This document provides guidance on using social media as a business partner for wedding professionals. It discusses how social media is transforming the wedding industry and why utilizing platforms like Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and YouTube is beneficial. It provides tips for setting up profiles, posting regularly, engaging with others, using hashtags, and more. The key takeaways are that social media can help market services, build brands, and connect with clients when used authentically and strategically.

2. GET ENGAGED: MAKING SOCIAL MEDIA YOUR BUSINESS PARTNER

4. SOCIAL MEDIA IS COMPLETELY TRANSFORMING THE WEDDING INDUSTRY Now for better or worse brides instantly have access to a wealth of knowledge and information at their fingertips Whether you are a bride or a vendor, utilizing social media it is extremely beneficial and becoming the industry standard

5. Is Having a Website Enough?Does A Website Constitute Social Media Marketing? Yes, it is a digital success story as long as I keep it updated, useful and content friendly and it is optimized for search engines No, it is the equivalent of my business card Yes, it is a reflection of my brand

6. Does A Website Constitute Social Media Marketing? Yes, it is a digital success story as long as I keep it updated, useful and content friendly and it is optimized for search engines No, it is the equivalent of my business card Yes, it is a reflection of my brand 0 of 30

7. Marketing your Photography Business to Thousands of People for free Making Connections And building relationships Free strategic Marketing program and advertising What Is The Biggest Power of Social Networks?

8. The Biggest Power of Social Media? Marketing your photography business to thousands of people for free Making connections and building relationships Free strategic marketing program and advertising 0 of 30

9. As of June 13, 2010 How Many People Worldwide Have a Facebook Account? 110 Million 400 Million 295 Million

10. How Many Facebook Accounts? 110 Million 400 Million 295 Million 0 of 30

11. Facebook As A Marketing Strategy Is More Suited To Newcomers Than Established Pros? TRUE FALSE

12. Newcomer vs Pro? True False 0 of 30

13. What Is The #1 Success Strategy Used To Get Brides To Read Your Blog? Feature Real wedding photographs and stories on your blog Share inspiration and information to help brides have the best wedding possible Giveaways and contests

14. Best Blog Strategy For Success? Feature Real wedding photographs and stories on your blog Share inspiration and information to help brides have the best wedding possible Giveaways and contests 0 of 30 0 of 30

15. What Is The MOST Important Value To Keep In Mind When Writing A Blog? Be honest even if it means being harsh Be Real and authentic Make it creative, Short and simple

16. Most Important Value Of Blogging? Be honest even if it means being harsh Be Real and authentic Make it creative, short and simple 0 of 30

17. What Are the Two Founding Principles OfSocial Media? Authenticity & Transparency free marketing & Self Promotion Communicate, communicate!

18. Founding Values Of Social Media? Authenticity & transparency Free marketing & self promotion Communicate, communicate! 0 of 30

19. Definition of Social Media A Blending Of Social Interaction And Technology For The Co-Creation Of Value

20. SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING What it IS and What it’s NOT

21. WHAT IT IS WHAT IT’S NOT YOUR STORY INTENTIONAL BUSINESS TIME CONSUMING YOUR BREAKFAST HAPHAZARD COMMERCIAL EXPENSIVE SOCIAL MEDIA

22. Viral nature – users share your message with the click of a button Affordable marketing requires no big budget Builds credibility – user generated endorsements are more credible than traditional advertising Engages the client – connect with your client and respond to their feedback real time Increases traffic – a well developed social media strategy will drive traffic to your website Enhances your brand – through social media enhance your on-line presence WHY YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS SOCIAL MEDIA

23. Social media marketing works in creating Brand awareness For YOU, your services and youR products Build & Enhance Your On-line Brand

24. As You Build Your Brand You need to manage it effectively! It will take time, energy and consistency Create the time, make it a priority Be creative and try something no one else has ever done

25. Using Internet Tools To Publish Communications And Establish Your Brand “Join the conversation” ACCESS TO INTERNET TOOLS

26. Explore Different Platforms Determine which ones suit your best interest Every platform has a different audience Tailor your internet persona accordingly NOT EVERYTHING YOU POST HAS TO BE PROFESSIONAL IN NATURE BUT EVERYTHING THAT IS PERSONAL SHOULD BE TIED TO YOU PROFESSIONALLY “YOU” BECOME SEARCHABLE

27. The Art of Listening, Learning and Sharing

28. Social media is not about you. It is about people’s relationships with you. Listen before you speak. The same rules that apply to the art of conversation apply to on-line dialog Without listening you cannot begin to build your reputation on-line Listening will continually transform the experience of your clients Listening will help you learn from others LISTEN:The Most Important Part Of Your On-Line Reputation

29. LEARN: The Social Media Fundamentals, Then Apply And Find What Works Best For You! In today’s world full of new media and digital communication technologies there exists a huge opportunity to expand the reach of your messages using social media

30. SHARE:Satisfied Customers Are Your Brand Ambassadors Social Media Conversations creates trust with potential clients and Customers Satisfied Customers Build A Strong reputation on-line A single post of appreciation simply buzzes through social networks Clients speaking highly about your services creates a high curiosity factor driving visitors To Your social profiles or website in order to check you out

31. FACEBOOK THE MOST WIDELY USED SOCIAL MEDIA SITE 400 million people worldwide have a facebook account Creating a facebook fan page is more conducive for B2C than for b2b

32. FACEBOOK PROFILE VS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE Associated with personal information Limited to 5,000 friends Only email 20 friends at a time Mutually accept friends one at a time Business or commercial use Unlimited number of fans Update all your fans at one time Fans are automatically added once they click “like” Vanity URLs FACEBOOK

33. FACEBOOK A POWERFUL OUTLET TO HUMANIZE YOUR BRAND SET UP YOUR FACEBOOK PRESENCE AS SOMETHING YOU DO THAT “PRESENCE” IS ALL ABOUT WHO YOU ARE YOUR DAILY WORK IS TO POST LINKS, INFORMATION AND FUN STUFF THAT ENHANCES YOUR BRAND’S PERSONALITY IF YOU SET IT AND FORGET – IT IS JUST ONE MORE PIECE OF JUNK!

34. Twitter is not a one way press release for your business. You must commit to interacting with people 140 Characters! Humans crave social interaction Purely permission based interaction Powerful outlet to share your perspective with an audience that actually cares Applications make twitter interesting TWITTER The social media with an emphasis on“social”

35. TWITTER PROVIDES A MORE PERSONAL BRANDING OPPORTUNITY The ideal place for the thought leader representing a business to brand his or herself in an informal forum Get your brand in front of people - Twitter is the fastest growing microblogging community It is not who you know but who knows you The perfect place to attract new customers and engage current clients

36. The “ DO” List The “DON’T List Do use a photo of yourself for your avatar Not your logo Stay relevant (change your photo frequently) Do respond and engage with the community even if they are not talking about you and your company Do personalize your Twitter background Be authentic and transparent Do relax and just do your thing Do show your personality Pick a topic and become a thought leader on it Follow people who are following you Don’t only tweet and re-tweet about you and your company Don’t make your Twitter page private Don’t talk negatively about clients and other wedding professionals Don’t respond publically to communication you receive privately (DM) Don’t only tweet with perceived influencers Don’t pretend to be someone you are not THE DO’S AND DON’TS OF TWEETING

37. IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHO YOUR AUDIENCE IS… Your Blog readers are NOT the same as those on Twitter A large number will read Twitter but will not read your Blog Know WHY your audience is following YOU No whining and complaining to your readers!!

38. Extend your reach on Twitter Connect with your audience in a more meaningful WAY gain more targeted twitter followers AN organic Simple a way for people to search for Tweets with A common topic Create communities of people interested in the same topic find and share related information Visual indicator to followers that you are tweeting about a given topic Favorite tool for event planners! USING TWITTER #HASHTAGS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

39. Use #hashtags consistent with your brand and the tag itself Give your # hashtag context – make it apparent what you are talking about Make sure it adds value for yourself and followers Proper etiquette dictates that you should only use #hashtags if your tweet is relevant to the topic Don’t overuse them USING #HASHTAGS

40. REASONS PEOPLE DON’T BLOG 1. I DON’T HAVE TIME 2. I AM NOT A GOOD WRITER Both are excuses plain and simple! To say your are not going to blog is like saying, “ you don’t have time for opportunities”

41. BLOGGING IS THE MOST POWERFUL SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM BLOGGING TO GET NEW CLIENTS BLOGGING ENHANCES AND PROTECTS YOUR BRAND BLOGGING WILL HELP YOUR SEARCH ENGINE RANKINGS (SEO) WAYS A BLOG CAN HELP YOUR BUSINESS

42. TIPS OF CREATING A BETTER WEDDINGBLOG Choose your top 10 photos not 50 Write short paragraphs with HARD returns after each Write less – say more. Blog texts should never be more than 400 words

43. Blog Comments Are a Powerful Component of the Social Web Comments are what make your blog interactive and social The most popular blogs have a very interactive community who voice their opinions on posts frequently Comments help engage readers and add interest to your posts Seeing 100 comments surely makes a reader want to read the post more

44. A BLOG WITHOUT COMMENTS LOOKS A LITTLE SAD AND LONELY ALLOW COMMENTS – Turn on comments in your blog control ASK FOR COMMENTS – Remind the reader at the end of your blog post ASK QUESTIONS – Ask readers to share their experiences and understanding with you CONSIDER CONTROVERSY – Pick topics that inspire discussion COMMENT BACK – Read your comments and respond back. Responding encourages discussion. Your readers love interaction GO OUT & COMMENT – Commenting on other blogs intelligently will result in visits from other bloggers

45. IS A BLOG SITE Right for you? Hybrid blog sites (a website and blog all in one) are all the rage now Looks like a blog but contains the information of a website Evaluate your clientele and how they navigate the internet If your site does not makes sense to your clients within a matter of seconds they are leaving your site and they are on to your competitors

46. The 2nd largest search engine behind google Using video for a better client experience The lack of professionally edited footage is what makes it work so well It comes across as genuine and not over- produced Quick, fun personality filled helps engaged couples feel more connected to you and your business YOU TUBE FOR THE WEDDING INDUSTRTY

47. VIDEO TO VIRAL SUCCESS Use video as a platform to market and brand your business and if you are lucky produce a viral hit Interview clients and capture testimonials and success stories Record a message – don’t sell. Just tell your story Record frequently asked questions with real customers posing the questions Interview your key strategic referral partners Behind the scenes photo shoots of weddings and engagements

48. yoU WILL KNOW WHEN OPPORTUNITIES ARISE THAT NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE OTHERWISE! IS YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PERSONALITY WORKING?

49. WAYS TO QUANTIFY ENGAGEMENT INCREASED INQUIRIES AND BOOKINGS Website traffic, Blog traffic Number of people subscribed to RSS feeds Number of people in social media groups Tracking tools and brand monitoring tools Trackbacks or link backs to posts Testimonials Fans, followers and friends

50. Social Media Optimization “Neglecting to incorporate social media optimization into search engine optimization is like going to a party and talking only to the host and hostess” “You miss out on all the gossip from the many guests”

51. THE BOTTOM LINE! Social media creates a community around You, your brand, your services and your products It enhances customer service It builds trust

52. Social Media Lessons EMbrace change And new technology AS Fast as you Can! Lesson: Make your Brand available everywhere. Consider the context in which the user is engaging BE Social in every way! Lesson: take advantage of the social MEDIA tools and tactics. Make your business’ social presence easily accessible to clients and your peers.

53. GET OVER THE NOT INVENTED HERE SYNDROME! LESSON: THERE ARE GREAT SOURCES OR CONTENT BEYOND WHAT YOU GENERATE. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. WHETHER IT IS FOR YOUR BLOG, YOUTUBE OR ANY OTHER PLACE. GREAT CONTENT WINS! LESSON: DON’T ABANDON CORE VALUES THAT GOT YOU WHERE YOU ARE TODAY. JUST BRING THEM TO LIFE IN NEW PLACES AND APPLY THEM TO RELEVANT SUBJECTS.

54. Share & Enjoy You have a unique story to tell – Tell the world who you are and how you think. Share your thoughts, take part in discussions. Let your conversation represent you truthfully as you go through your career.

55. Thank You! PICTage & Seattle PUG