If you own or manage a bridal business, be that a retail store, an online e-commerce store, or a consultancy, you will be all too aware that, unless you have new customers and clients coming to you consistently, your business is not going to be around for very long.
This points to the nature of weddings and the fact that a bride coming to your bridal business happens once, and not on monthly basis, for example, so you must consider your customers and clients as a one-time opportunity.
Compare that to a dog grooming business or hairdressers that have repeat clients, and so they have an advantage.
Thankfully, there is no shortage of ways to find new clients. The danger is that you try to do too many at once and end up not maximising the potential of any of them.
This is why it is best to stick with a handful of marketing activities and focus on making them work. To get you heading in that direction, here are five marketing strategies we recommend you start with.
Marketing Strategies #1 – Analyse Your Competition
It always puzzles us that, in any field where there is a degree of competitiveness, such as sport, politics, and business, more is not made of studying what the winners are doing and learning from that.
In the case of your bridal business, we are sure that you have local competitors and if they are thriving, make a point of discovering why and how.
In truth, there is no lack of ways you can spy on your competitors using analytical tools and discovering effective ways to market your bridal business that are proven to work.
Marketing Strategies #2 – Reach Out To The Influencers In Your Niche
Every niche or business sector has its influencers, or as some might call them, celebrities.
Some of them are found strictly online where they have huge subscriber numbers on their YouTube channel or hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of followers on one or more social media platforms.
None of these people is likely to be your direct competition, so what you should do is reach out to them and try and develop a relationship that could be beneficial for you both.
You could offer to create content for them, provide their followers special offers, or even volunteer to be interviewed for their channel, all of which promote your bridal business’s brand.
Marketing Strategies #3 – Cherish Your Testimonials And Reviews
The rise of the internet has meant that consumers tend to spend more time researching before they buy, and they can do it from the comfort of their homes on their computers or phones.
This means that reviews and testimonials are more important than ever, which is something you should embrace.
For every client you have, past or present, ensure you ask them more than once for a testimonial for your website and even more so for a review on Google.
The positive ones are worth more to your bridal business than any advert.
Marketing Strategies #4 – Build Your Brand With Online/Offline Events
Building your brand and awareness of your bridal business should be a priority, and a great way to do this, which can also be a lot of fun, is to be part of or instigate online or offline events.
Online events can be a simple competition or prize draw via your social media.
As for offline events, there are too many to mention but they include sponsoring local events, running competitions in local newspapers, and ensuring that your bridal store is part of every local business fair or event that occurs.
Marketing Strategies #5 – Use Social Media Strategically
Most articles about marketing online will mention social media, which is fair enough, but what we urge you to do is use it properly.
You should not be making random posts that have no relationship to any other.
Instead, plan your social media posts and connect them to what is currently happening at your bridal business, such as special promotions, or a new line of bridal accessories.