The wedding industry can be competitive at times, so it’s important to make sure your business stands out! As we close out the end of the year, we’re sharing the 4 elements you need to have a successful wedding marketing strategy so you can better understand the pieces that go into creating brand awareness and credibility for your wedding business. A strong wedding PR and marketing strategy can increase brand engagement and get your work in front of your ideal client so you can start booking more of them! Below are the four absolute musts you need to implement if you want to elevate your marketing strategy for this year. 

The wedding industry can be competitive at times, so it’s important to make sure your business stands out! We’re sharing the 5 elements of a successful wedding marketing strategy so you can better understand the elements that go into creating brand awareness and credibility for your wedding business. A strong wedding PR and marketing strategy can increase brand engagement and get your work in front of your ideal client so you can start booking more of them! Ready to get started? Let’s break it down.

1. A Branding Audit

When you think about the wedding brands you admire, what’s something they all have in common? Chances are, they all have unique and cohesive branding. Your branding is the first impression you make on those who encounter your business. Strong branding can be the difference between someone moving on and someone submitting an inquiry to learn more. Most claim that the majority of their leads come as a result of social media or referrals, and while that may be true, your website is oftentimes the first impression (if they came from a referral) or the second impression (if they first discovered you on social media) and if your website and branding do not capture their interest with what's current, then you will undoubtedly lose out on that opportunity.

2. Social Media Strategy

Social media outreach is vital when creating a successful wedding marketing strategy. For wedding industry pros, we always recommend focusing your efforts on Instagram and Pinterest. Both Instagram and Pinterest are proven to drive traffic and inquiries for wedding businesses. They’re the two most common social media platforms for millennials planning their weddings, so your work must be there! With both Instagram and Pinterest, you should focus on regular posting and sharing new work as often as possible. On Instagram, we also focus on engagement in building a successful strategy. You can post all you want, but if your photos aren’t reaching your ideal client, you won’t see the results you need for your business.

For our Instagram management clients, we focus on engaging with like-minded businesses and potential customers to help them grow their followings and reach new clients. On Pinterest, the best thing you can do for your business is optimize each pin to drive traffic to your website. Use keywords that your ideal client is searching for, and make sure every pin of your work links back to your website or portfolio. We can help get up to 100 of your images uploaded onto Pinterest as part of our Pinterest Revamp service! 

3. Expert PR + Real Wedding Placements

PR is your brand’s relationship with the world around it. There are two parts to PR placements that we land regularly for our clients, and both are important in their own ways! Contributing to expert advice stories can help you position yourself as a key player in the wedding industry, and build your overall trust factor. Another benefit of expert PR placements is that they can help you land consistent press for your business, even when you don’t have new weddings or events to submit, OR if you are newer to the market, it is a great way to land one of your goal publications that perhaps you don't have content yet that is super aligned with what that outlet would normally accept for submissions.

Of course, Real Wedding features are equally as important for all vendors that were a part of the special day to get the recognition they deserve. Getting your work featured on top-tier national wedding media outlets can help future clients discover your brand, and can build that credibility within the industry. Plus, seeing your work featured is always rewarding! We understand that landing both of these types of press requires time that you may not have, connections with the media, and consistency in following up and checking in with editors. Our wedding PR team will take the heavy lifting off your plate, perfectly curate these submissions for you, and work with you to build a goal list of publications.

We also always say it's just as important what you do with that feature after it is live, as it is to have the feature under your belt in the first place. Add and start building a press page on your website, add an “As seen in” line in your Instagram bio, share your features and save them to a highlight, etc. You want your potential clients to always be reminded of where you have been seen and what you have accomplished! 

4. Wedding Industry Networking, Conferences, and Events

Not only is it important for your marketing strategy to make an impression on potential clients, but it's also vital that you develop connections and maintain them within the wedding industry, too. Prioritizing the right relationships will help you book more business through referrals and start to build your dream team of vendor partners! We are big supporters of finding the best conferences, networking events, and investing in your relationships. In our one-on-one business coaching program, you have the option to work with our CEO to put together a custom networking strategy based on your goals. If you want to connect with high-end venues in your area, she can help you do just that! If you’re looking to network with planners or photographers and offer them your services, we’ve got a strategy for that too. 

When you hire a PR firm to help you create a successful marketing strategy, you’ll get cohesive output that helps grow your brand. At Be Inspired PR, we come alongside you and help you manage the marketing efforts you don't have time to do, don't know how to do, or don't want to do. Click here to learn more about some of the client press we've landed, and then get in touch with our team to learn more. See you at the top!