It’s time to Shine

Image of a hotel receptionist in a cosy hotel

Are you making time to shine? With directory listings such as WeddingDates.co.uk, there is untapped potential – here are some key things to think about optimising:

Make the most of Visuals

Images/videos/3D tours – all of these visuals help couples to picture what their wedding could be like in your venue. Images are great, videos are better and 3D tours can help to really get couples invested.

Are you using high resolution images with a variety of styles/setups/seasons? You should be. Showing grainy or poor quality images will leave an impression of bad quality.

Including people (Real Weddings) in visuals has more impact than an empty ballroom. People convey life and humanity and give a sense of scale. Always have permission for use from the people featured and from the photographer.

Describe the Dream

Emotive language will paint a picture and help couples to imagine themselves getting married at your venue,  because Weddings are an emotional purchase.  Whilst practicalities such as capacity or accommodation are considerations, the deciding factors are going to be less tangible. Creating that emotional connection could be what gets your venue over the line.

Also, did you know that having the same descriptive text on your website and also on other site listings rates negatively in google search, so make sure to keep your listings unique and original.

Show Your Face

Building rapport with a wedding coordinator plays a huge part in a couple’s decision making process. Start building a rapport with your new couples before they even send an enquiry. Let them see who you are! Pictures are great, but video is even better.

Shout your Specials

Don’t be afraid to shout about any current special offers and upcoming events you have planned. Often, these can be the very thing that piques interest.

Downloads

When a couple enquires at weddingdates.co.uk, brochures are automatically attached to an Enquiry Response Email, ensuring the couple get the immediate response they are after. A simple thing is to name your download file with easy to understand names, helps with any doubt or confusion. These things also help to save you time on admin.

Guest Blogs

Writing a guest Blog post for WeddingDates can help you gain further exposure. This content can then be published/repurposed on your own website/social media. You, undoubtedly, have a wealth of knowledge and experience so don’t keep it all to yourself – share your expertise with the world.

It could be about a Real Wedding at your venue or an interview with yourself or one of your team such as “top tips from a wedding expert”.

Reviews are gold

It is all very well to tell people how great you are, it’s even better if other people say it! Let your past happy couples help you with future sales! Have a process for reaching out to them post celebrations to get that review. And follow up. The more time that passes post wedding, the harder it is to get the review. At WeddingDates, reviews are key to winning in our annual awards so get those reviews in!

The majority of couples send only 5 or fewer enquiries so your online presence is vital

Your time to shine checklist:

  • Is there a picture or video introduction of you on your Weddings page?
  • Do you regularly update any 3rd party listing sites with new visuals?
  • Do you have a system to regularly follow up reviews?
  • Are your special offers and upcoming events up front and centre?
  • Do you write your own blog articles or have you ever had a guest blog published?
  • Is the descriptive text on your 3rd party listings different to what can be found on your website and brochure?

 

This article was inspired by our Lunch & Learn webinar series from March this year, you can watch them back via the links below.

  1. Present to Impress
  2. Capture & Respond
  3. Nurture & Engage

If you have any suggestions/ideas for topics you would like to see in future webinars do let us know 🙂

Alix Matania-Allerton
Wedding Industry Expert / Speaker & Webinar Host / UK Sales Manager / Key Account Manager at WeddingDates

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