We all know Instagram and Pinterest are often crucial to a wedding pro’s marketing strategy. But what about Facebook, Google My Business, and newsletters? These are some seriously overlooked marketing platforms that you could be using! When it comes to marketing, it’s important to know what works for you and how you should tackle your marketing strategy. The first step is knowing what platforms are out there!

Find your top social platform (and it might not be Instagram!)

As you start to map out a digital marketing strategy, it’s important to focus on where your clients are and how they find you. As a wedding professional, Instagram is most likely going to be a big source for you. But it doesn’t mean it will be your biggest! Clients often come to us assuming Instagram is their biggest traffic source, but that isn’t always the case.

We had one client come to us with a huge Facebook following, but she was never posting fresh content to it! When she did post, her engagement was incredible! In fact, whenever she posted images from a wedding, the bride and her family shared them. And that meant she was getting a ton of potential brides seeing her content! Facebook can be one of the most overlooked platforms for wedding photographers and planners.

Think about it: if your bride shares the album you posted, that could be dozens of potential brides who see it and fall in love with your work. Instagram can’t always give you that kind of direct exposure to your ideal client.

So, how do you find your top social media platform? Google Analytics!

Go into your analytics and click on acquisition → social → overview.

This is going to tell you what social media platform is sending you the most website traffic! Then, you can start thinking about how you can take advantage of that platform.

Facebook Marketing Tips

It may seem strange, but Facebook is definitely one of those overlooked marketing platforms. The trick to Facebook is to offer a variety of content – from real weddings to personal notes to albums. Like all other platforms, consistency is key. I recommend 2-3 times per week. Facebook is about variety, so I would make sure to start thinking of what you can share.

What to share on Facebook

Some easy ones are blog posts! When you publish a blog, share it on Facebook! If you have some top weddings that are really your ideal client, create an album to share! Include the top 30 images, and make sure to tag the couple, so their friends can see! (If you have permission, of course!) Another item is to share any wedding planning articles you find interesting – and talk about how it relates to your client.

I don’t recommend directly cross-posting from Instagram – rather share the image on FB, but alter the caption for your Facebook audience.

Utilize Facebook Live

Don’t forget the value of Live Video! Facebook’s algorithm gives video posts priority on users’ feeds. Users LOVE videos and engage with videos more than they do with photo or link posts. People love to connect personally with brands. Giving them a bit of who you are personally through a Facebook live shows them a more candid insight into who the person they’re hiring is.

Start a Facebook Live and go through some frequently asked questions. Let any couples who are there to learn ask some questions in the chatbox. You can also let your followers know about a new service/package that you’re offering or give your followers a behind-the-scenes look at a live shoot or even a live edit.

Facebook is a great platform for you to share your knowledge as a wedding professional. I’m sure that there are a few topics that you’re passionate about when it comes to weddings. For example, maybe you believe that every couple should do a first look. Opinions are engaging and sharing your knowledge as a wedding photographer will not only help to get you more comments and reactions, but it will also help you to educate future clients!

Facebook has awesome analytics – start checking them weekly and make note of the top posts. What is working? What is getting the most engagement? When are your viewers on your platform and most active? Adjust your posting strategy to match these times.

Google My Business Page

When someone searches a business’s name, your GMB page is now not only a huge ranking factor in local SEO, but it’s the tool that informs all native Google products. When you search on Google and include a location in your keyword, such as “Savannah Wedding Photographer,” Google is now putting their Google Business listings BEFORE the organic listings in their rankings. These listings are free!

Creating a GMB account

Creating an account is simple. On your computer, sign in to Google My Business. Sign in to your Google Account, or create one. Then, click Next and create your account. You can opt to hide your address (which will in 95% of cases be your home address). You can’t use a PO box or virtual space.

Basic information (like hours, address, phone), photos you want to spotlight, messaging, and Q&A are a few of the features that comprise GMB. It’s important to fully fill out your profile and start getting reviews if you want to show up in the local listings.

Make sure to upload some photos as they sometimes show up there in the search results. It’s a great way to improve your chances of being found on Google when people are searching for a wedding vendor. Google has also made it clear SEO value increases for those companies who respond to reviews.

Utilizing your GMB

My favorite part of GMB is the Insights tab aka analytics. You can see items like the queries people use to find your business (sorted by unique users), a pie graph breaking down how customers are finding your business (divided by Direct, Discovery, and Branded queries), and where customers view your business (search vs. maps). You can also view the types of actions they take on the page (visit your website, request directions, call you, message you, etc.) and how often they’re looking at your photos.

*Quick tip: If you have a location, like a venue or event space, Google might have created one for you. So, do a quick search before making your GMB account just in case!

Newsletters

Newsletters are one of those seriously overlooked marketing platforms in the sense that people often forget to really use them. The beauty of the email list is that these clients already like your work enough to give you their email address. They want to hear about your business and about the products you are offering. They may even love your work enough that they want to receive an email every time you update your blog with new photos. These people are priceless. Keeping yourself positioned at the forefront of your clients’ minds is critical because we all know how easily life gets in the way, meaning they can easily forget you exist.

A few ideas of what to talk about:

• One of my favorite newsletters I got when I reached out to vendors when I got engaged last year was a planning guide email! It was from a wedding photographer. She sent us a series of planning emails that covered those FAQs on hiring a photographer.
  • One email was on how to choose the right wedding photographer for you
  • Another was about pricing and investing, which linked to a PDF outlining the real costs of a wedding photographer (like her insurance, second shooters, etc.) and her heirloom products.
  • The final email was a FAQ on hiring a photographer.
  • Fun fact: we booked this photographer!
• Share a little story with your subscribers. Did you have a particularly great photoshoot recently? Maybe share a little bit about how you got one amazing shot. Or if there’s one hilarious moment from a shoot that you absolutely MUST share, send it out in your newsletter! Keep people informed and entertained with your email content.
• Provide a special discount to your email subscribers. You can send special discounts to former and potential clients on your services. For fellow photographers, if you sell anything like ebooks or presets, provide a limited-time discount offer.
• Giving away freebies as a photographer is a great way to grow your email list. Instead of creating a direct download link, grow your email list as a photographer by creating email forms that trigger freebie downloads. It’s a great way to introduce new people to your brand and attract readers to your site. Having them join an email list through freebies opens up the opportunity to introduce them to other relevant content that may interest them.
• Want to do a day of mini-sessions? Tell your email list and give them the opportunity to sign up a day before you open it to the public. Have a new product you are offering? Tell your list about it and entice them to buy it.

You can use MailChimp for free if you just send out a basic newsletter from time to time. This is the absolute minimum you should be doing.

However, I highly recommend using ConvertKit or FloDesk. They do have a small monthly fee to use their service, but the automation they provide will easily pay for the cost.

It is also worth including a link to sign up in your email signature itself. In the course of your business, you’ll send loads of emails to clients, collaborators, and others who might be interested in hearing more from you. So, make it easy for them to join your list, too!

Overlooked Marketing Platforms for Wedding Pros

These are just a few of those typically overlooked marketing platforms! Some wedding pros find a lot of success using TikTok or YouTube. Do some experimenting and find out what works for your business. You might be surprised at some of the results!

Regardless of the platform, blogging is an essential part of any marketing strategy. But what wedding pro has the time to dedicate to really great blog posts? Ava and the Bee can help create all that amazing content for you, so you can really start to utilize those overlooked marketing platforms! Just reach out to us, so we can get started!