For many wedding businesses, summer is a slower time for new customers. Besides vacationing, think about another type of departure. Depart from day-to-day thinking and put some time into thinking about the big picture. While some of your marketing efforts may not have any immediate effects, implementation now will allow things to manifest so you can reap the benefits during busier times.
Here are some things to think about:
- A new brochure that can be handed out or mailed.
- Entering all your customers email addresses into a database for marketing purposes for repeat business or to encourage referrals or posting reviews on your company.
- Search on Google, Yahoo and Bing to see if your business is ranking prominently. You want to be on the first page of these search engines for terms like “your area + type of business”, “your area + type of wedding business” “invitations + your area”, and “type of wedding business + your area”.
- Social media is here to stay. Have you created an elegant Facebook timeline and Pinterest account? More importantly, do you understand how to really use both for your highest advantage?
- Are you and your staff closing a high enough percentage of invitation sales? If not, explore why.
- Can you add more products and services like favors, bridal gifts and specialty items? Are you focusing on add-ons? Some companies that you might want to consider, straight from our Wedding Industry Resource Directory: Ivy Lane Design & Hortense B. Hewitt Co.
- Can you approach other vendors to develop a relationship so that they can refer business to you?
- Are there areas of your store that have merchandise that does not sell? Why not clear out those areas to expand other areas that sell better?
- Is your website serving you or hurting you?
Another important distinction you need to make is what strategies you can effectively handle yourself or when should you hire a professional design or marketing firm. Try to determine which tasks are the best uses of your time and whom do you have working for you to delegate to that will do it effectively. The ideas that fall into neither category belong in the hands of a professional who can take them on simultaneously while you do other things.