Wedding Industry Biz

How to be a Great CMO for Your Business

Before we dive in, we have to talk about the elephant in the room. You know, the “running a wedding business is hard work because you’re pulled in 50 directions at any moment in time” one? 

Okay—I said it, and now we can move on. 

But here’s why that’s so important to acknowledge: it’s hard to objectively wear all the hats you do and be responsible for so many things when it comes to your business. Because the hat you wear as “wedding planner” for your couples is just as important as the “bookkeeper” hat you wear for your business. But swapping hats all the time is tricky—one of them is bound to fall off your head at some point!

And one of the hats that falls off for a lot of wedding pros is the CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) hat. But it’s a super important one to pick back up when you’ve figured out you’ve misplaced it. So it’s time to step into your role as CMO.

Read on to learn about the impact you can have on your business when you become its CMO.

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Wedding Industry Biz

5 Ways to Leverage Technology to Support Remote Leadership

The industry’s post-pandemic resurgence has brought back everything from live events to in-person networking. With the wedding boom (finally!) starting to quell, many event pros are settling back into their routines. Yet, for many businesses, one underlying shift remains a part of the “new normal”: remote work.

There are countless benefits to remote work. For one, employees are often more productive when provided with flexible arrangements. A better work/life balance also boosts morale across the board. Pair a happy team with the cost savings of a virtual workspace, and it’s hard to argue for the traditional in-person, 9-5 setting.

And with coworking spaces and meeting room rentals on the rise, many event pros have settled into a comfortable hybrid approach to collaborative work.

But doing client work remotely isn’t the same as leading a team remotely. While you might churn out timelines and floorplans on the go, it’s not as simple to oversee shared projects and manage staff from a distance. As your team grows, so does your leadership role — and it’s vital to use technology to support an efficient and supportive work environment for all.

If you (and your team) appreciate the idea of remote work, aim to harness the power of technology in these five ways to keep your employees motivated and engaged.

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Wedding Industry Biz

Set Yourself Up for Pinterest Success in 2023

Most wedding and event pros understand the power of Pinterest when it comes to designing events or gathering inspiration. Many have probably dealt with a Pinterest-happy client or two who couldn’t seem to get enough of the endless creative ideas the platform has become famous for. But, most service based businesses in the wedding and event space don’t know how to turn their love-hate relationship with Pinterest into a lead generating machine to help them grow their business. 

Engaged couples across the globe – and in your local area – look to Pinterest for inspiration as they plan their big day, while businesses and corporations are increasingly turning to Pinterest for ideas for their next meeting or event. Florals, venues, lighting, video, decor, cakes — with more than 450 million active users each month, Pinterest is vital for industry pros looking to generate new leads.

Though many refer to Pinterest as a social media site, it’s important to understand that it’s a “search and discovery” platform where users go to find ideas and solutions (think Google and YouTube). If you want to build a successful Pinterest profile that brings you the right kind of inquiries, you’ll want to develop a set of strategies that are different from the ones you use on social networking platforms, like Facebook and TikTok. 

Pinterest is the long game, meaning it can take some time for your efforts to pay off, unlike social media or email marketing, which are quick, immediate hits. If you’re hoping to generate new business from Pinterest, now’s the time to dive in to set yourself up for leads in the future. 

Here’s how to set your service-based business up for Pinterest success in 2023.

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Wedding Industry Biz

How to Use Technology to Create a Better Brand Experience

Creating a better brand experience is at the forefront of most business operations. After all, clients who enjoy working with you are more likely to leave five-star reviews and send referrals your way. With the event industry continuously changing, it’s essential to stay on top of the experience you provide clients and use tools that will allow you to do so.

The one thing you need to stay ahead of the curve? Technology.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to an even greater shift into the digital world, with events taking place over Zoom and client communication remaining completely online. As a result, being tech-savvy is no longer a bonus for those looking to work with an event professional. Now, it’s a must-have.

Luckily, you can use technology to create an outstanding brand experience for your clients, from booking to onboarding.

Here are five ways your tech solutions will help you stand out.
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Wedding Industry Biz

3 Workflows to Automate in Your Event Business

Automation this, automation that. We often hear automation touted as the be-all and end-all, but many event pros excitedly sign up for software like Zapier or IFTTT only to realize they don’t know what to automate. When you’ve been in business for so long, your usual routines and processes are just par for the course. Your manual workflows become muscle memory, so you might not even realize that there are easier options.

But with technology rapidly evolving, there are many solutions at your fingertips — you just need to know where to look. And while your first thought may be to head over to Google, your starting place is actually right inside your business.

Here are three key business workflows to automate and how they will free up your bandwidth for work that fills you up.

Sales Workflow

To be clear, you can’t put your whole sales process on autopilot. Prospective clients still expect to meet with a human, so there’s no getting around that. However, there are plenty of transactional touchpoints you don’t have to handle on your own! For instance, if a contract hasn’t been signed, there’s no need for you to open up your inbox and write a follow-up email. Instead, see if your contract software allows for automated follow-up emails and let it do the heavy lifting for you.

Outline your sales workflow and identify any steps that don’t require a human touch. Perhaps your email marketing platform can auto-drip a welcome campaign to every new inquiry. Maybe you can set up a payment schedule template in your invoicing software to send invoices whether you’re at your desk or on the go. Use the tools you have or find new software to support your needs!

Client Onboarding Workflow

New clients come with lots of questions and even more backend to-dos, but that doesn’t mean it’s all on you. You can likely leverage tools you already have—like your website, CRM, or email platform—to save valuable time and treat clients to a consistently impressive onboarding experience.

Think about the steps of your onboarding workflow. What is the first thing that happens after they sign your contract and pay the deposit? Do you send a welcome guide in an email? Is there a kickoff call involved? You can automate most of these steps! 

Don’t worry if none of your systems allow for trigger-based automated emails. You can still leverage good old-fashioned Gmail to save time! Find the emails you send the most and save them as templates in your inbox, so you never have to rewrite them over and over. You can also pre-schedule emails, allowing you to batch a whole set of emails at once. It’s not 100% automated, but it will save you time and energy!

Invoicing Workflow

Nobody likes manual invoicing, but even worse is having to chase down outstanding payments. So don’t do it! Look for invoicing software that supports payment schedules, so you can set it and forget it. Clients will receive invoices like clockwork, and if they’d like, they can even set up auto-payments so nobody has to think about it.

Better yet, find a system that allows for automated reminders. No more awkward email reminders every few days – let the software handle that for you! A streamlined invoicing workflow lets you step away from admin and helps your clients pay quickly and more reliably, so it’s one of the best things you can do for your event business.

Beyond these three workflows, there are likely plenty of other small tasks you can simplify to save more time in your day. And rest assured, once you set up a few automations, you’ll start noticing other tasks you don’t need to do so you can continue offloading all of that unnecessary work! 

 

Elizabeth Sheils is the co-founder of Rock Paper Coin, the first software platform to bring together wedding planners, couples, and vendors into one system for managing and paying contracts and invoices. Elizabeth is also a lead wedding planner with award-winning firm Bridal Bliss, where she manages the Seattle team. In addition to recognition by Special Events in its Top 25 Event Pros to Watch series, she also earned a spot in The BizBash 500 for 2021.

Wedding Industry Biz

10 Questions to Ask to Qualify Your Potential Client Couples

You’re ready to get more clients, but how do you know which ones are right for you? 

Start by qualifying leads in order to figure out which couples will be the best fit. 

Remember, it’s necessary to resist the urge to take on every client that comes your way. 

Because if you want to grow your business and earn what you deserve, then you need to make sure you’re working with your ideal clients. 

So, when you’re on a discovery call or or at a first meeting, be sure to ask these 10 questions.

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Wedding Industry Biz

5 Ways to Develop Your Leadership Skills in 2022

A well-rounded leader does more than keep a business running. Ultimately, they have the power to influence and teach dozens of budding event professionals. Most entrepreneurs look back on their success and think about the mentors who helped them get to where they are today. And as a leader, you can become a significant figure for industry newbies.

Though leading others comes with its fair share of responsibilities, it also presents an incredible opportunity for you to cultivate meaningful relationships and bring in additional business. Your talents may take you far, but to grow as a professional, you need to focus on developing strong leadership skills.

If you’re looking to widen your reach as a leader and continue to stand out in the event industry, here’s what you can do to develop your skills in 2022.

Focus on flexibility

Rolling with the punches became a regular occurrence when the COVID-19 pandemic came around. As a result, live events worldwide were canceled, postponed, or rearranged, throwing a wrench in industry professionals’ plans. Luckily, the businesses of leaders who practiced flexibility continued to turn a profit.

To become a better leader, it’s essential to be open-minded. Of course, your way may not always be the right way, so listen to feedback and don’t be afraid to make changes that benefit you and your team.

Those who pivoted (like offering catering curbside pickup or virtual wedding packages) were able to provide an exceptional client experience during a tumultuous time. So if you’re serious about developing as a leader, be flexible and optimistically approach each curveball thrown your way.

Prioritize transparency

Strong leaders aren’t afraid of a little tough love – and they know how to accept constructive criticism. To sharpen your leadership skills in 2022, be transparent with yourself, your team, and your clients. There’s no need to sugarcoat things!

Being honest goes a long way in gaining respect from others within the event industry. Great leaders understand they’ll run into a few speed bumps, but by being open with others, they can find innovative solutions that work for all.

Practice empathy

The past few years have undoubtedly altered the landscape of the event industry. So if you want to become a better leader as times continue to change, you’ll need to focus on being empathetic towards others. 

The best industry pros know clients appreciate feeling seen and heard. This goes for employees as well – your team will be grateful as you tune in to their needs and support them as a leader!

With the industry catching up from the pandemic, think about how you can lend a hand to those who might need extra help. For example, offering advice or a free 1:1 call with a growing professional or simply letting your team members take a day off to focus on their mental health. Small moves like these will go far in polishing your leadership skills.

Learn to delegate

The most productive leaders aren’t afraid to loosen the reins, which means they know how to delegate. Moreso, they understand that delegation isn’t something that harms their business but allows it to grow instead. So let 2022 be the year you ask for help and lighten the load you carry.

Of course, onboarding a new team member can be a time-consuming process. But once they get into the swing of things, they will help ease the burden of your responsibilities. The result is that you can take on more clients or put attention toward other projects. If your business is growing beyond what you can handle, then you need to delegate in order to thrive in your leadership role!

Tap into your creativity

When asked to envision a leader, some see suit-clad professionals sitting at a desk or rushing to their next meeting. But those in the event industry understand that this isn’t always the case. Some of the best leaders continue managing client work and finding creative solutions to new problems.

This year, think about how you can tap into your creativity more often. It might mean spending less time at your desk and more time getting to know your audience. Maybe it’s following inspiration to create offers that meet their needs. Or perhaps it’s about picking up an old hobby outside of work to get the juices flowing. Whatever it may be, don’t be afraid to do things differently!

The event industry is ever-changing, but one thing that remains constant is the potential anyone has to become a strong leader. So no matter your number of clients or social media followers, start taking steps to become a better leader in 2022. There’s always room at the table here!

 

Elizabeth Sheils is the co-founder of Rock Paper Coin, the first software platform to bring together wedding planners, couples, and vendors into one system for managing and paying contracts and invoices. Elizabeth is also a lead wedding planner with award-winning firm Bridal Bliss, where she manages the Seattle team. Additionally, Special Events recently recognized Elizabeth in its Top 25 Event Pros to Watch series.

Wedding Industry Biz

5 Reasons Why You Should Take Advantage of a Virtual Tour

If you’re a wedding planner, then you’re likely managing a packed schedule. Which is why it makes sense to wonder, is getting a demo worth the time?

Although it can be tempting to think otherwise, the answer is yes.

So, why should you take advantage of getting a virtual tour with Timeline Genius? 

Here are 5 reasons why a virtual tour is worth it.

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Wedding Industry Biz

How to Become Certified in Wedding Day Timeline Creation

Are you ready to become a certified expert at creating wedding day timelines?

In partnership with The Bridal Society, Timeline Genius offers a certification course designed to help you master the process of creating wedding day timelines. 

As a result, you’ll not only gain valuable expertise, but you’ll also learn best practices and elevate the professionalism of your brand. 

The best part is you can get started right now!

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