The Power of A Personal Connection
As I scroll through my social media feed, I come across so many wedding accounts with stock images and product photography shots that just aren’t that exciting. They look like photos that came straight from the gown designers PR firm or another version of a sweetheart table from last weekend’s wedding. While it’s important to showcase real weddings, photos of your product or venue, and infographics about events and sales, it can seem very generic and impersonal. Today’s digital savvy consumers want to feel a personal connection with the brands they are shopping with. Before they ever step foot in your door, if they make it that far, they have been on your website, blog, social channels, spoke to friends about you, and have read your reviews. It’s more important than ever to strike a chord with your buyers and create an emotional connection.
As soon as couples get engaged, they start searching! From Pinterest to Instagram to Facebook groups, they are looking for ideas, referrals, and recommendations. Brides and grooms will spend countless hours on social media before they ever make a call or set up an appointment. What will they find when they hit your pages? What they are looking for is inspiration, excitement, and partners in their wedding planning journey. Couples these days are smart enough to recognize ads and sales pitches, they have become numb and often breeze right over them. A connection is what stops them in their tracks to investigate further. Pretty pictures are a must, but engagement is key. Building trust and confidence in the experience you can provide is the first step to getting the client’s foot in the door. It’s time to get personal.
So what does it mean to connect emotionally with consumers on a digital level? Luckily social media makes it super simple! Show them who you are! When I come into your place of business, who will I be meeting with? Will I be disappointed, will that person understand my vision? Will they get me? What does your consultation space look like? Will there be pretty couches to sit on, do you serve champagne? Using your social channels to showcase who you are, who your sales staff is, what your place of business looks and feels like and what type of style you have is the first step in creating that connection that will breed confidence in your brand. Good content marketing will have a consumer sold before they even step foot in your business. They will feel like they already know you and meeting in person is the icing on the cake! To better illustrate exactly what I mean, here are 8 social post ideas that are sure to span the digital gap with your potential brides and grooms.
8 Social Post Ideas For Creating An Emotional Connection
Images by: Vanessa Joy
Meet The Team
Once a week introduce a team member with a photo and a little blurb. It can start with each team member having an intro post then from there, each time that staff member is featured, they can talk about a favorite wedding detail, moment, product, service, or something else that pertains to your business. By introducing your staff, you are building a bridge with the eyes hitting your social pages. You may even have couples requesting to meet with a certain person on your staff because they felt a bond with them based on something they said in a post.
Show Off Your Shop Vibes
Every week showcase your venue or shop. Take some pics or a quick video of the lobby, the goings-on, or any new products that just came in. This can be short and sweet but will do wonders in connecting with your couples. The vibe and decor of the shop, the hustle and bustle of the day to day, the excitement of checking out what’s happening behind the scenes are all ways to engage with your audience and get them one step closer to coming in. Get creative with you captions. If you catch a pic of a staff member chatting with the cook, write a quirky caption like, “ Tom and Guy are cooking up somethin good that involves clams, scallops and mussels oh my!” If the shop manager is on the phone at her desk, snap and shot and caption it, “ Kate is chatting it up with the hottest designers, wait till you see what’s dropping next week!” Keep the captions, light, fun, and personable.
Picks of The Week
Choose different staff members each week to highlight a product or service they love and why! It could be a new gown that has just arrived, a seasonal menu item or a signature drink. A new font style, cake flavor or floral trend. A cute picture of the staff holding up the gown or a plate of scrumptious food provides an opportunity to highlight your team as well as your product. When you post your photos, add a more in-depth caption. Tell your readers why you love this product, what’s exciting about it, and any other details that will pique interest.
Surveys, Polls, and Votes
Everyone loves a good would you rather, this or that, and yassss please or nope! This is a great way to showcase your product and get your viewers to engage with your brand. It also gives your content a great organic boost. The more people comment, like, and respond, the more traction your post gets. Get creative with your features. If you’re a dress shop, show the same dress on 2 different body types. Pair the gown with a few different shoe options or jewelry. If your a venue, use this strategy to see what your clients prefer. Showcase various ceremony options or have viewers vote on their favorite dinner combo plates. Florists have tons of opportunities to showcase different styles, designs, and color combinations for couples to vote on. Make it fun and exciting and inspire! This is an opportunity to show off your brand and personality.
Tips from The Owner
Just like a magazine has tips from the editor, every owner or shop manager of a company should have a recognizable voice. It’s important for this person to establish themselves as an industry expert, thought leader, and trusted source. Whether it’s a photo and text or a quick video, be sure to stay on brand. If your company is fun and flirty, your video should be fun and flirty. Serious and upscale? Your tone in photos and video should match. Some ideas of what to talk about can range from your personal journey to creating this brand, to showcasing some of your favorite products and services or just saying hello and providing some helpful tips. Keep it short and sweet so it’s an easy read and remember to add a call to action. “ Give us a call,” “ we would love to see you this weekend,” or “click here for all the details,” are all examples of ways to get your viewers to take the next step.
The Real Bride Experience
Everybody loves a good scoop from an inside source! Every month, select a couple who is getting married at your venue or using your services and follow along with them on their journey. This is user-generated content at it’s best! Your client can take pics and videos at their different appointments including meetings at your place of business. Put it all together and you can create a great story highlight and feature with images and videos as well as getting some tips and quotes from the couple about their experience so far. This is fun and unexpected content that has the potential to gain tons of views and shares.
Brand Ambassador
Having a staff member or even possibly a local influencer act as a brand ambassador for your company is definitely something to consider. This person should have a natural talent for being on camera and a likable personality. The main function would be almost like a reporter, delivering need to know details about what’s new, upcoming sales, events, and more. Your brand ambassador can become the trusted face of your brand. Your weekly email newsletter can also come from the brand ambassador furthering that personal connection and building a rapport.
Promote Your Peeps
Every wedding business has a trusted network of industry professionals that they recommend. It’s always a great idea to cross-promote as much as possible. It opens up your company as well as theirs to new eyes. Creating a sense of community is key to credibility and referrals.
