While the wedding season is winding down for a lot of pros, there’s still much to do. And there’s no reason why you can’t boost your bottom line during the holiday season, too.
Here are some ideas you can use to market your wedding business, make more sales and earn referrals during the holidays.
1. Tap Into Holiday Buying Power
People buy in an emotional state. Sure, we like to think that we’ve carefully considered the pros and cons of getting that Mac Book Pro to reach a logical decision, but it’s always an emotional need that gets rationalized afterward.
Why not tag along on the emotional buying frenzy created by shop-happy “holidays” like Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
People who open their wallets on these shop-a-holic days are primed to purchase again and again. Offer them a special deal to channel some of those economy boosting funds your way.
2. Thank Your Local Customers
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to send a card that doesn’t get lost in the deluge of greeting cards in December. You have a much better chance of standing out from the competition.
Even better than a thank you card, give your brides and grooms a special gift. An informational article or video filled with holiday tips and ideas is a great way to show your appreciation, earn customer loyalty and get extra sales.
Don’t forget your wedding vendor friends! Show them the love so that they shower you with referrals.
3. Showcase Your Holiday Wares
If you have a product or service that makes a great holiday gift, this is the time to show it off. A special deal or promotion makes it extra enticing.
For photographers, holiday photo shoots, portraits or mini-albums can be a big hit. Think Groupon, if you dare, and fill up those empty spots in your studio calendar. Wedding DJs might offer a special mid-week holiday rate or rent a Santa for a family party. Event planners could offer a class in holiday planning entertainment.
You’ve already earned the trust of the brides and grooms who’ve hired you. Come up with a cool gift they can give to their family members or friends and make them a repeat customer.
4. Get the Promotion Wheels Turning Well in Advance
Start promoting your holiday specials early. Submit press releases, tweet and Facebook about it in social media, and get the buzz going. When the shopping season officially kicks in your fans and followers will know exactly where to go.
Promote, don’t over-promote, with social media. DO let your fans and followers know what you’re up to, but make sure you keep providing valuable tips and information that isn’t a sales pitch. Don’t promote your stuff more than 50% of the time or people will tune you out altogether.
5. Sponsor a Local Event or Give to Charity
The holidays are the perfect time to embrace the spirit of giving. Earn some good karma and some good PR for your wedding business by giving back to your community. It earns goodwill and makes people feel good about doing business with you.
6. Publish a Holiday Gift Giving Guide
Desperate brides and grooms (especially grooms) are scouring the internet for hip and cool gift-giving ideas. Make it easy for your couples by sharing a top 10 list of the best holiday gifts.
Some of these gifts might be your products and services, but even simply sharing original gift ideas on your blog will attract eager website visitors.
You might make your holiday gift guide a PDF giveaway report, a blog post, a video, or send it in your email newsletter or by mail. If your ideas are good, they’ll be well appreciated.
7. Host a Holiday Themed Contest
People are always hungry for good gift-giving ideas, holiday entertainment tips and yummy recipes. If you don’t have any to share yourself, hold a contest for the Best Holiday Gift Idea, the Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe or if you want to stay wedding-themed, the Best Romantic Holiday Gift.
Contests are easy to pull off yourself with applications like Rafflecopter that leverage the power of social media to spread the word. A holiday themed contest is a great way to tap into the excitement of the holidays to promote your wedding business.
These are just a few holiday promotion ideas. How do you market your wedding business during the holiday season?