Featured Wedding Superhero Amanda Greville, Wedding Invitation Designer

Cheeky Copy, Niche Targeting & Facebook Video Ad Success

Amanda Greville of Rock Paper Gifts is a solo-entrepreneur with a big personality who markets her wedding invitation business locally. By laser targeting her ideal clients and showcasing her cheeky personality, her business has grown by leaps and bounds.

I caught Amanda sharing her superhero powers in our Wedding Experts Facebook group, so I had to learn more and share it with you.

What are you really good at?

Brides usually come to me after they’ve searched all over and can’t find something they like. I take their vision and style and create custom wedding invitations just for them, combining different papers and print techniques to create amazing looking invitations.

I’m not afraid to be a goof, and it lightens the mood. People always tell me I seem to say calm under pressure. Not really sure how I do that — maybe not taking things so seriously and I think chocolate helps – haha.

I run a business while I’m raising two kids, so I’ve learned to juggle work mode and mom mode so things don’t get out of control and crazy.

What the biggest challenge you’ve overcome?

I still struggle with organization but have found some programs to help with that.

I started off using Freshbooks for invoicing and bookkeeping.

Since then I’ve moved to 17 Hats, which I really like. It lets me create a quote and make it straight into a contract, do invoicing and set up projects for all my clients in one place.

I’ve learned not to give a crap what competitors are doing. This is just a waste of energy and time. It’s best to just be your awesome self and rock that.

For example, at wedding shows, most of my competitors offer their invitations in packages. Couples will come up to me after talking to them and ask for my packages so they can do a comparison.

At first I thought I should do packages because people were asking about it. Now I explain, “I’m a little different. I don’t have confined packages; I give you more options and customize it for you.”

Couples respond to that. I’m not a fit for everyone, but the ones I work with like the idea that they can customize for exactly what they need. It’s perfectly fine to do it differently.

What strategy has been most successful for you?

I network with other wedding professionals and recently Facebook ads has been great for me. But learning to sell and market my business has been huge.

I pay to be in the book at a couple wedding venues in the area. When they do yearly Valentine’s dances, I get to attend and be the only invitation designer there. Couples see me in directory, meet me on Valentine’s Day, then see me again at the bridal show and end up booking me.

I also have a small group of wedding friends, and we refer back and forth to each other. We meet every other week to chat and see how things are going, discuss wedding topics, and help grow our businesses.

I did a video ad on Facebook that was huge! It was also really cheap, only about 1-2 cents per view for locally targeted ads.

Here’s what happened: I shot a super simple video of my foil invitations and uploaded it on Instagram, which automatically published it to Facebook. I noticed the response it was getting and thought it’d be a good thing to try an ad with. I actually boosted the video I posted on my Facebook page first, then when I saw the attention it was getting I created this video ad.

When they click when it’s done, it takes them to a page where they can book a consultation.

First of all targeting is very important. You need to know who your ideal client/bride is. Age, gender, location. I targeted engaged women in my city + 15 miles.

Call to action is super important. Basically tell them what you want them to do. Have a specific offer or limited time offer.

Those leads are still trickling in, but I’ve already sold 8 orders for over $6,000 in sales for only a $200 ad investment!

Just recently, I did a wedding show and a bunch of brides said they saw my invitations on Facebook.

The ad was a really short video of a new type of invitation that is really trendy right now. The brides who saw and loved it came in so they could order those specific invites.

What was your biggest business mistake?

When I started out I took on every client who wanted to book me, even if the wedding wasn’t my style. I’ve learned it’s ok to say ‘no’ and now I know it’s not worth it take on a bride that isn’t a good fit for my business.

I’ve redone my website to bring in more ideal clients, not those just looking for the cheapest option. I surveyed my past clients I liked working with and asked questions to learn about their interests and what drew them to me.

I tell them my minimum order price. I know I want clients who value their invitations and want that full service, not DIY. If that’s too much to start, I know they’re not a good match.

Their attitude is also a giveaway about whether they are a match for me or not. For instance, I do assembly service, gluing layers together, and a bride wanted me to bring down prices of everything I was doing. “Why do you charge for assembly? Doesn’t it take you 30 secs to do one?”

If a bride has a bad attitude right off the bat, you’ll never be able to please them.

My goal is for them to be thrilled when they get their invites. I want them screaming from the rooftops, not someone who says, “I think I spent too much.”

If you could teach wedding pros one thing…

Learn to sell. Be confident in your skills and don’t be afraid to ask for the booking.

I worked with Kathy from Bride Appeal. She was awesome!

Kathy taught me what to do in the face to face consult, how to connect on emotional part of the wedding. As soon as that clicked, I saw results really quickly. It’s been amazing ever since.

What charity did you choose for our $100 donation?

The charity I choose is Food Allergy Canada.

My son has a peanut allergy so this is very scary for me. Food Allergy Canada educates, advocates for people with food allergies and supports research.

 

Amanda Greville of Rock Paper Gifts designs wedding invitations with your personality written all over them, so you’ll be just as jazzed to send them as your guests will be to received them. Whether you want a Great Gatsby themed wedding invitation, save-the-dates starring a silhouette of your Labradoodle, or just the coolest typography on the block—she’s your girl.