3 Wedding Venue Marketing Strategies That Actually Work
Looking for wedding venue marketing strategies to book more weddings? You’re not alone.
You might be wondering:
Do I need to be on Pinterest?
What about billboards?
Are bridal shows worth the money?
Should I pay $10,000 to be on page one of that expensive bridal listing site?
Is all I need to do to post on social media more?
Do I just need to wait for the phone to ring? Maybe couples are hesitant and not really booking right now anyway.
Couples ARE booking weddings right now. Here’s how I know:
From March 20 - October 18, 2020 we’ve booked 74 new weddings at my venue and spent just $329 on paid advertising.
I will be the first to say this isn’t “normal,” BUT I’ve built my business without relying on the normal “build it and they will come,” “hope and wish” wedding venue marketing strategies.
And it’s not just my venue that is seeing success this year. Here are a few wins from my coaching clients:
“So I just booked 8 weddings since Friday!! Still blown away at this all.”
“We just cleared $200k in sales in our first 10 months in business in the middle of a PANDEMIC! This wouldn’t have been possible without you!”
“We booked 50 weddings in 2020, and are quickly approaching 80 for 2021 thanks to Kristin teaching me to work on my business… not just in my business!”
“We hit our ‘break even’ number of weddings to pay bills for the next year after just 2.5 months in business. 5 contracts out for signing and 6 more tours scheduled!”
There are MANY more venue owner wins to be found here.
So you might be wondering, HOW do you book that many amazing couples, even in a pandemic without discounting or crazy wedding venue advertising spend?
We’ll here’s the truth – the first step is to stop confusing “advertising” strategies with “marketing” strategies.
“Advertising” is often what Venue Owners are thinking about when they use the word “marketing” BUT great promotions/advertising strategy is just ONE component of a solid marketing strategy.
Here’s what you should be weary of when being pitched by “marketing agencies for Wedding Venues” or the latest and greatest place you can advertise your venue.
Watch out for marketing companies who:
Are so excited to get you started right away on that new, proven, latest and greatest advertising campaign – like yesterday, because “that” is what is going to solve all of your problems.
Have you thinking you really need a brochure, a billboard, a print ad in a magazine or a complicated “funnel.”
Promise “leads” but we all know that more leads don’t equate to more ideal couples if they ghost you, aren’t qualified, or are the kinds of couples that will drive you bananas.
Don’t forget – I’m a Venue Owner myself so I see all of this nonsense too.
Keep your guard up. This industry has become a major target for people really good at selling the next big (unproven) idea.
Spoiler alert: There is no ONE magic advertising tactic that is going to transform your business. The longer you spend looking for one, the more opportunity you are leaving on the table now.
3 Wedding Venue Marketing Strategies That Actually Work
*Now, you may be ready to say, “Kristin – but these things don’t get my phone ringing. I need more couples!!”*
And I do understand what you mean, BUT if you really want to book out your calendar, absolutely love your couples, and not spend an astronomical amount on advertising, you need to build out your business and marketing strategy FIRST.
There are several other important components to building out a successful marketing strategy for your venue, but these three are critical.
1. Stop looking for the latest “advertising” strategy and start filling the leaky holes in your bucket.
Your business is very possibly leaking $10k a month or more in bookings if you are reading this article. If you don’t know why other venues are booking faster than you, or more amazing couples each year – start there.
Pro tip – it’s probably not because they have some “improvement” at their venue that you need to invest thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in too.
2. Determine the correct price point for your market, the opportunity for more margin with current and future bookings, and how to clearly articulate your value so that couples understand you’re the ideal fit for them.
Your venue is unique – and so is every other venue. The truth is couples are forced to compare apples and oranges.
You need to be clear on why they choose you, and that value proposition needs to be very evident to your couples as well. Without it, you’re likely throwing spaghetti advertising strategies against the wall to see what sticks.
That’s both inefficient and expensive.
3. Build your business (not necessarily make changes to your building) around what your ideal couples need and want, not what you think and like.
If you own a venue, you’re likely not a 22 – 35 year old engaged female. And even if your daughter or niece is… that is a sample size of one.
In today’s competitive market it’s not enough to just have a beautiful space. If you want to own the spot as the most desirable venue in your market, not leave bookings on the table, and fill your calendar with grateful and kind couples – you must build your business strategy around them, not what you like and think.
It’s not easy, but it’s one of the keys to creating a venue that will be successful and sustainable for the long-haul. (And in a trend-based business, the best opportunity is NOW, not 5 years from now.)
Does this sound different than what all the agencies, guru’s, and pitches are saying? GOOD. This is the basics of how I’ve built the kind of business couples want to stand in line and wait for to book. Last week 3 of my tours weren’t even engaged yet, and we’ve booked 74 weddings in the last 7 months during a pandemic without discounting a thing.
I want you to build the kind of business where they can’t wait to book, and I can tell you that’s not just about the next fancy-pants Facebook or Instagram ads strategy for wedding venues.
Take Action Today:
As a Venue Owner myself, what I want most is for amazing VO’s with great hearts and beautiful spaces to not stay stuck.
My team and I are here to help. If you know you are ready to be coachable, grow as a business owner, and adapt your strategy to what’s working in the marketplace right now then:
Book a {free} Venue Owner Strategy Call
We’ll dive into the opportunities and the gaps in your venue business. You’ll get clarity about what’s really standing in your way between you and the business you want. If nothing else, it will be a great conversation.