by Stacy Zemon
The Knot is not the only place brides go anymore to investigate wedding vendors.
Just in case you haven’t heard, WeddingWire is “HOT!” The site allows engaged couples to look at vendor information, reviews and ratings. It’s also an online tool for booking wedding professionals who have 4 and 5 Star reviews from past clients.
The best part about this service for DJs is that you can market your business for FREE, and that’s a guaranteed return-on-investment!
Most mobiles with positive reviews have had an increase in bookings. So how do you get happy brides singing your praises? Ask them to!
Maximize The Impact of Free Online Marketing
To maximize the impact of positive reviews on WeddingWire, send an email to your happy wedding clients a few weeks after a reception with a link to your WeddingWire storefront so all that they have to do is click through. Don’t provide any coaching as to what they should say, though ask them to be as specific as possible. Brides who had a wonderful reception will naturally want to rave about it.
From a marketing standpoint, it’s a good idea to link to WeddingWire prominently on your website, and to encourage prospects to check out your reviews. Each time you get a new rave review, be sure to publicize it on Facebook and Twitter. This is especially important if you win a “Bride’s Choice” award.
For Some DJs, Yelp Can Also Help
On the West Coast, an online review site called Yelp seems to be helping many mobiles. Visitors use the site to find local businesses such as dentists, hairstylists, mechanics AND mobile DJs.
The difficulty, according to PMDJ’s “Money Answer Man,” Jerry Bazata, is that with WeddingWire, The Knot and Yelp, the emphasis is oftentimes placed on getting reviews to be noticed.
The clear problem is that 95% of the reviews state the obvious three positive aspects of the mobile DJ: 1. that the DJ was professional, 2. that the music was great and 3. that everybody commented on what a great time they had at the wedding. This is a pretty vague observation on which a bride can base her decision to choose a DJ service. So, asking your clients to be detailed in their reviews will help you stand out in the crowd.”
The Upside to Great Reviews
Nonetheless, getting positive reviews on any of these sites is like have the sales pitch made for you, which is great. Wouldn’t you love to have a bride call you and say: “I read your reviews online and like that you offer uplighting and photo booths. Are you available for my wedding date?
The Downside And A Way Around It
The only downside to WeddingWire I can see is that when you type in an area code for a search it gives you company listings from furthest to closest distance. In my opinion, it would make more sense to do it the other way around. Also, there are already a lot of DJ companies using WeddingWire, so you could easily get lost in the mix. Perhaps a way to counteract this is to pay to get premium placement across leading sites in the WeddingWire network. It might comfort you to know that other DJs who have done this have experienced a high return on their investment.
Features & Benefits for Vendors
Here’s a listing of the site’s features & benefits for vendors:
- My Storefront: Create a FREE customizable storefront & get listed in our Vendor Catalog
- Events & Deals: Showcase your events & deals to attract potential clients
- Reviews: Invite your past clients to write great reviews for your business
- Leads: Receive leads from engaged couples in your local area
- Connections: Connect with other Wedding Pros just like you & grow your business
- Preferred Pros: Create your list of trusted Preferred Pros on WeddingWire and share with clients!
- Endorsements: Pro-to-Pro recommendations that you can give & receive among your own professional network
- Forums: Participate in the community, give advice and share your experiences
The WeddingWire team is constantly expanding its distribution, and also offers monthly conference calls to advertisers on relevant industry topics.
In a down economy you need all of the leverage you can get. Consider WeddingWire as added reinforcement to your other marketing efforts.
Stacy Zemon, Publisher and Chief Scribe
Stacy Zemon is internationally considered a leading authority and leader in the DJ industry. She has reached an audience of millions as a Radio, Club, Karaoke and Mobile Disc Jockey.
What’s more, Stacy’s efforts as a Writer, Author and Publisher have enabled her to spawn the largest number of DJ business owners in the world!
She is author of the world’s best-selling DJ books: The Mobile DJ Handbook, The DJ Sales & Marketing Handbook and The Mobile DJ MBA, and was a longtime writer for DJ Times magazine.
Her mission is to provide educational resources for DJs that support their professional growth and financial prosperity.
Write to her c/o [email protected] or call 877-442-7170.
For the longer version of Stacy’s story, click here. To learn about the business services she provides for other DJs, click here.
