How Instagram can help grow your wedding vendor business
Wedding professionals are always looking for new ways to grow their businesses. Social media marketing is one of the most popular ways to attract more customers, but it's not easy. With so many wedding vendors on Instagram these days, how can you stand out? This blog post will discuss some of my favorite strategies for using Instagram as a wedding vendor to get your business off the ground and running.
Here are some helpful ideas I've found that will help you with your Instagram page.
First, you need to set up your profile. Make sure you fill out as much information about yourself as possible and include a link back to your website. Social media is all about building relationships, so if someone can't easily find more info on who they're following or what business they're supporting with their likes, that will be a problem for them. Also, make sure you put some time into your profile picture and bio. People want to see that someone is passionate about what they do - it shows through in their images and content.
The next step is creating excellent wedding photography/videography for your Instagram page. The most effective way to grow an audience on any social media is to post high-quality, relevant content that your audience will want to engage. The more you interact with other wedding professionals' posts on Instagram, the better chance you will be discovered by their followers/friends.
When I say "high quality" photos and videos, what exactly do I mean? Well, for one thing - don't just post selfies of yourself. Wedding professionals are on Instagram to showcase their work, so make sure you're constantly posting your best. If you take great photos, but they seem a little "unpolished" - meaning the lighting is just off, or parts of them look blurry, people might be less inclined to engage with them. You can also try using apps like Afterlight or VSCO to edit your photos. These are great tools for wedding photographers because they can help you create a consistent look across your images.
There's another essential thing to consider when posting on Instagram: hashtags and geotagging. You don't need too many, but including some relevant ones will help get your content in front of the right people. You also want to make sure you use geotagging (the location function on Instagram). If someone is looking for wedding photographers/videographers near them, they'll likely search by geographic area.
Two final tips for using Instagram as a wedding vendor: first - post regularly but don't stress yourself trying to post that much. You can't mess it up by posting too many times in a day. Social media is all about building relationships with your followers - if they get used to seeing new posts from you regularly, they'll be more likely to engage and follow.
Second tip: make sure the content you're posting is relevant to your business. If someone comes across a photo of your morning coffee, they may not feel that you know what you're talking about. Social media isn't just about getting new customers - it's also about keeping and building relationships with the ones you already have, so make sure those followers are engaged by sharing relevant content that they'll enjoy.
What are some detailed steps you should take to market your wedding business on Instagram?
Use a visual bio
Include some of the most beautiful photos from your work and explain what you do in one sentence. Posting photos will let people know right away if they want to follow along with your posts. Social Media Examiner calls this "eye-catching," but I call it "Instagram worthy."
Keep your Instagram posts short and sweet
Social media is a fast-paced place, so do not go into lengthy descriptions in each post. The goal here is to get people's interest rather than ramble on about what you offer. You don't have to be the expert at everything social media-related, though. Social Media Examiner has some great tips for keeping your Instagram strategy on track.
Follow people in the wedding industry that you think are doing an excellent job at social media marketing
Social media is all about building relationships, so start following other vendors and see what they're posting. You can also comment and like their posts, which will start a conversation. Social media isn't just about getting new customers - it's also about keeping your existing ones happy.
Post relevant content that people will want to engage
If someone comes across a photo of your morning coffee, they might not be convinced that you know what you're talking about. Social media isn't just about getting new customers - it's also about keeping and building relationships with the ones you already have, so make sure those followers are engaged by sharing relevant content that they'll enjoy.
Again, use hashtags to help get your content in front of the right people
This means you'll need to advertise your content. You can choose how to do this, but including some pertinent ones will help get your material to those looking for you.
Make sure that you're posting about things related to weddings/wedding photography/videography
Social media is a fast-paced place, so do not go into lengthy descriptions in each post. Social media is all about building relationships, so start following other vendors and see what they're posting. You can also comment and like their posts, which will start a conversation. Social media isn't just about getting new customers - it's also about keeping your existing ones happy.
Link to your website
Social media is an excellent way to inform others about what you do, but your website should be simple to locate if they want more information (and even to get in touch with you!).
Use Instagram stories
This feature lets users share videos and photos with their followers - and it only lives for 24 hours. Social media is a fast-paced place, so do not go into lengthy descriptions in each post.
Post photos with people in them
Photos with humans in them help your followers connect with you. Social media is all about building relationships, so start following other vendors and see what they're posting. You can also comment and like their posts, which will start a conversation. Social media isn't just about getting new customers - it's also about keeping your existing ones happy.
Ask questions that encourage followers to engage with you
Social media is all about building relationships, so don't be afraid to ask questions and engage with your followers.
Show behind-the-scenes photos of what you do
Social media is a fast-paced place, so keep each post short and sweet. Social media is all about building relationships, so start following other vendors and see what they're posting. Social media isn't just about getting new customers - it's also about keeping your existing ones happy.
Social media marketing is a great way to get your wedding business noticed. Social Media Examiner has some tips for keeping your Instagram strategy on track and posting relevant content that people will want to engage in. Using hashtags will help get your posts in front of the right people, make sure you're posting about things related to weddings/wedding photography/videography and ask questions that encourage your followers to engage with you. Social media is all about building relationships, so start following other vendors and see what they're posting. Social media isn't just about getting new customers - it's also about keeping your existing ones happy.