Wedding Vendors Must Adapt Online to a Changing Industry

By Lyndsey Walker | Posted Sep 1, 2009 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Internet Marketing, Social Media

The final countdown has officially begun - five days to the Big Day. I can't believe it's almost here. Since our engagement last June, my fiancé and I have had a busy 15 months filled with meetings, errands, parties, photo shoots, high emotions, joy, and all not without a few tears.

Just like many little girls, I always imagined the day full of colorful flowers in a sea of white, frilly bows, happy couples and a book of memories to house it all. But never, in any of those dreams, did I ever think I'd replace a wedding journal with a blog, swap out a guest book for an interactive Website and ditch printed wedding photos for an online photo- and video-sharing album.

The tradition of today's wedding has changed. Social networking and the Internet are making it easier to manage tasks, update and interact with guests and, most importantly, cherish the memories along the way.

Gone are the days of snail-mail Save-the-Dates and invitations, guest books and printed photo albums. With sites such as eEvite.com, OneWed.com and TheKnot.com - and the list goes on and on - a new wedding tradition is evolving.

Why send one-way invitations when you can interact with your guests and keep an accurate headcount? Why waste paper, and money, printing wedding photos when you can post and share your photos online with space for hundreds more?

And why wait until the day of the wedding for advice? Create an interactive Website instead, where guests can post marriage advice, propose a toast to the happy couple or stay informed about the upcoming extravaganza.

So, what does all this mean to the wedding vendor?

Because brides today are looking to the Internet first for information and ideas, wedding vendors, such as photographers, caterers, bakers and musicians, cannot just rely on word-of-mouth referrals. Businesses need to be where their audience is congregating. And, the audience is online - online search accounts for more than 61 percent of all primary sources for local business information, according to TMP Directional Marketing's published reports.

Consumers are not just utilizing one source for local business information, and vendors should not rely on a single source for advertising either. Below are a few ways to better reach your audience and adapt to a new tradition:

Get Listed 

List your business on Internet Yellow Pages and local business directories. Many of the top search engines and local directories allow businesses to update or add their listings for free. Plus, obtain listings on industry-specific Websites such as TheKnot.com and Weddepot.com, which house databases of local vendors for a one-stop shop. Be sure your business information is consistent across your listings.

Encourage Customer Reviews

Ask satisfied customers to rate your business and/or write a review. When online searchers find a business, they'll likely find competitors as well, and statistics show positive reviews will add more credibility and help businesses stand out in the crowd.

Advertise Online

Instead of relying solely on referrals or traditional ads, consider advertising through PPC and relevant social networks, such as TimeToast.com, where brides can create interactive timelines and schedules to share with friends, family and the wedding party, or OneWed.com, a free social wedding planning platform - think Facebook - where brides can create a private wedding site for interaction with guests, share photos and post event details.

Optimize your Website

Develop an On-Page Optimization strategy to get found organically. Incorporate priority keywords and phrases throughout your Website, including: URL, page title, meta tags, description, headings and image alt tags. If necessary, optimize locally by incorporating an "Areas We Serve" on your homepage, and include geographic terms throughout your Website and keyword Meta Data.

Generate Inbound Links

Develop a link-building strategy. Inbound links are the most important factor in your Website's ranking and its ability to attract qualified traffic. Look for linking opportunities through your business' partnerships, sponsorships and reputable companies with whom you've worked, such as caterers or event halls. Also, be sure to include outbound links on your Website to your various local profiles and citations directly from your landing page.

Monitor relevant blogs to discover opportunities to get listed on them, and continually publish fresh content that is valuable and link worthy. Content can not only build inbound links and drive traffic, but it also positions your organization and experts as thought leaders, and boosts search engine rankings.

In addition, consider reaching out to industry-specific sites for inbound links such as TheWeddingLens.com - an interactive photo- and video-sharing site - or MomentVille.com - where brides can build an interactive Website for free with a plethora of applications, such as photo album slideshows set to music (guests can upload photos as well), a blogging platform to chronicle events and share stories, and activity RSS feeds to alert guests and update your Facebook profile.

Lyndsey Walker is a Consultant for PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. She found many of the wedding Websites listed in this post resourceful and fun while planning her wedding. Follow my updates on Twitter: @lyndseyfrey.