Let me let you in on a little secret: one of the biggest reasons I achieved success early in my career was because I focused on marketing strategies outside of the Instagram algorithm. I have been blogging consistently since 2009 – and let me tell you – it hasn't always been easy. When I launched my first website and blog, the stock photos available to me were janky, y'all. They were nothing like we have today, between Haute Stock, Creative Market, or Styled Stock Society. Today, we have so many resources at our fingertips to create powerful and profitable blogs for our wedding business. But before you start typing, I'm going to share my top blogging tips for wedding pros in 2022, so you can jump ahead and start maximizing your blogging efforts today.
Tip 1: Make it a Priority. Organic Traffic WILL Outrank Social Media
I've already teased this a little bit, but let me really drive this home: organic traffic generated from your blog will always outrank social media. One of my favorite blogging statistics was shared on our podcast with Vanessa Hicks: the average Instagram post lasts 48 hours, and the average blog post lasts 700 days.
And before you run off and start making excuses about how there just isn't enough time in the day to commit to blogging, I want you to ask yourself how much time you are really spending on Instagram.
Blogging effectively does NOT need to take a lot of time to be effective. The goal is to write content your customer cares about (and is searching for!), so you can get in front of them while they are searching for it.
Not only is this effective because, like you, your competitors are also focusing more on Instagram than SEO, but because when they head to Google to search for the solution to their problem, they are in the mindset to buy.
Let's face it: when you are scrolling on Instagram, you usually aren't in the mindset to buy. Yes, you might discover a photographer you love and start to follow them or find a clothing brand you love, but for them to really get your money, they need to work for it.
When you're scrolling on Instagram, you are easily distracted. Are you the same on Google? I'm willing to bet you are not. That is not to say that social media marketing isn't important – but it doesn't need to be your only lead source.
Once your customers find you on Google, you can bring them to social media to accelerate the know/like/trust factor and encourage them to buy (or at the very least, feel confident in their decision to hire you).
Some decisions can be made at the first point of contact. Small purchases, like a pair of earrings, don't exactly need a long nurture period. For more significant investments, like hiring your wedding planner, your ideal customers may need a little more convincing than one fantastic blog post. That's also okay. They've found you while they were paying attention. In your blog post, encourage them to follow you on Instagram for real-time inspiration and updates. Although I don't think social media is nearly as effective as blogging for SEO regarding potential customers finding you, it's an excellent place for them to fall in love with you!
Tip 2: Write Blogs For Google (Not Clients!)
Although we want your ideal customers to soak up every word on your blog, the chances are that a majority of them are just skimming. After all, am I catching you skimming this post, or have you read every word so far? This doesn't mean that blogging is a waste of time; it just means you must write for Google more than your clients. This is actually good news for those of us who don't necessarily love writing. I'm happy to tell you, that you don't need to write a best-selling New York Times book to make money from your blog. You just need to get Google to rank it.
How do you write blogs for Google / SEO?
This could definitely be a whole other post, but here are three quick tips:
- Think about what your ideal clients are searching for, and write about that.
- Use basic language. Seriously, nobody is searching “moody boho floral arrangement,” but people are searching for “bridal bouquets.”
- If you are a location-based business, and most of us are, include your location in your blog posts.
Like I mentioned earlier, Vanessa Hicks shared some great tips on our podcast last year that are still relevant today, so make sure to give that episode a listen!
Tip 3: Don't Hold Back Your Blog Posts (Publish Them In Groups!)
Can I be frank with you? In the wedding business, you aren't building a list of loyal readers. Sorry, not sorry. When it comes to blogging tips for wedding pros, chances are your ideal client is not signing on to your website every Monday morning to see what the latest post is about. Although you might be tempted to “batch” a bunch of blog posts and drip them weekly, I want you to instead consider releasing them as they are finished, even if that means publishing four on the same day. This isn't a monthly magazine.
Google is taking longer to index content than ever before, with the average post right now taking somewhere between 60-90 days (and depending on your domain authority, it can take even longer). My best advice is to write your blog posts quickly and get them out fast. You want your content to rank; they won't do that if they're sitting on WordPress.
Tip 4: Turn Readers Into Subscribers
Next, we need to ensure your blog is set up for conversion. Like I said before, you aren't writing a monthly magazine. You are a busy wedding pro, and if you are taking the time to sit down and write, you need to make sure you turn your readers into subscribers (and buyers!). They have found you on Google. What's the next step?
Although it can be tempting to go for the close and make the only CTA be to contact you and book you for your most expensive service, you may want to consider investing some time into a nurture sequence or building an email list.
If you don't have an email list (yet), make sure to check out this post on how to use email marketing as a wedding pro. It's essentially a step-by-step guide, and you'll also gain access to my free nurture sequence template.
Your client journey might look a little different than your friend who sells bars of soap on Etsy. The truth is, when you are selling a service in the wedding industry, you are likely asking for a four or five-figure investment. Attracting customers on Google is great, but getting them on your email list to keep in touch might just be the change you want to make in your marketing to hit your goals this year.
Haven't started email marketing yet? Let me save you some research. Flodesk is the #1 email software I recommend for service providers in the wedding industry. Sign up here for 50% off your first year!
Tip 5: Ask For The Sale. Seriously. This is one of my top Blogging Tips for Wedding Pros in 2022.
I know I just told you to build your email list, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't ask for the sale. Some customers who stumble across your blog posts WILL be ready to buy (especially if you follow my ideal client cocktail). The truth is that different customers come to your blog at different stages in their buying journey. You want to provide the next step for each of them. Depending on how far along they are in their own buyer journey, offer them options like signing up for your email list, following you on Instagram, or heading straight to your contact form.
You want your blog to provide information to your customers, but you don't want them to confuse your website with sites like The Knot or WeddingWire.
You want them to read your blog and know exactly who you are and how you can solve their problems. When you are writing, make sure you are sharing stories and information that showcase your expertise and why your clients love to hire you (and how they can book you to get the same results!). Don't feel like you need to include so much information they confuse your blog for a Wikipedia page. After all, the whole reason you are blogging in the first place is for future customers to find you. Don't make them guess how they can work with you.
Woah – that was a lot. Here's a quick recap of blogging tips for wedding pros in 2022:
- Make it a Priority. Organic Traffic WILL Outrank Social Media
- Write Blogs For Google (Not Clients!)
- Don't Hold Back Your Blog Posts (Publish Them In Groups!)
- Turn Readers Into Subscribers
- Ask For The Sale
When it comes to booking more ideal clients in your wedding business, don't sleep on blogging. If you are ready for more actionable advice to grow your wedding business, you need to get on the Planner's Playbook waitlist.
Listen, before I let you go, let me follow my own advice and tell you how you can work with me. If you are a wedding planner wanting to book more magazine-worthy weddings, I'm sharing absolutely everything I know about planning, designing, and coordinating luxury weddings inside the Planner's Playbook. Every month, you'll receive actionable advice on how the wedding planners you love to follow on Instagram are really running their businesses behind the scenes. Get on the waitlist now!
Explore More Wedding Industry Resources
- Why You're Not Attracting the Right Clients & How To Fix It
- How To Use Email Marketing As A Wedding Pro – Step-by-Step Guide
- How to Create An Automated Email Marketing Funnel That Sells With A Nurture Sequence
- Everything You Need To Know About Blogging in 2021 With Vanessa Hicks
- 5 Reasons Why You Should Be Creating Unique Content for Your Blog
- Zafira Rajan Gives You Permission to Experiment in Your Business
- Caitlin Strempel Shares The Key To SEO Ranking Is Your Message
- 8 Free Ways To Market Your Wedding Planning Biz
- Why Blogging is NOT Dead & How You Can Use it To Attract Your Ideal Clients
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