For many businesses, email marketing aims to grow a massive list of potential clients you can communicate with for as long as the company exists. Since the client lifecycle is so different in the wedding industry this method does not work. Email marketing can still be a powerful tool for building know/like/trust with potential clients. Today let’s look at a basic way to incorporate email marketing, and learn how to modify traditional practices to work for your wedding planning business and increase your bookings. 

Client Lifecycle

The reason most people in the wedding industry do not use email marketing is that the lifespan of a client is usually a year or less. This means that long-term email marketing practices will not work. Many couples use special email addresses that they never check after their wedding day, and even if they are checking they are likely not opening anything wedding related once they are married. 

When planning your email marketing campaign you need to consider the behavior of your potential clients and what they are looking for when they are opting into mailing lists. You will need to offer them something of value to capture their email address and begin the process of gaining their trust. 

Opt-In: Offer Something Useful

Engaged couples are in research mode. They are looking for information that will help them plan a wedding, hire their vendors, make a budget, etc. Anything that will make the planning process easier is what they are looking for. 

Your initial opt-in offer could be an e-book, planning checklist, questions to ask different vendor categories, budget breakdown, or anything else that they might be searching for at the start of the planning process. 

The free guide/download would be delivered when they fill out an opt-in form on your website and their email is added to your mailing list. 

Create a Long-Term Nurture Sequence

In traditional email marketing, you would send an onboarding sequence in the first week or two. This would include the delivery of your freebie and then a sequence that introduces your business, your services, and what makes you special. 

Since the lifecycle of an engaged person is finite, wedding planners can adjust their email marketing strategy to accommodate their potential clients’ interest levels and needs. The strategy will also allow you to set your email marketing and forget it! You do not have to write weekly emails or continuously engage, instead, you utilize the automation feature and stretch it out over a few months. 

Most couples are in the market for a planner in the beginning stages of their engagement. So, creating an automated sequence that spans 3-4 months will allow you to reach couples at the exact time they are looking for a planner. Your sequence should be filled with content that demonstrates your expertise, showcases your work, and builds trust with the reader. You also want to include a call to action to book a consultation in every email, so that the couple knows how to start the process of working together.

After your initial welcome series, send a weekly email with a planning tip or something that will help them in the wedding process and will showcase your expertise. Share your work, inspiration, how-tos, and anything else that the readers will find helpful. 

By utilizing this modified version of email marketing you will stay top of mind during the decision-making process, without adding another ongoing marketing activity to your plate. You can edit your automation at the start of engagement season and use it for the year. The great part of automation is that the timing is based on when the person joins your email list. This low-effort marketing strategy can be wonderful for staying top of mind and turning potential clients into booked clients. 

If you are using email marketing, how is it working in your business? 

Do you want to feel confident and professional as a wedding planner?

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Timeline templates, consultation forms, questions to ask vendors, planning checklist, and much more!

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