Stand out in a small or crowded wedding market.

A marketing problem I hear regularly is that wedding vendors and photographers have trouble standing out and attracting ideal clients in a small or crowded market. The feeling can be so frustrating when you know you provide great services that your ideal client would absolutely love. But, you still have a hard time booking weddings with those clients. Maybe you’re new to your area, live in a small town, or live in a city that just has so many wedding vendors to choose from.

The best way to attract your ideal client is to ultimately start taking action. If what you’re currently doing isn’t working, then it’s time to make a change with your branding and marketing. Below are 5 tips to get you started and thinking through how to get your ideal clients running to work with you.

1. Think through your client archetypes or audience persona to pinpoint who your ideal client is.

This helps you get really specific on your target audience and what their lives look like. You need to think through what your ideal client looks like, what they do, how much they’re willing to spend. What is their relationship to your wedding business? How would they come across you as a wedding vendor?

You can get really creative and have fun with this. Try writing it out yourself, and you’ll at least have some notes for if or when you decide to hire a brand strategist.

2. Think through your brand archetype.

Each brand shows up in the world as a personality type, if you will. Check out this lengthy but helpful resource for how to identify your unique brand archetype. If you need help further identifying this, you can book a brand audit with me for $250 and we can talk through your brand archetype together. Book a brand audit here.

3. Think of your unique value proposition that serves your ideal client.

A unique value proposition is a short statement that communicates why a client would choose your service.

Do you help them to plan a wedding on a budget? Are their lives made easier because you help them plan their dream wedding destination? Do you provide a luxury wedding photography experience?

Here are a few examples, but yours should speak to your unique business and services:

Example A: “Luxury wedding photography for timeless couples.”
Example B: “Destination wedding planning for the busy bride.”
Example C: “Have the party of your dreams with our inclusive wedding DJ services.”

You’ll notice that these statements aren’t worded quite as beautifully as a tagline, but they do get to the heart of what these businesses do and they describe exactly who these wedding vendors target as their ideal clients. For example, Example A explicitly targets timeless couples who are looking for a luxury wedding photography experience.

4. Invest in more than a logo with a strategic brand designer.

A strategic designer (like myself) can help you define these details and then express them through solid brand identity. Through building your client archetypes and unique value proposition, I help you dig deeper so that we’re thinking about more than just your brand colors and fonts.

Invest in more than a logo. A full, well thought out brand identity will help you to accurately express your brand strategy so that your brand becomes an entity that your ideal clients are ecstatic about.

5. Use your branding within your social media channels.

Instagram and Pinterest are some of the best channels for attracting wedding couples. If you’re using both of these channels and still struggling, now is a good time to think through your content.

Have you applied your visual branding to your accounts? If you post graphics, do they incorporate your brand colors and fonts? How often do you talk about your ideal client in your feed?

Your Pinterest account should also link to savvy blog posts that talk about your ideal clients and their wants.

6. Express the problems you solve through your website and blog content.

Once you’ve received solid brand strategy and brand identity design, think through how to tell your ideal clients what problems you solve. Get really clear on these; the clearer, the better. 

Do you make your clients feel relieved because they don’t have to do a bunch of legwork in their wedding planning? Do you make them feel welcome because you’re an inclusive wedding vendor and they know their wedding will be a safe space for all their loved ones? Then think about topics related to these. For example, if you’re a destination wedding planner, this might look like “Tips for relaxing before your big day”, “5 ways to plan a wedding from afar”, or “How destination wedding planning can save your sanity”.

Be sure to include your unique value proposition on the homepage of your website, in a format that is well-written and interesting.

7. Think of 1-2 other places to find your ideal client (after you’ve described them through a client archetype).

After you’ve applied your brand strategy to your social media channels and website, I want you to think through 1-2 other online or physical locations where your ideal client might be hanging out.

Are they on Wedding Wire or The Knot? If so, be sure to build out your online profile. Are they finding referrals through a luxury venue? Think of a way to partner with those venues and get on their preferred venue lists. Are they visiting wedding expos or conferences? Think of how you can show up at these physical events.

Attracting your ideal client can take time, but when you really have these 7 steps nailed down, you’ll build momentum. And when you’ve built momentum, you’re closer to working with your dream clients all the time versus just sometimes. 

Need help getting really clear on how to attract your ideal client? I’m here for you! Contact me to start talking about your brand strategy and brand identity project.