Figuring out social media can be one of the most overwhelming, time-consuming parts of owning a wedding planner business. Thank goodness Angie is here today from Virtual Angie to give us 5 savvy social media tips for wedding planners.
Social Media Tips for Wedding Planners
So, you are a wedding planner and you are diving into the big swirling vortex that is social media. Maybe, you are already on social media but don’t have the foggiest idea on what you are doing. You are trying to attract those potential clients you feel more aligned to, yet you don’t seem to be getting anywhere.
You sign up for freebies, such as monthly content calendars, generic graphics, lists of blog titles, etc. All fabulous, but it really isn’t as easy as they say to come up with ‘killer content’, plus, who even has time for that?
Fear not, my lovely. I am going to give you some tips that might JUST make it a little easier for you.
1. Who is your ideal client?
Allow me to tell you right now, you cannot be everything to everyone. I am guessing, however, that you already know this. If you don’t, please do take this on board. Marketing to your ideal client on social media becomes far easier and simpler than if you were trying to cater to everyone. Yes, it feels at first like you are cutting off your nose to spite your face and leaving money on the table. But trust me, it is the best thing to do for your business.
So, who are you targeting? Are you aiming at budget brides? Maybe your focus is on LGBT couples? Perhaps, your planning business is more aligned with high end style and aimed at clients wanting more expensive service?
Whoever the audience, your social media needs to reflect them, so think, what kinds of things attract them? How can you make your social media appeal to them? What are their interests and hobbies? These things you can incorporate into your social media to get those ideal clients following you and loving your content!
2. Don’t try to be everywhere
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Snapchat, Tumblr, Quora…the list goes on, and on, and on! You’re probably thinking you ought to at least try and be on them all to maximize your reach, am I right?
DON’T do it to yourself! Attempting to do this will literally result in a massive headache, complete writers block and eventually, hating all things social media. Pour yourself a generous glass of wine and just sit back and chill for a minute.
Pick one, (yes, I mean one!) social media platform that you feel comfortable with and that you feel suits your business and audience. Personally, I feel that wedding businesses thrive on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, but that is just my opinion.
Get good at it. By this, I mean work out what works for you on there. Research what types of content are best shared on your chosen platform and go for it. For instance, you can share a lot of resources on Facebook. Blog articles, memes, GIFs and images are just a few. So, make the most of that and share what’s relevant to your business and to your target audience!
3. It’s not about the sell
Just because you are a business owner, does NOT mean you should be pushing your services on to your audience all the time. You want to show that you have integrity, that you are a person they can trust. More importantly still, you need to show who YOU are. What is your story? Where are you from? Why are you doing what you are doing? I don’t mean bare your soul on social media (seriously, please don’t). I mean, give your audience a glimpse of you, show them that you are a real person, just like them. Give them things they can relate to. You have an interesting story? Share it! Love a cocktail or two? Put a pic up of you enjoying one. Going on an exotic vacation? Link some exotic snaps and recommend a venue.
I am not advising that you share your life like a daily diary entry, that is for your personal social accounts if you must. I’m just saying every now and again, just give them a little snippet of you. Be authentic. Be REAL.
4. Educate
Another great thing about being on social media is the fact you can reach so many people. What better opportunity could you have to educate them? Your audience follows your posts and you want them to follow you and even see you as an influencer, correct?
Give tips and advice. Show them things that you do and how they can do it. You may think this will hurt your chances at being hired, but trust me, it is quite the opposite! By giving tips and advice, you are providing value, and again, reason for your audience to trust you. It shows that you not only know what you are doing, but that you care and want to help. This is invaluable and will build a following of people that trust you and your brand.
5. Your services
Yes, you read it right, offer your services. Now, as I said before, I do NOT mean push and sell all the time. I mean, occasionally show them what you do. There are many ways to do this, but I am only giving you a couple of ways for now.
Firstly, showcase your stuff. You set a fantastic tablescape with beautiful accents, colours and little touches? Awesome! Get it on your social media with a picture and tag those that helped make it possible (always include the vendors that helped you).
Another way you can broadcast your services is to offer a contest. Offer a discount on your services for whoever wins. Obviously, this is only if you can afford it.
These are just a couple of ways to get your services out there, I am more than confident you will find many more!
So, there you have it. A few basic ways to get going and succeed on social media. Bear in mind that we haven’t even scratched the surface, so watch out, there may be another article on this in the future!
I’d love to hear your thoughts and if you have any social media tips for wedding planners that make things easier for you! Feel free to comment. Thanks for reading.
Angie, of Virtual Angie, is a virtual assistant who works specifically for wedding business owners. She lives in the UK and has a vision to be the go to guru of support for wedding professionals worldwide.
