3 Types of Couples and Marketing Tips for Each
When it comes to ideal clients, a lot of people focus on building customer maps centered around them being ideal across the board. Ideal personality types. Ideal budgets. Ideal levels of trust in you. But, the reality is that even the most perfect couple on paper has skeletons in the closet, and having a plan to address these less-than-ideal details is an important part of your marketing strategy. So today, I wanted to talk about 3 types of couples you are likely to encounter and ways to win them over (flaws and all). Read on to learn more about each and get marketing tips that can help you not just sell them but build a successful working relationship!
Couples with big budgets and even bigger expectations
Wedding pros around the world dream of working with clients who want it all and have the budgets to make it happen. The thing is, couples who want it all can also want it all. (I’ll save the conversation about boundaries for another day.) They expect white-glove service, don’t ever want to feel like they aren’t in control, and like challenging others to make the impossible possible—for them. So, when it comes to positioning yourself as the luxury provider who is the perfect fit for them, consider using these marketing tactics:
Make sure your brand voice sounds like someone greeting them at the Four Seasons; you can still show your personality but the over brand should speak with an elevated tone
Showcase client reviews that talk about more than you just going above and beyond and use the ones that talk about how you are strategic, a great problem solver, or someone who can negotiate to get things done
Share lots of photos of the venues they are considering and be sure to geotag and tag them when you do since they might be picking their venue before any other vendor. Similarly, focus some of the energy you are putting into SEO into writing blog posts about the venues these couples might be considering
Post photos of yourself on a regular basis. And, to avoid repeating the same images too often, schedule a headshot or brand shoot to make sure you have lots of options
Make sure that all of your initial responses are personalized (read: no canned or template replies) because you need to show the high level of service you provide from the very first contact
If you have photos of past couples (and their excited faces) when they got a first look at their reception, work those into your social media sharing
Be sure to highlight any notable press you have earned on your website and in your Instagram story highlights and/or bio
Couples who want to hire the best but don’t want to pay the rates
If I had to pick the potential client type most wedding pros run into, it would be this one. Because, you’d be pretty hard-pressed to find someone who says, “No, I don’t want the best. I just want someone I can afford.” Almost every couple wants to hire the best wedding vendors they can afford but these couples are the ones who can struggle to communicate exactly what it is they want or with ranking their wants by importance (no, not everything can be equally as important!). And, since they are most likely to be contacting multiple vendors in each category in order to shop around for prices, they can take some convincing—even if you are the best person suited for the job! When it comes to marketing yourself to these couples, try these ideas on for size:
Share educational content by creating posts, stories to highlight, reels, Tik Toks, blog articles, or IGTV episodes. The goal here is to show that you are the best because of all of the expertise you have
Communicate the body of work that goes into doing what you do. You can share this in smaller pieces on social media, medium-sized ones on the service page of your website, and in a longer format in either a blog post or sales PDF
Be clear about your pricing (and use the aforementioned content to justify why it is what it is)
Showcase the other talented vendors you work with! This will help this type of couple get additional information about why you are the best
Share client reviews that focus on statements like “the best money we spent!” This will (again) help drive home the point that you are more than worth the investment
Consider setting up retargeting ads on to run on social media to keep your brand top of mind after they visit your website or Instagram profile
Couples who contact you but secretly think they can do it themselves
You might have just jumped to the conclusion that this is a DIY bride but think again. While it might be a DIY bride who might be thinking about hiring a few professional vendors for her wedding, this is more likely to be the young professional with a decent-sized budget. Because, as slightly over-scheduled as they might be, anyone who considers themselves organized and a bit creative can feel like planning their own wedding is the challenge of a lifetime (it me but don’t blame me because I got married before finding this industry!). So, when it comes to marketing to and selling this type of couple, put these tactics to work:
Create messaging that positions yourself as the ultimate partner because this type of couple might want to be in charge without leading the charge
Share advice about the nuances of the services you provide. For example, even the most organized person can get scared by contracts and if you are a planner who knows what to look for in contracts clients would sign, share that
Put your process front and center because this type of client needs to know that you aren’t just going to be winging it
Highlight client reviews that talk about “how easy” it was working with you
Show your personality because making sure you click might be the deciding factor in whether or not they reach out to inquire
Feel like you get one (or more) of these types of couples in your inbox on the regular? Be sure to update your customer map and then refine your marketing strategy leading into this next booking season!
