My name is Varsha Canchi Murali; I’m an MSc Digital Marketing Strategy student from Trinity College, Dublin. As a part of the company project for my master’s program, I had the immense pleasure of working with WeddingDates as a digital marketing consultant.
When I first spoke to Ciara Crossan and Sarah O’Farrell for my project, I was excited to learn the concept behind the company’s inception: an online wedding directory that could aid engaged couples with all aspects of their wedding day, from wedding venues to wedding cakes, outfits and more. The company has evolved over 13 years and the focus has shifted significantly to providing software to wedding venues and hotels to help them manage their leads and increase their bookings.
Having worked with a wedding planner in the past, I was aware of the necessity of a platform that could help couples find venues and suppliers from the comfort of their homes. As the world was dealing with a pandemic, this requirement became all the more prominent. I saw immense potential in WeddingDates, and I was excited to understand their digital marketing strategy and suggest recommendations for improving their marketing tactics. My project focus was on the company’s B2C audience of engaged couples.
I looked into WeddingDates’ SEO and SEM improvements and provided them with a comprehensive digital marketing plan for increased conversions. My point-of-contact, Sarah O’Farrell, was extremely accommodating and easy to reach. She met with me once every week to discuss my queries and progress and provided me with all the tools necessary to conduct my research.
For my project, I conducted primary research through surveys to identify the target audience for WeddingDates. Along with the results of the preliminary analysis, I also analysed past data of customers through Google Analytics and social media analytics and suggested SEO and SEM strategies to improve the company’s conversions. Through a detailed buyer-persona, I mapped WeddingDates’ target customer journey and identified the stage at which the company was losing its clients. My recommendations also included a content calendar as a part of the social media strategy and an implementation timeline for improving the company’s overall digital marketing strategy.
This consultation project will forever be dear to me as it was my first company project in a foreign country. In these unforeseen times, the team of WeddingDates helped me gain immense professional and personal growth; they made it extremely easy to do what I do best. Through this practical project, I learnt the importance of customer journey mapping, and my research taught me a great deal about the customer behaviour of Irish buyers. This project also involved a considerable amount of personal growth – in a short period, I managed to learn and produce an in-depth project for a local Irish company; I realised that I work well under pressure and have good communication skills.
Working with WeddingDates has been an incredible journey. I am grateful to Ciara, Sarah, and the entire team of WeddingDates for giving me this wonderful opportunity to execute what I learnt at college practically. Thank you for supporting me while I conducted my project. I hope that my insights as a digital marketer have added value to WeddingDates’ digital marketing strategy.
