Last time, I talked about how any company can succeed if they:
1) figure out their superpowers and
2) how to use those superpowers to deliver something to the market that their competitors don’t. I used our own company as an example.
Today, I wanted to give you some specific scenarios of how this might work with wedding venues in particular.
Scenario #1: The Plain Jane
Let’s start with an easy one: You have a simple, fuss-free (read: plain) venue with a couple of high-priced fancy pants competitor venues OR just competitors nearby.
The best way to play it:
You should double down on your budget offerings, and market your special deals. You would lead with your pricing in all marketing materials and optimize for “affordable wedding venue” on your website and in all social media. The other phrase you should shout from the rooftops is “blank canvas”. Tout the versatility of the space. Trust me, show how the venue can be transformed and you’ll hook ’em.
Scenario #2: Shiny and New
Your venue is new and has no name recognition or word-of-mouth—yet. Oh, and you have several established, big-name competitors who rule the area with an iron fist.
The best way to play it:
You should play up your high number of open dates, especially for last-minute, quicker turnaround events. Then, make sure amazing photos are being taken during these events and get those up on your well-curated Instagram page. Use the hashtag strategies recommended here to begin to gain traction and virality against those more established competitor venues.
Scenario #3: Luxurious and Lonely
Your venue is loaded with amazing features (read: pricey) and has several more budget-minded competitors.
The best way to play it:
The win for this venue is going to be to go all in on luxe. Don’t try to compete for those budget-constrained couples, it won’t work. The obvious move is to build great relationships with high-end wedding coordinators who will bring in couples who are looking for the sky’s-the-limit kind of event. It’s true that this needs to be done if you want to maximize connection with your particular market.
But, you can also double down on the Millennial trend toward customization. Make sure to come up with several unique “experiences” that can be offered, along with multiple ways that couples can be creative with their wedding planning. This generation will pay to be treated as singularly special. Capitalize on that. Again, social media is key here. SHOW these special touches from every event you do. Throw a ton of focus on this kind of customization in social media and on your website.
Scenario #4: Basic Ballroom
Your venue is a standard hotel ballroom. In a world where everyone wants “special” and “unique”, it can be a tough sell, right? Wrong! For the smart Event Coordinator, the workhorse hotel ballroom can do really well in the current climate. Because, for every Millennial couple who wants the Most Unique Wedding Ever, there are twice that many whose top priority is having an event that’s as easy as possible—and includes lodging for the couple and their guests. Turnkey, simple. No mucking around for months being nickle-and-dimed for every extra thing or making 1,000 tiny decisions.
The best way to play it:
I have one (hyphenated) word for you: “all-inclusive”. We have found that this is one of the fastest-growing categories on our website. The search traffic for “all-inclusive” is massive and it keeps growing. So, give these couples what they want. Lead with how easy you make wedding planning for them. Use this powerful word everywhere and make sure to optimize for it in your own SEO and on every wedding resource website where your venue appears. When you send your RFP response to interested couples, highlight this superpower in your email to the couple and include your well-designed marketing PDF outlining your all-inclusive packages. You can be a hero to these frazzled couples.
These are just a few examples. I could go on forever.
But I firmly believe that EVERY single venue has superpowers and can find a strong place in the wedding market if they handle their business well.
I’m going to re-assign you the homework from last time, but with some help”: if you’re not sure what your venue’s superpowers are OR if you aren’t sure how to sell against your competitor set, reach out to me and let’s talk about it. No charge to you. I just frankly love this stuff AND I want very much for your venue to succeed!
To-Do For You:
If you haven’t done it already, answer the questions below for your venue.
What are your venue’s superpowers?
How can you use those to bring something to the market that your competitors don’t offer?
Then, give some thought as to how you can amplify those superpowers, both in your marketing and in conversations with potential wedding couples.
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