ceci johnson talks branding
“If you don’t build your dream, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs.” — Dhirubhai Ambani
an interview with fiona humberstone
With her impressive background in fine arts and graphic design, she has transformed the art of inviting and branding.
Igilicatam murodfsdximo hi ucdedanc mai.
MAGAZINE
Fiona has been styling brands, running workshops and creating websites since 2000.
May 2016
68 WED SEO Keeping your brand at the top of the Search Engines By Kathy DalPra
56 WED Pro We talk branding, design and using your personality in business with Ceci Johnson of Ceci New York By Christine Ligthart
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10 WED Social Why does branding matter so much on social media? By Shannon DePalma
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86 WED Promo Understanding the power of your Email Marketing list By Heidi Thompson
38 In Their Shoes Fabrice Orlando, CEO of Cocoon Events & Luxury Services talks online branding By Meghan Ely
editorial
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6 From the Editor A welcome note and introduction to this month's magazine theme. By Kylie Carlson
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In This Issue
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18 WED Edu The latest workshops, conferences & educational events for the wedding industry. By Kylie Carlson
78 WED Inspire An interview with Kristin Banta about branding and the relationships we have with brands By Kylie Carlson
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44 WED Biz Bootcamp What does branding really mean and what does it mean? By Emma Etheridge
86 WED Digital Digital marketing in the wedding world - identifying your target market By Tina Reading
48 WED Expert Building your Brand and interview with Ashley Malone By Kylie Carlson
22 WED Biz An Interview with Fiona Humberstone of the Brand Stylist By Christine Ligthart
64 WED PR Reflecting your brand through PR By Meghan Ely
Emma Etheridge Emma Etheridge, founder of Wedding Biz Bootcamp, helps wedding biz owners book more brides by teaching practical strategies that work through free resources, one to one coaching, online programmes and a monthly membership club. Website: www.weddingbizbootcamp.com
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Shannon DePalma Shannon DePalma is a business coach and digital marketing strategist for wedding professionals and creatives. She’s a successful entrepreneur that grew and sold her first wedding business in two years. Website: www.shannondepalma.com
Christine Ligthart Christine Ligthart is the Director of Education for the International Academy of Wedding & Event Planning and is the Founder of The I-Do Crew. Website: www.idocrew.com.au
Heidi Thompson Heidi Thompson is the chief marketing geek & founder of Evolve Your Wedding Business and she is on a mission is to help you book more weddings without all of the struggle and stress. Website: www.evolveyourweddingbusiness.com
Kathy Dalpra Kathy takes the overwhelm out of SEO, sales and website conversion so wedding businesses can turn more curious visitors into high paying clients. Website: www.brideappeal.com
Tina Reading Tina is the Digital Editor of Ultimate Wedding Magazine, the world’s ONLY fully interactive bridal publication enjoying an audience in the UK, Europe, Asia, Australasia and the USA. Website: www.ultimateweddingmagazine.co.uk
Contributors
Meghan Ely OFD Consulting owner Meghan Ely has over a decade of experience in the wedding industry. She is also a prominent national speaker on a broad range of wedding marketing and wedding PR topics. Website: www.ofdconsulting.com
Editor
From the editor
Welcome to the third issue of the Wedding Business Magazine. This month we are taking an in-depth look at branding and have some fantastic interviews lined up for you with some great experts. I know for me branding is a very personal thing and I think that is the case for most of us in the wedding industry. We want our brand to tell a story to our clients and take them on a journey of just what it will be like for them to work with us throughout the planning of their wedding and on the day itself. We know from experience that people connect with brands they relate to and like. Its all about how a brand makes them feel. Often the cost of something isn't an issue if the brand concerned can produce the feeling the client is looking for. I can give you a great example of this. Like most discerning women I love Tiffany & Co. Every time I visit a new city I look to see if they have this iconic store. To date I think I have visited over 15 different stores around the world from London and Dubai to Melbourne and Chicago. Anyway, I digress. A short while ago I wanted to get a new pair of sunglasses and of course had a budget set aside for the purchase. I looked at several different brands but none of them were really hitting the mark. It was as I was about to give up and leave it all to another day when I came across the Tiffany range of sunglasses.
The images from this issue of the magazine were styled by Pamela Dunn, Wedding Planner and Stylist, and photographed by Cream Photography. We asked Pamela to design a schoolroom for creative professionals within our film studio from which the Academy filmed their latest episodes of Academy TV.
I was sold almost immediately. They were well over my budget but I didn't care. Why? Because Tiffany & Co told the story of how I wanted to be perceived. For me this brand is the epitome of class and style. There is something deliciously decadent about it and with the help of Audrey Hepburn it tells a story that most of us want to be a part of, especially me. And as for the packaging well they have everything right don't they? This is the sort of branding that really hits the mark. Its simple, consistent and tells a story and that is what every business should aspire to. It isn't always easy to create a brand that really resonates with your audience, but we have some great advice and tips for you in this issue of the magazine, so without further ado I will let you get on and read it.
Kylie Carlson E
Howard Schultz CEO of Starbucks C
Quote of the Month
"if people believe they share Values with a company they will stay loyal to them" disciplined eye"
Branding your wedding business is a necessary step in order to grow your business. Use your brand the right way across social media and watch your business evolve. Branding on social media is that necessary step to grow a following and engage potential customers. When a potential client Google's you they want to get to know you before diving into your website. Your social media channels give them that little snapshot into your business and brand. In order to get consistent brand representation throughout our social media channels, take into consideration that your voice is represented accurately. To get that voice to show up, imagine talking to your clients at your client meetings, think about how you talk, and type that way. This way your brand consistency will flow from social media to website to meeting. If you're more laid back, do you post funny engaging videos about wedding planning? If you're more of a high end planner, does your Facebook page overflow with expensive flowers? Most importantly make yourself known as that type of planner, so when someone leaves your social media they know you as “this” type of wedding professional. “This” being that type of wedding you’re known for or “this” being that type of client you love to work with. If all of your social media is reflecting that type of image and voice, those clients will flock to you. How do you get that consistency across multiple social media channels? Use free graphic design tools like Canva to create images that reflect your brand. It offers multiple different layouts for your social media channels, all designed templates by a graphic designer. You can upload all your own images or use theirs. Best of all, it’s free.
#WEDsocial
Why Branding Matters on Social Media
By Shannon DePalma
Use your social media channels to engage with your audience, a majority of clients want to be lead to making the right decision. Step into that leadership role and ask them engaging questions. Lead with your voice that you use in your brand. Share with them why you started this business or why you created this brand. Be vulnerable, honest, and human. When you make someone know, like, and trust you. The buying process becomes much easier for them. By being vulnerable and honest, you give them that trust they need. Branding is more about colors and fonts just like social media is more about shouting information. Combining these two together in the right strategic way, will lead you to business growth that feels empowering. Words by Shannon DePalma
how to brand your wedding business
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Jamaica bridal expo
be sage conference
Date: November 14th - 17th, 2016 Location: Mexico Website: www.besageconference.com
Date: September 11th - 14th 2016 Location: Orlando, Florida Website: www.experiencegathering.com
Date: October 11th - 12th, 2016 Location: Stockholm Website: www.wayupnorth.co
the bloom workshop
Date: July 18th, 2016 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Website: www.bloomtheworkshop.com
experience gathering
#WEDEdu
way up north
We're all about education so love to share the latest workshops, conferences and educational events we hear about from across the globe.
Date: September 23rd - 25th, 2016 Location: Montego Bay Website: www.jamaicabridalexpo.com
A voice recorder for iPad and iPhone. Great for meeting with clients. Website: www.lmesart.com
expensify
The equivalent of Tinder for networking. Great replacement for networking events. Website: www.weave.in
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In each issue we share with you some of the tools we can't do without, things we've found when researching and some gems we've been told about by others. They make our lives easier and save us huge amounts of time within our working life. In some cases they are just great Apps that we love to play with. Enjoy!
zapier
Allows you to see how customers are using your website & you can interact with them via pop-ups. Website: www.intercom.io
our favourite things
weave
intercom
Enables you to automate tasks between other online apps and streamline your workflow. Website: www.zapier.com
Capture receipts, track mileage & business travel to create expense reports on the go. Website: www.expensify.com
audio memos
‘look’ you can do exactly the same with your business brand. Styling your brand gives you the chance to create the very best impression possible with your dream clients. It's about creating a look that you can be proud of, one that sets the tone for the style of work that you do and has the right brides aching to work with you. It's about so much more than quickly picking a logo based on your favourite colours and the calligraphy font of the moment: it's about crafting a carefully constructed look that'll help you achieve your commercial goals. Who did you write 'How to Style your Brand', the book for? For all the entrepreneurs, consultants and freelancers out there, hustling to create successful businesses, determined to build brands they can be proud of, but who could use a little guidance in creating something that helps them achieve their commercial goals.
#WEDBIZ
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Fiona Humberstone has been styling brands, running workshops and creating websites since 2000. An exacting Creative Director and commercially minded entrepreneur, Fiona brings clarity and possibility to every project she works on. Having founded, grown and sold one of the UK's most successful brand styling companies, Fiona now works as a freelance Creative Director for branding projects and consults for design agencies who want to sell more creative work. Fiona partners with leading industry experts to run game-changing courses both online and around the world and is available for speaking engagements. What does 'styling your brand' mean? Essentially it's about pulling together fonts, colours, patterns, textures illustrative elements and photography to create a powerful and intentional message. And just as you might pull together items from your wardrobe to style your outfit and create a certain ‘look’ you can do exactly the same with your business brand.
An Interview with Fiona Humberstone
I’ve spent more than fifteen years working with brands large and small around the world and what I’ve learned is that business owners need help and guidance in creating a brand that’ll win them the right sort of business. I founded my own design agency in 2005 and have worked with so many entrepreneurs who would have saved time, money and heartache if they’d just had a little know-how an insider information upfront. I realised that things I took for granted: working out which designer would be right for a project; stopping to think about our intentions before we started work on the design; understanding the nuances in type or colour, for example were all things entrepreneurs needed to know if they were to realise their full potential. In 2012 I sold my design agency and took a two year sabbatical. During that time so many friends set up businesses and had utter nightmares with their branding. Ultimately it boiled down to one thing: working with the wrong designer. It was heart-breaking for me to see close friends wasting time, money and the opportunity of creating something incredible because they had picked someone whose style was incompatible with theirs. That was all the motivation I needed! I'd always wanted to write this book but now I had a reason and a focus. Your book, How to Style your Brand, is a workbook which walks the reader through the process of styling their brand. Can you briefly outline the steps that you detail in the book? Is there a recommended timeframe for completing this process? Sure. It's very closely aligned with the process I developed when I was running my agency and it's designed to help you find your focus and understand how to make better decisions about design. We start with a Planning section that's designed to inspire you to think big about where you'd like to take your business, identify the clients who’ll truly value what you do and understand what makes your business special. By the end of the chapter you'll have a clear idea of the impression you want to create.
Next, we move on to the fun bit! Creating your vision. This is about researching, brainstorming and creating a mood board that'll create the right impression. Intention is something that crops up a lot in my work. I see too many people picking colours, fonts, logos that they like rather than things that are right for their business and ultimately what this means us that you miss opportunities because you're not creating the right impact. This is where colour psychology comes into its own. It can be very difficult to understand how to translate your brand values into tangible design elements but colour psychology makes it all easier. Want to create an elegant, aspirational and stylish brand? Your business is probably a summer personality so use serif or flowing fonts, soft, delicate, cool colours; avoid black and keep your design light and elegant. I like to think of it as design training in moments! The second part of the book is all about the details that make a difference. I hope that most readers will go on to work with a professional designer to give their brand the impact it deserves. Some will choose to do the work themselves. Whichever route you decide to take its essential you understand how design works and what great design looks like. You need to be able to make smart choices: evaluate a portfolio, review designs and understand how each element comes together ti create a certain impression. We cover logo design, fonts, colours, patterns, photography and illustrative elements as well as some pointers on website and business card design. If someone was just starting to think about 'brand' and felt intimidated by the process, what advice would you give them for standing out and creating their own distinctive brand? Don’t be scared! It's good that you're taking this seriously because when you get this right, it's going to play a huge role in attracting the right brides, working on the right weddings and creating a profitable and sustainable business.
There really is nothing to worry about as long as you take some time out at the beginning to work out what you want your brand to ‘say’ and how you want to come across. Work with the best designer you can afford and don't compromise on photography. Try organising a styled shoot that showcases the work you want to be known for. Styled shoots are brilliant but only when you work with a team of people on your wavelength. Think carefully about the sorts of weddings you dream of creating and select your partners with care. You all need to share an aesthetic for this to work well. Armed with a brilliant brand identity and gorgeous set of photos, your website is one place where you can cut back on the budget. Squarespace, Wix, Wordpress all have some brilliant templates that if you pick carefully. Keep things simple and create a clear, impactful and impressive website. The wedding industry is very competitive. It is also attractive to people who want to launch a business. We see new businesses start up every day and many are drawn to copying what others have done before them. Do you have any advice for how to deal with copycats and also for making sure you don't fall into the trap of copying what someone else has done? Oh goodness, this can be so frustrating can't it? I guess what everyone must remember is that it's only when you communicate in a unique and authentic way that you’ll even begin to realise the full potential of your business. Copying, modelling: whatever you want to call it, will do far more damage to your business than the person you so admire and it really isn't ever ok. We all take inspiration from the world around us, but the successful entrepreneurs are the ones who think:” Interesting… why does that work and how can I make it my own?” In the wedding industry that means becoming known for a distinctive style of design, a certain flair that you can bring that'll get people talking about you. And more importantly,having the right brides queuing up to work with you.
They’re such fun, creative and inspirational events and I work really hard to make sure everyone has a memorable and productive day. We enjoy great food, a beautiful light-filled venue, cocktails at the end of the day and, of course, plenty of game-changing content. Over the next few months I'm going to be launching a whole new range of workshops – some online, some multi day events and a couple of really select retreats where I can work with an intimate group of students. I can't wait to share more! I also take on a few consultancy projects- exciting, challenging and creative projects where I can really make a difference to how a brand performs. Name one thing you do every day that makes a difference to your 'working day'. Well I don't work every day because I still have a toddler at home, but on my work days the first thing I do is get some exercise: Pilates, running or barre concept which helps me clear my head and keep my body strong. It doesn't sound very relevant to my work but I’ve learned that if I'm not well, I can't write, so for me it's a priority. I don't have a lot of time to work, so efficiency is essential. I never work on anything unless I'm totally inspired, I'm a fastidious list maker and I always, always plan to finish my work ahead of a deadline so that if something does crop up or I'm just not ‘feeling it’ that day I can take the time out without compromising on the quality of my work. Interview by Christine Ligthart
Find your style, celebrate it and follow your own path. If you struggle to see past what those planners who really inspire you are doing, stop looking! Look outside your industry for inspiration and trends. Look to fashion and interiors and find your own voice. It might be hard at first but it's the only way you'll find your style and grow in confidence. You talk about using colour to, "create an emotive connection". What do you mean by this? You know when you just have a physical, instinctive response to something? When you're not quite sure why but you have to buy those shoes, visit that place or work with that business? You've connected with them on an emotional level. Rational thought has taken second place to that visceral desire to make something happen. Wouldn't it be nice if your clients felt compelled to do business with you? Colour psychology helps you craft an emotional response with the right clients. It's about creating a look that speaks at an emotive, instinctive and subconscious level. It's actually about embracing something much bigger than colour: it's about all the choices you make in your brand identity, from your choice of typeface to your patterns, shapes, texture of your business card and photography style. Fiona you have some excellent resources gathered together on your blog for anyone who wants to learn more about how to style their brand. If someone is reading this and thinks their wedding business is ready for a re-brand, where should they start? Thank you! There are lots of resources on the blog and I always recommend people start with my Planning Workbook, which will get you really focused. All of the resources are designed to be used in conjunction with the book, which will walk you through the entire process, step-by-step as well as prompting you for which downloads to use next. How else can someone become involved in what you do and learn from your expertise? I love teaching and sharing what I've learned and workshops are a big part of what I do. For the past couple of years I've run colour psychology workshops in both London and, more recently, in New York.
www.fionahumberstone.com
#Wedtips
"When one thinks about branding in terms of their web site, aesthetics come to mind first- logos, colors and images in particular. Providing rich, educational content to your target audience, however, should also be a top consideration. Today’s modern couples are tech savvy and hungry for information. So pair inspiring and informative content with an intuitive and enjoyable user experience for the customer as they make their way down the path to conversion. By incorporating engaging messaging and inspiring, yet accessible, photography into the site, the prospect will connect further with your brand- bettering the chances they’ll invest in your services.” Rebecca Hochreiter Destination Weddings Travel Group www.destinationweddings.com "The biggest tip I can offer is making sure your branding has a consistent look and feel on all platforms, whether it’s your social media presence or the collateral you give to your clients. You need to make sure that the colors, fonts, and design aspects you are using match everywhere so it’s easy to tell it’s your brand. That’s the biggest thing I’ve learned over the years!" Kevin Dennis Fantasy Sound Event Services www.fantasysound.com "One thing that we've done is to make short 30 second - 1 minute video clips of us actually working and shooting brides and grooms set to music. We make sure that they fit our look and our style and we share them on our Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages. We often show one or two to prospective clients during their consultation as well." Jason Turner Turner Photography Studio www.turnerphotographystudio.com
The 3rd Destination Wedding Planner Congress took place in Florence in April ealier this year and worldwide wedding planners didn't lose this unique occasion to visit the heart of Italy. Two days of networking, ten working sessions, many business meetings, roundtables, raffles and gala dinners inside the ancient city buildings of Florence and its countryside, in Italy. Every speech was closely followed, particularly the survey on the multi-million dollar destination industry (the global destination wedding industry is estimated at USD 80 billion, representing 27% of the global wedding industry, which is valued at USD 298 billion) and the suggestions on how to overtake the boundaries of culture, language and market customs when you discover a new wedding destination. The guidelines to handle the vendors as comfortably as possible, the local planner (best practice), the restrictions and the logistic challenges have achieved resounding success among the attendees too. The business keynotes raised many issues such as the importance of recruiting and empowering a team, pricing strategies, how to get inspired without copying, encouraging standardisation in the industry, the role of both media and social media in increasing your business. Last but not least, the comments on celebrities and extra large weddings: two market niches that are going to expand very fast. On top of that, the amazing Italian venues proposal has caught people's attention not only during the congress sessions, but even at evening events, along with the educational tour in Tuscany. An intensive journey around the world, thanks to the speakers and the attendees who came from more than 50 countries, an intensive class about Italy's strengths, an intensive week of relationships.
Guest Article by Rafaella Iscra
Raffaella Iscra is a wedding specialist and writer in Italy. After 20 years of fieldwork, now she helps new business, and teaches wedding as a subject at different wedding schools and university courses
This is one of the events you need to follow to get inspiration, to drive your business, to enhance your market, to better yourself. The third WPDcongress leaves us many messages as: 1. Invest in your image. The way you look tells people about you, and your customers will recognise themselves in you. They should feel like they are talking to a friend, then they will trust you. The more you spend the less you pay! 2. Self-analysis before any strategy. You need to analyze yourself, your aptitudes, your expectations - and you have to be really honest in doing that. This is the only way to define your goals and your business strategy too. 3. Social media strategies. You need to be social, but pay attention to how fast and worldwide every picture or word you post really is. Choose a good web-marketing provider to improve your social side without losing credit. And don't forget to market your partners too. It's like a boomerang! 4. You need the local planner. To embed culture of both the land and your clients, you absolutely need a local planner who thinks as a citizen of your country. Don't stop at the first contact you get, but go over to choose someone like you, who could be your twin in that country. 5. Arouse enthusiasm in the bride and groom. You are planning not only the wedding, but an exciting journey. Get the couple involved in the travel details, they will feel every moment in the destination as part of their wedding too. The pursuit of perfection passes through the plans B, C, till Z. Never give up!
www.nozzeunevento.it
We take you behind-the-scenes at conferences, workshops and industry events, as well as going into the studio to produce some great educational content to help you in your career in the wedding industry. No subject is off limits and we cover everything from pricing to client consultations. Most recently we've produced a series of videos on career planning for the wedding and event industry.
Free-to-air videos for aspiring, novice & established wedding professionals.
academy tv
in their shoes
An up close and personal interview with Fabrice Orlando, CEO of Cocoon Events & Luxury Services. He talks candidly to us about online branding and how he believes the most important thing you can do for your brand is to simply be yourself.
Fabrice Orlando
Your home page shares with its readers, “We are the friends that you just don’t know yet.” Why was it important for that to be the very first thing visitors see? We work from our heart and, for your Big Day, you need someone that you can trust and that will listen to you as a friend. For us, it’s the same thing – we can’t give if we don’t love, so having this friendship feeling is really important. Statistically speaking, couples love to see an updated portfolio on a wedding professional’s site. You’ve worked with a number of celebrities over the years and I imagine that, in many instances, you’re not in a position to share images. How do you overcome this hurdle? As I always say, let’s not focus on what we have done for others let’s focus on what we can create for you! We have enough examples of our events to provide inspiration that we aren’t concerned with those that we cannot share.
Your company specializes in luxury destination weddings and, in this competitive market, what makes Cocoon Weddings stand out? I would say that our unique background focuses on a larger perspective when it comes to “partying and enjoying your day with a smile.” Many luxury wedding companies focus on décor, flowers, and the like, but our main concern is simply that the couples enjoy each and every minute, and that all of the guests have the time of their life. We make sure to ask our couples a lot of questions about themselves, but also about their guests as well. As we like to say, a great wedding is when you come together as one – that way, it’s a big moment for everyone! What prompted you to make the change with your website and expand to a second, wedding-focused website? We pride ourselves at Cocoon Events Group on having a diverse team- filled with many different creatives, and with that, a vast portfolio. The home page of our main site had always showcased events; however, we felt it may be confusing for brides and grooms who are in search of a wedding planner, so we created a site just for them. What website elements were absolutely imperative to include? Our before-and-after section was a must. It was important for us to bring people into our fantastic world where even the most unattractive elements can be transformed into a magical event space. Were there any particular challenges you came across with the creation of a second site? I’d say the most difficult part of the transition was sifting through our massive picture selection to find the very best. We have so many images on file that it’s difficult to choose. Some of the very amazing shots can’t be used for confidentiality reasons, while others we love but wouldn’t want to share without an explanation attached.
"Being yourself is truly what makes the difference and sets you apart from everyone else. "
With your reputation, I am sure many prospective clients come to you wanting to work with you directly. At the same time, you’ve assembled a great team at Cocoon Weddings. How are you able to communicate their value through your site? While I may be the one directing the orchestra, I am useless without my work family. If I have a reputation, it’s simply because my team was with me in creating the magic. A wedding consists of an incredible amount of details and the couple really just wants to know the key members, so we introduce the lighting director, A&R coordinator, and the rest of the team. The main element of our relationships is trust!
You work with couples all over the world, many of whom you may not meet before the contract is signed. At the same time, personality plays a role in the decision making process to hire a wedding company. How do you convey the team’s brand and personality virtually? It’s no surprise that a Skype conference is a bit different than an in-person meeting, in terms of feelings. However, we have a lot of experience with working with couples both near and far, so we don’t find it difficult to manage. I like to think that my background in the radio and music business allows me to easily find out one’s personality from their tone of voice! What are your top 5 tips for online wedding branding? To be honest, I really just have one. BE YOURSELF! There are so many people in the business who are competing for the spotlight. Being yourself is truly what makes the difference and sets you apart from everyone else.
www.cocoon-events.com
Yes, it is the first impression (otherwise you wouldn’t have clicked through in the first place) but it is also the depth of connection you can find with the words and the emotions and the story you tell in every-single-thing that you do across your business. Your brand is your voice and that is what connects and shows off your sparkly pink flamingo wing wearing personality in all it’s glory! That’s what makes you stand out! A strong consistent brand builds Trust As buyers we are a generally suspicious bunch. We worry about the value and the quality of what we will receive for our cashola. When brides are buying anything for their wedding they are super duper suspicious. But when they are buying a major element of their wedding, such as a wedding planner, that suspicion and worry of confidence sky rockets. If you have a brand that is consistent, that speaks to your ideal bride, that addresses their concerns and worries without them even realising it – they are way more likely to hit that “contact me” button. A great way to build trust is to show YOU in everything you do because, ultimately, that is what you are selling. Yes, of course, you are selling your knowledge and your wedding skill BUT there are lots of people doing the same (kind of) thing – YOU are the factor that makes it different.
#wedbizbootcamp
Branding is all about three things. Logos, Colours, Fonts. No! Branding is all about Connection, Trust and Experience. Branding is all about telling a story, a story that your ideal brides will fall totally in love with (just like they did with their Mr or Mrs perfect!). Logos, colours and fonts are the tools you use to share the story. Here’s the thing, no one likes selling, well, there may be a few people who do but most people find it ikky, most people find it unnatural and hate it when “that bit” of the consultation starts. But the thing is you have to sell to be a business so how can you do it without doing the selling bit? Through your story telling and you do this through your brand. A strong consistent brand builds Connection You know when you flick through Pinterest or Instagram and you stop scrolling for a second – it is because something has caught your eye – something has made you stop. You click the link and you get taken through to the website. If everything looks similar, with the same look and feel, you start to have a mooch, and then you may leave your email address in a pop up box, then you will start receiving emails from them and then you may go back to that website as a “go to” resource because you just “felt” it. You are not sure what you felt, but the website, the images, the colours, the composition, the words, the fonts gave you the feeling. That is the power of a brand.
What is Branding All About?
By Emma Etheridge
YOU are the connection they have to feel. YOU are the one that they have to like, know and trust. Your brand also has to position your services in the right way. If you are a luxury wedding planner then you have to have a luxury feel to your brand. If you are selling a fun wedding day product or service, you need a fun and quirky brand. A strong and consistent brand gives your brides a feel of what the experience will be like working with you Let’s go back to the Pinterest/Instagram scroll example mentioned above – when something catches your eye you stop, you look and if you like what you see, you invest time in getting to know more. When a brand is pieced together in dribs and drabs, when there are lots of inconsistencies in font, in colour, in look and feel brides can often feel unsure. Things aren’t clear and they don’t get that sense of trust. This links back to the experience they will expect from you. If they see lots of different pieces jammed together, they will feel that the service and the experience they will get from you will be the same. Yet if you have that strong brand, with that strong personality and tone of voice they will have more trust in the experience you will take them on as one of your brides. Brand storytelling is a great way of showing your brides of the experience they can expect from you. Your brand really is the backbone on your business. It is what runs through everything that you do but the reason that many wedding business owners keep changing their brand is because they haven’t looked at the meaning of what they are doing. Often times people jump straight in with choosing fonts, colours and logos before the strategy bit has been done. That isn’t always a bad thing when you are starting out on your wedding business journey because you may not know what you are all about and who you want to work with – experience teaches you both of these things. But when you are ready to up-level and build that awesome wedding business, branding is a key part of the puzzle. So, my final piece of advice to you Think of your brand as your voice. A chance for you to show your true personality – with its sparkle, gold bits & all the wonderfulness that makes you YOU because that is what will convert brides and that is what will make brides choose you over others. Words by Emma Etheridge
Ashley is the Creative Director and Lead Designer at Ashley & Malone a boutique design agency. From a young age, she has always been lovingly obsessed with design, whether it meant doodling for hours or crafting high school art assignments. After pocketing a degree in Graphic Design and working on high level corporate branding projects, her creativity was ignited when she found my true design legs in the wedding and event industry. We are lucky enough to pick her brains for this issue of the Wedding Business Magazine and find out how brand are created at Ashley and Malone. I thought perhaps we could start off by talking a little about how you approach branding with your clients. I’ve read your 8 step dating process you use and love the idea of this. Can you tell us how it works? Tell me about it! I’ve been working in branding for the last 10 years anywhere from large corporations, to online retailers, to small business owners. While there is a similar approach to each, we tailor the strategy to the specific business. For example, our process would be different if we’re branding a wedding planner compared to a fashion blogger. What holds true to our approach for a wedding based business is starting with who their ideal clients are, what the goals are for the business and the personality and core values behind the company. It’s with these components that we’re able to come up with an intentional strategy that will allow them to grow their business for the long term. “A good rule of thumb for any business owner embarking on the branding process is to relate EVERYTHING you design or create to the goals of your business and your ideal client. The focus should always be on who your clients are and how you can better serve and attract them. One of the biggest mistakes I see business owners make is relying on their personal tastes to drive their business aesthetic. “
www.ashleyandmalone.com
An Interview with Ashley Malone
What advice can you give to our readers about identifying with their brand? For every business owners it’s wildly important to get consistent feedback from your clients. I recommend following up each event with a quick 5 minute online survey that you can email out to your clients. Really think about the information you’re going to find most useful from them. Remember, you just don’t want the good, you want to know what your clients struggled with or how they think you could have done better. Really, it’s the constructive feedback that’s going to allow you to make good changes for the next client. A question we always ask is “Was there anything about our process, communication or execution you think a future client would find helpful”. It’s a friendly way of getting to the core of helpful advice and it won’t intimidate most clients. When you understand how your clients see you, you’ll be able to make meaningful changes. What are some of the common mistakes you see people make with their brand? As I briefly mentioned above, it’s definitely relying on their own personal tastes to fuel their brand identity or following too closely to a competitor they admire. I find this especially true with newer businesses. If you don’t have the money to invest in a brand designer in the beginning, hire one for consulting or download a branding workbook online. Doing your homework and asking yourself the right questions about your business and ideal clients will help you pull away from the pack and allow you to make choices that stand out from your competitors. You have to know who you are and how you serve your clients best to build a strong brand. The key to branding is knowing who your audience is and then relating everything you do back to them. What are you top tips for doing this? Without sounding cliche it’s about being intentional with everything you put into your branding and online presence. When you know who your audience is, tailor every single piece you’re putting out there to them. What would they want to see? What are they struggling with and how can you help them as the expert? Would they be attracted to this type of wedding? Everything from your social media feed, to your blog, to your gallery portfolio should be tailored to your audience. If you’re attracting a modern downtown bride, but you just saw this really cute vintage sweet table that you want to Instagram. Stop yourself and ask, “would my audience connect with this? ”. If the answer is no, keep it to yourself or share it on a private personal page.
Everything from our photography to our website copy, you’ll find little details about how we relate our personal and professional experience into the wedding industry. We really wanted to show potential clients who we were, why we got started and how we could help them. Our brand story has evolved over the last few years and we recently overhauled some of our materials to better suit our growing team. But you’ll always find our story in some capacity through our branding. Making sure you are consistent throughout all branding elements is key. Do you have some advice on how to do this? A company and brand guideline are our keys to keeping things consistent. Our company guide features our internal processes, our values and all of our business systems. Everything is clearly laid out so employees know exactly what to expect and what our policies are. As a growing business this is hugely important so your staff can understand your company culture and can help you share it with the world. What your staff communicate about your business is just as important to how things look. That’s step one! The second step is creating and following a concise brand guideline. Ashley & Malone’s features our main logo, secondary logos, watermarks, colour palettes, fonts and pattern design. It describes the usage for each, which includes how to use the brand, and how not to. We make sure that everything we’re putting out there is consistent with our identity and that includes anything from packaging, to Instagram posts to our client gifts. When we approach a branding project we think about the entire strategy, not just one element. We do this by initially focusing on the brand identity and creating a unique system that can be carried through every element of a business. We wrap up each project with a brand guideline that has rules and information about how to use the brand going forward. The design of your website is a big part of your brand. Putting that website together so it flows and really represents your brand is quite a daunting task. I know from having read your blog that you recommend writing the copy for your website before starting on the design. Can you tell us more about that? I don’t know about you, but the thought of starting a design with no information would leave me spinning in circles with no direction.! When you start any project you should have all the elements in place before you begin designing. The same would be true for a logo design, I would never start designing on my computer until I had a strategy in place and sketched out my concepts before hand.
How do you match the level of service your offer with your branding and website? If you’re in the luxury market and charging premium prices, your identity needs to exude this to your ideal client. If they are spending money on a Vera Wang dress and your website looks like your friend built it, you’re going to have a harder time selling your services. When your brand and website mirror your expertise, clients will stop questioning your value and won’t doubt your pricing. The other simple thing you can do is to be different, be yourself and don’t be afraid to stand out! The wedding space tends to be a place where brands blend in, not always, but often. There are two ways you can look at approaching this. The first is to find your unique selling proposition. What about your business is unique to you? What can you offer your clients that is different or better than any of your competitors? The second is infusing your personality into your branding. You’ve heard it before, but people buy from personal connections and trust. Share who you are and what’s unique to you. No one can be you, so finding little personality quirks and incorporating them into your brand and website is a thoughtful way to stand out. Just make sure at the end of the day, that what you share is attracting your ideal client. At Ashley & Malone you've really told a story throughout your brand to allow your clients to connect with you on a very personal level, tell us a little more about this. With Ashley & Malone, we tied our love story throughout our entire brand identity. If you’re unfamiliar with it, Dallas (my husband and partner aka Malone) met in our last semester of design school. After one horrible date, followed by one amazing date, we fell in love and married in 2012. We were both working corporate jobs in graphic and website design, while running a successful freelance marketing company. Truth be told, I hated the work I was creating for engineers and large firms. When we were in the wedding planning process I fell in love with the industry and our vendors. Knowing our background, we heard complaint after complaint from them about MIA developers or designers who didn’t understand a feminine aesthetic. The idea for Ashley & Malone was brought to life a few months after our wedding: to combine the trust and expertise that came with an experienced design duo who understood the industry and a developer that wasn’t going anywhere ;) Our clients instantly felt at ease knowing we were a married team passionate about quality work and delivering as promised.
be true for a logo design, I would never start designing on my computer until I had a strategy in place and sketched out my concepts before hand. Copy writing is often overlooked as something that’s “nice to have” and I couldn’t disagree more. The copy on your website is such a powerful way for you to tell your story and connect with your readers. If you write the copy after your design, how do you know where it will go, will there be enough room to get your point across? By planning your copy for each page of your website, you’ll begin to see a clear path to how your website should flow and you’ll be able to help your client navigate your site in a way that tells a story and makes sense. Having visitors to your website and converting those visitors into actual paying clients are two different things. What are some of the things you can do to convert your website visitors and connect more with your clients through your website? I think many wedding pros rely on imagery alone on their websites. Your site is more than your images, you want to make an impression with copy and a unique design so they remember you! A website homepage should tell the user exactly who you are, where you’re located and what you do. By adding more detail than just your portfolio, you’re inviting a potential client into your brand and enticing them to learn more about your business. When a user feels connected to the business or the owner, they’re more likely to reach out and inquire. I also recommend including a great photo of yourself on your about page. I don’t want to see your wedding photo or a selfie taken in the car (yes, I’ve seen this many times), you want a professional and engaging photo. Eye contact and a big smile go a long way! Another quick thing, make sure your social media is easy to find in the header or footer of your website. Couples want to see that you’re active on the same platforms that they are! It’s a surefire way to connect with them quickly. What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned on your business journey so far? Following my gut instinct is a continual lesson and struggle for me. When you’re running a business and carry the burden of paying yourself and your staff, it’s easy to take on everything that comes through the door. But no amount of money is worth the stress and frustration that follows a client that’s not a good fit for your business. I still deal with this day to day, but it’s become more clear over the last year about turning away work that either might not serve our business or match the client's’ needs. No one likes to disappoint someone, but in the end it’s always better to follow that initial gut feeling. Very rarely is it ever wrong!
Ceci Johnson
#wedpro
A force in the design world, Ceci Johnson is an influential and highly regarded entrepreneur, artist, editor-in-chief and loving wife and mother. She is renowned for her creative talents, always pushing the envelope in business and design, as well as with her own fashion-forward style and sophisticated brand aesthetic. Dedicated to a lifetime pursuit of living glamorously through design, Ceci has built a powerhouse atelier and transformed the art of inviting and branding. Regarded as a pioneer in the industry, Ceci has been invited regularly to speak to women in business, designers, wedding industry professionals and other entrepreneurial groups bringing her expertise and experience to audiences around the world. This platform has given her the opportunity to interact with other entrepreneurs and see that her prowess can be used to help businesses escape their ruts and separate themselves from the pack. One of her passions lies in mentoring and consulting with other entrepreneurs as the first step in changing the path they’re on and transforming their strategy, branding and design for the better.
To enable the world to receive beautiful and personalized designs that essentially turns their story into keepsake art. Instead of searching through endless templated designs, we would create exactly what they wanted from our imaginations. I was doing this on the side, while still working as a Visual Designer in the corporate world, and before I knew it, people were telling me I should really consider doing this full time, as there was nothing like you out there. I heard this over and over again and soon enough got the courage to study the industry and realized they were right! I launched my business over 12 years ago and to this day, we love making our clients look good through our creativity. Seeing their excited, smiling faces when they receive their final designs, is the best part of my job! And when my client’s phone blows up with compliments on how stunning their invitations are, that’s just icing on the cake! I am a regular visitor to your site. Colours, textures, designs & styling change, but there is something that is always present; you. You are at the center of your brand. What does that mean for your business? Since my work is so personal, I wanted to share with my clients who I am as a person too. I think it’s important they can get an understanding of what I like, how I think, what my style is like since they will be working so closely with me and trusting us to design for their most important events.
Ceci, if you had to describe what you do to someone who isn't familiar with your work/business, what would you tell them? Ceci New York is design. We are a team of award-winning creatives who surprise and delight our clients every day designing custom invitations, stationery and event branding for all of life’s special occasions. The best parties in the world begin with a Ceci New York invitation. From weddings, to kids birthday parties, to mitzvahs, to corporate events, branding and beyond, everything we make is one of a kind with an elegant edge. We are a beautifully creative design brand full of glamorous sophistication. Can you give us a little background on your start-up journey? I started Ceci New York all by myself out of my NYC apartment with nothing but a hope and a dream. No investors, no “Daddy Warbucks”, no board of advisors; just me, a lot of determination, passion and a desire to create the best graphic design in the world for my clients. I saw a niche that no one else was doing at the time. There was a huge void in the world of invitations as all that was really out there were big clunky binders full of ho-hum templated designs for people to buy. I wanted to offer them the chance to work with a trained graphic designer to experience a special and affordable creative process that make life’s occasions even more fun for them!
Also, to go behind the scenes and understand how our creative process works and the great detail and care that goes into all of our designs. This is more than my job, this is my passion and my lifestyle so I find it fitting to open up and help them understand me and my team a little more. If you had to give advice to someone just starting out, or even to a professional who feels it's time to revamp their brand, where would you suggest they start? Google. Do searches for your business name (new or current) and see what comes up. Whatever name you’re thinking of giving your business make sure that no one else already has it. It’s such a waste of time, money and energy to start something that will never be exclusively yours. Having brand confusion right off the bat, is a big business no no. Just imagine if there were two companies named Nike or Verizon. Wouldn’t be right. Which one is THE one? I see so many businesses not doing their homework and I feel bad. It’s a really easy thing to avoid if you just check Google first. Did your branding process start with being very clear about your target market/your niche? Or did this develop over time? I always knew that I wanted to create beautiful things and I had a desire to position my brand as a luxury brand just because of my natural draw to the finer materials and aesthetics in life.
improve for the better. The lessons I share seem to be the same ones we all go through at some point in time. I just wish I had someone showing me the way when I was starting and struggling. Would have been so much easier! Ha! What books are on your nightstand/what tunes are on your iPod/what magazine is a must read every month? Business books are always on my nightstand (and in my handbag). Right now, I’m reading The Essentialism by Greg McKeown. For magazines, it’s always a mix between fashion (VOGUE, W Magazine, Harper’s BAZAAR) and business (Inc., Entrepreneur, Forbes, etc). In five words or less, what would you say to your younger self if she walked into your office and asked you; how did you do it? Always find a way.
"By owning one clear message, you get everyone on board working towards the same end goal."
It takes work. Hard work to set aside time to do your due diligence to your own business. Trust me. The irony is we spend so much time working on making our clients better, we tend to put ourselves last. But I’ve learned over the years that I must set aside time to write a branding standards manual and share with all my employees. Additionally, ensuring that your messaging is accurate online in all social channels and of course, your website. And last, you - as the business owner - have to make sure you are setting the best example for your brand as well. Because as the leader, they all look to you to show them the way! I know you get asked to talk about 'brand' a lot. I have had the pleasure of listening to you speak on this subject myself. What do you think it is about your message and what you do, that resonates with other business people? I’m glad to hear my message resonates. I feel we are all in this together. Running your own business, while being the talent and the person that pretty much has to do it all is hard work and a lot of responsibility. Most of us are juggling the same things, maybe in a little different ways, but I truly believe you can always keep learning. If you open your mind to feedback, you will find that you can always improve for the better. The lessons I share seem to be the same ones we all go through at some point in time. I just wish I had someone showing me the way when I was starting and struggling. Would have been so much easier! Ha!
Being a perfectionist and always wanting to do something different, I found that’s where I could be my best and do my most creative work when I could use my imagination to it’s fullest. Funny story, when my dad found out I was going to be a graphic designer his reaction was “Oh, like Kinkos, right?” I had to spend some time explaining the difference... In what ways does New York inspire your work and your business? New York is and always will be one of my favorite places. I love the energy and drive here. I am in a city where everything around continually pushes me to create and innovate and be better. It’s the creative center of the world where you get to work alongside some of the most talented people around. How could I not be inspired? Honestly, inspiration is everywhere for me...especially in my travels. I do love to get out and explore new cultures and cities - dive into their art, fashion, design, food...everything! I’m definitely an artist who needs to explore and learn. If I’m kept in one place for too long, I go crazy! Plus, every single one of my clients is an inspiration too. Getting to know them and learning about what makes them unique, where they’re from, their culture or what they love also gets me inspired and then I mix it with my loves and wonderful things happen. Are there any drawbacks to being the 'face' of your business? Is it right for every wedding business? When you put yourself out there, you do open yourself up to be a little more vulnerable. It’s not easy. You have to feel completely comfortable with it otherwise, it may not be right for you. I believe it’s not about being cocky, it’s about being confident. Confidence is everything in business. As an artist and creator I am constantly putting my ideas out there in the universe to be critiqued. So I look at this as the same thing. As your team has grown, how have you helped the people working with you to understand what your brand stands for? I think it’s incredibly important to take the time to educate your team and the world your brand stands for. Without it, you have no message and quite honestly, no brand. By owning one clear message, you get everyone on board working towards the same end goal.
Visit www.cecinewyork.com or www.cecistyle.com
What are you looking forward to most when it comes to the future of your business? I just launched a brand new website introducing e-commerce. I’m very excited about the platform and being able to offer our designs to clients globally now at the click of a button. We are working on many new product launches that will be rolling out over the course of the year and into 2017 and beyond. So much is in our pipeline, I can’t wait to share it with everyone. For first notice of the launches, you can subscribe to Ceci Style here www.cecistyle.com and will get to follow along with all we’re working on. The shoots that feature you on your website and in your magazine, are very glamorous, but they also look like so much fun. Is fun something that you value in your working day and 'around the office'? I think life would be so boring if you didn’t have any fun. Even though we all work very hard, I try to make sure we don’t forget to enjoy what we do too! Can you share 3 things that you love to do, away from work, that make you a much happier business woman? Family time unplugged from my phone ideally on a turquoise beach somewhere warm and beautiful. I also read a lot of books. What are your top 5 things that you do in a working week that no matter how busy you are you always make time for? Coffee, singing lullabies to my kids after books and kisses at bedtime, going out to dinner, dancing around the house with the kids just to be silly and bubble baths to relax (even if it’s at midnight). Interview by Christine Ligthart
By Meghan Ely
#wedpr
Reflecting your brand through PR There are many considerations when developing a public relations strategy for your company- your goals, positioning, location and resources to start. But what many don’t realize is that your branding plays a crucial role in creating the ideal press portfolio. Your branding defines who are you as a company, and what you value most. This is typically reflective in your log, web site and marketing materials. The most successful brands, however, are ones that remain consistent throughout all aspects of their business, including their publicity campaigns. In the branding process, you’ll find that your target audience heavily influences those principles and the same can be said when fine-tuning your promotional strategies. If you aspire to attract a particular type of couple, you’ll have to reach them in the right places with the right content. With this in mind, your branding is essential when building a press portfolio. The outlets that you choose to submit to will ultimately determine what kind of attention you attract, so keep your ideal client in mind as you do your media research. “Destination wedding couples come from all walks of life so our goal is to target a diverse mix of media outlets,” explains Rebecca Hochreiter, vice-president of marketing and customer engagement for DestinationWeddings.com. “There are a number of great destination wedding focused blogs and publications which directly connect us to prospects but we love also getting featured on more mainstream sites which can inspire couples that haven’t quite made the decision whether or not to dash off for the Big Day.” With that being said, there’s no need to limit yourself to one particular audience segment when submitting your work. Ultimately, you can diversify your media plan to reach your specific audiences through an assortment of channels. “We are faced with the challenge of having two very different target audiences- engaged couples and wedding professionals interested in creating wholesale accounts. So we divide our time between B2B and B2C opportunities,” shares Igal Sapir, chief technology officer of 100Candles.com.
So, the question is how to determine what defines your brand and using that to your advantage as you incorporate public relations into your business. Ask yourself what you would love people to think about your company. “Our brand is not only tied into a spectacular day – it’s also well organized and put together, which we want our brand to speak to as well,” says Jennifer Taylor of Taylor’d Events Group. “While we do make an effort to submit real weddings to build our press portfolio, we also look to share our expertise with couples and our peers through expert commentary.” Your brand could be rooted in your community, your design style, your personality – the factors that go into it are truly unlimited. When you have a strong understanding of what your company represents, seek out media outlets that share similar values as they will draw in readers that fit your company well. “Our brand is deeply tied into the local community, so we especially love being featured alongside our creative partners in regional publications and blogs,” expresses Kevin Dennis of Fantasy Sound Event Services. “With that said, our brand also values innovation so we always enjoy the chance to be featured nationally to inspire couples from other regions with the latest and greatest.” Oftentimes, wedding professionals are unsure of whether to focus on print media, online or a mix of both. “As a made-to-order special occasion dress company, our brand was created in an effort to provide consumers with accessible wedding fashion without the extra costs of brick & mortar stores and middlemen,” tells Araceli Vizcaino-S of Azazie. “We sell exclusively online, which plays a huge role in our media placement. Our target audience shops online, so we really focus on getting our name publicized in media outlets that reflect our demographic. It’s especially important to really focus on what channels or media your target market is looking at and let that guide your media outreach strategy.” If you’re starting off your public relations push and you haven’t identified your brand yet, it’d be wise to take a step back and solidify a few details about who you are and what kind of business you want to bring in the future. It’ll not only make your PR efforts much simpler, but it’ll also create a cohesive reputation for your business across the board. Words by Meghan Ely
Here are 3 basic places where you want to mention your brand name throughout your website: 1a. Title Tag Every page and post in your website has a “title tag.” It’s written into the code of your site, but most website CMS (content management systems) provide an easy title tag field you can populate so you don’t have to mess with code. Tip: If your website CMS does not give you easy access to a title tag field, ask your developer to update your title tags for you. If you don’t have a developer, get one. Your job is to plan and design weddings, not write code. If you’re unfamiliar with the term “title tag”, think of it as the headline that appears in the search results pages, like this:
#wedSEo
You’ve invested a lot into your brand name; business cards, web address, reputation and more. The last thing you want is for another company to rank higher than you for your business name in search engines. In this issue, I’ll show you how to dominate the first page of search engines for your own brand name. Battling for Brand Visibility First, let’s take a look at a real life scenario of what could happen if you let other websites steal your spot in the search engines for your own brand name. A few years back a wedding photographer called me in a panic because competitors who shared her same business name in the same geographical area were outranking her in the search engines. She was losing business left and right to fresh prospects who recently heard of her or met her at wedding shows, but were landing on someone else's website! Let's face it, prospects can have short memories. If they land on someone else’s website with the same business name and service as yours, they probably won't remember enough about your business to realize that website is not yours. No bueno. That’s why it’s critical you lock up as much of that first page of search results as possible for your business name and personal name. 1. Start With Your Website The most obvious place to begin is with your own company website. It’s essential that you are crystal clear in communicating the name of your business and/or your personal name, throughout your SEO and copywriting so that Google, Bing and others can make no mistake about the identity of your business.
…And in the tab of a browser window when viewing a website, like this:
Keep Your Brand at the Top of the Search Engines
I have seen Google do this countless times when I’m optimizing my clients’ websites. In fact, Google has even honored our title tag exactly as we created it for several years and then, all of a sudden, modify it out of thin air years later! It’s frustrating, but we have no control over it. Don’t be alarmed; this move simply indicates that Google believes users will find value in seeing your company name first. I have no reason to believe it will affect rankings as long as you’re implementing a solid, holistic SEO marketing strategy for your website.
If your brand name is longer, it might not be practical to add it to the end of every title tag for every page; after all, you want to have plenty of room for your target keywords for that given page or post. Currently, Google only displays 55 characters of the title tag in mobile phones, giving us only so much room to play with. Yes, you can go past that amount if you like, but searchers won’t see it. In the SEO field, not all experts agree as to whether it is beneficial or detrimental to extend title tag content beyond the maximum characters displayed. For my clients, I typically try to stay within the character limits that Google has set at that time (they have changed over the years.)
And I recommend mentioning both your company name and personal name (if you are the owner or ‘face’ of the company) in your About Page title tag, like this:
So, which pages should you include your company name in the title tag? At minimum, I suggest including your company name in your Home Page title tag, like this (you can see that Google relocated the company name to the front of the title tag, even though we placed it at the end of the title tag):
By Kathy DalPra
Although, don’t be surprised if Google moves your company name to the front of your title tag, even though you’ve placed it after your preferred keywords, like this:
Search engines are definitely looking at the content inside the title tags throughout your website and consider this information to be critical in determining the subject of a page or website. For this reason, we want to make sure that at least a few title tags in your website contain your branding. If your brand name is short, it might be possible to include it at the end of every page’s title tag, like this:
1b. Description Meta Tag The “description meta tag” is also a bit of code written into each page of your website. Search engines look to this for additional guidance on the subject matter of that page. If you’re unfamiliar with the term “description meta tag”, think of it as the longer description that appears under the title tag in the search results pages, like this:
Similarly to the title tag, you want to make sure that a few key pages in your website have your brand names included in the description tag, such as your Home and About pages. 1c. Page Content Naturally mention your company name and personal name, where appropriate, throughout the content of your website. There is no need to force this. Simply mention your brand names organically where it makes sense. Certainly your Home and About pages will present one or two opportunities to do so. This tactic is merely to reinforce to search engines the association of your business and personal names to your website. In other words, if you mention your company and personal name periodically on webpages and blog posts throughout your website, search engines will start to get the hint that your company is behind your website. Bonus Tip: Add Your Location If you are a locally based business, be sure to mention your location in multiple pages throughout your website, including in a couple title tags, description tags and page bodies.
This allows search engines to distinguish your company from other businesses who may share your name in a different geographical region, which will avoid your website ranking for the wrong location and ensure that it does rank higher than other similarly named companies not serving your area. In other words, Google considers the location of the person searching when displaying search results. Someone searching for “wedding planners” from Seattle, Washington USA will likely see different website listings than someone searching from Boston, Massachusetts USA. By clearly communicating your location throughout your website, you help search engines rank your website for the right geographical area so qualified prospects can easily find you and not other businesses who may share your name. 2. Expand With Branded Web Properties Search engines aren’t going to flood their first page of results with nothing but pages from your website. However, they will pull in listings from other authority websites that mention your brand. That means you can leverage all your social media accounts, branded wedding listings and PR features to tie up the entire first page of Google, like this: (insert image brand-rank6b) Here are a few keys to dominating the first page of search engines with your branded web properties: Ensure you have several active social profiles specifically in the wedding industry (ex. WeddingWire) Have active profiles in at least a few of the most popular social media sites online (ex. Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+) It’s always helpful to have a few business listings on a few authority wedding sites that fit your niche (ex. Style Me Pretty) Actively pursue free press with real wedding submissions to top wedding blogs Every profile or directory listing you create should clearly state your company name, personal name (if you are the ‘face’ of the company), profession (ex. wedding planner) and location (if you are locally-based business) Be active on your social profiles. I know this can be challenging sometimes, but an empty, abandoned social profile with few posts, followers and engagement may deter search engines from ranking those profiles on the first page of search results for your company name. Words by Kathy DalPra
Q & A
I am launching a wedding business and want to stand out, but there is a lot of competition out there. How do I get people to see what it is that I have to offer, that my competitors don't?
Great news. There are a lot of resources out there to help you. This month we are talking to Fiona Humberstone who has written a fabulous book called, How to Style Your Brand. She also has free resources on her blog to help you get started. We recommend starting there. www.thebrand-stylist.com
I launched my business 4 years ago. When I started out I wasn't really targeting a certain type of client, but this has changed and I now want to be known for a very specific type of wedding service. Should I re-brand?
I can't hire a professional to help me brand my business, but I don't know where to start doing it by myself.
Firstly, don't be intimidated by competition. Competition indicates a healthy demand for services, which is good news if you are about to enter the market to compete. We recommend that you approach branding as a process and that process doesn't begin with deciding on colours, logos, fonts etc. It should begin with defining what your business values are & what makes you different from your competitor. This step is all about really honing in on what you want to be known for. Once you have done this, you will have a much clearer picture in your mind of what your brand is and be ready to move onto the next steps.
There are a lot of very good reasons to re-brand and a shift in your target demographic is one of them. Brand is all about the story you want to tell your potential customer and if your brand isn't helping you to connect with your target audience, it is time to consider a re-brand. Tip: Don't fall into the trap of re-branding to fit in with trends. Instead make the decision based on your own research into your target market and what your customers are responding to, about what you do.
Kristin Banta
Kristin is an Event Producer specializing in weddings with a unique point of view, pushing traditional boundaries and the expected. Known for her Bravo TV special, "The Wedding Party," host of Style Network's, "Keep The Party Moving" along with being a vocal advocate within the community for marriage equality. In this interview I chatted to Kristin about branding and how as consumers we all have relationships with brands and what that means to us as wedding professionals. So branding. This is such a hot topic right now and everyone has an opinion on it. I thought perhaps we could start off by talking a little about what branding means to you and how you’ve developed your own brand as Kristin Banta Events. Brand is what we believe in, what we stand for, the promise we make to our consumers … it is our unique point-of-view. A brand can create passion and can inspire. The most successful brands stand out amongst their peers because they are built from the inside out on differentiation. Whether we realize it or not, our entire body of experience is what cultivates brand identity. My brand was developed based on my unique set of influences growing up. Early in my career, I thought I would end up working in the music industry. I was then presented with the opportunity to do a wedding. I didn’t know anything about weddings, I never imagined I would get married, and I didn’t relate to the traditions … but here I was, encouraged to produce a wedding in my own voice, and it ended up being incredibly successful. It occurred to me that if I didn’t relate to traditions and craved a more unusual way of presenting a wedding, then others must as well. From there, I set out to create an event production company specializing in design and planning, geared towards weddings with a non-traditional spin. I know for many understanding how other people see them versus how they see themselves can be challenging. Can you give us some ideas on how our readers, who are all wedding professionals, can get to grips with their own brand? Be distinctive in knowing who you are, what makes you unique and what differentiates you from your industry peers. Ask yourself, how do others see me and does it match how I see myself? Every action, response and reaction will determine how the marketplace will perceive your brand. Be consistent with your message and remain true to your professional values and vision.
#wedinspire
So this is a tough question. How do you define how you stand out? When you talk about branding you tell people to be known for something, can you tell us more about that? Standing out is simply differentiating yourself from your peers. What makes you special? What is it that you do that no one else does? Creating a niche for yourself in an over-saturated industry is integral, as that is what will make your business relevant and necessary. If you are constantly reaching out to “your people” and are clear on what you represent within the marketplace, there will always be a consumer. Not everyone is going to subscribe to your point of view. However, it is better to have a distinctive point of view than none at all. Consumers are more discerning now than ever before, so how can wedding professionals take advantage of that within their branding? If your brand image is clear, the consumer will know exactly what to expect and what separates you from other companies offering the same services. In a world of small service-based businesses void of factories and physical assets, your brand is the one asset that holds true value. If you are effectively and consistently communicating the unique value that you bring to the table, those who identify with it will seek you out. A brand should tell a story and that is particularly relevant for wedding professionals. Can you tell us how you’ve accomplished that as Kristin Banta Events to give our readers an understanding of how they can do that too? I developed my brand based on the things that I am passionate about … abandoning formula, transcending trend, articulating individuality and redefining tradition. I love the couture and the theatrical, I aspire to create an experience, gravitating towards clients who know who they are and are fearless. I want to work with those wising to tell their story in technicolor with full depth and dimension. This is my story – this is what defines my brand. My clients are those that relate with me. They seek me out based on my distinct brand and unique vision. Your brand must deliver its own message … you must tell your own story and determine what makes you special and unique to the industry. The experiences you have had, the things you believe in and how you came to be are all your brand story.
Consistency is so important. Everything should flow from one element to another. How do you keep the consistency throughout your branding? Consistency is key. Your brand is reflected in every aspect of your business and all aspects should feel like one person with one personality. It’s all about projecting a consistent look, consistent tone in communications, and a consistent level of quality. Emails, logo, collateral, voicemail greeting, blog, images, promotional materials and web presence - All should reflect the same thinking, imaging and clarity of ideas. As part of what our students do at the start of a course with the Academy they have to do a SWOT analysis. In what way can you take your strengths and weaknesses and use them to help you tell the story of your brand? Capitalize on your brand’s strengths. Minimize your brand’s weaknesses. Strengths will be the bat signal, so to speak, that helps your audience find you – those are the messages that should be constantly communicated. As for your weaknesses – it’s ok to admit them. I am not the best choice for those with smaller budgets, looking for design light events nor am I likely the best fit if you want a horse drawn carriage or mason jars and dream catchers but that’s the point … there is enough to go around. You need to find your audience by relating to them. The key to branding is knowing who your audience is and then relating everything you do back to them. What are you top tips for doing this? Finding your audience comes from identifying your people. My people are usually some combination of edgy, rebellious, theatrical, trendsetting, fashion-forward, funny, confident and maybe a little irreverent. They are the individuals, the independents, the free thinkers and the contrarians. Brands are about finding alignment between what the customer is thinking and what you are saying. There must be an emotional connection between your consumer and your company and your brand should be the way in which you reach them. Once you know your audience, you must make sure that you are clearly and effectively communicating the unique value that you bring to the table.
www.kristinbanta.com
ways to find your new clients. I personally feel as though referrals are absolutely the most important way to go. There’s nothing better than one having had first-hand experience with your brand at a past event whether that be the client, an attendee or the venue. I know you advocate being a thought leader within your community but can you give us some ideas on how our readers can do that? Get to know your industry. Determine which creatives and professionals within all aspects of the event industry inspire you and then hone in on your own unique point of view. It is important to understand your industry and to know what you are bringing into it. You don't need to be a jack of all trades but you should at least be able to speak the languages as an event producer. Learn every aspect of the job so you understand everything from textiles to lighting, flooring finishes to tent structure. Understand the difference between coordinators, designers, planners and event producers. Once you have done your research, do everything possible to work with those who have a business you connect with and respect. Don't hesitate to start an intern or an assistant. You should not have to pay for this experience. There are many internships – find one where you can freely trade your time and work in exchange for experience and education, the more time you can commit, the better as this will allow you to be an asset to a company. The more responsibility you successfully can take on during your internship, the greater your value to that company and the more knowledge you will obtain, thus if at the end of your internship, if there is not a job for you there, you can leave with strong references and experience to bring to another company or your own pursuits. Additionally, I recommend workshops and conferences where possible, volunteer to help if you cannot afford to pay to attend them…and network as much as you can as those relationships will be very valuable to your career. Above all, if your goal is to become a successful Event Producer it is imperative that you establish a unique brand and develop a business model based on the qualities that set you apart from your peers - research and knowledge are the keys to determining this. Words by Kylie Carlson
Knowing where your consumers congregate and socialize is so important as this is the key to being able to reach them. Do you have any advice on how to identify where these places are? Visibility is key. Once you have determined what sets your brand apart from your peers, evaluate where your greatest opportunities for growth exist. Where do your consumers hang out? Determine where they circulate and strive to create a brand presence and a voice in those communities both physical and viral. Pursue press that support your brand and work to vigilantly control what is featured. My work has appeared in everything from Punk Rock Confidential to InStyle Magazine to Martha Stewart, however all are outlets that have presented my brand in a consistent light. I may know that I can get a particular wedding published but if it feels like it will read as inconsistent with my brand to the marketplace, I am better off to refrain from pursuing it. Social media and the Internet have both simplified and magnified the importance of self-promotion. They make you accessible everywhere - they are not your brand nor is your brand based on how popular you are in this forum. However, it can amplify your reach. Make sure that your presence is authentic and unique to you and your voice. I use Facebook to showcase causes, to make people laugh and to interact with my community and audience. I look to Twitter to both promote and get feedback on our business as well as to highlight vendors, feature my work, and to actually have a conversation with followers. I use Instagram to feature more photo-rich content and to showcase lifestyle. I use Pinterest to feature my work, to articulate my personal taste and to illustrate a level of style and personality. And I use YouTube as an opportunity to post videos from television shows I’ve appeared on, as well as to highlight some of our event work. Over the past few of years, I have established a TV presence. However, out of protection for my brand, I have very carefully curated the projects I have been involved with and have been very clear about the roles that I have served. I have been cautious, avoiding risking my brand by being arbitrarily cast on a TV show, and I have created, developed, and pitched shows that I felt would be consistent with my brand. You must always weigh a possible opportunity with the impact on our brand. Can you give us some ideas on how you can cultivate your clients? The best way to cultivate your clientele is to understand where they congregate and how you can reach out to them. Whether you do so via social media, a booth at a bridal show, an ad in a magazine or via word of mouth from your favorite past couples, there are always ways to find
By Heidi Thompson
Understanding the Power of Your Email Marketing List You work hard to get clients for your business. Sometimes it feels like you’re throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks only to find that nothing does. You feel like you’re doing everything you can and nothing is working. That sucks, and I get it. So what are you supposed to do? I find time and time again that wedding professionals are missing a very powerful tool that could really supercharge their marketing and sales. That tool is email marketing. Now maybe you’ve heard about email marketing but you don't see how it fits into your business. That's why I'm taking you through the 3 most common objections I hear from wedding professionals about email marketing and why they're just not true. #1: “But I don’t have repeat business” I hear this a lot and it’s because the person saying it is thinking about email marketing as a post-purchase follow up mechanism, and it can be, but that’s not how it helps you book more clients. Email marketing works best when it sits in that period between someone thinking about hiring someone who does what you do and them actually booking someone. You can swoop in there, provide valuable and helpful content and stay relevant and top of mind with your potential client. And who do you think they are going to decide to work with, the person who spent time helping them or the one who was only interested in the sale? Email marketing allows you to be that person who markets in a really helpful, non-icky way over time AND when you use an autoresponder, you only have to write it once and it works on autopilot.
#wedpromo
#2: “I just need more traffic” It’s true that a certain % of your website visitors turn into clients. You could just send more people to your site to have the vast majority of them leave and never take action or you can increase the % of people who turn into clients by allowing them to take a small first step (opting into your email list). Once you have your sales funnel in place, a larger % of people who visit your site will join your email list and through the wonders of email marketing, more of them will become clients. So yes, more traffic can help, but sending more traffic to a website that isn’t set up to generate leads is like trying to fill a leaky bucket. Plug the hole in the bucket first by setting up your email marketing, then fill it. #3: “I don’t need an email list, I have social media!” Remember when Facebook changed their algorithm and people who were relying too much on Facebook for business were totally screwed unless they wanted to pay for ads? That’s what happens when you put too many eggs in baskets that you don’t own. You OWN your email list. You do not own your social media followers. If all of your social media profiles and your website were hacked tomorrow, could you still get business? I could, because I have an email list of people who are interested in my work, the problems I solve and in working with me.
“So how do I get started?” You’re going to need an email marketing service in order to set up anything. The good news is there is a huge variety of them available. The bad news is that having a huge variety can be very overwhelming. That’s why I’ve created the Email Marketing Services Comparison Guide for you and it’s totally free! Words by Heidi Thompson
"As an event facility, caterer and winery we are always looking how we can increase loyalty with our guests. A guest who attends a small corporate event today could be your next wedding couple of tomorrow. At every turn of the event you want to be able to exceed you guests expectation. Training and getting your team involved by listening to their feedback will allow you to cultivate brand loyalty amongst your employees. Their excitement to be at work and loyalty to the brand will transfer into exceeding your guest’s expectation in service and goods creating loyal followers. Brand loyalty results in return guests and word of mouth promotion allowing you to increase revenues." By Heather Jones Wente Vineyards
Branding Top Tip
This gorgeous styled shoot took place in Garthmyl Hall, a recently opened wedding venue nestled in the Welsh countryside. The concept was to uncover the diversity of this beautiful, undiscovered venue. This elegant venue boasts ten bespoke en-suite bedrooms, a grand dining room, a Gentlemen’s Bar, a luxurious living room and a striking dining room – complete with gilt ceilings and atmospheric mirrors. The venue style dictates the shoot featuring vintage glamour, complemented with a delicate pastel watercolour palette. The overall effect is soft, feminine and completely timeless. The shoot showcases the Pantone colours of 2016, rose quartz and serenity, featured in the table candles. Champagne gold accents appear throughout including the chair décor and china wear. Paired with pastel shades, this colour combination is perfect for achieving a romantic feel. Venue décor has been kept understated with pink and gold paper fan garlands standing out against the mirror. The Styled Shoot Team: Venue: Garthmyl Hall Concept and styling: For the Love of Weddings Photographer/videographer: Rocksalt Photography Flowers concept and arrangement by: Pheasant Botanica Cakes and dessert tables: Tiers of Happiness Macarons: Calon Macaron Stationery: LoveLi - Design for Love & Life Vintage Glam tableware, props, and chair decor supplied by: Table to Dine For Vintage Gold China Bridal gowns: Claire Mischevani Couture Jewellery accessories: Glitzy Secrets Lingerie chemise sets: Daisy Sheldon Embroidery Shoes: Rachel Simpson Hair: Paul Garett Make up: Leah Sims
showcase
Let me show you an example of what I mean, I am a make-up artist and I live in Cornwall (well obviously I don't live in Cornwall but yes I am an MUA in Bucks when time allows). How is data going to help me??? Read on.... On average there are 290000 weddings in the UK, and approx 90000 couples going abroad. How many of these weddings are in Cornwall? 1.25% of UK weddings are in this fine county, so let us say 3569 using these figures. Of this 3569, 2234 were first time marriages; there were 1110 church weddings and 2459 civil; shall we break this down further? How old were our brides? U25 – 421 25/34 – 1738 35/44 – 796 45+ - 614 How many of these were first marriages or re-marriages? Re-marriage(1335) : U25 – 21 25/34 – 274 35/44 – 470 45+ - 570 So we now know: 5% of brides U25 are 2nd marriages/ 95% first time 15.8% of brides 25/34 are 2nd marriages/ 84.2% first time 59% of brides 35/44 are 2nd marriages/ 41% first time 92.8% of brides 45+ are 2nd marriages/ 7.2 first time
Welcome back to adventures in WedDigital! Now remember last time I was saying how important it is to look at data. We have all heard the saying 'Content is King' and yes it is - to an extent. You are a wedding guru (love how many people call themselves this) and author the best articles ever, better than Shakespeare and Wordsworth! You are spending hours and hours talking about how wonderful you are, what an expert you are and how no wedding would be the same without you. All this effort, tears, stress is not worth a dime unless you have sussed your audience. When we are working with businesses it is key that we understand them, what motivates them, their goals and ambitions for their companies. My first question to every new client is who is your audience? I stifle a giggle when I get the answer, every time! 'Well, people getting married obviously' doh!!' But how wrong you are! I have stood up in front of almost 300 wedding suppliers now on various occasions and asked the question, you have all given me the same answer. I find it amazing that I am surrounded by business professionals who are all throwing money into their marketing/PR without even looking at the most basic of starters, the fundamentals of your marketing and how successful you can be, keeping within cost and time frame. You may be reading this thinking so what?! Surely everyone getting married is my target audience and yes you would be right BUT surely you want your business to be successful and enjoyable. How much time have you spent looking at data to ensure you are not overspending, ensure you are getting results, getting those all important bookings. Is everyone getting married right for you? More importantly are you right for them???
Digital Marketing in Wedding World
#weddigital
Cornwall is a fascinating county to study for wedding demographics as between 75-80% are coming from outside of the area due to a family tie, or longing to wed in this fair place. If there are 3600 (approx) weddings a year being held here, that means that only 720 are local ie living right here on the doorstep. The remaining 2880 are coming from other areas. This stat alone is pretty useful when planning your marketing strategy. If you are a local supplier ie cakes, florist etc – then focus your marketing on couples logistically within the area you wish to cover. If you are a venue however, you need to cast a far wider net – as your target audience in addition to your 720 local couples – is the 2880 looking for that perfect Cornish venue. And if the venues are marketing nationwide, as a supplier I would be looking to secure myself partnerships with venues as preferred supplier OR team up, and work together promoting at a national level. A MUA can run a campaign targeted at the age of her brides ie: If 614 brides are 45+ that represents 17.2% of Cornwall’s brides – still a sizeable number and excellent bookings, even at 1-2 per week. Average wedding mua spend of £250 x 2 x 52 = £26000! Just from one piece of data, and targeting your PR! With mobiles users spending almost 3 hours a day on their phones/tablets and only reading printed material for 20 minutes, are we grabbing the attention of our couples? 88% are online looking for their essential suppliers - see where I am going with this? Start thinking about data, demographics and destination. Look at who is getting married in your target area and how best to reach them! I am always happy to advise businesses on start-up and growth and expansion! If you need me, you know where to find me! Until next time when we look at digital vs print and how much you are getting for your money! Words by Tina Reading (call me Yoda)
By Tina Reading
The Publishers
The International Academy of Wedding and Event Planning is the leading training company for the wedding industry with campuses worldwide. The Group of campuses has an international Advisory Board made up of wedding and event experts from around the globe. We offer courses in wedding planning, wedding design, event management and event design.