Social Media for Wedding Vendors
Today, wedding planning is largely done online. Brides can register for gifts, book vendors, order dresses, and send invitations from the comfort of their homes – and many do. In fact, about 80% of newly engaged couples use online wedding planning tools during the planning process, because digital tools are convenient and efficient.
Social media platforms play a huge role in the wedding planning process – after all, who doesn’t need some #weddinginspo from Pinterest? In all seriousness, newly engaged couples (and even forward-thinking individuals) frequently scour social media platforms for responsive wedding vendors with beautiful, regularly updated profiles.
Why is Social Media Important for Wedding Vendors?
Social media is so critical for wedding vendors because of the active community of soon-to-be-weds on these platforms. Simply speaking, businesses should be present where their target demographic is present – for wedding vendors, social media is a pool of prospective customers, searching for the most reputable, beautiful, and engaging businesses to connect with.
Of course, not every social media platform is ideal for wedding vendors. Digital marketing is most effective when efforts are localized to the channels that make the most sense for a particular business.
Typically, we recommend Instagram, Pinterest, and/ or Facebook to wedding vendors looking to reach their target audience. Why?
- Why Instagram? Nearly 90% of brides use Instagram for wedding inspiration and to find local vendors. The image-first emphasis on Instagram allows wedding vendors to create a stunning, visual representation of their offerings, especially through the experiences of brides and grooms using their services.
- Why Pinterest? Pinterest is perfectly designed for the wedding industry, often used by brides-to-be to draw inspiration for their own special days. Like Instagram, Pinterest is an image-first platform, making it an ideal place to showcase your work and reach your target audience.
- Why Facebook? Facebook is still the leader in popularity among social media platforms worldwide, with nearly 3 billion monthly active users. Additionally, Facebook can be used to showcase your work visually, as well as blogs or articles related to your business.
How About ALL Three? The more the merrier, right? Maybe. While a presence on multiple social media profiles can deliver more expansive exposure to your brand, a social media presence is only as valuable as the quality and consistency of its posting and engagement. Thus, if you have the choice between three mediocre social media profiles or one excellent one, stick to a single profile.
Tips for Success on Social Media for Wedding Vendors
1. Use hashtags that are popular and relevant to your content
Hashtags are still useful tools to improve discovery on social media channels like Instagram and Pinterest. Use hashtags that are relevant to the wedding industry and to your content. For example, use #springweddings or #chicagoweddings for a seasonal or geocentric emphasis.
2. Share images from events - request images from photographers, always giving credit in the caption
The photographers present at your events are your greatest asset. If you are a photographer yourself, your photos are your greatest asset. Beautiful, professional imagery is essential to creating a compelling gallery that showcases your offerings on your social media channels.
To gather imagery for your profile, you much reach out to the photographers present at your events and request images! More often than not, the photographers will gladly comply, as long as you give them proper credit in the caption.
If the provided image(s) includes other services (flowers, catering, venue, etc.) not encompassed in your offerings, give credit here too. More often than not, these vendors will reciprocate, leading to increased visibility for your profile and networking opportunities.
Whenever possible, tag the couples you served as well! They will feel special and appreciated and will likely share with their personal networks.
3. Engage with your audience (right away)
This is an important point. Aim to respond to comments, reviews, and DMs within an hour or two. If this is often unrealistic, aim to respond within 24 hours. Social media users on all platforms expect prompt responses. If a bride messages your Instagram profile requesting more information on your service offerings, she will likely move on to the next vendor on her list if you fail to respond promptly and professionally.
RivalMind: Social Media For Wedding Vendors
Posting and engaging on social media is crucial for wedding vendors, but it is also time-consuming. At RivalMind, we created a social media plan unique to vendors, designed to reach out to photographers for you, credit/ tag appropriate parties, and engage immediately with users.
Interested in learning more about how we can help your business create a thriving presence on social media? We would love to start a conversation today. Reach out at 331.228.9636 or via our online contact form.
Meet the Author
Jessica Goodrum
Director of Creative Services
Jessica Goodrum is a digital marketer with over a decade of experience in digital project management. As Director of Creative Services at RivalMind, she is responsible for the success of website design and development projects, as well as social media client growth. Her approach to management – both projects and staff – is “transparency.” She consistently outlines project objectives and the steps to get there, assessing how RivalMind can improve upon every client’s experience.
Specialties: Duda Web Development, Keeping It All On Task
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