts to baseball game goers. If you step out into the crowd and yell "Peanuts"  the chances of making a sale increase tremendously. So just because a counter or a table separates you from the flood of passerby, don't feel like it's a barrier you can't cross.

2- Learn to Read Brides
After you've learned how to work a wedding show booth, you'll start to figure people out. You'll be able to tell the difference between a mildly-interested passerby and someone who is genuinely thinking about making a purchase. Don't waste your time with a lengthy sales pitch who doesn't seem impressed; instead, focus your energy on people who might actually buy.

3- Forget About Sales
When you're working a trade show booth, you might be swept up in the idea of commerce and too readily assume that you have to make sales right now. The purpose of a trade show is to inform brides about your business, and to plant the idea of future sales. Give them a way to contact you in the future, and don't try to pressure people into making impulse buys.

4- Keep People Around
This goes hand-in-hand with the last tip. Even if you aren't focused on making sales today, don't push people away from your booth as soon as you realize that they're just browsing. Instead, engage them in conversation---about their kids, their businesses, their favorite movies; it doesn't matter. The point is that more people will approach if they see a large crowd at your trade show booth.


5-  FOLLOW UP AFTER THE SHOW IS OVER
For those of you wedding vendors who have just come from working a wedding show ask yourself; "What do I do with these leads?"  The worse thing you can do is let those leads go cold.  If you don't already have a way to send out blast emails (Constant Contact is my favorite) then go out right now...yes, stop reading this post, and go sign up for one.  Upload your lead list, create an email and send it out to those brides.  You should do this NO LATER than 5-7 days after the show.  Staying on the brides radar who were interested enough to sign up for more info at your booth is the most important thing you should do after a wedding show.

If you need help with those wedding show lead lists and setting up a blast email software program give us a call at 1-800-431-4628.  We're here to help!

The #1 way to explode your wedding business; CELEBRITIZE YOURSELF!

There are experts in every field, and sometimes we believe them, and sometimes we doubt their credibility.

But, if a celebrity tells us the same exact thing, then we pay closer attention, our interest builds in what they have to say, we nod our heads in agreement and run to tell our friends the latest news. That is what celebrity can do for you.

The term celebrity isn’t just for Kim Kardashian or the other stars we read about in People magazine.  It also refers to experts who are known for being a top contender in their field; Oprah, Steve Jobs, Dr. Oz, The Cake Boss.  Whether you're a florist, wedding planner, dj, or even a limo driver, you can celebritize yourself in any field resulting in brides standing up and paying attention to you and your company.”

The point is that everyone who isn’t famous still has one thing in common with people who are celebrities: at one point they weren’t celebrities either.

For example, two ordinary people who were able to find their niche and celebritize themselves in then-unknown fields are Julia Child and Erma Bombeck.  Julia Child, whose background was in publicity and advertising, took her passion for French cooking and turned it into a dynasty. Erma Bombeck, a reporter turned homemaker, took a $3 per column job and turned it into a nationally-syndicated phenomenon.

Download it free at www.bridalmarketinggroup.com

Today, the names of both women are synonymous with their professions.  Celebrity for these two icons grew not out of ambition or greed...what they became famous for was what they loved.

Take a look at Duane “Dog” Chapman, “the most famous Bounty Hunter alive.” Then there is Linda Cobb, “The Queen of Clean” and Linda Greenlaw, a swordfishing boat captain turned author who now has a series of very popular books.

Celebrity is a powerful commodity; doors that were once closed can suddenly open. People listen to what they ignored before.  New business and money flows to you – not away from you. Most of all, people thank you for sharing your wisdom.”

Celebrity status brings you:

• Identity – becoming your own brand
• Credibility – people trust what you say

This celebrity method and how you can use it to benefit your wedding business is taken to another level for wedding vendors inside the book, "21st Century Bridal Marketing; Take Back Your Piece of the Pie." 

This book leads you step by step through a method that can help any wedding vendor achieve celebrity status in the wedding industry...resulting in more bookings and more money!

To download it free, go to www.bridalmarketinggroup.com .

7 Important Things to AVOID when working wedding shows

Even in the digital age, wedding shows continue to have a place in the marketing mix. For many wedding businesses, wedding show participation is a great way to generate new sales, build relationships and create brand awareness.

But before you print out your show badge and grab your lead scanner, make sure you’re ready. Here are 7 common wedding show pitfalls to avoid.

1. Going in blind.
Make sure you plan, plan and plan some more. Set proper expectations for the event, including training for staff, review messaging, and do your research on the exhibitors prior to arriving. Details matter. It is a big investment to attend a wedding show, so make sure to everyone is on top of their game and that you know who, what, where, when and why way before the actual event.

• Who: Know who is going to be at the event, both internally and externally. A well trained staff member can be the key to a successful event. Also, knowing who’s who at the event is critical in targeting. Consider printing the exhibitor list and highlight the customers, prospects, and then coming up with an action plan to get the most out of the interactions.

• What: Many exhibitors don’t know what their purpose is at an event. If you are there to hand out collateral and stress balls, you probably didn’t plan for success. Make sure you have a purpose for being at the event, understand the audience and why they/you are there, and then position yourself accordingly.
• Where: Location is key. Know where the event is located, where your booth is on the show floor, how you and your staff will get there, and where the local hot-spots are.

• When: Don’t show up late for setup! Get to the event at least 30 minutes before registration begins to ensure there are no loose ends. Keep an event agenda handy so you can manage booth staff during high and low traffic times.

• Why: So your company is 100% certain that exhibiting at wedding  shows is essential to brand awareness, generating pipeline, and closing business. Or do they? Did previous wedding show ROI influence your decision to exhibit? It must absolutely make business sense to make the investment, so do your homework before signing up.


2. Under- or over-staffing.
Ever been to a trade show where you feel like the staff outnumbers you five to one? Nothing looks worse than a bunch of guys in their company polos sitting on their thumbs and checking their iPhones every 30 seconds. Not only does this decrease your productivity, it cuts the amount of real estate you have to hold decent conversations with prospects. On the other side of the spectrum, you want to make sure you have enough resources to effectively represent your brand and engage with prospects. Not only does the quantity of staff count here, but the quality matters most. You want to have at least one product superstar there to field product and technical questions.


3. Holding onto a conversation for too long.
Ideally brides will be lining up at your booth to talk with you about your product. Don’t keep ‘em waiting. If your conversations last for more than five minutes during peak traffic periods, you are going to miss many more conversations. If you feel a conversation is very interesting, there’s no problem with scheduling a follow-up to discuss their interest in depth. After all, you’re at the show to represent your brand, not to do a discovery call.


4. Forgetting relevant conversations.
So let’s say things are going great at the wedding show and you’re having conversation after conversation. Will you remember what was said in the first conversation? Sales reps cringe at the idea of a lost opportunity. Make sure your staff logs the key points of each conversation, either on the back of their prospect’s business card or on a sheet of paper you can staple to the card for reference. This will make it easy for you to insert notes into your CRM for a targeted follow-up based on your conversation.


5. Missing Deadlines.
We all know wedding shows are expensive to begin with. The cost of missing discount deadlines will come back to bite you in the place it hurts most: your wallet. Many events have early bird specials for registration, shipping, hotels, A/V and electronics, etc. If you procrastinate, you may be essentially be paying double the price. So plan early, bookmark or print your exhibitor kit, and make sure you stay on top of all deadlines.


6. Blending in with the rest.
It doesn’t matter if you have the prettiest booth; if it doesn’t draw traffic, you will not be returning next year.  What have you done to promote your presence at the event?  Think of ways to create a buzz. This can be in the form of social media (tweeting from the show floor); booth swag and other giveaways; or launching a new product, service or feature at the event. Remember, there are other exhibitors and sponsors at the event who are trying to connect with the same bride you are. Make sure you give that bridee a reason to come and talk to you.


7. Not following up in a timely manner.
One of the most critical factors in turning your wedding show participation into revenue is your lead management process. The best time to plan for follow-up is before the show. The longer a lead sits untouched, the colder and less interested they will become. Develop a systematic lead handling (collection and retrieval) system, set timelines for follow-up, and measure the results. It is critical for marketing to own this piece of this process, so hot leads will be distributed appropriately and Sales can prioritize their time and follow-up promptly.

It takes a lot of time and effort to manage a wedding show from pre- to post-event. Success depends not only on the people you scan, but the people you staff as well. So keep these common mistakes in mind the next time you exhibit at an event – and then, go get ‘em.

- The Bridal Marketing Group is here to help you prepare your wedding marketing plan with ideas and tips that work.  For more information as to what we can do for your wedding business visit www.bridalmarketinggroup.com or give us a call at 1-800-431-4628.

4 Quick and Inexpensive Tips to Growing your Wedding Business in 2012

All wedding vendors intend to grow their business in 2012...otherwise you wouldn't be reading this post, right? The problem may be that you have a limited marketing budget.  No worries, my fellow wedding vendors, you can still accomplish your marketing goals and book more weddings this year.

There are plenty of cost-effective marketing tools to help you promote your products and services. While all of them may not be right for your business, pick a few that align with your corporate goals and culture, and keep track of your results.

1. Blogging

   • According to The New York Times, blogging is a cost-effective, high-return marketing tool you can use to raise your company profile and build your brand. Set up a blog for free using a blogging tool like Wordpress, Blogspot or Blogger or hire a web designer to help you design a custom blog for your wedding company. Ask brides to sign up for your blog on your website, and create a blog post at least once every week. The key is to provide relevant, intriguing content that keeps your readers coming back. Use free tools such as Google Analytics or Site Meter to understand how brides find your blog.

   Email Marketing

   • Email marketing involves sending regular emails to your customer base to update them about your brand, provide interesting content about the wedding industry and offer special deals and discounts. Email marketing is a flexible, cost-effective, easy-to-measure marketing tool. Some marketing services, like Constant Contact, have tools, resources and templates that allow you to create email marketing message yourself. Collect brides email addresses at bridal shows and on your website, then send a weekly email to your database.
     

     
     

   Networking

   • Networking is one of the most cost-effective marketing tools. Create a list of all your contacts, including business associates, clients, friends and family. Place a check mark next to each person on the list who you think would refer business to you right now. Contact each of these people and ask them to help spread the word about your business. Make it easy for them -- draft an email, letter or telephone script and ask your contacts to distribute it for you.

   Partnerships

   • Use partnerships as a thrifty marketing tool for your business. Research the local market and look for other wedding businesses in your area. For example, if you own a flower shop, complementary businesses are wedding attire and wedding photography shops. Contact these companies and propose a mutually beneficial partnership, such as an incentive for referring a paying customer to you. And refer customers to them as well.
     
     

For more information on how to effectively market your wedding business, visit www.bridalmarketinggroup.com.

If I gave you a powerful way to book more weddings, would you use it?

When I “discovered” this and put it to work, it had a profound impact on my wedding business.  It helped me grow my wedding business steadily and with peace of mind. Then for some silly reason I stopped using it. 

 

(Don't waste time or else you'll go broke)

 

I did the same thing when a friend gave me a very simple diet that helped me lose 30 pounds. I followed the rules, lost the weight and then fell back into old habits.  My pants were growing but my business was not. 

Thankfully I caught myself – I went back to what worked and got the results I wanted. I lost the weight and the business doubled.

Now, I will give you the big secret – but I guarantee only a few wedding vendors reading this will give it a try for at least 30 days. Most will just nod and say, “That sounds good,” and take no action. Others will try for a week or two and give up.

To grow your wedding business, do this:

1. Set an aggressive but realistic revenue goal for the year.
2. Divide it by twelve to get your monthly goal.
3. Divide that number by the number of working days in the month. Now you know what you have to hit every day.
4. Figure out what actions you need to take to get reach that goal. How many leads? How many phone calls? How many postcards to brides do you need to mail? How many sales appointments do you need to schedule?
5. Keep your goal and your daily tasks in front of you.
6. Review them in the morning – review them every night.
7. Plan out your day the night before and stick to that plan.
8. Make marketing your top priority. No excuses.

Be honest with yourself and take consistent action. Plan your work, work your plan.

And the diet?  Don’t eat cheese, bread or butter. Eat less red meat. Take more walks.  That’s it. Don’t over-complicate things!  Get started."

What do you think?  Can you do it?

---an excerpt from Brian McGovern

5 Tips to Keep Brides Coming Back to your Blog and Your Bounce Rate Low

Are your blog visiting brides sticking around to read your content?

Having sticky content is essential for capturing the short attention span of the online reading bride.

When a bride clicks through to your wedding blog they are looking for well written content that is relevant to the keywords searched on or the messaging surrounding your inbound link. One of the best metrics to gauge the stickiness of your content (or how long your visitors are “sticking” around on your blog) is the bounce rate. 

Bounce rate is the percentage of single-page visits or visits in which the person left your site from the entrance page. A high bounce rate is most likely caused by visitors not finding the information they are searching for when they land on your page. Chances are these visitors are clicking the back button and going on to the next relevant page from their search engine results, resulting in a missed opportunity for you.

The main goal here is to make sure your content is relevant to the keywords and entrance paths that are referring traffic.

Here are five tips to deliver sticky content and a lower bounce rate:

1.    Use Google Analytics to find posts with a high bounce rate and short average time on page. Re-write or re-purpose those posts based on the keywords that are being searched on and becoming entrance paths. Make sure those keywords are relevant to the content on the page.

2.    Set the links inside your blog posts to open into a new window once clicked. This will allow your readers to easily return to your blog when they are finished checking out any links. Don’t overdo it, but do include internal and external links that add value to your post.

3.    Monitor your visitors’ time on page. Are they staying long enough to read an entire post? Time yourself reading an average length post and compare. You may find that your posts are too long and you may need to shorten them. If this is the case, try keeping your blog topics to one idea per post.

4.    Monitor your traffic sources. Are your visitors referred from Google? Facebook? Twitter? LinkedIn? Which sources have the best time on page/lowest bounce rates? Which ones have room for improvement? Consider adjusting the ad copy or meta descriptions to better match your content page to align expectations with your audience.

5.    Create a “Top Posts” or “Popular Posts” widget in your sidebar. Having a running list of your most shared blogs and commented on posts is a great way to encourage a second click.

In a perfect world, your bounce rate will be zero. In the real world, your bounce rate should be somewhere that you are comfortable with based on your overall objectives. Relevant posts based on targeted keywords will keep your content from disappointing; following the tips above will encourage visitors to stick around longer.


If you need help with your blog, don't have time to regularly post to it or aren't sure how please check out our services at www.bridalmarketinggroup.com .

The Bridal Marketing Group assists wedding vendors in wedding marketing and reaching brides effectively through result driven blog posts.

Does it matter how your website is designed? You betcha!

Google takes the overall speed of your website into account when it does it’s site rankings. Wedding vendors who want to have super complex sites with all sorts of fancy gimmicks may find they are now dropped a position or so simply because with all their extra bits and pieces the overall speed of the site is rather slow.

 

Make sure your website isn't designed using Flash either as these are hard to update and search spiders can't find them as easily as if they're written in html.

For more information download the book, "21st Century Bridal Marketing" at http://www.bridalmarketinggroup.com .

Question: I'm on a tight budget. How do I reach brides locally without using social media, bridal shows or print advertising?

A wedding vendor in Detroit emailed me this question and I thought that you may want to know what I suggested to him:

1: Cross promote with jewelers - Engagement rings are one of the first things people buy when they get engaged.  Over 60% of couples get engaged before having engagement rings and then they go out and buy them.  Create some sort of incentive for jewelers to hand out your card/postcard/flyer etc.  For example, propose to have their bags printed in exchange for handing out your card to all newly engaged couples.

2: Create some gift packs that include coupons for monies off your services with your logo and contact details.  Also include promotional pieces like a pen, notepad, wedding planning workbook, etc. You should include a catalog, price lists, etc. For every meeting give them an introduction packet.

I had several other ideas for him like hold a "bride war" at his shop...that I'd be happy to discuss with you.  If you'd like more information please give us a call at 1-800-431-4628 or register online for a webinar at www.bridalmarketinggroup.com/webinars.htm .

Are social media pages (Facebook, Twitter) really a "MUST HAVE" for wedding vendors?

If you're still thinking that Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs are trends that will fade then you should watch this video.

 

If you now realize that social media is where it's at but you really don't have time to post information to Facebook, blogs, Twitter and you want to outsource that work then please consider our "social media wedding marketing package."   If you have questions about what we do for wedding professionals then please call us toll free at 1-800-431-4628 or visit our website at www.bridalmarketinggroup.com .