Once you have been in business for some time, you will find that there are many different roads that an event planner can take in terms of building their business. Once you figure out what type of business you would like to be in, you can tailor your marketing efforts to accomplish that goal.

What Type of Business Do You Want?

• Lifestyle Company

A lifestyle company is all about you and your voice. Clients are not only investing in your services, they are investing in you as a person. As a lifestyle brand you may take on a limited number of events per season, as you are the planner that everyone wants.

• Independent Planning Company

Many planners want to create a larger business under which they have multiple planners, support staff, and a large number of clients. In this style of business you will be handling all the marketing, promotion, and lead prospecting and then funneling brides to your associate planners. You might have sales staff, marketing, accounting, etc. Most large businesses have these types of departments.

• Planner Under Another Company

As a planner working for another company you would be an employee or possibly a contractor. You would likely be funneled leads and not be responsible for the marketing of the business, only in planning your events.

How to Market Your Type of Business?

• Lifestyle Company

Since you are the face and voice of your company the marketing approach to your business should be growing your own personal brand. In a lifestyle company the consumer is buying you. They value your time, expertise, and you as a person.

When marketing your lifestyle brand you want to allow your audience into your life. This may mean talking about more than just weddings. You may share things about your family, travels, holidays, etc.

• Independent Planning Company

If you want to build a planning business in which you oversee a team, you will want to create systems and structure that will allow for easily hiring and incorporating new staff. You will want a standard planning style for all of your employees to follow.

When marketing a planning company, the focus will be on promoting the company as a whole, not a single planner. You want to create an experience that reflects your company and can be replicated for any clients who chooses your business to plan their wedding.

• Planner Under Another Company

If your ultimate goal is to work as an event planner without owning your own business, focus on building experience and networking with the companies in your area that you are interested in working for.

Reach out to the companies you are most interested and ask for an informational interview. Even if they are not hiring now, they will in the future and you want to be on their radar. It is also a good idea to create a portfolio, either online (possibly Pinterest) or a physical portfolio that you can share. You can also start a blog where you showcase your work, style, and personality. This will give you an advantage when interviewing with planning companies.

Highlight the events you have planned or participated in as a planner. You can also include writing samples, styled shoots you have had published, and anything else that showcases your accomplishments.

Today’s post is a guest post from Amber Peterson. Amber is the owner of Cheers Wedding & Event Planning in western Washington. She has a Masters Degree in Integrated Marketing Communications and previously worked as a marketing consultant for wedding industry professionals. Amber is also the co-founder of the Skagit Wedding Society.