Wedding Venue Owner Education: Outdated Social Media Accounts Are A Red Flag
Engaged couples are less likely to choose a wedding venue with a basic website & poor social media presence, as a lack of information can appear suspicious.
It’s a fact, your engaged couples want to work with wedding venues that offer excitement, experience and expertise. If your website looks like a modern yellow pages advert and your social media is giving boring, silent, untouched and possibly out of business, you’re a red flag wedding venue. Your couples are getting their news, pop culture, laughs, smiles and amused moments on social media and this is never going away. According to Mintel, 47% of US consumers have made a purchase on social media, and 58% are interested in doing so. 65% of consumers look for tips and ideas on social platforms. In this article we take a deeper look into Wedding Venue Owner Education: Outdated Social Media Accounts Are A Red Flag!
Many wedding venue owners are reporting that their sales have declined in the last year. The hard truth is that they are not using their best sales tools, SEO, Website & Social Media. As new competitors open wedding venues all around you, will you become more outdated or embrace your digital sales tools? If a couple is touring your wedding venue and considering it for their special day, but also exploring five other venues, it’s crucial to stand out in order to convert that lead to a sale. As your prospective couples evaluate their choices, they will examine your website and social media, as well as those of your competitors.
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1. Lack of Transparency
Why It Matters
A wedding venue’s social media and website are their primary platforms for showcasing what they have to offer. When these channels are inactive or outdated, it raises questions about transparency. Are they hiding something? Are they not proud of their recent events? Are they poorly run & don’t have the proper staffing? OR are they a venue with a priority focus like hotel, golf, museum and they only host weddings because they need the revenue but secretly hate hosting weddings? These are all valid questions especially when a wedding venue is not properly sharing the story of who they are and what they offer. Engaged couples are thrilled to be engaged and planning a wedding, they want a venue and vendors who are just as excited about hosting weddings as they are to be planning their wedding. If your social media is not matching their energy, they don’t want it.
What Couples Are Looking For
- Updated Photos and Videos: Engaged couples are checking for NEW Reels, Posts & Stories of weddings the venue hosted. This provides a real-time glimpse into what the wedding venue is currently offering.
- Wedding Spaces Before & During Events: Engaged couples want to see real candid content showing your wedding venues best features and assets. Sure your websites or social media post can say, “beautiful wedding dressing suites” but if you are not showing your suites then how can a couple really fall in love with your suites or others spaces?
- Customer Reviews and Testimonials: Active social media accounts often feature comments, likes and shares from recent clients. This feedback can provide valuable insights into their service quality. Reminder, if you are putting all your reviews on those big wedding websites instead of your Google Business Profile, you are losing leads & damaging your SEO.
- Regular Updates: Engaged couples want to see regular posts that highlight the wedding venue engagement with clients and updates about their services.
2. Outdated Information
Why It Matters
An inactive website or social media account might contain outdated information, which can lead to misunderstandings and miscommunications. This can range from incorrect pricing to unavailable amenities. A lack of communication can be seen as an oversite or fraudulent. Every wedding venue should not only have clear communication for couples to review on their website before they book, but they should rotate that information on their social media, in their FAQ’s, in blogs, via live stream. These are communication tools and that brings us to wedding guest communication, every wedding venue should have a wedding guest portal sharing information with wedding guests. How can your guests have the best time at a wedding if they don’t know very much at all about the venue.
When I have asked wedding venue owners, “what is the purpose of your website?” I have been told things like, “it’s a brochure” or “it’s a place to find our phone number and contact form”. NO!! This is a terrible way to view your website. Think of all the valuable insight and information you could be sharing on your website and social media. Not only for couples but for wedding guests as well.
What Couples Are Looking For
- Wedding Venue Features: Imagine visiting a wedding venue website or social media profile and immediately wondering, is this a wedding venue or a florist or a hotel? A visitor to your wedding venue website or social media profile should immediately see images and video of your best features. One of the main things a couple wants to see when they visit your website or social media is what your wedding ceremony and reception spaces look like. If there are no new posts or I have to scroll through weeks of museum, fishing, your kids photos or golf content to get to the first wedding content, that is a MAJOR RED FLAG.
- Current Contact Info: Ensure the contact details are up-to-date. Imagine the frustration of trying to call or email a venue only to find the information is outdated. Or they find your website through their Google search for “wedding venue near me” and when they try to click through your social media links, they are broken. For those of you who use Squarespace or Wix, I can’t tell you how many times I have visited your website and clicked on Instagram for example, only to end up on the Wix social media because you didn’t properly link your social media account.
- Updated Packages and Offers: Venues often update their packages to reflect trends and incorporate seasonal offers. An inactive site might not showcase these potential benefits.
- Pop Up Boxes: These can be very helpful in converting your website traffic to lead forms. Or if you have a promotion going on and your social media ads are leading people to your website for the promotion, a pop up box is very effective for capturing leads. Just remember to take it down after the promotion is over. When a couple visits your website and they immediately see a pop up notification talking about your Fall Festival 6 months ago, RED FLAG!
3. Poor Customer Engagement
Why It Matters
Active social media accounts are a sign of a venue’s commitment to engaging with their customers. Inactivity could indicate a lack of interest in maintaining client relationships, which may translate to poor customer service.
What to Look For
- Response Rate: Observe how quickly and effectively they respond to inquiries and comments on social media.
- Interaction with Followers: A good venue will engage with its followers, answering questions and participating in discussions.
4. No Visual Inspiration
Why It Matters
Your wedding venue should be a place that inspires and excites you. Active social media and an updated website can provide a treasure trove of visual inspiration. This can help you envision your big day and spark ideas for decorations, themes, and more.
What to Look For
- Photo Galleries: Updated photo galleries featuring different setups, decorations, and themes.
- Behind-the-Scenes Content: Posts about venue preparations can give you an insight into their attention to detail and dedication.
5. Indicators of Business Health
Why It Matters
Regular updates on a venue’s social media and website can also be indicators of its overall business health. An inactive online presence might suggest underlying issues such as financial difficulties or staff shortages.
What to Look For
- Consistent Posting Schedule: Regular and consistent posts indicate that the venue is actively operating and likely thriving.
- Event Highlights: Frequent updates on events they’ve hosted recently show that the venue is in demand and well-regarded.
For more wedding planning tips, follow us on TikTok or find the Wedding Venue Owners & Management Community Group on Facebook. Fill out the form below to sign up for upcoming free wedding venue owner education programs or our Wedding Venue Owners Working Vacations, the best wedding venue education events! Follow along for the latest updates in the wedding industry. Find locally owned wedding venues on our wedding venue map. Please share your comments and feedback on the topic shared today: Wedding Venue Owner Education: Outdated Social Media Accounts Are A Red Flag
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Wedding Venue Owner Education: Outdated Social Media Accounts Are A Red Flag