Many new wedding planners who come to me have spent a lot their marketing time reaching out to brides and vendors online. They’ve set up their Facebook page and Twitter and Pinterest accounts and spend time getting as many “Likes” and “Followers” as they possibly can. This is great, establishing your presence on these sites is important.
However, the new wedding planners who are building successful businesses aren’t just spending time online, they are getting out and meeting people. I know that when you are just starting a business, staying in you office “talking” to people online may feel more comfortable. You may justify it in your mind by saying that by posting, tweeting and pinning you are marketing, but these things alone won’t get you all of the brides you want.
You have to get out the door and connect face-to-face with people. Wedding planning is a very personal service and many brides will only hire someone who has been referred by a friend or relative.
If you’re not sure where to go to meet people, try these 3 places:
1) National and international wedding and/or event planner associations, such as ISES (International Special Events Society), have local chapter meetings that non-members can attend to see if they would like to join. This will give you an opportunity to meet and connect with wedding vendors who could be good partners. You might also consider joining the organization and taking advantage of some of the benefits of being a member.
2) Check Meetup.com and find a group with similar interests. The group doesn’t necessarily have to be in the wedding industry, you might instead research the interests of the brides in your niche and get involved in social or recreational groups that they participate in.
3) Local business networking groups and chambers of commerce are a good places to meet fellow entrepreneurs and learn more about having a business. Just be careful that you don’t become the group’s free event planner.
Going out and introducing yourself and your business to strangers may be uncomfortable at first. Just be prepared to tell people what you do and the benefits of your services. And remember that the most important thing you will do at these events is listen to others. People remember people who have given them an opportunity to talk about themselves.
