Photo Credit: Amy Michelle Photo

This is a guest post by Debbie Orwat. Debbie is the Founder & Chief Inspiration Officer at Planner’s Lounge. I’ve asked her to share her thoughts on how to build a great reputation in the wedding industry.

With social media giving us instant access to many people and things, it is easy to expect instant trust from our peers and from potential clients. Because of this, you may need to reset your expectations on trust to avoid frustration, especially if you are new to the events industry. It still takes a few years (or more) to build a solid reputation, gain trust, and establish credibility in the events industry.

Since there is no quick road to overnight success, what can you do to establish and maintain a great reputation? Below are 4 strategies to establishing a great reputation in the wedding industry.

1) Get Connected

Find a local networking group to join and attend on a regular basis. By joining an industry organization and being active in the events industry,  you show a commitment to education and professionalism. This helps develop your reputation as an expert to your peers and clients.

The face-to-face interaction from attending industry events will build stronger relationships and present opportunities you won’t find on social media. It’s hard to establish a reputation in the industry without anyone knowing who you are. After a networking event, follow up with new people you met within two to three business days. Being consistently dependable and following up will elevate you in the minds of others and help establish trust.

Online networking has its own unique set of benefits, such as being able to see people’s work, comment on their posts, and view their profiles. It’s convenient too – you can do it any time of day.  Keep in mind that publishing your client’s weddings on your blog and on social media isn’t networking. Relationships are built on communication, not just electronic links and automatic notifications. Take time to invite social media connections to coffee or out for a drink so you can get to know the person behind the profile and they can get to know you and your business as well.

2) Get Educated

Your commitment to professional development is a great way to solidify your reputation in the wedding industry. Attend conferences, workshops, and other educational events to develop the knowledge needed for success.

When you attend an educational event, actively promote what you are doing. Your peers and potential clients won’t know you attended 2 industry conferences and took 3 online courses this year unless you talk about it on your website, blog, and social media. Potential clients love to see that wedding professionals are constantly learning and staying current with industry trends.

3)  Get PR

Public relations (PR) is a great way to establish trust for your business. When your peers and potential clients see a third party validation of your work, it is perceived much differently than if they see a typical advertisement for your business. When we see an advertisement, we know the company is trying to sell us something. When a third party, such as a wedding blog or magazine, endorses our work by publishing it, our business gains credibility and trust. Engaged couples are more likely to hire us based on unbiased external endorsements than from paid advertisements.

Public relations can include winning awards, getting a styled shoot or wedding published, being featured on a popular podcast, or having an article published on a wedding blog. These all bring a new level of credibility and trust to your wedding business and can sway a potential client to choose you over the competition.

4) Get Reviews

Reputation is usually built from one main thing: happy clients. Seeing star ratings and reading online reviews makes it easier for engaged couples to quickly compare competitors, get a feel for whether a business can be trusted, and if their products or services are great, good, so-so, or just plain bad.  

Getting online reviews for your wedding business must be an ongoing process and should be built into your post-event task list. Once a client leaves a review, take time to respond to the review. In addition to asking clients to write an online review for your business, consider asking other event professionals for reviews if you have worked together often. Other business owners understand the value of a review. Take the time to leave a review for their business as well.

Once you have plenty of positive reviews, take advantage of them! Share them on your website, blog, and social media channels. Send them out in your email newsletter and include them in your marketing materials.

A positive reputation is one of your most valuable business assets. As you go along on your journey of growing a successful wedding business, remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint. We are building a business for long-term success and sustainability. By using these four strategies, you can develop a stellar online and offline reputation for your wedding business.

Debbie Orwat is the Founder & Chief Inspiration Officer at Planner’s Lounge. Planner’s Lounge is a community and resource site for wedding and event planners to relax, talk, learn, and inspire. Whether you are just learning how to become a wedding planner or you are a seasoned pro, Planner’s Lounge empowers you with the tools and resources needed to succeed including educational guides, templates, coaching, community, online courses, and digital products.