Wedding and Event Planners: Are You Marketing Pros?
Regina Osgood is the owner and creative director of Meant2Be events, a top Arizona wedding planning firm that manages over 250 weddings a year.
In a previous blog post I talked a lot about understanding your client demographic. Your target client should be very focused. After reading that post and doing some homework, you hopefully have narrowed down your target audience—a.k.a. your dream client. Awesome!
So now what? This can be answered in a few steps.
Marketing Pro Step One…
For starters, understand the criteria you set. Are there some demographic such as age, gender or geography that you can use to begin to define your marketing message? Use these guidelines to understand the type of services these potential clients will value. That should be the marketing message you convey.
Here’s a few examples. Let’s say your target is a DIY client, rustic style, smaller weddings. You might use words like “intimate” and “charming” on your website. You might also highlight your set up services or specialize in personalized details. If your demographic is a high-end market of working professionals, you may use words like “luxury” and “custom”. In any case, make sure the pictures you use support that message. This will not only help you define your marketing message, but help you form partnerships with venues and vendors who also target your audience.
Marketing Pro Step Two…
Next, consider where to deliver that message. Where does your ideal client live, work and play?
Understanding your clients’ lifestyles can allow you to deliver a strong and powerful message consistently. You might consider joining a charity, or participating in an association or an interest group. You may advertise in a lifestyle or local social magazine. If planning an event, are your target clients likely to go to a bridal show, pick up a magazine or do most of their research online? As we know, the more contact you have, the more likely you are to have your potential client reach out to you! Knowing your potential client’s lifestyle will allow you to more effectively network and advertise in the places that will make the most impact to your bottom line.
Marketing Pro Step Three…
Lastly, it’s important to track your progress. Often when you ask your lead where they found you they can’t remember, or they just cite the last place they saw you, which is not an accurate method of tracking. Consider having separate email addresses and phone numbers for certain campaigns. Now, through an analytics plugin you can track the exact place your leads and clients visited last and where they are clicking on your information. By periodically checking on these reports and tracking phone calls you can see where your marketing dollars are being spent wisely and what efforts are beneficial to your bottom line!
Also, don’t be afraid to make changes if you see one form of marketing is more effective. If an ad in one magazine is drawing more attention, consider using it in another magazine or in other marketing material. Often sites and publications allow for editing and making changes within certain deadlines.
The more you target your audience and focus your advertising the more that dream client will become your reality!
