Press Releases 101: How to get your Wedding Business in the News

I didn't think it was possible to squeeze in four years of PR education, and seven years of experience into 20 minutes, but I did it. Impressive for someone who can't explain the last episode of LOST in less than 30.

I had the distinct pleasure of speaking at a Women Entrepreneur's Seminar, hosted by Shanelle Calvin Consulting on the topic of Press Releases this weekend.

I owe my life in PR to a 1996 model computer that spouted out "Public Relations," after I took a, what I'm sure was required, career test in high school

PR? I remember thinking. Don't mind if I do! Not that I had any idea what it actually was, but when I told people I was going to go to college to study it, people were so receptive to the idea that I stuck with it. Even after learning what it meant several years later.

PR is the creation and cultivation of your company's public image (thanks Wikipedia!). One way to self promote? The press release- a short, concise blip about your newsworthy and timely going ons.

I could go on about the inverted pyramid writing structure, but for the sake of brevity (see- I'm trying!), here are a few tips to get you started:

1) Think like the media. Journalists are always on deadline, with very little time to review the potential hundreds of press releases that cross their desk. Keep it short, pack it with details early on, and make sure the title is sexy and attention grabbing.

2) Pick and choose who you send your Press Releases to- If you're writing something about your wedding industry, then no need to send it to every Tom, Dick and Harry (always wanted to use that term!) on your media list. Does it have a small business spin? Then by all means, send it to your business media contacts. But save your buddy over at the Men's Health magazine the time to delete your Release, but not sending it at all.

3) Be reachable- should the release get picked up, make sure you have your proverbial ducks already in a row. Be available to be interviewed and practice what you're going to say. Does your release include other fellow wedding pros? Have their cells at the ready, as well as any other pertinent information that may be requested. It simply doesn't end when you press "send" on your email.

Now that you've got a shiny new press releases, sexy title and all, what do you do with it? Distribution has come a long way in a relatively short time- less than ten years ago, we were still being taught to drop the release in the mail. Thanks to Al Gore's Internet and Twitter, the name of the game is speed. Email continues to be a great way to distribute, although I highly suggest you head on over to PR Pro Steve Mullen's Blog Post on Newswires, to give you a better idea of where to go with it.

So while you may not be winning Pulitzers (yet!), or have statues erected in your honor (mom's wall of grade school trophies doesn't count.. sorry), you may still be doing some really great things. Don't assume that the rest of the world knows and by all means, don't be afraid to broadcast it. After all, when you make it big, those three legged racing trophies might actually be worth something.

Until next time,
Meghan

Meghan Ely is the owner of OFD Consulting, a niche marketing group geared towards wedding professionals. She is also the Managing Director of the Richmond Bridal Association, Contributing Writer to Virginia Bride Magazine and has a regular spot on Bridesight TV.

OFD is heading to Ireland!

Welp, I'm just going to spill it- OFD is heading to Ireland (if you couldn't gather it from the above subject line)!

I've had the sincere pleasure of getting to know Annie from Aislinn Events, a wedding planner from South West Ireland, through the wonderful world of Social Media.

Recently, Annie asked me if I'd be willing to develop a two day business seminar for the Ireland wedding industry. My only question- where do I sign?

Thus, The Business of Weddings Ireland, was born and will take place this coming November.
We'll be discussing everything from the state of the wedding industry and Social Media, to profiling the Generation Y Bride and Marketing in the Recession.

I'll share more information as we get closer, but in the meantime, had to share this wonderful news before I burst. Many thanks to Annie for the opportunity.

Until next time,
Meghan

Meghan Ely is the owner of OFD Consulting, a niche marketing group geared towards wedding professionals. She is also the Managing Director of the Richmond Bridal Association, Contributing Writer to Virginia Bride Magazine and has a regular spot on Bridesight TV.

Surrounding yourself by the Right People: An Ode to my Graphic Designer

Ok, I'll admit it- I cheat.

I cheat on my diet (although both Ben and Jerry are partially to blame), and I cheat by reading the last page of most books before I get started. And I may have used FreeTranslation.com every now and then while obtaining my Spanish Minor. A lot.

But do you know who I don't cheat on (besides the obvious- my hubby and hairdresser)- my graphic designer Sarah. No lie- I panic at the thought of having a project and passing it off to someone else.

I'd love to regale you with a very professional story of how Sarah and I connected at some fancy networking event, or through a Fortune 500 CEO. Alas, we met at JMU land, probably over Natural Light.

We shared a mutual friend (Hi Kristin!), and I liked having Sarah around because she's funnier than Bugs Bunny. And she had a great accent (Ohio!). Imagine my delight when I discovered she was a talented son of a gun to boot.

Once we graduated, like any good Generation Yer’s, we became Facebook Friends. I kept tabs on her web site and portfolio and before long, I asked her to design my future hubby and I's LOST/Star Wars/Socks themed moving announcement, followed later by our
wedding monogram. And admittedly, I was hooked on her designs. So when it came time to get the ball rolling with OFD, I sent a panicked email to Sarah that went something like this:

Hi Sarah- so remember that company I was going to start in a couple years? Well I started it.. yesterday. Can you do my logo and business cards and everything? Like really really quickly?

No only did she oblige, but she did so with gusto, offering encouragement along the way. Yes, I needed someone to walk me through the steps of a logo design, but I think I secretly needed someone to think this company was an okay idea.

Since then, she's done all the design work for Illuminate and Wedology 101, as well as worked with some of my trusted colleagues.

My point in gushing about Sarah (who by the way, did not slip me a twenty to do this)?

As a wedding professional, you are more than likely a one man show. From time to time, you're going to have to contract out for work- whether it be bookkeeping, graphic design,
web design or well, me. When doing so, it's important to surround yourself by the right people. Sarah is one of those good eggs that not only has a tremendous sense of style, but takes it ten steps further by advising on local printers (researching for me? Bonus!) and giving it to me straight when something just doesn’t look right.

So in short- if you don't have the right people in your corner, you won't go anywhere.

Don’t settle for someone just because it seems easy. Worse yet- don’t stick with the same person even if he or she is offering sub par work- just because you don’t feel like going through the hiring process again. Trust me- it’s far more difficult to undo the damage of bad work, then to take the time to find the right people to put in your corner.

So take the time to ascertain your needs, interview, check references and, if applicable, review their portfolio. You deserve the best.

My hope is to take Sarah with me wherever I go- book covers for all my future best sellers, thank you notes to my clients when I make my first million (and by thank you cards, I mean boats), invites to my Retirement party (and by Retirement, I mean when I sell my company to Oprah). Good folks like that are few and far between.

Some of you may naturally asking how to check out her work- well here you go (non sponsored overshare!)- http://www.sarahstanitz.com/. Just remember- when Oprah comes calling, I’m going to have to steal her away.

Until next time,
Meghan

Meghan Ely is the owner of OFD Consulting, a niche marketing group geared towards wedding professionals. She is also the Managing Director of the Richmond Bridal Association, Contributing Writer to Virginia Bride Magazine and has a regular spot on Bridesight TV.

Wedology 101- the reveal!

The secret is out.

After months upon months of planning, secret trips to DC and hiding in the corner of Starbucks with laptops and big ideas, the wait is finally over. So what exactly is Wedology 101?

I've never hidden it- I love bridal shows. I love going, I love participating, I love sampling ten kinds of wedding cake. I love bridal magazines- I love the pretty dresses and the content, especially when local.

I've always felt there was a missing link, however. As a bride, it's great to meet fabulous vendors and learn how things can look lovely. But how do you survive it all?

How do you plan seating arrangements when families don't get along? How do you deal with a bridesmaid that wants to wear a cardigan to cover her dress? How do you register when you've lived with someone and already have the essentials?

Thus, Wedology 101 was born over coffee with Jennifer McBride of McBride Events. Between the two of us, we've seen 700 weddings. We may not have seen everything, but we've certainly come darn close.

Wedology 101 is every phone I've ever gotten from my friends at odd hours, about how not to offend families with their invitation wording. It's the times I've had to hand tissues to friends when their wedding parties refuse to play nice.

Specifically, Wedology 101 is an interactive and fun seminar hosted by Jenn and myself. Our plan is to take the stress out of wedding plan by talking about the realities of being a bride.

The fabulous Wyndham Virginia Crossings has agreed to partner with us and host our inaugural event on Sunday, August 15. As you may have seen, Celebrations in the Richmond Times Dispatch is now featuring our monthly column- and there's more where that came from! But you didn't think I was going to reveal all of it in just one blog did you?

So far, the response from the wedding industry locally has been nothing short of amazing- apparently we're not the only ones who see a need for this.

What's next? Jenn and I just put the finishing touches on our next article. The blog will be rolling out soon and behind the scenes, we're working fast and furious to put together quite the event.

Have a bride who may benefit? Ticket sales will begin shortly, and we'll be sure to announce it when it does.

Interested in getting involved? Email me at meghan {at} ofdconsulting {dot} com for more information.

Until next time,
Meghan

Meghan Ely is the owner of OFD Consulting, a niche marketing group geared towards wedding professionals. She is also the Managing Director of the Richmond Bridal Association, and has a regular spot on Bridesight TV.

Welcome New RBA Members!

I probably shouldn't have favorite Richmond Bridal Association meetings, but I do and I'd rank our new member Meeting as Top Three. There's just something about the energy in the room when you've got a batch of new members ready to network.

Last night was no exception- what a fun evening. Yes, we got down to business but not without a few laughs and thundercat themed name tags thrown into the mix. I look forward to many more gatherings!

Please join me in welcoming:

A Sharper Palate
Bella Rosa Bridal & Special Occasions
David Abel Photography
Freeze Frame Photobooths
Historic Jasmine Plantation
Ken Chin with Keller Williams Realty
Mosaic Unique Events
Q Barbecue
The Bankuet Place
The Coordinated Event
The Costume Shop

Special thanks to Maggiano's Little Italy in Short Pump for hosting us.

For those who were unable to make it to our March Open House, Please mark your calendar for November 10, as the Board has made the unprecedented (and exciting!) decision to open up membership again in the Fall.

We've received such a great bit of interest, that we want to ensure our prospective members have the opportunity to get to know more about us sooner rather than later.

Until next time,
Meghan

Meghan Ely is the owner of OFD Consulting, a niche marketing group geared towards wedding professionals. She is also the Managing Director of the Richmond Bridal Association, and has a regular spot on Bridesight TV.

Attention Women Entrepreneurs!

I'd like to give a little shout out to an upcoming event here in Richmond. Shanelle Calvin offers a free quarterly workshop series called "Building your Business." The goal is to empower women to build their business in a recession and includes two 20 minute interactive sessions, networking and a brief interactive session with Shanelle.

I will be one of the speakers as I present the ins and outs of Press Releases- what to include, how to distribute, and other great little nuggets.

The next one is May 22 at the Virginia Center for Architecture from 1-3pm. Space is limited so you must RSVP through- http://www.rsvphere.com/events/735e3de163ad47c9bfde64aeebc8814d

Hope to see you there!

Until next time,
Meghan

Meghan Ely is the owner of OFD Consulting, a niche marketing group geared towards wedding professionals. She is also the Managing Director of the Richmond Bridal Association, and has a regular spot on Bridesight TV.

When the Right Answer is 'No'

Boy do I adore Shayna Walker- in fact, I'd think I place her square between my love of whoopie pies and Honig's Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc (non sponsored overshare!). Shayna and I bumped into each other on Twitter and it's been one of my favorite wedding industry relationships to date. Shayna recently spoke on the fascinating, and sometimes controversial, topic of Client Management. She even dared to touch upon the subject of firing your clients (gasp!). So as soon as I led a round of applause for her great presentation, I begged her to do a guest blog for me.

So without further adieu...

Best Practices in Client Satisfaction: When the Right Answer is ‘No’

Conventional “great customer service wisdom” holds that the client is always right. As a wedding pro, though, you know the truth: she is always right, except for the times when she is wrong. Those times call for a simple solution – you have to say “no”.

While it can be nerve-wracking to stand up to your clients or potential customers, you are the expert. You are paid to identify red flags in your field and resolve them before they become actual problems. Asserting your better judgment is acting in the best interest of your client and your business.

There is no room for compromise when it comes to your business integrity. You don’t have to be confrontational. In fact, you can learn to say “no” so effectively that it’s not only natural and polite; but it builds consumer confidence.

When to Say No

Perfect situations for a firm, but polite “no” include:

Bride: “Will you discount your services to win my business?”

Pro: “No, my pricing reflects how I value my time and expertise. I will however aim to exceed your expectations.”

Bride: “Will you provide ‘x’ service that is not your specialty?”

Pro: “No, I will not compromise my standards and your right to be completely satisfied, but I will recommend a professional or an alternative that might better suit your needs.”

Bride: “Will you beat your competitor’s pricing if I share her quote with you?”

Pro: “No, however, I will be glad to provide you a fair and accurate quote for my services if you explain what you are looking for, then, you can choose the best fit for the job.”

Practice Makes Perfect

You should practice saying no professionally before you actually need the skill. Run your own likely scenarios and lean on colleagues to fine-tune your approach.

The Upside of “No”

It takes practice to say “no” in a way that protects your business’ integrity but doesn’t offend the prospective clients. The payoff is worth the effort:

• The quality of clients who do hire you skyrockets because they value you as you value yourself.
• Client satisfaction increases dramatically when you match the right service to the right consumer.
• Your professional reputation improves as your peers see you defend your value and expertise.
• Your competitors find new reasons to respect (and maybe even refer) you when they know you’d rather lose the wrong business than willfully undercut theirs.
• Your overall client experience benefits from establishing your boundaries from the beginning.
• Your preserve your own sanity and job satisfaction by working with colleagues and clients who are inclined to be satisfied.

Next time you’re faced with an inquiry that would be best served by “no”, be ready. Can you think of a situation where “no” would be your best response?

Shayna Walker owns Williamsburg Wedding Design (http://www.williamsburgweddingdesign.com). She writes the World According to Weddlady (http://www.weddlady.com) blog, The Williamsburg Wedding Blog (http://www.thewilliamsburgweddingblog.com) and Life in Weddings blog (http://www.lifeinweddings.com). She publishes the annual Where to Wed bridal guide for Williamsburg, Yorktown, Providence Forge and Newport News. She is also a passionate speaker and educator for the wedding industry, an established professional wedding planner and her most important job: a single mom of twin kindergartners.

Wedding Competitors: Can't we all just get along?

I'm an obnoxiously fast typer. And to be on the safe side, I tested myself online just moments ago. Yep, 90 words a minute.

I'd love to credit my Freshmen year Computer class and various typing games, but really, I owe all my skills to my high school friend Ann.

There were three of us who sat in the far corner of the room and when Ann got to typing, it was a symphony on the keyboard. I was a mix of envy and jealousy with a hint of competition (okay, maybe more than a hint).

Before you knew it, I was typing fast and furious to keep up. And know what? I’m good. Darn good. I’d hate for anyone to run into me in a back alley with a couple of keyboards because I’d wipe the floor with them.

The wedding world can be perplexing when it comes to competition, and I find that each vendor type has its own take on it. Some have no troubles gathering their wedding comrades and hightailing it to the nearest pub to toast their crazy lives. While others manage to spend years circumventing each while attending the same functions.

When I used to wear my Reception hat, I loved getting to know the other venues in town. Brides were always surprised that I was quick to recommend my fellow competitors when our space wouldn't work for them. They were even more surprised when I’d finish the conversation with “oh and tell him I said hi.”

I had no problem embracing my competitor. Why you may ask?

1) Not every bride that comes through your door is going to be a good fit. Show them that extra level of service by offering them suggestions as to other colleagues who may be. Now that, my friends, is what I call a lasting impression.

2) In turn, you may be on the receiving end of a referral should your competitor have to turn down a wedding.

3) Who else is really going to get it when a bride rolls in on the crazy train insisting you repaint your venue to match her wedding colors? Sure you’ve got a sounding board in your friends and family- but isn’t it nice when you can share your bits of frustration with someone just like yourself? Like I used to say to my friends in Freshmen year Statistics, there's company in misery.

Case in point- I had spent about five years in the business and one evening as I’m about to shut down my computer (5:29pm!), my General Manager announces to us all that he needed the Audio Visual Pricing of all our competitors. Oh and by tomorrow morning (panic!).

I wiped the sweat of my brow and got digging- well, begging. I wrote all of my buddies and basically said, Listen, I know you’re all working still because I am always at work at this time. And you know I wouldn’t be pleading if I wasn’t desperate. So how about those AV prices?

By the very next morning, I easily had the full AV pricing for our top five or six competitors.

Now that situation could have gone several different ways but because I had established a trusting relationship among my competitors, I came out on top. And the next time one of my fellow venues needed to know exactly how much our scallops wrapped in shrimp cost? I’d be first in line to send it to them. Maybe even with samples.

Now am I asking you to gather around a camp fire and sing kumbaya? Nope. But I am asking you to consider the idea that in good times, there is enough business to go around. Your competitors are better for knowing you and—get this— you’ll be better for knowing them.

Just like my 90 word per minute hands are better for knowing Ann.

Until next time,
Meghan

Meghan Ely is the owner of OFD Consulting, a niche marketing group geared towards wedding professionals. She is also the Managing Director of the Richmond Bridal Association, and has a regular spot on Bridesight TV.

Wedding Professionals and the Press

Today I'm going to share a pretty big secret with you about the media. The type of secret that if it gets out, I dare say I'll have to close my doors tomorrow, as my OFD clients bid adieu for a little DIY PR. Ready? Ok- here it goes.

The media wants to work with you (gasp!).

Allow me give you a moment to compose yourself.

I work with the wedding media in several capacities- whether I'm submitting real weddings, or assisting journalists with upcoming articles. It's one of my favorite parts of the job in fact- I love seeing a story come together. And when I get that fateful call from the media? Well, I hit the ground running.

Need a St. Paddy’s Day themed groom’s cake? Done. Italian first dance songs? I’m all over it.

What absolutely perplexes me, however, is that in every single initial conversation I've had with a journalist, I hear the standard lamentation that they can never get wedding pros to call them back. It’s a conversation as inevitable as my swollen feet at the end of a bridal show.

Sometimes, I may even be in the shoes of the media, when writing for a publication. In those instances, I'm always overjoyed when a wedding professional will work with me. Returning my calls in a timely manner AND being able to be interviewed at the planned time? Yes please!

Case in point- I recently wrote a piece about a delightful gal from DC with a fabulous product. She bent over backwards to assist me- quick replies, links to hi resolution images of her products that I could download myself (joy!), proper credit to photographers and the patience to answer interview questions that she's surely done so several times previously.

By the time we finished our interview, I was ready to stop the presses and replace Sandra Bullock with her, on the cover of People magazine no less (should I have any pull of course, which I don't.. yet).

Free press is invaluable and often takes but a moment of your time. We're always talking about the importance of being a resource to your brides. But what about being a resource to the media?

If a publication or blog wants to feature your services or products, drop what you're doing and help. If they're running a story on purple square cakes and ask for photographs, then by all means, go find those purple cakes.

Ultimately, marketing and advertising takes money. Press doesn’t (outside of your time). Find your inner Lois Lane (or Clark Kent) and aspire to be front page news.

Until next time,
Meghan

Parternship Marketing: Finding Business from your Wedding Buddies

What is Partnership Marketing?

Funny you should ask because I made it up while polishing my resume in 2004. Essentially, it's building mutually beneficial relationships with other vendors to develop your respective businesses.

It's a known fact that brides are stressed from Day 1. Once they've booked their ceremony and reception site, they're ready to run for the hills. So they start relying on referrals in part- from friends, colleagues and, quite often, wedding vendors.

I can attest to this during my former life in reception venues. Once I built a level of trust with my brides, I suddenly found myself as their walking Rolodex. My vendor recommendation was as good as any and suddenly, most weekends, I found myself surrounding by some of my favorite people in the industry.

Who were those people you may ask? They were the vendors who stayed in touch. The ones who promised my wedding photos and delivered. The ones who would ask for appointments during normal business hours on a Wednesday. The ones who gave me their personal cell in case I was in a jam. The ones who didn't treat me any differently when the average budget of my bride was $12,000 versus $50,000.

Shaky on how to get started? A few tid bits of advice:

1) Understand and respect the Wedding Timeline- although I contend that there is no true linear timeline for how a bride plans her wedding, there is a still a general consensus as to when things are booked. Venues tend to be booked first so if you sell wedding cakes, don't chase down venues by offering to refer them for receptions.

By the time they book a cake from you, more than likely, the reception venue is already booked. Instead, offer to help them build their rehearsal dinner business.

2) Slip on their shoes for awhile- if you're reaching out to a fellow vendor, remember that they too live and breathe weddings. Don't ask for an appointment on Friday or Saturday. Remember that many use Mondays as their days off.

3) Devour bridal magazines- you surely have a general idea of when the local bridal publications come out during the year. Buy them and read them cover to cover, keeping a running tab of local friends and colleagues who are featured.Drop them a quite note (handwritten wins in my book) to congratulate them.

4) Embrace your competitor- This may not always be the case during the recession but normally, there is enough business to go around. Build these relationships because the idea customer service strategy is to still offer vendor recommendations when you are booked, with the hope that perhaps they will return the favor down the road.

5) Holiday card list- continue to build it throughout the year and no matter how busy life gets, send out Season Greetings and wishes of good tidings to those who helped you succeed this year.

So much of our time is spent on media placement and advertising strategies. Well it's time to diversify your approach and realize that your next big piece may be from your fellow wedding professionals.

And finally, I would be remiss if I didn't thank all those who made the inaugural Illuminate workshop such a BIG success.

I've said it before and I'll said it again- when I booked The Kent Valentine House initially, I guessed we'd have 20 or so people (that is, if enough of my friends and family could be bribed to go).

Well color me surprised when we not only exceeded that, but we sold out. Too cool.

I've already received numerous requests for the date of the next one- please know I'll be setting the date for Williamsburg shortly, followed by a return trip to Richmond and perhaps some more traveling in between.

Until next time,
Meghan