Why You Need To Find Your Voice Now To Boost Interest and Sales!

A mistake that a lot of businesses make is that their content sounds the same as everyone else’s content. Now I don’t mean they are all writing the same thing. Instead they are all writing in the same professional voice. While being professional is important, so is making sure that your content has its own sound.

Think about when you meet someone for the first time. While there are a lot of factors that go into your analysis of who they are, their voice is what will stand out the most. No one sounds the same, or talks the same way and your unique voice is what should help you stand out online. Try to find a way to get your writing to mimic how you talk, even if it’s just a small change in the pattern of writing, or including more exclamation points.

As a wedding business you are automatically a part of a very intense competition for getting a brides business. If you sound like everyone else not only will she have trouble figuring out whom to go with, she will also keep searching for a wedding vendor that stands out. Do what it takes to make your business the one that stands out and boost your wedding business sales. Find your voice and use it!

For more tips on writing in a way that makes you stand out make sure to check out this awesome article on ProBlogger.

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Is Blogging Right For You?

If you’ve read many of our articles you’ve seen us encouraging that you have a blog on your wedding business website. The benefits are great as a wedding business blog encourages people to return to your website over and over to read new posts. However as Zac Johnson points out in his article, if you aren’t passionate about blogging, your blog is going to fail.

Don’t let that hold you back from trying blogging however. At the same time, if you don’t have the passion and time to blog but still see the benefit and want to give it a try you can always hire someone to write a couple article for you a week. Just make sure they are helpful information for brides and are exciting to read. What does exciting mean? For a blog it means that your blog article is interesting, creative and generates the desire to read more. What do you think?

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10 Bride Attracting Titles For Any Wedding Business

 

 

Shakespeare_BloggingBlogging is one of the most effective activities you can do when it comes to attracting leads for your wedding business.

We’re preaching the benefits of blogging all the time, but here’s a quick rundown of what’s in it for you when it comes to blogging:

  • Attract targeted local bride and groom traffic.
  • Increase your website ranking and visibility.
  • Demonstrate your expertise.
  • Powerful networking with other wedding professionals.
  • Pre-sell brides on your services.…and much, much more!

The problem is that simply writing a blog post…or even writing a whole bunch of blog posts…isn’t enough. You need to write stuff that brides actually read.

You want that lovely bride who lands on your site to be so intrigued with what she finds that she stops, lingers, reads and contacts you.

It’s All About the Title.

When you visit a blog, how do you decide what to read?

Most of the time when we’re surfing the web, we’re skimming. We’re not committed to reading anything, we’re just sort of checking things out.

How do you decide what’s worth your time?

THE TITLE. Come up with a good title and you’re half way there.

If you’re having trouble coming up with a compelling title, just use a proven formula off this list.

10 Title Formulas for Wedding Pros

Formula #1 – 7 Common/Disastrous/Deadly Mistakes Brides Make When [Wedding Planning Topic]

 We all want to avoid making mistakes, especially when it comes to something we care about. Dangle an enticing title about the most “deadly mistakes” and she’ll simply have to stop and read.

Examples:

7 Common Mistakes Brides Make When Choosing the Wedding Date

3 Disastrous Mistakes Brides Make After the Wedding

4 Disastrous Mistakes Brides Make That Ruin the Honeymoon

Formula #2 – 5 Best Locations for [Insert Topic] in [Your Area]

When it doubt, write about locations.

One of the biggest challenges a couple has when planning a wedding revolves around choosing the perfect location. Use your knowledge about venues in your area to write a blog post they can’t resist.

SEO BONUS: These titles are amazing when it comes to attracting local bride and groom search engine traffic.

Examples:

5 Best Intimate Wedding Venues in San Francisco

10 Best River View Locations in the Hudson Valley

3 Uncommon Wedding Locations in London

Formula #3 – How to Get/Do/Have [Cool Thing Brides Want] For Your Wedding

Brides crave wedding ideas and inspiration. “How to” posts draw them in like a magnet.

Examples:

How to Find the Perfect Wedding Dress For Your Figure

How to Plan a Beach Destination Wedding

How to Use Color to Express Your Personality at the Wedding

Formula #4 – Top 10 Reasons to [Do This] For Your Wedding

Advice columns are popular for a reason! Dish out some juicy tidbits to keep those brides reading.

WARNING: Be careful not to get preachy here or you’ll drive them away. Brides want information, not a lecture.

Examples:

3 Reasons to Set Your Wedding Budget Before Choosing Your Date

Top 4 Reasons to Plan an Intimate Wedding Reception

7 Reasons You Should Take Your Wedding Photos Before the Ceremony

Formula #5 – 3 Things Brides Regret About [Wedding Topic]

Regrets are like mistakes; nobody wants to make them, and everyone loves to read about them when they happen to someone else.

Examples:

The 4 Biggest Regrets Brides Have After the Wedding

The #1 Regret Couples Have About Wedding Expenses

The Biggest Regret Couples Have About the Guest List

Formula #6 – Planning a Wedding? Here’s What [Insert Person] Won’t Tell You

A title that begins with a question is a great way to draw in the reader. Then you reel ‘em in with a tantalizingpromise to reveal something “they” won’t tell you.

Examples:

Planning a Wedding? Here’s What the Church Coordinator Won’t Tell You

Planning a Destination Wedding? Here’s What Your Travel Agent Won’t Tell You

Getting Married in New York? Here’s What the County Clerk’s Office Won’t Tell You

Formula #7 – The Pros and Cons of [Insert Topic] For Your Wedding

When making a decision, couples want to explore both sides of their choice. This is especially useful for couples in the planning stages.

Examples:

The Pros and Cons of Planning Your Own Wedding

The Pros and Cons of an Outdoor Ceremony

The Pros and Cons of Delaying Your Honeymoon

Formula #8 – 5 Little Known Facts About Planning a Wedding in [Your Area]

Local blog posts rule! Only your target market will be interested, and they’ll be hanging on your every word.

Examples:

5 Little Known Facts About Planning a Wedding in Baltimore

What Every Bride Should Know About Planning a Wedding in New York City

3 Things You Don’t Know About Planning a Wedding in Australia

Formula #9 – 7 Ways to Save Money on [Insert Topic] For Your Wedding

One of a couple’s biggest stresses around the wedding is MONEY. If your title promises tips for saving money…and you want to work with budget conscious couples…it will be a big hit.

Examples:

7 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding Invitations

3 Ways to Cut Your Reception Expenses in Half

5 Ideas for Saving Money on a Designer Wedding Gown

Formula #10 – Planning a Wedding at the [Insert Venue in Your Area]

Yet another way to write a rockin’ local blog post title. This title uses local keywords quite naturally, which means you’ll have local brides and grooms flocking to your site.

You can also use it as an easy way to network by promoting the best venues in your area. *wink*

Examples:

Planning a Wedding at the Ritz in NYC

5 Reasons to Plan a Wedding at the Grand Hotel

How to Plan an Outrageous Wedding at the Elks Club

Parting Title Tips

These formulas are just the beginning. A few more tips to keep in mind:

  • Mix and match like I did in some of the sample titles. Dive in and make them your own.
  • Come up with your compelling title before you write. This way you can be sure your piece is going to knock their socks off.
  • Send a quick email or Facebook message offering your potential titles to the couples you’ve already booked to ask which they find most interesting, then write it.

No more writer’s block! I’ve taken away your excuses, so get to work…

What’s your favorite way to come up with titles for your blog posts?

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New Wedding Article Ideas To Spice Up Your Blog

 

Funky_WeddingWedding Blogging can be tough sometimes, especially coming up with good content that draws in readers. The very first thing you always have to remember is that your content has to be something that brides are looking to read. In other words, when you come up with an idea for a blog post ask yourself if a bride will be doing a search online to find that information. While you can keep things personal and write about random happenings now and again to spice things up, you really need to create content that connects to brides where they are right now.

Something that Marcus Sheridan recommended in his article to get you started is to blog about breaking news and trends in the wedding industry. This means writing about the season’s new popular colors and wedding songs, new staging ideas for the wedding reception. Anything that is new information is something that brides are looking for. Sure they already have an idea of what they want to do, but it’s the rare bride who knows exactly what is available and what is the cutting edge wedding design. What do you think?

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How To Easily Do A YouTube Video For Your Wedding Business Blog

 

Woman_On_LaptopCreating a video for your wedding business blog isn’t that hard. I know, it sounds like a time consuming process. Perhaps if you had to make your video like a movie shown on the big screen it would be, but the expectation for videos on blogs, especially those hosted on YouTube are a bit lower. The reason for doing a video in the first place is to mix things up and keep your audience of potential brides interested in your content, and therefore your business.

One of the absolutely easiest video formats is to do a screen capture or slideshow video. This means that the quality of the visual will be extremely high, your face doesn’t have to appear on the screen, and all you have to do is figure out what you want to say, and record your voice over the content. Gregory Ciotti does a great job in his article explaining the basics of the three main types of video formats used for blogs so check it out! Have you tried using video yet and if so how is the reaction from your audience?

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When Written Blog Content Gets Boring Use Video

 

Wedding_VideographerIf you are at a loss on how increase interaction with your blog it might because readers are bored and need something to pull them back in. Torrey McGraw recommends adding videos as blog posts. Now these aren’t just any videos (although incorporating a fun video now and again helps mix things up).

Remember the point of your wedding business blog. You are using it to connect with potential brides by giving the helpful information and ideas. The videos you do should reflect that. Do interviews with top wedding industry pros (preferably that you have a relationship with). With permission you can also do a short video about a wedding you just did, showing a new idea, and more.

Videos have a stronger pull than written content as long as they are used correctly and are not over-used. If you want to integrate video into your website remember 1-2 strategically placed videos should be your max and they need to be good quality, whereas a blog video allows you to fudge a bit and you can use simpler techniques to film it. Make sure to read Torrey McGraw’s article for information on how to create a video for your blog. What do you think? Is video something you want to use in your business?

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Why Creative Blogging Is Crucial In Building Your Wedding Business

 

IdeaIf you’ve ever tried blogging for your business and been frustrated with coming up with new an idea which in turn has tempted you to turn out repetitive content, then you are not alone. In fact a lot of bloggers have decided to give up on writing anything meaningful and have turned their blogs into backlink generators according to Paula Pant and Greg McFarlane’s great article.

The problem with giving into temptation is that it often backfires on you. Google made the switch last year in rating websites based on quality vs. quantity in an attempt to encourage a return of creativity and professionalism to the online workplace.

For brides searching for good companies to help with their wedding finding a wedding business with a blog full of creative content and new inspiring ideas is crucial. Not only does it help sell your brand, it also creates a connection between the bride and you, showing that you care about them, who you are, and triggering them to realize that they can trust you. Your “unique voice” is the only thing setting you apart from your competition so use it! Have you started a business blog, and if so what have been the results?

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How To Know When Your Blog Is Successful

 

BlogIf you are writing a blog, whether separately from your website, or one of your website pages, you need to know both how to make it successful, and how to tell if it is successful. One of the first ways you know it is successful is by how many visitors you are getting on a monthly basis. From there you should be seeing both interaction through the comments, and an increase in brides signing with you.

The whole point of having a wedding business blog is to both keep your clients updated on what you are doing, and to create the personal feel to your business that brides are looking for, which results in their turning into clients. However you have to make sure that the time you are putting into your blog is less than the results you are getting. Are you getting 30 or more views a month? Out of those views are you getting an increase of at least one bride signing with you a month?

What kind of results does your wedding business need to see? If your blog isn’t giving you those results it means that you need to re-work your blog and make sure it is working for you, not just wasting your time. For tips on how to build a successful blog make sure to check out Mitch Wilson’s awesome article! What do you think?

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How To Create An Irresistible Blog

 

Looking_Through_WindowGetting your blog to stand out and capture your audience’s attention takes hard work and determination. You can’t just do things the easy way; you have to do things the right way. Does this mean it’s hard to get a really great blog going that draws in lots of bridal leads? Absolutely not. Brides who follow blogs do so not only because they gain great ideas, but also because everything about the blog draws them in.

The first rule to drawing in an audience is customization. Own your own blog and make sure that everything is customized: the design, the layout, the content, and the pictures. From there make sure you are applying the same rules to your blog that you apply to the rest of your website. A blog is still a web page, or multiple web pages, and all rules still apply. To get more tips on creating an irresistible blog make sure to read the article by Sté Kerwer. What do you think?

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Why People Love Business Blogs and Why You Need One

Writing_with_Coffee

The buzz about blogging can get irritating just like the buzz of a fly. It might not be something you want to hear about, and if you aren’t already blogging you are so busy you just can’t see the point.

The point of blogging isn’t to waste your time, or to write endlessly just to bring in traffic. Gordon McLachlan has written a great article reminding us that the whole point of blogging is to write about something that you love, because you love it. If you are passionate about your topic your fan base will be as well, and they will love you for being open, and sharing things that help them. Building a loyal audience to your blog can be super easy if your blog is connected with your business website.

From there the next step of using it to bring in leads for you business can be easy. If your audience loves what you write about, and love the style you write in they are very likely to be much more interested in your product than they are going to be in someone else’s whom they’ve never met and don’t know a thing about. What do you think? Have you tried blogging and if so has it worked for you?

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