Social media plays a pivotal role in the wedding industry today. With millennials at the forefront, several social media platforms help people in keeping tabs on their desired wedding professionals as everything is just a click away. With more than 25 years in wedding and event related sales and marketing, Alan Berg has been called “The Leading International Expert & Speaker on the Business of Weddings & Events”. The Internationally renowned Speaker, Author, Marketing Consultant and Sales Trainer from the USA, and one of only 800 Certified Speaking Professionals in the world reveals all about how social media impacts the wedding business across the globe.
Photograph Courtesy: @alanberg
“Why should we care?” – that’s the question all wedding professionals should be asking before posting anything on social media. As with all marketing, it’s not about us, it’s about our audience. Too often wedding pros are posting content that’s interesting to them, but their audience doesn’t care. There’s very little, if any interaction, and that’s what we’re all seeking on social media. After all, if there’s no interaction, it’s not social, it’s just you talking to yourselves.
Photograph Courtesy: Mashable
5 Key Tips To Maximize Your Social Media ROI
Photograph Courtesy: Pinterest
- Choose Your Audience – Who do you want to engage with: current clients, prospective clients, friends, family, industry influencers, etc.
- Choose The Platform(s) – Which social platforms do your target audiences use when looking for someone like you. Chances are you don’t need to be everywhere, just make sure you’re in the right places.
- Determine What Value You’re Going To Bring – Before you start posting, sharing stories or buying ads, decide how you’re going to bring value to your audience. It’s hard enough to get an audience, you don’t want to lose them once you have their attention.
- Decide How Often You Want To Post – Be realistic about how often you will be able to provide content for each platform. If you are able to engage your target audience, they’re going to expect to see new content regularly. For some it’s once a week, for others it’s once a day or even a few times a day. That’s a pace I couldn’t keep up, but if you have the resources, then go for it!
- Measure Your ROI – What is the return you want to get on your investment in time, money and resources in social media? If you can’t measure it, then how will you know if your resources would be better invested elsewhere? Pick the metrics by which you can determine your ROI (return on investment): additional sales, engagement with your customers, referrals to new prospects and customers, etc.
It’s Not All About The Hashtags
Photographs Courtesy: @needmoreheart and @spanggangdesigns
Hashtags are important for searches, but once someone gets to your post it’s all about the story. Don’t just list hashtags under your photograph, tell us the story of what’s going on in the image, and why it matters to us. Connect the people reading to what’s going on, so there’s context. Post aspirational images, so your target audience can see themselves wanting that result.
You Don’t Sell Services, You Sell The Results Of Those Services
Photograph Courtesy: @ken_kienow
If you list them on paper, every wedding planner essentially does the same things. It’s the intangible feelings and experiences that make you different. Facebook says to use ‘Lifestyle’ images, ones that show people interacting with your product or service. Your customers rely on you to create experiences for them and their guests. Show those experiences. Talk about those experiences. And don’t forget, your customers are going to review those experiences. Give them something to talk about, because when they’re posting about you – that’s the best kind of social exposure!
Feature Image Credit: @kalijoworks
