For couples planning a wedding, Instagram plays a critical role in their research and decision-making process. In a recent survey of couples who found a supplier on Easy Weddings, 86% said they went to the supplier’s Instagram for further research so let’s look at some easy ways to ensure your Instagram can help grow your business.
Couples want to support brands and businesses that they feel truly connected to. They love visuals and want to ensure that your wedding business can fit seamlessly into their big day. This is why in addition to uploading gorgeous, high-quality images to your storefront, you should also use Instagram to grow your wedding business.
Profile Tips
Your Instagram profile is a great way to quickly explain your business and give people a sense of your personality. Your profile picture should be clear and have you front and center. You don’t want to leave couples in doubt as to who you are! Even if you’re a cake or dressmaker, make sure you’re in the photo. Check out Gina’s Instagram profile. She’s the founder of Miss Ladybird Cakes and has more than 100,000 followers.
Beyond the profile picture, be sure to fill out your biography with valuable information that your audience will need straight away, like your name, title and in most cases, location. Nothing is more frustrating than not being able to find the information you need straight away! Emojis can make a fun addition to this part of the profile – think about what personality you want to convey and why you do what you do rather than trying to “sell” people in your profile.
You can also add a link to your biography page so you can gain some traffic from Instagram. That way, you’re urging your audience to take action. You can track your click-throughs per week on Instagram’s insight tool, and monitor them more closely on Google Analytics – your Easy Weddings storefront is a great one to link to particularly if you’ve been getting great reviews!
Frequency of Posting
In an environment where some businesses are closed temporarily or permanently, couples can quickly make assumptions about a business based entirely on the date of the most recent post. If you haven’t posted in a month or more, couples could be led to believe that you no longer operate. Generally, we recommend you post once every 3-4 days. Ideally, this would be an image you’re proud to share that shows off your work in the best possible way. If you’re in an area where COVID-19 has restricted business, try using #tbt (better known as Throwback Thursday) and reshare some past images or give couples an insight into you’re how you continue to work on your business away from weddings – behind the scenes of photo editing, cake design, seating planning or music practice are always great ways for couples to see you’re dedicated to your craft.
Type of Posts
Instagram has come a long way since starting out as a photo-sharing app. Recently, Instagram CEO, Adam Mosseri, released this statement to explain what type of posts and profiles that Instagram prioritises. It’s worth having a read to see the value they’re placing on video-related content in their Instagram Reels and Instagram TV. There is a bit to learn but a great place to start is the upcoming social media bootcamp webinar hosted by Easy Weddings’ Head of Social Media, Emma! You can learn more and register free at the link.
Engaging with Followers
This recommendation certainly isn’t limited to Instagram but when people take the time to comment on your posts, take a moment to reply. This shows that you care about your business and you genuinely love being involved in weddings. Beyond that, it well might be your first opportunity to connect with a couple who goes on to hire you. If you currently have a small following (under 500) it might be worth the effort to follow back any couples who follow you.
Overall Look and Feel
Have you ever been to an Instagram profile and felt like you were looking at the layout of an up-market magazine? Creating a certain ‘look’ that is consistent throughout your profile can give couples the impression that you’re organised, you have an eye for detail, and help their decision-making process if your aesthetic is what they’re looking for. You might think this takes a lot more time and effort but in reality, once you pick this ‘look’ and find some quick editing tools like Canva, you’ll find that you don’t have to put some much thought into which photos, filters or framing to use as you’ll already have set the tone!
Start Promoting!
The last thing to do that never really ends is the promotion of your page. Keep in mind that the number of followers you have is a strong indication of ‘social proof’ that many young couples are looking for. Let your current email list know about your page and add it to your business card or your email signature. Encouraging your followers to use your hashtag is another great way to gain content for your social media channels while gaining exposure using your existing audience. Using your happy clients to generate leads will only enforce your business’s authenticity in the client’s mind. This, along with quality reviews and images on your storefront, will increase your traction exponentially.
