I know you’re spending real money on marketing. Probably with more than one platform.
And if you’re like most venue owners and event managers I talk to, you’re doing it a little bit on faith — trusting that the leads are good, the data is accurate, and the person on the other end of the phone actually knows what they’re talking about.
That faith deserves to be tested. Here are five questions I’d ask of any marketing source before signing anything — or before automatically renewing what you’ve already got.
1: When a couple sends me an inquiry through your site, is that lead exclusive to me? On most large platforms, the answer is no. When a couple submits an inquiry, that same message goes out to multiple competing venues simultaneously. You’re not getting a warm lead — you’re getting a starting gun. If the platform can’t confirm that leads come to you exclusively, factor that into what you’re willing to pay for them.
2: How do I measure my ROI with you, and will you help me do that? Any platform worth your dollars should be able to show you meaningful data: how many couples saw your listing, how many clicked through to your website, how many inquired. If the answer is vague, or if all they can give you is “impressions,” that’s a red flag.
3: What does my placement on your platform actually depend on? The honest answer for many large directories: how much you pay. Higher tiers get better visibility — full stop. Ask them to explain exactly how placement works. If it’s purely a pay-to-play auction, you need to know that. Because in competitive markets, that means you’re in a perpetual arms race with every other venue in your area, and you may have to pay extra to be featured just to get seen at all.
4: Who will be my account rep, and how long have they been with the company? This one gets glossed over constantly, and it shouldn’t. The person managing your account is the person interpreting your data, advising your strategy, and advocating for you internally. If they’re working from a script and rotating off your account every few months, that matters. Ask how long they’ve been in their role. Ask if you’ll have a dedicated contact or be passed around. A great platform with an inexperienced or disengaged rep is a much worse investment than it looks on paper.
5: What happens if I want to cancel? Read this part twice. Annual contracts with large platforms are notoriously difficult to exit. Before you sign, ask what the exit terms are if the platform isn’t performing. If they flinch, that tells you something.
None of this means any particular platform can’t work for your venue. Some absolutely do. But I want you to remember that you deserve clear answers before you commit, and the best marketing partners will give them to you without hesitation. In fact, they will WANT to answer these questions.
TO-DO FOR YOU:
Choose one platform you’re currently paying for and ask them these five questions this week. The answers will tell you everything you need to know.
Add a comment
0 Comments