Custom Facebook Pages Using North Social

Today I discovered a new website that allows you to create custom Facebook pages called North Social.

 

 

What's cool about North Social is that you can create contests using Facebook apps and plug ins. North Social also has apps that power coupons, promotions, and special fan only offers. For example, if your studio is running a special for a free engagement session if you like the Facebook page and book your services, you can more effectively track the success of your social media page. You can also run a contest using North Social where fans can upload their own photos and have their friends vote (after liking your page, obviously!).  The fan gate feature entices new viewers to "Like" your Page before they can interact with your apps. This can explosively drive up your fan count as well.

 

The other thing I like is the Instagram feed. I take a lot of photos from my smartphone app using Instagram and up to this point, they were only uploading to my personal profile. Now, they will not only update my fan page but it will have a fangate that has the hashtag #bridalbites both on Instagram and when viewing it in Facebook.

 

Check it out!

Your Dream Day App -- FREE for IPhone or Android -- for Your Dream Day Cafe

How cool is this -- Your Dream Day now has an app! Download this cool tool to stay up to date on the latest special events, wedding planning tips and real weddings in Dayton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Akron, Youngstown and Columbus.

We've also expanded our services -- Your Dream Day now has wedding resource centers in Dayton (located in the Shops of Oakwood) and Northeast Ohio (in Valley View) that are free for brides to use and are open year-round. Wedding professionals can also get business coaching, use virtual meeting space and manage their businesses more efficiently. In honor of Your Dream Day Cafe, the one stop wedding resource center for both wedding professionals and couples planning weddings, our official blog has moved to www.bridalbites.com so make sure to bookmark the new blog. The blog is for those with an appetite for everything wedding.

Your Dream Day Cafe streetview in the Shops of Oakwood serving Dayton, Ohio

Photo courtesy of Babcock Studios

Resource center and dresses from Bridal and Formal

Your Dream Day Cafe in Oakwood serving Dayton, Ohio

Photo courtesy of Babcock Studios

 

Your Dream Day Cafe in Valley View serving Northeast Ohio

Photo courtesy of Digital Photos by Dale

 

Your Dream Day Cafe in Valley View serving Northeast Ohio

Photo courtesy of Digital Photos by Dale

Tablescape compliments of Eventsource

Be sure to download the Your Dream Day Cafe app - Get it now! When your hungry for more wedding news, tips, ideas and tricks, jump on to the Bridal Bites blog http://www.bridalbites.com, Pinterest, Twitter or Facebook profiles.

CopyScape -- protect your company's website

This website has been a heaven-sent tool that I use several times a year. Best part about it is that it is FREE! Copyscape.com http://www.copyscape.com/ allows you to type in your company's domain name and search the internet for companies or websites that have plagiarized your work or written information on your website.

Three years ago, I discovered three companies that had plagiarized my website. The first was a planner in Florida whose (as I would later discover after calling her) intern had copied my fine-tuned apprenticeship word-for-word and claimed it as her own. The second was a planner in my own backyard who had copied my wedding planning tips page. Luckily, a simple phone call eliminated the problem.

The third culprit, however, was a whole other beast. Ironically, it was a new wedding planner in Dayton, Ohio. (For the record, she is no longer in business.) This company not only stole word-for-word copy from seven pages of my website, but she also copied photos of weddings I'd done without permission from the photographers. (All of the photographers whose work is on our website are weddings we have done with them and we give them photo credit by putting a link with their company's name on it below the photo.) To top it off, she took four of the testimonials from my clients, substituted her name for mine, and posted them as her own. Unluckily for her, one of the client testimonials was from one of the partners in Dayton's largest law firm. One cease and desist letter later, the guilty website was taken down.

You are your company's best protector -- do just that! http://www.copyscape.com/

Closing the Sale (and asking for it)

I think sometimes that so many wedding vendors try so hard selling to their couples that they don't even know what it is their selling to them. If you don't have confidence in your product or understand the services you are selling, how on earth can you expect your prospective clients to? What three things, in your opinion, set you apart from your competition? What makes your service unique? There is a reason why couples book you over someone else -- figure out what that is. That is your selling point. You will realize that brides aren't always shopping for the best price -- they are shopping for the best experience (regardless of price) based on what areas are a priority to them. Anyone can be a wedding planner. I sell the experience they will get with our firm. We have a 90 percent close rate with couples that meet us in person because of that. Part of that is because we prescreen and qualify them very well over the phone, so by the time they are coming in to meet us they are nearly sold on us. I think they are just wanting to see if there is a chemistry there (kind of like a first date).

Under no circumstances should you lie or bash your competition. First of all, it's illegal. (If you write badly about your competition, it is libel. If you speak untruths about them that impact their bottom line, it is slander. Both can end you up in court.) Second of all, it is simply in tacky and poor taste. If you don't care for a particular vendor that a prospect is considering, just say you know who they are.

When selling to brides, keep in mind that about 80 percent of brides are not your customer. What on earth are you talking about Kathy? Brides are brides, right? So not true!

Think about the type of couple you want to work with. Are they do it yourselfers? Are they busy professionals married to their jobs? Is this the first, second or even third marriage? Are they computer savvy? Do you enjoy working with Catholic, Jewish, Indian, Greek, Gay, or African American clients? Are they laid back or high strung? How do they dress? What is their favorite store to shop for home decor? What kind of car do they drive? What is their annual income bracket? Once you figure out which type of couple you'd like to work with, then tweak your marketing choices and materials, website, packages and pricing to fit that market segment.

It's okay to ask for the business. Just don't be too pushy about it. If the client chooses another vendor, ask who they chose and what influenced their decision. (Most will tell you something.) After you find out, figure out what you could have done differently or if you should tweak your sales pitch. If you find you are losing competition consistently to the same vendor(s), analyze their marketing materials to see what consistencies are drawing the same couples to you in the first place and what is making them go in the other direction.

Email and Brochure Rule: Spell Check Everything

Welcome back! This summer was busy with lots of beautiful weddings. I am looking forward to my six week hiatus before I have six straight weeks of events so I can secure my office locations in Akron and Cleveland, and update my blog, Facebook page, website and packages for Your Dream Day.

The most important thing you can NEVER forget to do -- proofread everything!!! Before you send out an email -- SPELL CHECK! It takes a minute to do and builds your credibility significantly. One misspelled word in an email or brochure could deter a bride from picking up the phone or emailing you. If you don't have the attention to detail with your collateral, how will you manage all of the logistics for their wedding? It makes sense if you think about it. I always email a proof for my sales material or a draft of my website to five different people that I trust. A dozen sets of eyes will find all of the mistakes instead of relying only on your two. Trusted friends and family are always happy to give your sales pieces a second look.

I go to bridal shows to "trick or treat," which is a funny way of saying that I need to update my database of vendors and your product offerings. I come home with a big bag of business cards, literature and samples. Too often, I see a vendor that did not run spell check on their brochure, used the wrong form of a work (there, their and they're; compliment and complement; premier and premiere; are the most common misuses I see) or have not proofread their work. Your sales pieces are a reflection of you and your business. Put your best professional foot forward!

QR Codes -- The Print Ad's Key to the Internet

Do you know what this is? Have you seen this before and not know what it is for?

This is a QR (standing for 'quick response') Code. If you were to scan it, using your PDA, it would automatically redirect you to Your Dream Day's twitter page. (Which, please follow us!)

I think that in three years QR codes will be regularly found on business cards, company advertisements and all collateral about your business. Be on the upswing of this trend so you look like more of a trend setter than a follower to your prospective customers!

For example -- next week, Your Dream Day and Wedding Market News are presenting the Alan Berg Meet & Mingle event on July 13, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Club at Key Center, each guest's nametag will not only have their name and business on it, but a QR code on it that will link to their website (or other page they'd like to promote.) (This event is free and open to all wedding vendors, unlike the full day-long seminar on 7/14 at the Hyatt with Alan). I'm also working with two different bridal show production companies this summer to incorporate QR Codes into their exhibitor's booth displays. Ultimately, the use of QR codes will translate to fewer business cards needing to be printed because your prospective clients can get the information they need sent directly to their phone!

Barcode Scanner v3.6 is my favorite android app, but you can type in the keyword "barcode scanner" and find a dozen apps that will do the same thing.

Generating a QR Code is easy -- you can visit any of the websites below to create your free codes.

http://kimtag.com/s/personal_qr_code?gclid=CJWp8ZnO66kCFdBrKgodhDFPYg

http://qrcode.kaywa.com/

Mileage adds up!

This Sunday I drove my monthly commute from Brunswick, Ohio, to Dayton, Ohio. I have weddings and events in southern Ohio until the end of November. As I was driving and singing away with my Pandora, I was inspired to remind you all to write off your gas, miles or car!

People forget that all of the miles that they drive to and from weddings are tax deductible. You can write off gas on your taxes if you travel frequently for your employer and are not reimbursed, travel from a regular job to a second job, or travel frequently for a self-employed business. (Reference http://www.ehow.com/how_5082905_writeoff-gas-taxes.html

You have the option of either writing off the actual mileage (this is what you want to do if you are using your personal car) at 51 cents per mile for 2011 or writing off the entire price of all the gas you purchase for the tank (this option is better for a company owned car.)

I have a "company owned" vehicle and I pay for my gas using the company credit card. When I fill up the tank, I always print a receipt, and I write the end mileage and how many miles I got on that particular tank of gas on the back. I also track the following information in my PDA for each meeting that requires me to drive. You can also keep a simple notebook log or a journal in the car at all times to keep track of this information.

1) Start Mileage
2) End Mileage
3) Total Miles
4) Client Name / Reason for appointment
5) Appointment and Location

Be sure to double check with your CPA if you charge a delivery fee for your services and if these rules apply.

These links are great resources for how to write off mileage and gas.
http://www.ehow.com/how_5082905_writeoff-gas-taxes.html#ixzz1RHjsenGX
http://www.businesstaxrecovery.com/irs_mileage_allowance
http://www.howtoadvice.com/WriteOffAuto