There are a million and one places to invest in your wedding business, but today, I'm going to give you some FREE places to focus during seasons where you have more money than time. On top of that, marketing for wedding planners should be multi-faceted anyway. It's never a bad idea to invest in some free marketing tools, and strategies and some of what I am going to dive into below could pay off for years to come.
I'm never going to be the kind of business coach that tells you there is only one right way to do things. Marketing your wedding business is no exception.
Ready for some free ways to market your wedding biz–especially if you're just starting out? Let's go!
1. Get Yourself on Free Directories
This is a “set it and forget it” kind of task, so I figured we might as well start here. If you are looking for ways to market your wedding business, look for free places you can add your business information to. Certain wedding planning sites like WeddingWire or One Wed will give you a free listing.
When you list your business on these sites, prepare to be pitched to advertise with them. This is NOT something I recommend for most businesses, but we will save that for another day! In the meantime, you can also look outside the wedding industry and list your business on Yelp, Yellow Pages, Better Business Bureau – the list is ENDLESS. A quick google search will give you more than enough places to create a free listing for your business.
As business owners, we typically know where most of our couples are finding us. Although I recommend focusing for the most part on what's already working, you never know how many couples are falling through the cracks because they started their wedding vendor search somewhere you weren't expecting!
As an added bonus, sometimes these free listings will link back to your website, which helps with your overall SEO! This brings me to my next point…
2. Put Time into SEO
SEO is kind of my secret weapon (I have to be honest with you!). I know it's not sexy and it's definitely not what anyone in the online space is shouting from the rooftops, but there is nothing quite being on page 1 of Google.
When it comes to marketing for wedding planners, customers might find you on Instagram and absolutely love your work (and that might be how you are booking more of your customers now), but when they come to Google, they are actively looking to book.
Is this you? Oftentimes, I see wedding planners and other wedding pros put a ton of time and money into their website, only to have it bring in crickets. Having a high-converting (and beautiful!) website is only important if your ideal customers are actually seeing it.
If you're worried about the technical aspects of SEO – don't be. Not only am I completely confident you can learn the basic SEO skills you need to be successful, but it's also not as technical as you think. A little keyword research and changing around some of the words you use on your website can often be more than enough to get your website some traction.
3. Write Blog Posts
Okay, friend – I know that blogging is one of those things that always gets pushed to the bottom of your to-do list. But hear me out anyway. Not only is blogging great for SEO, but it's also a great way to show your work and show off your expertise. When your prospective customers check out your blog post, you have a unique opportunity to both attract your ideal client and repel the clients that you don't necessarily want to work with. Think about it – when else do you get to tell a future couple exactly what you desperately wish they'd know before they even reach out?
When it comes to blog topics, talk about the work you love to do (or dream of booking). Dream of working on outdoor tented weddings? Share some outdoor wedding tips! Prefer all-inclusive packages in a ballroom? Consider a venue feature instead.
And listen, if you need a little help figuring out your ideal client, can I pause to recommend The Client Cocktail? It might not be free, but I promise you, it is worth every penny (it's not your mom's ideal client avatar worksheet).
4. Use Pinterest
Listen, you know those things your future self will thank you for? Pinterest is one of those marketing channels. We all know that Pinterest is one of the first places couples go – of all budgets and sizes. Your couples come to Pinterest in search of inspiration and information. Similar to a Google search, when people are looking for your product or service on Pinterest, they are actively looking to make wedding planning decisions. They are in the right frame of mind to slide over to your contact form.
Or, at the very least, if they're just looking for now, they can save your website for later. When is the last time you actually went back to your Instagram collections? Was it 6 months ago or never? But when couples go on Pinterest, they are actively reorganizing their boards and going back to work with the businesses they love. So why aren't more wedding planners marketing their business on Pinterest? In my humble opinion, it's a missed opportunity.
5. Network with your Industry
I proudly owe a lot of where I am today to the connections I made early on in my business. I started my wedding planning business over 12 years ago, and when I look around today, it's easier to network now more than ever. Here's the thing: the key to networking is NOT making it all about you. As a wedding planner, you have a million and one people coming to you and introducing themselves all of the time. Don't be one of those people. Instead, strategically approach the right people (the people you really really want to work with) and make it all about THEM.
6. Establish Relationships with Venues
This goes hand in hand, but one of my favorite ways to attract ideal clients is to talk about and market for the venues they're already looking at (that I love to work with). Whether you are dreaming of a luxury ballroom or a destination wedding weekend away in one of the farm wedding venues a few hours away, focus on establishing relationships with venues that you want to work with. Even as a wedding planner, venues are often booked before anything else. These relationships will pay off over and over again.
7. Use Google My Business
As a coach for wedding planners, I'm often asked where is the BEST place to ask for your couples to leave a review. I always suggest your Google My Business listing first, as it can help push your website up in the rankings, and it's the first thing that prospective couples will see when they google your business name. Using this can be incredibly powerful because, by the time they click through to your website, they already know you have great reviews, so they are warmed up before they even check out your services page.
More than that, Google My Business is coming out with even more new features to help you keep potential customers in the loop about all of the incredible work you are doing. You can add images from past weddings to your profile and even post updates linking to new blog posts or business announcements. These really are the kind of tasks that are super quick to do but so often get missed by your competitors.
8. Create Connections on Instagram
This is one of the free marketing tools for wedding planners that you're probably the most familiar with, first because it is often the most natural to us, and second, because most business coaches are shouting from the rooftop, “can you believe you can grow an entire business just by posting pretty photos on Instagram?”. Of course, you know there's a catch and that Instagram is a lot of work, but when you are just starting a wedding business or looking to gain momentum fairly quickly, Instagram can be a great place to start. More than just posting your own beautiful work, reach out to fellow vendors that are already working with the type of weddings and couples that you want to be working with. Ultimately, social media is social, and you'll find it to be most effective if you're using it that way.
OK, that was a lot! Let's recap my tips for marketing for wedding planners.
Here are 8 of the most effective free ways to market your wedding planning business:
- Get Yourself on Free Directories
- Put time into SEO
- Write blog posts
- Use Pinterest
- Network with your industry
- Establish relationships with venues
- Use Google My Business
- Create Connections on Instagram
Ready to plan high-end weddings like a pro?
When it comes to Marketing for Wedding Planners, I got you. If you're interested in taking your wedding planning business one step further, I am inviting you to join me inside The Planner's Playbook. This is my new coaching experience for wedding planners who are ready to plan, design, and coordinate high-end weddings like a pro! Ready to become a Playbooker?
Explore More Wedding Industry Resources
- Wedding Planner Marketing: How to Attract and Speak Directly to your Ideal Client
- Streamline and automate your marketing (with Katie Costa)
- How to Start a Wedding Planning Business
- 5 Social Media Mistakes Every Wedding Planner Makes
- How To Get Wedding Clients When You’re Just Starting Out
- Everything You Need To Know About Blogging in 2021 With Vanessa Hicks
- What Are The Best Resources For Wedding Planners?
- 4 Strategies That Will Help You Book MORE Of Your Ideal Clients
- How to Book Destination Weddings And Elopements In Your Wedding Business
- Why You’re Not Attracting The Right Clients and How to Fix It
For More Wedding Planner Business Secrets Follow Me On Instagram
LISTEN UP! I'm mixing up quite the presentation for attendees of @signatureceo conference - and it’s all about leveraging data to grow your biz - will I see you there?
My friend Tara Melvin of @perfectplanning puts on one of *the best* conferences for creative entrepreneurs and CEOs. This'll be my second time speaking at this conference, so let me share with you a few facts about what you can expect:
👉🏼 Every detail of the event has been well thought out. Tara and her team do NOT play!
👉🏼 Each speaker on stage wants you to walk away with tangible steps to grow your business. There's no fluff here.
👉🏼 The attendees of this conference are exceptional, FUN, high-achieving entrepreneurs who you NEED to be in the room with.
Those are just a few of the reasons why I want you to join me April 11th-13th. Plus, wouldn't it be great to hang in person and connect?!
So, if you're a creative biz owner with an authentic spirit looking to maximize profits, be in control of your business, become a proficient leader, ensure stability for your business, elevate your business, and you're eager to adapt new business intelligence that will allow you to soar in your industry, then join us!
Register today with my promo code COPPOLA2023 to receive $200 off your 3-day registration!
This offer expires on February 14th at midnight. Head to @signatureceo for all the deets.
Will I see you at the conference?!
.
.
.
.
.
#candicecoppola #theplannersplaybook #weddingpro #2022weddingtrends #businesstipsforcreatives #communityovercompetition #creativebusiness #signatureceo #signatureceoconference #signatureceo2023 #businessconference #weddingproinsiders #powerinpurpose #powerinpurposepodcast #thepowerinpurpose #thepowerinpurposepodcast #weddingindustrypodcast #weddingpropodcast #risingtidesociety #therisingtidesociety #honeybook #showit
I’m getting settled back into life after a whirlwind week at @creativeeducatorconference - and I want to share a few things with you.
First, @laylee_emadi put together the most incredible space for learning, connection, and the exchange of ideas. If you’ve ever hosted a live event, then you know how much WORK goes into it. Hats off to Laylee and her team for intentionally creating such a safe place for people to be themselves.
Friends, there’s something magical that happens when people get together. I know (maybe better than most) how the last few years have taken that away from us.
But if I can encourage you to do one thing this year for your business and for yourself it would be to get off Zoom and get in the room with some new people.
It can change your life.
There were so many special moments last week, but the sweetest was *finally* getting to meet some of the women that I’ve been coaching for… I dunno… YEARS?!
We laughed, ate meals, hugged, learned together, talked shit, laughed some more, and had the best time. Ladies, I love you all so much and I can’t wait to do it again.
@simplysandrayvonne @elizabethberghuisphotography @rohanaolson @the_evergreencollective
Laylee, you are brave and brilliant–and I can’t thank you enough for giving me a chance to share a little behind-the-scenes magic of my own business.
To everyone I got a chance to chat with and learn from–thanks for being so generous with your conversation and ideas. You are all amazing-and I can’t wait to see how you make waves and ripples this year!
The day is finally here! The doors to The Planner’s Playbook are officially open!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The Planner’s Playbook is my newest coaching program for wedding planners, and it’s your secret weapon to planning, designing, and coordinating magazine-worthy weddings.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Designed for wedding planners who are three years or less into their business–and it will give you all the training AND support you need to:
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🙌🏼 Design high-end, magazine-worthy weddings that bring your couples’ story to life (so you can become that industry taste-maker everyone is dying to work with)
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🙌🏼 Plan luxury weddings from A-Z like a pro without having to figure it out on your own (we’re talking big budgets, tented weddings, stellar vendors, and perfected timelines)
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🙌🏼 Serve your customers better than your competitors and turn them into raving fans (so they become your word-of-mouth champions and refer *more* luxe clients your way)
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🙌🏼 Simplify your planning process with a clear picture of how to work with your clients on any occasion or budget (like your timelines, checklists, workflows, proposals, contracts–you know, all the things)
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🙌🏼 Boost your productivity with solid systems and processes that make wedding planning easy (and deliver an incredible client experience)
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🙌🏼 Reach a higher-end clientele that’s dying to work with you and craves your one-of-a-kind wedding planning experience (so that you can charge more money and scale your business)
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I’ve taken my 12 years of experience in the wedding industry and created this program to teach you everything you need to know about design, planning, and coordination.
💡 Imagine all the things you could accomplish if you had the right resources and support to guide you. Ready to learn more?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
👉🏻👉🏻👉🏻 Head to plannersplaybook.com to join us inside!
As we built this experience, we put a lot of thought into what you need to build and grow your business.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We know that success follows a proven path, and with the Planner’s Playbook, you'll have everything you need to plan, design, and coordinate high-end weddings.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💡 TRAINING
I'm not joking when I tell you that I've been through *every* wedding planning scenario imaginable. I know that in order to grow your wedding planning business, you've got to become the best in the game.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Inside The Planner's Playbook, we teach you the in's and out's of wedding planning–including how to design and coordinate
your events.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🙋🏼♀️ COMMUNITY
You can't do business alone–and as long as I'm around, you'll never have to. That's why we've built community into The Planner's Playbook–where you'll network with other planners from all over the world.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We're just one click away to offer you support, encouragement,
and advice.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💕 SUPPORT
Ever wish you could just jump on a zoom call with someone you admire and ask them all your burning questions?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Inside The Planner's Playbook, we offer you the support you need to grow your wedding planning business. Our monthly coaching calls are your opportunity to get direct, personalized feedback from me (hey!) on just about anything.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
When you're a Playbooker, you'll always have a trusted mentor to lean on.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🚀 ACTION
Wanna make progress? You've got to take a step forward.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Inside The Planner's Playbook, you won't just learn how to be the best wedding planner–you'll also have the support system to take action in your business and get shit done.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Imagine all the things you could accomplish if you had the right resources and support to guide you.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
To learn more and join us go to 👉🏻👉🏻👉🏻👉🏻 plannersplaybook.com
We can’t wait to welcome you! 💕💕
+ show Comments
- Hide Comments
add a comment