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 will share my top blogging tips for wedding pros in 2024 so you can jump ahead and maximize your blogging efforts today.
Let me tell you a little secret: one of the biggest reasons I achieved success early in my career was that I focused on marketing strategies outside 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. They were nothing like we have today, between Haute Stock (use code CANDICE to save 15% off your subscription), Creative Market, or Styled Stock Society. Today, we have many resources at our fingertips to create powerful and profitable blogs for our wedding business.
Blogging Tips For Wedding Pros 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 spend on Instagram.
Blogging effectively does NOT need to take much 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 search 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 nurturing period. For more significant investments, like hiring your wedding planner, your ideal customers may need 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!
Blogging Tips For Wedding Pros 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 blogging wastes time; it just means you must write more than your clients for Google. This is good news for those 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 for a “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.
As 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!
Blogging Tips For Wedding Pros 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 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 sit on WordPress.
Blogging Tips For Wedding Pros 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 must 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 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), 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’s journey might look slightly different than your friend’s who sells bars of soap on Etsy. When you sell 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 a Flodesk Promo Code and save 50% off your first year!
Tip 5: Ask For The Sale. Seriously. This is one of my top Blogging Tips for Wedding Pros in 2024.
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 writing, make sure you share 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 you must 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 2024:
- 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
- Free Guide: Blogging Topics for Wedding Planners
- Using Jasper AI To Write Better Blog Posts For Your Wedding Business
- Wedding Industry AI: Things You Need To Consider If Using AI For Your Business
- Wedding Pro SEO: 3 Ways to Use AI to Boost Your SEO & Blogging with Sara DunnWedding Pro SEO
- 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
- 5 Reasons Every Wedding Planning Business Should Have a Blog
- 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
For More Wedding Planner Business Secrets Follow Me On Instagram
Today I got to share Cue with my DI mastermind, and I’m feeling really proud. 🥹
I’ve been so busy building it that it felt good to stop for a minute and share the story with a room full of people I love and admire. So many smart, talented, generous people who I’m lucky to call my friends.
This was a special one. ❤️
Would you guys like to hear what I shared? I’m thinking about breaking it down into a series here on Instagram. Should we do it?
@ninelemonsfengshui encouraged me to share it with you all here, and I think I should. LMK in the comments if you’d be interested in my presentation from today!
Day one in Charleston for the DI Mastermind, and I spent ten hours of it in my hotel room working on Cue. I’ve been at it since 7 a.m., trying to get client portals ready, and I didn’t get as far as I’d hoped.
But I did close my laptop long enough to hug some of my mastermind friends, catch up before sessions start tomorrow, and see this.
I’d love to tell you this sunset inspired some profound revelation, but mostly I think I needed to leave my fucking room. 😂
Although maybe that’s the reminder: there will always be something that needs more of me. I’m allowed to step outside and enjoy where I am before everything is finished.
And so are you! 💜
I’ve been doing brand shoots for almost 20 years, and I have opinions 😂 Here are 9 things that make them great:
1. Hire a photographer who specializes in brand shoots. There’s a big difference in quality when you work with someone who understands how to photograph you AND your business. Go with the best you can afford.
2. Book more time than you think you need. An hour is nice for headshots, but multiple outfits and scenes take hours. If you want lots of variety, give yourself time to create it. If you’re going to do it, go big and do it right.
3. Know how you’ll use the photos. Your website, social media, launches, presentations—tell your photographer what you need. Plan for different crops, orientations, and room for text.
4. Have a creative direction. Build a mood board so everyone understands the vibe. Think about the story you want the photos to tell before you show up.
5. Dress for where your brand is going. This is your chance to show up as the version of yourself you’re stepping into. Bring outfits that make you feel like her.
6. Get your photographer involved in the planning. Ask for their input on locations, outfits, lighting, and timing. You hired an expert—let them help shape the shoot.
7. Plan actual scenes. Hosting, teaching, designing, creating—what are you doing in the photos? Build moments around your work so you leave with more than portraits.
8. Don’t spend the entire shoot behind a laptop. Your business has more personality than that. Give people something interesting to look at.
9. Bring someone to help. Someone to handle outfits, fix your hair, catch a twisted necklace, and keep things moving. Those extra hands make a difference.
Which photo from @c10ike is your favorite?
Off to spend a week in Charleston (my first time!) for @juliecchenell Digital Insiders Mastermind. I absolutely love getting to spend a week with my colleagues and business friends.
We share meals and ideas and laughs and horror stories and wins and it’s truly the best thing ever. If you’re not already in a mastermind group for your business that allows you to get together once or twice a year, I HIGHLY recommend it! I always leave these events feeling inspired and motivated.
This year I get to share with the group my journey in building @planwithcue and I’m both excited and nervous to share what I’ve been working on. Wish me luck!
To my DI crew I can’t wait to see you soon!!!!!!!
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