In a previous blog post we discussed a few ways to get couples to respond to the event proposals you send them.
Today, I'm focusing on one of those tips: creating an experience for a wedding couple that makes them want to come in for a site tour.
One of my colleagues, in her pre-Here Comes The Guide life, worked at a restaurant and brewery—great beer, fantastic food. I asked her what she would do to get couples in for a tour.
Here's what she said:
I would offer a free brewery tour and beer tasting if they booked their tour of the restaurant within 24 hours of my introduction email. (It cost us less than $20 to do this, and resulted in a high percentage of wedding bookings.)
Once I got them in for the tour, I would offer an incentive if they signed a contract quickly. Something like, "Book within 48 hours of your tour and receive a signature beer to be served at your wedding. And, you can actually come in and brew your custom batch of beer with our brewer!" #hipstergold
The brewery tour and tasting was not only a fun experience for the couple, but it also created life-long customers. Couples who hosted their wedding at the restaurant would come back to dine on their anniversary, or purchase beer for their anniversary celebration. And, even if our venue wasn't perfect for their Big Day, they'd still book us for their rehearsal dinner. Win win!
So, the take-home here is: Be creative. Offer your prospective wedding clients something that's different and fun. Something they can’t say NO to. Something they won't forget. Millennial couples want an experience, and venues that go that extra mile are getting the bookings.
Here are some more ideas for small incentives that will increase your site tours:
- Do you serve fantastic pastries? Delicious chocolate chip cookies? Invite the couple in for coffee and a sweet treat.
- Are you near a hip museum? Offer tickets to use right after their site tour.
- Do you have a campfire area? Ask the engaged couple to come at dusk and have s'mores after their tour. I can just see the cute, branded package you could create to send them off with. #instagramgold
- Are you a winery? Consider giving the couple a picnic basket and a bottle of wine to enjoy after their tour.
- Do you have a rooftop deck or pretty patio that you can put to good advantage during warm-weather months? Save the couple a table and offer them a small nosh and a cool drink.
The question you should be asking yourself is: What can I create that's an Instagram-worthy moment? Your young couples will share their experience on social media and that's good for you on several levels.
Again, you know your venue’s assets. Use them to differentiate your venue and—most importantly—to get that wedding couple on site. From there, you can work your magic to make them yours, all yours!
To-Do For You:
Figure out something that your venue already offers that you can leverage to create a fun experience for wedding couples that will get them in for a site tour.
Also, see if you can come up with something you can add to their event to incentivize the couple to book quickly after the site tour.
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