10 days ago, our Editor-in-Chief, Lara Casey, jetted off to Grand Cayman for the premier wedding conference, Engage!10. (It’s kind of a big deal, and she was just a teensy bit excited, as you might imagine.) She came back with a tan, a plethora of great pics, plus a ground-breaking survey from Two Bright Lights. (For a full recap of her week in paradise, check out Lara’s mega-post here!)
An online image-sharing and networking service, Two Bright Lights is on the cutting edge of social networking and is committed to revolutionizing how wedding professionals showcase their work and promote their business. Pretty nifty, eh? Earlier this year, Two Bright Lights conducted a comprehensive survey of 700 wedding professionals from across the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. In addition to exploring the in’s and out’s of the luxury wedding industry, theirs is the first survey that’s been able to quantify the exact revenue benefits of marketing activities. Yeah, we were pretty impressed, too – not to mention chomping at the bit for the results!
If you’re a Planner or Designer: your best sources are past client referrals, Google searches, endorsements from wedding venues and other vendors, and paid online listings. Not too terribly surprising, right? Next in line are referrals from another planner, Real Wedding publications and print ads. Yes, folks, even in this crazy magazing climate, print ads still go a very, very long way in boosting your revenue.
If you’re a Photographer: your single biggest source of revenue is those invaluable client referrals. Next in line are Real Wedding publications, referrals from other photographers and favorite venues, and print ads! Yes, you read that right!
What’s the takeaway from your friends at Two Bright Lights? Market smarter, not harder. “Remember that time is limited, and money tight. Pick the marketing activities that give you the biggest bang for your buck.”
Want to chat about the survey findings and geek-out over the cool results? Interested in taking the plunge into the world of advertising, and want to see a copy of our new media kit? Email me!
Signing off,
Katharine
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