How To Get Brides On Your Facebook Page in 4 Steps

Out of all the questions we got about how to use Facebook for your wedding business, the one the came up the most frequently was…

“How do I get brides onto my Facebook page?”

This is CRITICAL.  It’s not enough to have a Facebook page set up properly.  It won’t do you a bit of good if it doesn’t attract your ideal brides.

Facebook Is Different

A Facebook page is a mini-website in many ways.  You use it to tell people about you.  The search engines index it, which means it will show up in the search results.

However, the way you use that page to effectively draw your ideal clients to your business is a little different.

Unlike when they’re searching for something in Google or Bing, Brides on Facebook are usually NOT actively looking for a photographer, DJ or a wedding officiant.  They’re on Facebook to connect with friends and find entertainment.

They are not typing in, “wedding photographer,” in the hopes of finding you.  They are talking and communicating with people they know or want to know.

So how do you get them onto your site?

Think about the Facebook pages whose updates that get your attention.  What do they have in common?

We pay attention to topics that interest us.  For some of us that might be gardening or playing guitar or the latest video game.

What are brides interested in?  Most brides are attracted to wedding inspiration, practical how to advice, reviews and connecting with other brides like them.

Here’s the story of one wedding photographer who used his Facebook page and got amazing results…

An “Accidental” Facebook Success Story

Sam Adams from Everlasting Images shares his story.

“For the longest time I really didn’t focus much on using Facebook to grow my business, we were using the blog which was ok, and we had a FB presence, but it was never really a major focus to grow it.“Then we got slammed in October and I have been so busy shooting and editing that I really didn’t have time to re-size images, upload them to photobucket, assemble a slideshow, set it to music, and then write the blog post to go with it all, it was very time intensive. “So I wrote a quick blog post directing everyone over to our FB page and explained the benefits of becoming a fan, such as special discounts, sneak peeks, and behind the scenes access. “Overnight we saw a 50% increase in Facebook fans, that I could now interact with and get almost instantaneous feedback from. “Now during my editing process, if I have a cool image, I can save it and upload it to my page in about 3 minutes and immediate receiving comments and client interaction. “The cool thing is that this process has helped create buzz about each clients event, and it leaves them chomping at the bit to see more. For one client I announced that I had started uploading their wedding images, they immediately logged into the proof site and shared it with everyone on their friends list, and they all watched me upload the event live, which took about 2 days. During that time though, I saw our fan base grow.”

Genius!  What did Sam do to make this happen?

1) He found where the brides already were (his blog) and gave them a reason to “like” his page (they get special discounts and sneak peeks.)

2) He gave them a reason to come back by uploading his coolest, most inspiring photos…the kind brides love…to his page.

3) He got brides to spread the word for him by telling them when their photos are ready so that they can share their photos with their family and friends immediately.

Guess what he didn’t do?

Sam didn’t blatantly promote or “pitch” his business.  Looking back over the last month of his updates…and there are a lot…there isn’t one, “Buy my stuff,” update on his Facebook page.

He simply shares cool stuff with brides and communicates with them like a real human being.  It’s free advertising and it works.

Model Facebook Success

But what if you don’t have a blog with regular visitors?  What if you don’t have beautiful photos to share?  How can you use Facebook?

Just follow Sam’s example.

1)  Find out where the local brides in your market are hanging out on Facebook.  

Maybe it’s another wedding professional’s Facebook page, a chat room or another business’ blog.  Do some research and find them first.

2)  Give those brides a good reason to join your Facebook page and get an introduction.

You can offer special access, discounts or goodies that won’t be available anywhere else.  Facebook even allows you to create tabs and photo albums that are only available to people who “like” your page.

You have to be careful with this step.  Don’t try to jump into someone else’s page and promote yourself.  It will drive people away.

The best way to do this is to have someone the bride already trusts recommend your page.

For example, you might find a wedding planner who has a huge following of brides in your area.  Make friends with that planner and get him to promote your page for you.

3)  Keep the cool stuff coming to give them a reason to follow and share your updates.

Find out what brides love and give it to them.  You can use other people’s cool stuff quite easily.  (See “How To Tweet, Facebook or Blog…” for ideas.)

4)  Get in there and talk to those brides who “like” you.  

Help them.  Ask them questions.  Talk about them instead of yourself.  Be a friend.  And whatever you do, don’t bombard them with a sales pitch.

Did you get any ideas from this article?  How can you make your Facebook page more attractive to brides?  Leave me a comment or question.  I love to hear from you!

Photo Credit: Lori O’Toole Arizona wedding photographer