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At Evolve, Easy Weddings Marketing Director, Priya Kanniappan, and B2B Communications Manager, Mel Buttigieg, shared a comprehensive guide to help wedding businesses build an effective integrated marketing strategy.<\/p>\n
Why Integrated Marketing Matters<\/h2>\n
Google research shows that 53% of Australians consult at least five different touchpoints <\/strong>to make a single purchase decision. As a wedding business, it\u2019s impossible to prioritise every channel. Instead, focus on building an integrated marketing strategy that leverages both social media and owned channels.<\/p>\n The research phase of a couple\u2019s planning journey is the most critical for your sales funnel. Our data tells us that couples are taking an integrated approach to their research, with social media, websites and your Easy Weddings storefront being critical touchpoints that motivate them to make an enquiry.<\/p>\n Prioritising your channel mix at the start of the research phase,\u00a0before\u00a0<\/em>couples shortlist their suppliers, will maximise your success at the bottom of the funnel when they enter the enquiry stage.<\/span><\/p>\n Social media offers a unique opportunity to connect with couples on a personal level. Here\u2019s how to make the most of it:<\/p>\n Determine which channels are most effective for your business and focus your efforts there. Focus on one or two platforms that you can do well, and repurpose content across other platforms. Note that our target demographic (Gen Z and young Millennials) are most active on Instagram and TikTok, so include those in your marketing mix.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t have an enquiry form built into your website, you\u2019re missing an opportunity to optimise your website for conversion. Keep it simple, and only request essential contact information to improve the likelihood of a lead filling it out.<\/p>\n Avoid making the wedding date mandatory, as they may not have set a date yet. However, asking for their partner\u2019s name is a nice touch to help you personalise your communications with both parties moving forward.<\/p>\n SEO is a whole craft, but setting up a blog section on your website and sharing regular quality content relating to your category will help you rank in Google.<\/p>\n It\u2019s all about demonstrating your expertise in your craft. Start by creating informative blog posts that add value, and landing pages targeting relevant keywords and topics to attract organic traffic to your site.<\/p>\n If you are not quite at the Pro Level, that\u2019s OK. Focus on nailing the fundamentals of a solid digital marketing strategy.<\/p>\n Your owned channels include your website, social media profiles, Easy Weddings storefront, and promotional materials.<\/p>\n Before creating a content calendar, define your content pillars and bulk-plan content around those themes.<\/p>\n The graphic below provides some inspiration to guide you. However, the pillars you choose will depend on your business goals.<\/p>\n Ultimately, you want to share content that<\/strong> builds social proof, showcases your personal brand, and demonstrates your expertise.<\/strong><\/p>\n You can achieve this by sharing content on wedding trends, how-to guides, and planning tips to support couples.<\/p>\n Below is an example of a simple content planning template we use in Google Sheets. Our social media team populates it with images and text to plan a bulk schedule through the Later platform, saving time later on.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t need high-tech video recording equipment to create good content. Smartphone cameras are generally high enough quality to do the job \u2013 remember authenticity is the key to building a brand that resonates.<\/p>\n However, it can be worthwhile to invest in a decent microphone for professional audio to improve the user experience. We use a small, portable and lightweight Rode mic that connects to our team\u2019s mobile phones, but there are some great and affordable options currently on the market.<\/p>\n Lean into automation and utilise tools like CRMs to streamline your marketing. Suppliers that advertise on Easy Weddings have free access to our purpose-built WedCRM<\/strong><\/a> platform where they can manage their leads pipeline and automate their communications touchpoints.<\/p>\n If you need help using the functions, please contact your Partnership Manager, call our customer success team at 1800 155 122, or email service@easyweddings.com.au<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Track everything to ensure you\u2019re meeting the needs of your couples.<\/p>\n Plan future activities from learnings to continuously improve your marketing strategy.<\/p>\n Weddings are generally a one-time purchase and couples have just one chance to plan the wedding of their dreams. They want to work with suppliers they can trust to bring their wedding day vision to life. That\u2019s why social proof is so powerful.<\/p>\n Think of your past couples as your brand ambassadors. Their testimonials are messages to future couples about what they might expect when working with you.<\/p>\n Easy Weddings is not just a platform to increase your brand visibility in market, but also an additional touchpoint to receive more verified reviews. We currently have more than 300,000<\/strong> verified reviews on our website, from couples who have used our suppliers.<\/p>\n Our data tells us that having a review improves a supplier\u2019s chance of receiving an enquiry by 25%, <\/strong>but 11 or more reviews boosts those odds to 200%. <\/strong>As a goal, aim for 40+ reviews, to boost your chance of an enquiry by 300%! <\/strong><\/p>\n Asking once will generate a response from 1 in 5<\/strong> couples, but asking the same people twice, if they have yet to review you, increases the response rate to 1 in 3.<\/strong><\/p>\n We always recommend responding to reviews with gratitude and with a personal account of the event \u2014 even the bad ones!)<\/p>\n By following these steps, wedding businesses can create an integrated marketing strategy that effectively reaches and engages couples across multiple channels. Remember, the key is to be consistent, authentic, and always provide value to your audience. Don\u2019t forget that people buy from people, so include a bit of your personality in your branding and marketing mix.<\/p>\n Remember: The most successful brands adapt their business to the needs and behaviours of their customers. When they change, you must change with them.<\/p>\n By incorporating these strategies shared at Evolve 2024, wedding businesses can strengthen client relationships and optimise their offerings to enhance their overall success. Whether it\u2019s building trust, tailoring services, or leveraging social media, these insights provide a roadmap for thriving in today\u2019s competitive market.<\/p>\n Catch up on more insights from Evolve 2024 with our articles: \u2018How Wedding Businesses Are Staying Ahead in Tough Times\u2019<\/strong><\/em><\/a>\u00a0 and ‘The Wedding Businesses Thriving in a Challenging Market’.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n To learn how your wedding venue or business can gain a competitive edge by partnering with Easy Weddings,\u00a0submit an online enquiry form here<\/a>, and we will be in touch.<\/em><\/p>\n![\"Easy](\"https:\/\/content.easyweddings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Mel-Buttigieg-Evolve-2024-1400x934.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
The Role of Social Media<\/h2>\n
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1. Set Your Content Channels<\/h2>\n
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2. Optimise Your Website For Conversion<\/h2>\n
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3. Audit Your Content<\/h2>\n
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4. Create a Content Calendar Across Channels<\/h2>\n
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5. Invest in Smart Technology<\/h2>\n
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6. Make Analytics Your Superpower<\/h2>\n
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7. Chase Reviews<\/h2>\n
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Time For Action!<\/h2>\n
Read more wedding business tips here<\/a>.<\/h2>\n\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":296867,"template":"","au_pro_edu_tags":[],"class_list":["post-296859","au-pro-education","type-au-pro-education","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","au_pro_edu_categories-marketing-tips"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/au-pro-education\/296859"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/au-pro-education"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/au-pro-education"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/296867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=296859"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"au_pro_edu_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/au_pro_edu_tags?post=296859"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}