Why Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram for my wedding business? Aren’t they meant only for teenagers to get social and increase their fan count? Who uses these channels for effective marketing? Is social media marketing significant for my wedding business?
If above are your thoughts, then maybe your time machine is lagging behind by 20 years. The statistics reveals that you need to focus a large chunk of your wedding marketing efforts on social media because that is where the people are these days. Literally. You could never hope to reach as many people in your town or city as you have the potential of reaching online. What do you think?
Today Facebook is considered the biggest open, free social hub for business of all kinds and level. The top demographic is women age 18–34, which is the exact audience that you as a Wedding Vendor are trying to target in your marketing outreach. About YouTube it is the 2nd most looked upon search engine. Twitter because of its short messaging structure and is very popular these days. If you are more into pictures and infographics then Instagram and Pinterest are your best friends. The best part is all these channels help you to search based on your interest and connects you to the audience around the globe with same interests with an opportunity for direct real time communication. So, why not utilize these platforms to showcase your services as a way to increase your online exposure and attract new clients.
Social Media – Don’ts and Do’s
The Don’ts
An unclear strategy – what brings you to this media? Drive sells by promoting deals? Network with other vendors or brides? Be aware of your goals and plan a strategy.
Not choosing the correct channel – social media isn’t a one size fits all. Choose the platform where your dream clients are engaging with mostly.
Don’t like your own posts – it creates a bad impression.
Don’t indulge in spamming – this happens when you post too much or post irrelevant things.
Not tracking – Use Google Analytics to see where your traffic is coming from and what percentage is from social media accounts. Set up a custom web page for each social media platform (ex: mysite.com/facebook). When you promote a special offer, use these unique sales pages to help track which social media platform is working best to generate leads.
The Do’s
Complete your profile – it will give your audience a clear picture about your offerings.
Identify your customers and be friendly – look for their relationship status, age group, field of interest and then focus on them. Friend and connect with all your current clients on social media. Brides listen to their girlfriends more than anyone else.
Be active but don’t overdo it – too many flavors spoil the dish. Similarly don’t fill up your timeline with too much to cater in a day
Share the information – share the wedding planning related blog links, share your real wedding work images on weekly basis so that you stay top of everyone’s minds.
Timing is important – make a note of when to post, when are your prime target customers most active on social media
Content is the key – write for the audience; don’t always think of your business.
Involve your audience – Announce referral programs, welcome guest’s comments and tag your previous couples. This way you will reach other brides and grooms in their social network.
Be responsive – don’t miss to reply to your customer’s queries. You are here to interact and earn them.
Run targeted Facebook Ads – Facebook facilitates you with paid Ads that can be targeted to specific audience. Target males or females in your local market with relationship status “Engaged” and who also like “weddings”. Remember; design your ad to get them to click through to your website. You’ll have an easier time selling them from there.
All said and done, Do Remember with social media sites, you are not in control of the platform. Your ability to reach your fans can change at any time (with a change in their design or code of conduct). So be sure to direct prospects to your website, to sign up for your email list so you can follow up with them directly in their inbox as well.
