Great Example of Blogging

Marketing to brides online using blogging is smart and more and more Wedding Professionals are figuring out that blogging works. I've been telling my Book More Weddings ADVANTAGE members to do it for over a year now. Those that started early in 2007 are seeing the rewards from their efforts.

When I find good examples of blogs being used for marketing to brides online I'll let you know. Often, people get hung up or overwhelmed when thinking about starting a blog. Trust me, it's pretty easy, it's straight-forward, it doesn't require a webmaster, and it's free (if you don't count the time and effort you put into it - which WILL return a solid ROI).

Today, "Hats Off" to Kristi Richardson at Bloomed to Last.

Kristi has almost 10 years of floral designing experience, a retail background, and is a Professional Bridal Consultant. I get her email newsletter and she's recently launched a blog to help her clients, brides and grooms, with their wedding planning.

Stop by and take a look: http://bloomedtolastbrides.blogspot.com/

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

p.s. Watch for my two new websites, coming this Spring, Wedding Industry Statistics and Wedding Industry Marketing.

p.s.s. Are you a Wedding Minister or Wedding Officiant struggling to grow your business, looking for support or guidance? Visit Rev It Up Marketing today!

Wedding Ministers and Wedding Officiants... Don't Miss This

If you are a Wedding Minister or Wedding Officiant and marketing to brides online you won't want to miss a series of tele-clinics and webinars I'm doing with Rev. Claire Goodman.

Rev It Up Marketing is a project we've been collaborating on since the end of last year and we're kicking things up a notch with a three tele-clinics/webinars.

Each class will be filled with great information, tips, advice, and recommended resources. We'll also allow plenty of time for Q&A at the end of the hour.

Session/Class #1
Sunday, March 30th, 8 PM

Topic: Search Engine Optimization Overview.

So, you've got a website... great! But are the couples who need your services finding it? If not then this class is for you!

Session/Class #2
Sunday, April 6th - 8 PM

Topic: The Words You Choose Make or Break You.

Topic includes: The importance of your marketing message, unique value proposition, discounting pros/cons, WIIFM, benefit vs. value.

Session/Class #3
Sunday, April 13th - 8 PM

Topic: Why Wedding Officiants Should Be Blogging and How To Get Started.

If you can't make heads or tales of this thing called blogging or if you've got one but can't quite figure out how to make it work for your business then we can help!

To participate all you need is a phone and Internet connection with a browser (to follow the online presentation). Long distance phone charges may apply.

Visit Rev It Up Marketing for more information.

Blogging For Brides

This is a test post at my Wedding Biz Blog. I can easily create a link to my Book More Weddings website, better still, use keyword text in the link...

Online marketing to brides.

Marketing To Brides Online With Video

YouTube had more than 9.8 billion video views in January.

That's B - BILLION.

More than 75% of the US population that used the Internet in January viewed a video! YouTube served up 96% of them. Wow!

More than 139 million U.S. Internet users spent an average of 206 minutes per person viewing online video in January. Google Sites pulled in the most viewers (80 Million), where they spent an average of 110 minutes watching video. Fox Interactive attracted the second most viewers (53.9 million), followed by Yahoo Sites (36.3 million) and AOL (21.9 million).

Video is certainly one of the most under-utilized online media tools used by Wedding Professionals. Be sure to add it into your online marketing mix in 2008 and you'll be happy you did.

The Beatles Are Coming To iTunes !!

Looks like everyone who owns a piece of the Beatles, dead or alive (Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, the families of the late John Lennon and George Harrison, music labels EMI and Sony, and Michael Jackson), has come to the table with Steve Jobs and iTunes and soon we'll be able to buy Beatles songs online.

I love the Beatles and have been waiting for this for a long time!

More Sales

Everyone wants more sales.

That's what marketing to brides is all about, right?

One way to get more sales is to get more inquiries. That's what websites are supposed to do - generate inquiries from brides.

One way to get more inquiries is to make it easier for brides to make inquiries.

I know... that sounds so obvious, but I visit too many websites that make it too difficult to find the contact option or a phone number?

One of my client's recently thought it was a good idea to remove their phone number from the top of her website (we had to have a little talk...).

Why in the world are you making brides LOOK FOR your phone number or even click a link (or button) to find your contact form?

Want more sales?

Then focus on getting more inquiries!

Here are a few ideas:

(1) Add your phone number to the top and bottom of every page. I like to see a phone number at the top right of a page - that's where I think most people's eyes go. I've seen this simple change increase inquiries 30%.

(2) Add your inquiry form to the bottom of your home page. If people aren't ready to make an inquiry after reading your home page you've got a problem. I'm not saying they all will, but I'm saying they should be ready to make an inquiry. 95% of the people who visit your home page should want to, and be ready to, make an inquiry after reading it.

(3) Add a "Bookmark This Site" option to your home page. Not every bride will be ready to make an inquiry on her first visit to your website. Her boss is probably coming back from lunch any minute now and... she'll have to visit later! Adding a simple "Bookmark" this site option is a simple and effective way to build repeat traffic and get more inquiries.

Simple stuff here folks... that can make a big difference.

Here's another way to increase your company's exposure, get more inquiries, and book more weddings!

Having Trouble Closing Sales?

Having trouble closing sales? Getting good inquiries but can't seal-the-deal? Here is one of the best books you will find on closing sales. Tom Hopkins is one of my favorite sales trainers.



If you're not getting inquiries, if you're not getting the results you expected from your website, follow this link...

Overt Benefit

It's Book Recommendations Week and here is the first of two of my favorite books.

The words you use to convey a message of value, benefit, unique value proposition, and overt benefit, will make the difference between a bride who visits your website and a bride who makes an inquiry... and becomes a new customer. Here is "must read" stuff if you want to kick up your marketing message to the next level (and get more inquiries and close more sales!).