Marketing Strategy

Wedding Marketing Strategy Do’s and Don’ts

By Tayler Cusick Hollman

The word “strategy” scares some people. And, we get why. It sounds like something that happens in a boardroom (and one filled with people in suits who are going to grill you on every detail). The thing is, when it comes to building a flourishing business in the wedding industry, you need one—specifically, you need a marketing strategy. That’s because a marketing strategy is the roadmap or plan you use to ensure your business is attracting the number of clients you need, the type of clients you want, and making the money that enables you to pay yourself and reach your goals. And, whether you’ve got yours down on paper or have been avoiding blocking the time to, we wanted to make sure it has everything it should and nothing it shouldn’t. Read on for our top wedding marketing strategy do’s and don’ts to make sure you’re building your empire on solid and strategic ground.

 

Don’t keep your strategy in your head

Not that we wanted to start on a negative foot, but this is perhaps the biggest mistake pros make in regards to their wedding marketing strategy. Because, even if you are confident you know what needs to be done and when, there are two things you can’t do when you keep it all in your head. The first is effectively asking for or bringing someone on to help you execute it (which is important to be able to do) and the second is reviewing what you did year over year (even more important to do). So, if you are reading this and do not have your marketing strategy documented, that is your immediate to-do. 

 

Do trust your gut but back it up with analytics

When it comes to making marketing decisions about your business, it is not uncommon to go off of how you feel about something. Because, when you live, breathe, sleep, and eat everything about your wedding business and couples, those experiences are completely valid ways to say, “This is what we are going to do.” The key to saying your gut feeling was the right guide in the end? Having metrics and data to back it up. So, if you aren’t someone who reviews marketing metrics on the regular, be sure to add that into the mix.

 

Pro-tip: Get familiar with these social media analytics.

 

 

Don’t try and do it all

Repeat after us—you don’t have to do it all. In fact, creating a winning wedding marketing strategy is about just the opposite. The key to having an effective strategy is limiting the scope to the marketing tactics you can actually commit to and go deep on as opposed to skimming the surface on lots of things and feeling spread thin. So, regardless of what you see other wedding pros doing (or scratching your head and wondering how they have time to be in all the corners of the internet) tailor yours to what you have the time and resources to do and do well.

 

Do create a budget

There are many marketing tactics that require nothing more than your time and energy but most wedding pros reach a point where even the free channels have diminishing returns. And, whether you need to invest in advertising or people to help you keep up your marketing momentum during busy season, it is more than smart to review your cash flow and set aside a marketing budget for the year. 

 

Pro-tip: Learn how to calculate ROI on your advertising to make sure your money is working for you.

 

Don’t think it’s one and done

One of the most important marketing tips we can give you is to think of your wedding marketing strategy as a living, breathing document—and not as something you write and walk away from. Because, if your goals change, your resources change or the direction you want to take your business changes, your strategy needs to as well. But, don’t wait until January to review and refine your marketing strategy for the next year; the ideal time for wedding pros to update it is in the months leading up to booking season. Doing so gives you time to prepare what you need and hit the ground running and (we promise) your future self will thank you.

 

Pro-tip: Get advice on what marketing collateral to update and when to help time your strategy updates.

 

Do realize it takes time to see results

It takes time to see the fruits of your labor, especially with digital marketing tactics like SEO and advertising. That’s because the internet can be a competitive place and it takes continual effort to sometimes see your first return. So, don’t be discouraged if things don’t happen overnight—good things are always worth the wait.

 

Pro-tip: Want to get started with search engine optimization? Learn what SEO is in this easy-to-read post.

 

Want more marketing tips before diving into your wedding marketing strategy? Be sure to spend time reading through all the helpful articles we have in the marketing section of the blog! 

 

Photo Credit: AtlasStudio/Shutterstock.com