MORE BLOGGING TIPS FOR THE WEDDING PROFESSIONAL

 

By now I'm sure that all of you have been hit over the head over and over with tips for blogging for your wedding business. You all know to incorporate visuals wherever possible. You know how to keep it at length. You know the importance of tagging. You realize that you shouldn't make your posts all about you ... Yada, yada, yada.

Here are a few more tips to keep in mind when embarking on the art of blogging:

'C' IS FOR CAPTIVATING CONTENT

First of all, no one wants to sound like a walking textbook. Ensure that your blog has a voice -- which essentially you should have already established through the branding process of your company. Your voice should be expressive, charming yet authoritative. Master that and you have one kick ass blog.

Second, you will want your blog posts to inform and engage. You want your readers to stop and think about the message you are trying to get across or you want them to be interested in that newest trend you're sharing or that latest product or service to hit the market. As I've said time and time again, showcasing the occasional wedding you have serviced is great and showcases your expertise. Making your blog only about weddings that you have serviced however reads like a resume and portfolio (read: web site anyone?). Dare yourself to go beyond that. Make them want to read what you have to say rather than scroll through pictures.

BE THE BLACK SHEEP

 

While we're on the subject of content...

Unfortunately the wedding industry is one of redundancy. Trends are forever repeated, phrasing becomes cliche and the big "news" has usually been blogged about to death. You can't get away from it.

There's a big fear out there however that if you aren't reporting the latest trends you will look out of touch. Not so. Think of how many wedding planning blogs are out there and how many of them have likely reported on the Royal Wedding of 2011 for example. Will you seem out of touch if you don't report on it? Absolutely not.

Strive to blog about things that haven't been blogged about. Write about your opinion on certain subjects within the industry, no matter how controversial you think it will be. Put a call out for press releases from other professionals or products in the industry. You never know what might fall across your desk.

By striving to be different from other blogs rather than compete with them you are setting your blog apart from others and garnering your own style of audience. This sentiment can be carried over to your business model as well.  After all, who wants to be comparable to other businesses?

BE APPROACHABLE

Always encourage comments. And be sure to keep the negative, nasty or whiny ones. Blogging is as much an element of social networking as Twitter and Facebook. You'll want to encourage conversation about what you've written whether your post has sparked a heated debate or whether it's a simple kudos. Look at comments this way: it's interest in your blog.

By locking out the negative comments you're not giving your audience the opportunity to speak their minds and more importantly, you're not listening to your audience. You never know what you will learn by opening the comment box to both positive and negative comments or who you may draw to your blog for the first time because of them. Also, always remember that what one person sees as a negative, another sees as a positive. So even if one Bride disagrees that pink polka-dots are the best pattern ever for a Bridesmaid dress, another might be ecstatic to see that a professional shares their taste.

REMEMBER WHY YOU ARE BLOGGING 

IN THE FIRST PLACE!

I always tell wedding professionals that if they can't blog on a regular basis (at least once a week) or if the thought of constantly coming up with blog post ideas is a huge stressor, blogging may not be the right fit for them.

And if that is the case...THAT'S OK!

Blogging is a huge trend that sparked with the latest onset of social media popularity. While blogging has always been a staple of online literacy, it has only been in the past few years that blogging has increased popularity to such extraordinary levels. This is partly because most professionals feel that without blogging they are not being noticed online or are not providing value in some way.

Not so.

Keep in mind that for the average wedding professional (note that I am NOT referring to the average blogger), the purpose of blogging (or any form of social media actually) is to be found by those who are searching online in general and not necessarily by those looking for you specifically. This means that while being found via google search is great, being found by someone who was searching for something else entirely and just happened across your business is even better. Blogs help this accidental search-ability by making you more visible in general through tagging, etc.

But will it make or break your business? Absolutely not.  That said, if you don't think you can deal with the high-maintenance attitude of a blog, don't bother with it. Focus your attention on other ways of being visible. Ways that won't keep you up at night.


So there you have it -- just a few more things to keep in mind when jumping onto the Blogging Bandwagon. Remember that Blogging is an art form.  Not everyone can successfully blog.  Be honest with yourself  and realistic about your abilities. Treat it like a piano. If sitting at those keys doesn't feel like a natural fit, walk away and choose another instrument.   If you feel that blogging is something you can accomplish and actually enjoy...

Blog away my friends, blog away!

GOT PUBLICITY?

5 PUBLICITY TIPS WEDDING PROFESSIONALS 
SHOULD KEEP IN MIND

Everyone in the wedding industry wants to be a Media Darling -- that "go-to" expert that journalists call up to get a quote on subjects or that wedding professional that seems to be in every medium all the time. But it's important to note that publicity doesn't just fall into your lap (unless, of course, you happen to be in the right place at the right time). It involves strategy, patience and determination. That's why publicists have a career. Publicity -- really great, effective publicity -- isn't easily accomplished by just anyone.

Unless you know what you're doing.

Here are some key tips to keep in mind when venturing out on your own in search of publicity for your company.



1. IN ORDER TO BE SEEN AS A "GO-TO" EXPERT, YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY BE ONE.

I get this so often. Wedding Professionals want me to magically make them the media's "go-to" person for their profession. While I can understand the desire, it's important for professionals to understand that unless you have a strong reputation and an even stronger experience background behind you, a publicist can't magically make you an expert in the media's eyes.  The media will expect your professional bio if they choose you as a guest on their show or as the interviewee. That said, if you don't have the experience and knowledge to back up a claim that you are an expert, don't expect to appear in the media as such. Expect to appear as a professional who has knowledge to share in a specific area of weddings rather than try to pull off the "expert" appearance.


2. KNOW YOUR MEDIA.

Tossing your press release and pitch willy-nilly to just any media won't necessarily garner you results. Take the time to create a concrete target list based on research of their demographic, distribution, readership/viewership, style, etc. And more importantly, take the time to find out who the appropriate contact is to pitch your story to. The media have enough on their plates without having to listen to a pitch that's not appropriate for their audience or readers. Also, ensure that you know each media outlet's deadlines. For example, does that certain magazine work 6 months ahead or 3 months ahead? How many weeks notice does that producer need to highlight a specific event on their show? Does that morning radio program do on-air interviews or are they solely music based?


3. THE MEDIA ARE NOT YOUR "FRIENDS".

Be very sure to not assume that things you may say and do are ever "off the record". The media is there to create a story, to entertain and inform their audience or readers, NOT to do you any favours. They have to make their show or piece interesting. And if you willingly provide something juicy you can bet that it will make it on the air or in the article.  That said, always be on your game. Be aware of what you say and how you behave in their presence. Also, don't expect every piece of media to be kind. A reporter may insert his or her thoughts whether you agree with their sentiments or not. This is not to say that the media are your enemies. But I've seen many professionals get into hot water by thinking that something is off the record or passing off a comment they let slip as nothing. Equally I've seen professionals get bent out of shape because of how a comment of theirs was spun in print. Remember, with publicity you are taking a chance at interpretation. Don't be fooled that the media owe you anything. Ever.


4. KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS (AND WEAKNESSES).

If you can't speak in front of an audience, I'm sorry to say, but you are likely not a good fit for television. If you can't speak clearly and confidently in front of a group of people, how are you going to speak clearly and confidently in front of a bunch of cameras, knowing that hundreds of thousands of viewers are watching?  If you stutter or suffer from "um and uh" syndrome, radio may not be the wisest option for you. A radio audience only has their audio to rely on. Nothing else will distract them. Except, of course, your stuttering.

It is actually better to focus all your efforts on print if that's where you will have the most strength than to take chances with unfamiliar media. If you're visibly nervous, stutter, etc. this will transcend ten-fold in the media, making you appear as an amateur no matter what your experience level in your profession.


5. UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MEDIA WANT.

While the launch of your company is exciting news for you, it's not necessarily all that thrilling for the media or their audience. Understand that the purpose of the media is to entertain and inform. That said, when choosing your "story" ensure that it is something that the public will want to know. Ask yourself, why would the audience of a particular show or the readers of a particular magazine want to know about this?  If you can't give a definitive, strong answer to that question, chances are your "story" or "angle" is not strong enough to get the green light from the media.  After all, it's important to keep in mind that the media is not there to showcase you or your talents. You are their last priority. They are there to inform and/or entertain their followers.