As the majority of us in the wedding industry continue to keep our doors closed, it’s easy to feel a little anxious at the level of uncertainty that our ‘new normal’ is now presenting us with. Having said that, if there’s one thing that is absolutely certain in these typically uncertain times, it’s the presence of social media.
Despite the fact that life, and perhaps business, might be feeling like it’s been put on hold for the time being, there’s no denying that society’s move online has meant a growing number of people are turning to social media.
This guide will help you to capitalise on this spike in activity with three simple hacks to wave your social media slump, goodbye!
No. 1 – Be Present
This tip seems like a pretty obvious piece of advice to be giving but you’d be surprised how little, businesses take this onboard. Being present on your social media accounts is absolutely essential in utilising your platforms for marketing and advertising purposes. Sites like Facebook and Instagram are too often quick to be dismissed on the basis that they lack a certain air of professionalism. If you’re a wedding venue business that has fallen into this mindset, then shaking it off is long overdue, so get back up on it and update your accounts! Don’t be fooled by any off-putting stereotypes surrounding some of the popular social media sites, trust me they are worth investing your time into.
The rare beauty of social media is that anyone and everyone can make an account, allowing you to connect with past, present and future clientele. That can however make it a densely populated place to be, especially when you’re trying to boost your business. Your job as a wedding venue business, as in the ‘real world’, is to make sure you’re the one that stands out. This means that your presence online, especially during these times indoors, is more important than ever. It is absolutely essential that your current clientele not only know you are still there, but that potential followers and clients are able to discover you.
No. 2 – Engage
This hack tends to go hand-in-hand with your presence online; feeding into your unique place on social media as a wedding venue business. It’s one thing to be present on social media platforms by regularly posting new content, but it often doesn’t result in much, if you’re only using your accounts to speak at your followers rather than engaging withthem. This is a vital component in ensuring your success at growing your account and expanding your client-base, especially as a business that relies directly on the relationships built with your clientele. During these times of disconnect and isolation, it’s more important than ever to be maintaining and strengthening those valued bonds between yourself and your followers, so you’ll be pleased to know this can be done in some of the simplest ways.
First and foremost, it is essential you respond to any comments made on any of your social media profiles, whether they are public or direct messages. Doing so will allow your followers to know that you acknowledge and appreciate their engagement with your content, reciprocating any enthusiasm and encouragement displayed. This is especially notable when you do so publicly as it demonstrates to your followers that you actively make the time to connect and engage with your clients. For many of you that might receive a high level of engagement on your social media platforms, responding to all messages and comments made might seem a little overwhelming. It’s times like these, where sites such as Hootsuite and Hootsuite Insights will allow you to manage both your posts and your comments effectively across multiple platforms simultaneously. Even if you feel you’re managing your social media accounts independently, I’d recommend giving them a chance regardless – you’d be surprised how much time you’ll free up for yourself!
Another fantastic (and easy) way of demonstrating your personal engagement with your followers can be shown through tagging profiles and sharing others’ content on your own stories. That’s not to say you should bombard your followers with tags and constant heckling, but doing so mindfully can truly help to benefit both your social media account and your business, as well as those you’re engaging with. You can achieve this in numerous ways, but one of the most beneficial is through reposting other local businesses relevant content. These can be businesses you’ve collaborated with before or even ones you just appreciate, either way it will allow you to build a professional rapport online to showcase to your followers and might even end up in others reciprocating the same love your way – hopefully leading to a few extra followers.
No. 3 – Prioritise Platforms
This is perhaps one of the most important tips to take note of, to really ensure you’re hacking the social media scene – prioritising your platforms! Businesses are too often misled to believe that to achieve presence on social media you need to show equal amounts of activity and engagement across all of your platforms, but this isn’t necessarily the case. As I’ve mentioned before, presence is a vital component in boosting your social media accounts and displaying the relationships you have with your followers. However, many small businesses, wedding venues included, often overlook the importance of prioritising social media platforms and end up overcrowding their pages across all platforms. This can make your business come across as misguided and busy, creating the impression that you aren’t as familiar with your audience as you should be.
Of course, this is probably not the case and if you are perhaps new to managing social media accounts alongside a business, it can be challenging. To resolve this issue, a simple piece of advice would be to prioritise quality over quantity. It really is as easy as that. Rather than utilising every single social media platform you possibly can, choose a select few to begin with to share and engage with quality content that will show your followers and potential clientele how amazing your beautiful venue and service is.
For the majority of wedding venue businesses, the sites you occupy should be targeting your typically largest client-base of millennials. According to the most recent UK YouGov poll, the most popular social media sites for millennials are Instagram (64%), Facebook (60%), and Twitter (51%), meaning you should definitely be occupying a valued space on at least one of these sites! This isn’t to say that you should strictly limit yourself to these sites or that you shouldn’t expand upon your social media sites in the future. In fact, I would argue that as a wedding venue business you should prioritise the likes of Pinterest at 46% popularity over a site like Twitter that might not offer the same indepth, valuable scope couples will be looking for. What I am suggesting however, is that you start with a manageable amount of social media accounts that are kept at a very high standard and slowly build upon your presence online, as and when you’re ready. Doing so will allow you the opportunity to define your unique wedding venue business perspective, in the world of social media, aiding in connecting you with more and more clients as you continue to grow.
