1. Tracking Log a. Provided: Marketing is a vital part of your business. This is one factor that will determine how far your business will go. It is very important to view your marketing dollars spent as an investment. As with any investment you should want the highest Return On Investment possible. In order to know that it is important to track where your business is coming from. After a few months, you will know how well your marketing budget is working for you and where to market more or less. Invest in the areas that are driving clients your way. 2. Your Phone a. Answer the Phone Live: Answering Machines and Voice Mails lose 80% of callers. If answering the phone yourself is not an option, consider an answering service. b. Home Based Businesses: Operating from your home is a great way to keep the overhead of your business down. A separate phone line is recommended for your business, but if it is not feasible then a voice mail or answering machine is necessary, make sure that it answers with your company name. Face it; most of your family and friends will know that you are operating a business from your home so there is nothing wrong with your machine answering "Thank you for calling ABC Company". You must appear to have a storefront to your clients. This will help establish your first contact first impression. We all know how important first impressions are, so make it a great one. Last, but not least, don't ever answer your home based phone with a simple "hello". c. Area Codes: First of all, it is wise to know what area you are trying to target within the realms of particular avenues of advertising. If you want your business to reach across a vast area and multiple cities, think about getting a toll free number. You don't want to lose potential business due to brides not wanting to pay toll charges. The same applies with area codes. Try to get a phone line,or cell phone if necessary, that has the area codes of the area you are targeting with your avenues of advertising. 4. Instill An "Eye Catcher" And "Call to Action" In Your Ad. a. Invite the Call: Perfect Wedding Guide features our clients first in our magazine, opposed to featuring articles and editorials first and clients second. Perfect Wedding Guide is designed as a shop and compare style publication. Since the bride is comparing your business to the next business you want to make sure you invite her to contact you. 5. Use Our Lead List a. Our lead list is one part or our multi-faceted marketing program, which drives business your way. Perfect Wedding Guide registers a minimum of 100 brides per month, per county and makes those names available to our clients (free with any size print ad). When we hand over our lead list to you we give you brides who still need your services. Not contacting them is like not returning a phone call to someone who says they want to give you money. Work the leads. We have clients who work the leads as soon as they sign up with us and by the time their ad hits the streets, their ad has paid for itself five fold. Our leads are available via fax, email, or printed hard copy. 6. Start a Direct Mail Program a. Send a special message. Send out postcards, make follow up phone calls, email the brides. Brides are excited about getting married and planning for that special day. Take the time to send her something special in the mail to remind her about your business. 80% of sales are made after the 5th impression. Get to them before someone else does. b. Perfect Wedding Guide Direct Mail Campaign: If you have found that your direct mailing campaign is taking time away that you would rather spend elsewhere, think about utilizing our services. We can insert your direct mail piece into our "Custom Perfect Wedding Guide" envelope and send it to brides for as little as .19 a piece. With the high cost of postage, this is truly a bargain you don't want to pass up. 7. Use The Internet a. Web Pages:Today's modern bride is planning 27% or more of her wedding online. She is shopping and comparing, looking at the vast array of services out there to make her day special. Face it; you cannot put everything you want on one page of advertising. Make your web page a compliment to your current avenues of advertising. Keep it informative and easy to use. b. Emails: With emails, potential clients can ask to schedule appointments and request more information free of charge. This allows you to free up time and respond at your convenience, but don't wait too long. You should check your email daily. i. Are you trying to contact brides via email and finding that inputting their names one at a time is taking too much of your time? Perfect Wedding Guide offers a group email in its leads program. Simple to use and with internet cable, just 2.5 minutes per week is how long it will take you to notify these brides. 8. Do Telemarketing a. Friendly Phone Call: You must remember, brides are wanting and needing your service - they are a must buy customer. You do not have to make a hard sale. Give them a nice friendly phone call and inform them of your program, specials, unique features and invite them in to take a look. Getting the bride in your front door is the secret. 9. Bridal Shows a. Brevard/Volusia/Flagler: We are informed of just about every show in town. So feel free to call us for any information or just check out our calendar of events. b. For a nominal fee you can increase your exposure to prospective clients by participating in these shows. Remember, 80% of sales come after the 5th impression. If you are unable to attend, we will be at just about every show in town passing out your information via our guide. 10. Something Unique a. Always give them something: No matter if it is a free copy of Perfect Wedding Guide. When you give someone something, they usually feel inclined to give back. BACK TO TOP