WHY WEDDING PROFESSIONALS SHOULD BE ADVERTISING ON A BLOG THAT PROMOTES DIY TO THEIR AUDIENCE

Feb 6

It always makes me scratch my head when I see a wedding blog that accepts advertising dollars showcase a post that is geared towards brides making bouquets themselves << or, insert 'whatever' there ... I look at it and think: man, if I was a florist who advertised with them I would be pulling my ad sooooooo fast!!!! Srsly, it takes a lot of nerve.

IMO, the only wedding blogs that should accept advertising money are blogs that are promoting their vendors ... but what do I know??? wink, wink

So, let's talk about this ... who benefits as a wedding professional from advertising on a DIY focused blog ... who are you?

YOU'RE A PHOTOGRAPHER

If you are a photographer then it probably doesn't matter too much if you get a DIY bride ... unless that particular DIY bride is all about cutting down on cost. Then, you have to ask yourself if your target market is trolling DIY publications. If you don't want to get a lot of inquiries from couples that can't afford you then maybe a 'do it yourself' focused publication isn't the best choice for you.

YOU'RE A COMPANY THAT SELLS MATERIALS FOR DIY PROJECTS

Well, duh!! If you are a company who sells pretty paper, glitter, fabric, ribbon, etc(!!!) then a DIY publication should be your MAIN FOCUS for advertising. In fact, I'd make sure I was on at least 6 'do it yourself' focused blogs at all times ...

YOU'RE A WEDDING PLANNER

Now, this can go both ways ... if you are a luxury focused wedding planner or coordinator, obviously this isn't a great idea for you ... but if you love a 'crafty bride' who needs assistance in steering her the right direction but wants to be in charge of all the details then this could be a great advertising outlet for you!

YOU'RE A HONEYMOON PLANNER

If you plan honeymoons then your audience is probably EVERYONE planning a wedding ... I would say that picking the LARGEST TRAFFIC blogs would be the most beneficial to you and having an ad that is shown in those high traffic areas of the publication. DIY or not, everyone loves to travel and feel the romance after their wedding day.

YOU'RE A CALLIGRAPHER

Now, this is a grey area for me ... beautiful penmanship isn't something all people are blessed with ... mine is barely readable ... BUT, some would argue that DIY brides want to FEEL LIKE they are cutting down on cost ... so this is really something that each calligrapher needs to weigh for themselves. If a bride wants to make all her invitations but wants some beautiful calligraphy on the envelope maybe it is a fit ... and then again, maybe it's not ...

YOU'RE ON A BADGE COLLECTING SPREE

There is worth in badges ... a badge creates an emotional connection with your audience when they visit your website. If they see you are a preferred member of their favorite blog (even if that blog does promote DIY sometimes) then they will like you just a bit more than they did before ... So, if it's not too expensive and you can swing it, maybe buying an ad to get the badge is worth it even if you hear crickets from your advertisement with them.

Let me be clear!!!!! I am not saying that all DIY clients or brides are creating weddings that look like Crayola puked all over it ... amazing things happen and there is a need for these DIY blogs << in fact, DIY blogs tend to have the MOST traffic which is why a lot of wedding professionals decide to advertise on them. But please PLEASE keep that traffic in mind:

WHAT TYPE OF TRAFFIC IS IT??

When you decide to advertise and you ask the publication: WHAT IS YOUR TRAFFIC LIKE?? And they come back with a MASSIVELY HUMONGO number, you have to be smart enough to decipher that number. Questions like:

Who is their target audience?
... and a ^^ follow-up: Does that audience include my target market?

If the answers to those questions are supportive of your goals then GO FOR IT!! But if not, then don't let the BIG numbers of traffic influence you to think that their traffic will help you in any way!

There have been a lot of big no-no's lately with blogs coming out with things like:

WHY SPEND MONEY ON A FLORIST WHEN YOU CAN MAKE THIS FANCY-PANTS BOUQUET FOR $3 WITH FLOWERS YOU GREW IN YOUR BATHROOM

... and that is when I say: DUFAQ???? It's one thing to share amazing tips on how to create things yourself - but hugely different when you flat out say: DON'T HIRE A PROFESSIONAL BECAUSE IT'S A WASTE OF MONEY!!!!

Think about it.

XO~ Heather