Free Online Training for Wedding Pros Starts Tuesday!

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We’re big fans of FREE and we’re happy to point you in the direction of cool, free stuff wherever it may be found.  Which is why we’re happy to invite you to…

The Wedding Business Evolution Summit

Our new friend, Heidi Thompson, is hosting a brand new totally online event that you can attend for free.  All you need is a computer and an internet connection to access webinar presentations from wedding industry presenters.

There’s a really cool lineup with topics that I know you’re interested in because you’ve been bugging us about them for YEARS.  :)

Guess what?  Jeff and I are presenting on one of our favorite topics, “The Price Shopper Bride!”  We had so much fun on this webinar (I think we made Heidi blush a few times) that it should be illegal.

Here’s just some of what you’ll learn during our webinar:

  • The 3 Myths of Price Shoppers and the 5 mistakes even the smartest wedding vendors make that unknowingly force them into competing on price.
  •  How to craft a 90% pre-done response to an email inquiry that instantly makes you stand out from the competition, demonstrates your expertise, and leaves the bride or groom thinking, “If this is what they do in the pitch, I can’t wait to see what they do at my wedding!”
  • What you should NEVER say to bride because it makes your price seem even more expensive–and why many wedding vendors are doing it!
  • The Authority Test that immediately reveals who is in control, you or the bride..
  •  The 3 part strategy to use when brides ask the “price question” on the phone that puts you back in control and positions you as an expert so landing the meeting a slam dunk.
  • And as much more as we can fit in without talking a million miles an hour.  :)

JOIN US AT THE EVOLUTION SUMMIT HERE

Here’s the Lineup From February 26th – March 1st

 

Tuesday 26th February at 3pm

“Effortless PR: How to Generate a Promotional Buzz Without Working Your Tail Off”

Presenter: Meghan Ely of OFD Consulting

Tuesday 26th February at 7pm

“The Price Shopper Bride: 3 Easy Strategies to Prove Your Value Immediately”

Presenters: Stephanie & Jeff Padovani of Book More Brides

Wednesday 27th February at 3pm

“Guest to Impress: Strategic Guest Blogging For Wedding Businesses”

Presenter: Steff Green of Grymm & Epic

Wednesday 27th February at 7pm

“Max the Fair: Be an Awesome Wedding Fair Exhibitor”

Presenter: Cate Conway of Quirky Weddings

Thursday 28th February at 3pm

“Banish Overwhelm & Grow Your Business With Systems”

Presenter: Michelle Nickolaisen of Bombchelle

Thursday 28th February at 7pm

“How To Get Your Hand Up Google’s Wedding Dress”

Presenter: Steve Hooper of UK Wedding SEO

Friday 1st March at 3pm

“Why Your Website Is Keeping You From Making Money & What To Do About It”

Presenter: Heidi Thompson of Evolve Your Wedding Business

There Is a Catch

You DO have to enter your name and email in order to attend, but I think that’s a pretty fair trade for all this free information.  Our brothers and sisters from across the Big Pond are sharing their insider secrets, and I’m psyched to find out what they have to share.

Check out the free training at the Wedding Business Evolution Summit and we’ll “see” you there on Tuesday!

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If you'd like to get more free information and strategies like this, join our Wedding Business Tips email list here.

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Urgent Pinterest Update for Wedding Pros

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Just last week Pinterest introduced a new feature you need to know about: Pinterest business accounts.

While there really aren’t any benefits to having a “business” account versus a “personal” one right now, if you’re already using your Pinterest account for your business, you need to convert it to a business account as soon as possible.

Here’s why:

Pinterest updated their terms of service to now require that any account being used for commercial purposes must be a business account.

That means, just like with Facebook, that if you’re using your personal account for business purposes, they can shut you down. It’s not likely they’re going to do that any time soon…it wouldn’t be very fair since they just made the announcement…but if you value your Pinterest account, I’d say it’s better safe than sorry.

How to Convert to a Pinterest Business Account

  1. Go to this link and login to your Pinterest account.
  2. Follow the instructions to fill in your company name and type of business.
  3. Hit “save” and you’re all set!

Keep your eyes on Pinterest for what comes next. The stats report (depending on the source) that 80-97% of Pinterest users are women, and wedding planning is one of the top uses for Pinterest.

The brides are there, and with the new addition of Pinterest business accounts, it’s likely that you’ll be able to purchase advertising or perhaps even “sponsored pins” in the future to promote your wedding business even more effectively.

I’m dying to know… Are you using Pinterest for your wedding business? What do you think about it?

If you'd like to get more free information and strategies like this, join our Wedding Business Tips email list here.

Filed Under: Advertising, Bridal Marketing, Home Page, Leads & Traffic, Mobile Marketing, Pinterest, Social Media Tips, Wedding Websites Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Ready to Act Fast? Free Surprise Bonus for Busy Wedding Pros!

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A couple weeks ago I asked this question…

If you could have a training created to show you how to do ANYTHING, what would it be?

We got dozens of emails from wedding vendors with so many good suggestions that my head was spinning!

We’ve picked the most popular request to include FREE as a last minute, surprise bonus when you purchase Summit Secrets. Wanna know what it is?

Watch This Video to Find Out How to Get the Surprise Bonus Free!

Now that was fun! It’s always a good time when I get to humiliate myself on video. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you’ll just have to watch it.)

We’ve got 4 DAYS LEFT of awesome, action-packed marketing strategies you can use to book more weddings. Make sure you join us before it’s too late!

Enter Your Name and Email Below to Join Us FREE!

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If you'd like to get more free information and strategies like this, join our Wedding Business Tips email list here.

Filed Under: Home Page, Other Businesses, Personal Development, Wedding Business, Wedding Business Income, Wedding Vendors Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Ready, Set, Submit: Prepping your Wedding PR During the Busy Season

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by Meghan Ely

If there is one thing that I don’t miss about wedding planning, it would be wedding feet.

Despite my best efforts prior to the start of wedding season, you could still find me every Sunday with a set of numb feet propped up on the couch, while I bemoaned of the far less glamorous aspects to my job.

Every year, I found myself prepping more and more for the insanity that was wedding season. I completed banquet event orders further out, scoped out the latest kitten heel and confirmed as many vendor lists that I could- all in the hopes of being able to take more than just one breath between April and October.

Wedding PR is fast becoming a permanent fixture in a wedding pro’s marketing strategy and like those cute strappy sandals, it tends to be tossed to the wayside when the going gets busy. The good news? There are plenty of things you can do to prep your wedding PR strategies as you dive into the busy wedding season:

  1.  Have a clear idea of your goals- During busier times, we’re apt to just throw our wedding marketing and pr strategies against the wall to see what sticks, which is both ineffective and inefficient. Take time before things get really busy to outline your wedding pr goals- whether it be to promote yourself in other markets, or simply increase brand awareness in your own corner of the world. 
  2. Get your deadlines straight- Take some time to familiarize yourself with wedding blogs and magazines that best fit your work, as well as your goals, and research the coming editorial deadlines. Those deadlines come and go quickly, especially when you’re drowning in tulle and mason jars. 
  3. Cover your bases legally- For the most part, brides love seeing their wedding featured on a blog or in a magazine, but it’s best to take the necessary precautions for the few that don’t. Make sure the bride has signed off on use of the images in advance. The proper legal counsel should be able to advise as to the appropriate wording for one’s contract. 
  4. Collect names- A fabulous wedding normally consists of a cracker jack team of wedding professionals. Your real wedding submission should give credit to all those involved, so instead of chasing down the names after the fact, have the bride complete a list of her wedding vendors prior to the wedding day. 
  5. Get the story- A competitive real wedding submission often includes a great narrative, but you’ll soon come to find that it’s a lot more difficult to get a quick response from the bride now that she is a Mrs. When collecting the names of the wedding team, consider also sending along a few general questions about the details of the day. Not only will it provide great content for your submission, but it will also give you further insight about the Big Day.

Seeing your name “in lights” can be a tremendously rewarding moment and with the above strategies in place, your wedding PR efforts will remain intact during the busy wedding season. As for your wedding feet? Well, I can’t make any promises there.

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Meghan Ely is the owner of wedding marketing and wedding pr firm OFD Consulting. She is the exclusive wedding PR columnist to wedding marketing journal WedLock magazine and offers wedding marketing and wedding pr advice for wedding professionals on her own blog Illuminate. She loves ruffle table runners and Royal Wedding Tchotchkes.

Photo Credit Rob Garland Photographers

If you'd like to get more free information and strategies like this, join our Wedding Business Tips email list here.

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