Weddings fall into the same category as travel: both are major life events, and you have to market them differently than things like widgets or professional cleaning services. Wedding marketing stands out because the events have so much emotion attached to them, and engaged couples and their families plan them with great care.
You need to keep this in mind when marketing your wedding venue and consider incorporating the new normal into your strategy. Social media is front and center for weddings and is a trend that is not going away anytime soon.
Marketing a Wedding Venue
The wedding industry is highly visual, and sharing is a huge deal. Of course, families and photographers take countless pictures at each event, but they couldn’t post them on places like Instagram and Facebook back in the old days. Once the platforms became ingrained into society, families, guests, and vendors could share to their hearts’ content. How can your venue take advantage of this opportunity?
It is essential to set up social media accounts if you have not done so already, and if your venue is in a country club, museum, or hotel, you can create accounts specific to the venue on the website and the social channels. Wedinspire recommends creating a Facebook business page and Instagram and Twitter accounts. Pinterest is also very popular with brides and grooms because they look there for inspiration.
Social Media Wedding Venue Marketing Ideas
Wedding hashtags are essential for successful social media marketing. Tripleseat writes that these clickable links get more attention when they are creative (#thistuxfits) and can be shared by guests and vendors. Hashtags let everyone share images and allow people to see things that they may have missed at the event. You can add these to your posts and track how often they are shared.
Feel free to upload your photos and videos onto the platforms, but they need professional quality. Clean, crisp and emotion-provoking images of things are the most suitable for sharing, such as how your outdoor gazebo looks when decorated or the newly renovated bride’s room.
Sharing images and videos taken by photographers and guests is encouraged, but you will need their permission in writing. Many venues share photographers’ work and return the favor by recommending them to their customers. You can also do this with bakeries and other vendors.
Also, keep in mind that DIY weddings are a big trend, and many couples and their families make homemade centerpieces, sign-in boards and such. YouTube is great for video tutorials, and you can think of creative ways to share these and link your venue to them. Another good wedding venue marketing idea is to share informational videos showcasing what your venue’s cocktail hour buffet looks like is.
Final Thoughts About How to Get More Wedding Clients
Social media is a massive opportunity for wedding venues and vendors and allows them to help each other. Not only that, posting, tagging, and sharing are basically free publicity unless you opt for paid advertising.
Also, stay current with sites like The Knot, Honeybook, and WeddingWire, letting people leave photos and reviews of their wedding experiences. When you post photos and videos of events that took place, tag the bride and groom to engage them.
Other ways to keep users interested are tips from wedding planners, links to recent blog posts on your website, and details about any special offers you want to promote. Be proactive and responsive with your social media, and adjust your strategies and operations accordingly.
To drum up business even further, you might want to have an “open day.” Coco Wedding Venues shares an example of this: these events are like expos, and you invite prospective customers to come in and meet with vendors and sample the offerings. Another excellent opportunity for your social media!