Social media platforms, such as Instagram or Facebook, now more than ever, require emotional content to connect with our audiences and clients. We are going through a very emotional and delicate time, where we all worry about the welfare of our loved ones. This is especially true for couples who had to postpone their wedding. It’s time to look beyond our daily routines, pause and see the light at the end of the tunnel: we will get together again, weddings will resume and we will celebrate together, (just see what’s happening in Wuhan). Communicating these ideas is essential for these next weeks. In this article, Zankyou gives professionals some simple guidelines to help you keep communicating and connecting with other providers and couples alike.
1. Show the #unity of the wedding industry
Our social media and content marketing manager, Raúl Valencia, gives us some great advice. ‘Post positive messages and news while using the hashtags that support the extraordinary actions taken by the authorities in your country, the solidarity of citizens, and utilize hashtags that other local businesses or wedding professionals use’.
2. Show who we are behind the scenes
Rodolfo McCartney, from the agency No Quiero, tell us: ‘It is time to show that we are human, who we are and what we care about. Many people in our sector (and many brides) are nervous. There is widespread fear about uncertainty. We can’t answer some of their questions right now, but we can take the client by the hand and help him or her. The first thing we need to do is talk to our clients now. We’re staying home all day long, it’s time to show that we’re on the same page, to be a real person, made of flesh and blood.’
So take a minute to share what you’re reading, what you are accomplishing. It’s time to show our ‘home office’, to let people know that we are still active, to show our supporters our family life, and how we are adapting and helping in these difficult times. McCartney helps some bridal brands (such as Beba’s Closet and Roberto Verini) create this type of content. He recommends doing more stories and lives instead of publishing photos on our feed.
Daniela Arcangeli, from Enoteca la Torre, explains ‘This experience has confirmed how wonderful our work is, because it’s based on pure empathy and on creating a close relationship with clients we accompany a whole year towards the realization of a dream. They call us every week, sometimes only to know how we are, and we maintain a very close relationship with them because they need us more than ever.’
3. Pause and analyse your business plan and communication strategy
‘Crises is an opportunity to reinvent yourself, to create new projects’ says McCartney. People need to know who is behind each brand. It’s time to analyse our entire structure, our company, to focus on our values and strengths. We are not going to have another moment like today to analyse our company from the core. ‘Sit down, look at your business plan, analyse. Emphasize your brand values and ask yourself, ‘are we communicating correctly?’’.
4. Keep promoting, but in a different way
There are no good hours and no good photos to post. Focus on strong brand identity, and not only on just providing a service. ‘Right now we have to show what we can do,’ MCCartney says. ‘Let’s break our heads to be original and go where we want to.’
Anna Francisco, a luxury italian wedding planner, says: ‘I believe that it’s important to continue to be active in social media platforms so that our clients do not perceive that we are home not working. Our activity continues from home and it’s important to transmit this, to give assurance and professionalism.’
Through the data from our COVID-19 survey for couples getting married this year, what they expect from providers is understanding and flexibility. It’s time to listen and empathize with couples, and to communicate it to them.
5. Connect with other like minded providers
It is time to connect with other suppliers and expand our network of collaborations: connect through a live video, write articles and collaborate with other entrepreneurs in the sector. The resources are endless. Now more than ever we can connect with brides and grooms, help them solve their doubts, be useful for all those who need help with the organization of their wedding and who have seen their wedding organization slowed down due to confinement.
6. In which platforms should I publish?
Of all the social media sites out there, the top ones in terms of monthly active users include Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, TikTok, and Pinterest. The most important thing for us is to determine where our target (brides and grooms) is. For weddings, the most used platforms are more visual or image-focused (as brides usually search for inspiration), so you should focus on at least one of these: Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. There are many benefits to using social media, but it’s important to have specific goals before you move forward. For one, your objectives will help determine not only the social platform you choose, but also the content you create and the audience you’ll find.
Pinterest has been gaining a lot of weight in weddings. There are far more women on Pinterest than men, and it’s ideal for décor, catering, beauty, dresses, invitation, travel and photography. You can create beautiful collections of images while redirecting to your website or to your profile with Zankyou.
Facebook is great for building relationships and showing the human side of your business (so it’s ideal for these tough times!) The key here is to show a different side of your business with specific made content or by sharing news or posts that show what matters most to you.
Instagram is perfect for both sharing inspirational images on your feed and for showing a human side of your company through Instagram Stories and Lives. It is one of the most popular platforms for both businesses and couples.
The most important thing is to define a specific strategy, nurture and curate your content daily and keep analysing your reach and results.
7. What about specific things I can publish on my profiles?
Some specific examples Raúl Valencia recommends are:
- The flexibility you provide during these uncertain times: for example, flexibility in dates or in payments (these have been the most noticeable demands from brides through our survey).
- Show the most emotional images and videos of your work, in order to connect with your audience: aim to demonstrate love, family and sharing.
- Connect live with brides and grooms and answer questions: you can plan a live on weekends, promote it during the week and show what you are working on and how you are helping your clients plan their weddings online.
- Collaborate with other providers and provide knowledge to the bride and groom: doing takeovers, planning webinars for couples and reposting collaborators will help you stay connected and relevant in your sector.
8. Free resources for you
Here are some good and handy free resources we found to help you manage your social media:
- A free social media calendar where you can plan your content.
- Unsplash, a great page where you can download beautiful and inspiring photos for free.
- Feedly, where you can keep track of topics and trends that are important for you.
- Canvas, where you can design beautiful templates for your Instagram Stories (no need to know about design!).
- A cool content idea generator where you type your idea and they give you a fun tagline you can use for inspiration.
- Latergram and Hootsuit for managing and scheduling your posts.
- If you need more help with your marketing and communication plans, here’s a free mini-guide to help you answer some questions you might be having.
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