The key to thriving as a wedding planner is getting exposure to your business. The more ways you can get your name in front of potential clients, the more clients you will have. Here at Markel Event Insurance, we put together a list of marketing strategies you can use to get the word out about your wedding planning business and the services you offer. 

5 Marketing Tactics for Wedding Planners

1) Partner with wedding vendors

Partnering with venues, florists, caterers, designers, music, bands, and other vendors who are involved in the wedding planning industry, will increase your exposure as well as help you find new clients.

By partnering with other wedding businesses, you can establish agreements that allow you to send referrals to each other. Often this is in the form of preferred vendor lists that are passed on to potential clients. If the clients use the preferred vendors on this list, they can be given a discount or some sort of incentive (like a gift card) to strengthen the bond between your two businesses. You gain the business and the couple gets a discount. It’s a win-win for everyone.

2) Write a blog 

Well-written, insightful blogs are a great way for you to establish your expertise and get your name out there. When you share inside tips for weddings, you gain credibility. Plus, your blog content can be found through Internet searches on Google and Bing which brings more traffic to your website. 

To increase the effectiveness and reach from each blog post, share links to your posts on all your social media platforms. You may consider paying to boost the posts on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook so that more potential clients see them. 

It’s helpful to write guest posts for blogs that are already established in the wedding and events industry. Many photographers, venues, and florists would love to have a helpful guest post to share on their blog without having to write it themselves. When you write a guest post, be sure to include your name, what services you offer, and a link to your website.

3) Get on TV

Public relations is a great free way to promote your business. Local TV show producers are always looking for unique stories that would interest their viewers.

Consider pitching a story idea that gets multiple event vendors on the show. For example, submit a proposal to the local morning show producer regarding trends in the wedding industry. This segment could feature an on-trend table design for a wedding. Consider including a florist, rental company, and decor company. 

During the show, you can show the various details of the table design including the table linens, chairs, china, centerpiece, table number, and menus.

Your business name will be highlighted on screen for the viewers to see. Promote the program ahead of time on your social media and then share the link to the show after it airs. Also, include the show link in a prominent place on your website so that all future potential clients will see that you were featured on TV. This gives you and your business a huge amount of credibility!

4) Network with event professionals

Networking is a must in the wedding and events industry. It is most effective to have a strategy for networking. This will allow you to find the right clients without spending your time in the wrong places. 

There are a number of national and international event industry organizations that hold networking meetings in numerous cities. ABC, ILEA or NACE are a few of the biggest organizations for wedding and event professionals.

If you plan events in addition to weddings, attending your local chamber of commerce meetings puts you in front of businesses that may be hosting events. 

Another idea is to find a Meetup group in your area that caters to those in the event planning industry, such as venues, photographers, bakeries, etc. If there is not a local Meetup group for those in the event industry, consider taking the lead and organizing one. After all, you have the skills necessary to plan, use them to your advantage to gain more business.

When networking for your wedding planning business, take it a step further and ask if you can set up one-on-one time with the people you meet. This gives you time to build a connection, go through your services, and learn more about what they offer as well.

5) Participate in wedding shows

Get in front of potential clients by securing a booth at a local wedding show. Exhibiting can be expensive and it may make sense to share a booth with another exhibitor such as a baker. Bakeries tend to draw a larger crowd because they often hand out cake samples. 

You will want to make a concentrated effort to engage in conversations with potential clients and have brochures to hand out. Many shows will give you a list of attendees with contact information but it’s more effective if you collect the contact information directly from the couples you talk to at the show.

Wedding shows are a perfect time to connect with other event vendors as well. Take some time to go around and introduce yourself. Just make sure it is during a slow time and that someone is manning your booth!

The wedding show producers will market the event to couples, but it does not hurt to utilize your own marketing efforts to maximize the number of booth visitors you have. Write about the event on your blog, email your list, and blast it on social media during the weeks prior to the show.

With these tips, you will be on the path to success by attracting more clients to your wedding planning business. Once you gain new clients, make sure they are protected with event insurance. 

Markel Event Insurance offers event liability insurance for your clients, protecting from incidents such as property damage to the venue or injury to a guest. Up to $2 million in event liability insurance can be purchased by your client from Markel any time, at least 1 day before the event. Policies start as low as $75.

By offering event insurance, it will not only protect your clients, but it can also protect you, and your reputation. Markel Event Insurance is an easy and affordable solution for your clients – a free event insurance quote takes only a few minutes online or on the phone. 

Markel Event Insurance makes it easy for you and your clients to obtain easy online quotes. You can also request free marketing materials from Markel Event Insurance.

*this is a sponsored post from Markel Event Insurance

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