BLOG EDITORS NEED TO STOP WHINING ABOUT *THIS* AND WEDDING PROFESSIONALS NEED TO STOP DOING *THIS*
Ohhhhhh, am I in trouble!!?? Probably! But here's the thing: I've got something to say and I think that if this advice starts being followed we can all get along sooooo much better in the wedding industry! Here are the two dilemmas:
Blog Editors who whine and moan about wedding professionals NOT promoting their features or publications on the EXACT DAY the feature goes up.
Wedding Professionals who think there are only a handful of blogs worth caring about being featured on.
Do you feel me!!?? When I was running Style Unveiled it was a constant *SILENT* battle between the blogs and the vendors. We (yes, I was included in this) would all bitch about wedding pros submitting their work to be featured and then NEVER promoting it - NEVER sharing their 'featured badge' - NEVER sharing the link - and typically we only cared on the DAY OF the feature. We would send out our emails, our badges, we would share on FB and other social media outlets, and then we'd wait ... we would stalk the wedding professional all day long just waiting for that CHEER from their side ... and sometimes we would hear crickets.
Here's what I say to the blog editors who do this: what is the worst that could happen if they share a few days later? Even a week later? IMO it just gives longevity to the post because it's another wave of excitement. Is it ideal??? No. Of course, it would be amazing if everyone who is featured celebrates on the day of ... but does it KILL the feature if it's celebrated later? Nope!
And another thought ... do you send out a 2nd announcement email to all involved? Emails get lost (just ask my inbox!) or forgotten or unopened because people are f*cking busy (just ask my inbox again!) ... and so another 'Hooray!!! You were featured on XYZ blog!" email blast certainly wouldn't hurt.
Now, wedding professionals, you are guilty << yes, you. If you're being honest I'm guessing that if you are featured on one of the BIG wedding blogs (we all know who I'm referring to) you will sit there like a dog in heat, hitting refresh on the blog until you see your feature and then you will put on your 'I was just featured on XYZ' shirt, underwear, and temporary tattoos, and go running around your neighborhood screaming in celebration. You do this, don't lie. But if it's a wedding blog that you feel 'isn't as big of a deal' you will just go on with your life as if nothing has happened. Here's the thing: ALL FEATURES ARE WORTH CELEBRATING. Brides only care that your work is worthy of a feature ... any chance you can brag about your business is a BIG F*CKING DEAL and you should be excited.
Also, consider the other reasons being featured on more than a small handful of blogs matters:
More badges to fill your press page: A press page with 4 badges isn't going to be as brag-a-licious as a press page filled with 10 badges << so start collecting!!!
More inbound links on the worldwide web: 10 links to your website is way more SEO-a-licious than 4 links << you get me!!??
More opportunities to blog: Each time you blog about being featured somewhere you give yourself the opportunity to smart link, back-link, and Pin from YOUR WEBSITE ... so eat up that blog food and thank your lucky stars that your blog isn't just sitting there empty!
If you were featured last month and never shared it or celebrated it then go do it now ... thank the hardworking blog editor who made it happen ... and if you are a blog editor who is hearing crickets from the wedding vendors you have featured recently: give them a second change to hear about it in an email and give them a reason to be EXCITED!
XO~ Heather
