This blog is second in our new series: What your business can learn from 2018 wedding trends. If you are a wedding photographer, these marketing tips can help you get inspiration and know the best time & place to market online!

Advertise Early: Don’t wait ‘til they put a ring on it!

7 out of the top 10 most popular days to get engaged take place in December. 19% of all engaged couples say “I will” in that month alone. This may not be completely surprising. Most wedding photographers know that December is a big month, but what does that mean for you? 

With 2 out of 3 millennials taking at least 1 wedding planning action prior to getting engaged, we need to ramp up the social media in October and November! Keep in mind that 20% of couples pick out the ring together. 1 in 2 purchase the ring up to 2 months before proposing. This means the potential brides are looking for vendors up to 2 months before she has a ring on her finger. And where is she looking? Online! 

This is the crucial time that 30% of millennial brides are going to Pinterest, to start their “Inspiration Boards” and 25% are researching venues . If your images aren’t all over Pinterest (with your company’s logo) and you aren’t partnered with local venues, then your business is missing out in this major planning stage. 

Come December go full-blown marketing (social media, prepare for expos, etc.) to capture the other 80% of couples. This is where the engagement was more of a surprise. Advertising on social media is key during this phase! 

64% of couples share their engagement on social media within a few hours. Why not congratulate them? Take the time to search for hashtags that would make this possible. For instance, search #chicagoengagement and reply (under your business Instagram) “congrats!”. It’s something simple that gets your name out there. You’ll never know what could happen next! Even if it’s an engagement session, you never know if the couple is using the same wedding photographer. Or if her friend who is looking at the comments is also looking for a wedding photographer. 

Read the “Part 3: Going Beyond in Marketing” where we analyze the wedding wire report for how current trends can help with your marketing.