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ADVERTISER REMINDERS
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Make sure you are requesting reviews from past brides. We have completely removed the registration requirement for writing reviews. This should now make it easier for newlyweds to submit their reviews without being derailed by a registration process. All fields are required in order to complete a vendor review, and we have also introduced the "screen name" field to alleviate any privacy concerns while still capturing enough information just in case the legitimacy of a review comes into question. | |
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| PWG ADVERTISER
SEPTEMBER
BIRTHDAYS |  | |
9/2 Wayne Pecinich
CSM Video Productions
9/12 Judy Yarbrough
The Penn House
9/16 Paula Pile
Paula Pile Psychological Counseling
If you are a PWG Advertiser and do not think we have your Birthday please send it to Jaime@pwg.com. Date and month only.
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| KIND WORDS | I learned some cool tips this evening at the Triad/Triangle Perfect Wedding Guide's social media workshop. Glad I was able to attend! Thanks Jaime & Gail for pulling this together, PWG has been a great networking tool for my business!
Elizabeth Larson Photography
Thanks so much for having the facebook workshop at Create a Cake!
Marilyn Wienand, Deer Hollow Music
I had such a good time at the luncheon. It was so nice to get out and meet everyone today. I'm looking forward to more gatherings. Thanks for having me!
Misty Smith Feld, Images by Misty
I was reminded just how important social media is and how easily, with the right details in place, you can expand your client pool. Thanks Angel & PWG for putting together a great information session.
Angela Spangler, Girl Friday Creations & Events
I am ready for Part II, so glad you took the time to put this together.
Trish Badgett, My Beautiful Wedding
Thank you so much, I really enjoyed the luncheon. I am trying to "find my way" to networking the winery and its not an easy niche to find. This luncheon seemed to be a great match for us! I plan
Pam Lynch, Grove Winery & Vineyards | |
| About PWG |
Perfect Wedding Guide (perfectweddingguide.com), the leader in wedding media resources, is the oldest and most reliable wedding planning company in the United States. For almost 20 years, wd have been dedicated to creating innovative wedding planning solutions for brides of all budgets. Our company offers couples a number of fun, useful, and FREE products to help make wedding planning less of a chore and more of a treat. Our local guides are available coast-to-coast in over 60 markets, showcasing some of the country's top wedding vendors who work right in the bride's backyard. Collectively, PWG host over 75 Bridal Shows each year in the US. Our National Website, PerfectWeddingGuide.com, is full of fresh planning tips and wedding ideas, an extensive photo gallery for inspiration, easy-to-use wedding planning tools, as well as a wedding blog community hosted by our national wedding planning expert. | |
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| CONTACT US |  | |
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Greetings!
Happy Labor Day weekend!
We use our bi weekly newsletters to keep you updated on opportunities to improve your business and to grow your revenue. If you would like to stay updated, please read on. And, feel free to forward these newsletters to others who you think may want updates as well. They can join our newsletter mailings at the bottom of this email. If there is ever anything we, at Perfect Wedding Guide, can do for your business, please don't hesitate to contact us anytime.
All the best,
Gail Galloway
Publisher |
| Same Time Next Labor Day, Will You Be Better Off? | According to eWedNews, by Paul Pannone
 After three-years of economic downturn and growing pessimism on the part of the American society, what was once the hope the recession would not last a day longer than necessary is yielding to the idea, this could be the new normal. In many cases changes that have already taken place are never going back, leaving some to argue why should they?
We are very fortunate to be in the industry that we are and I believe we can survive this! While we are in this lull, we should be bettering ourselves as professionals in every way, so that when things do start to pick up again, we can bring our A-game. As long as there are dreamers, as long there is love, as long as romance is still alive, there will always be a job for us!" Ongoing eWedNews discussions show the majority of people in the wedding industry have been affected by the economic downturn. Many companies that were not positioned to ride out a very long and treacherous downturn have already disappeared. A new wave of departures and wedding industry consolidation is expected over the off season, as demand, overall spending declines and the number of resources continues to grow and displace business. What about you? Do you feel you'll bet better or worse off in a year?
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| New Look to BridalShowNC.com | |
1. Added a new system to show brides how many PWG bridal shows you've participated in. Each vendor who has participated in at least 5 PWG Bridal Shows will receive a corresponding heart icon by their listing.
2. Added icons that link directly to your blog page and/or your facebook page!
A one year free listing comes with each PWG Bridal Show. Please check your listing to be sure it is up to date, if you've been in a show within the last year. If we are missing information or something needs to be updated, please email jaime@pwg.com. |
| The Top 10 List |  This is the list of the Top 10 things you can do to better your company's bottom line.
1. Advertise. Of course this is going to be my number 1. If brides aren't aware of your company, they can't do business with you. If they hear about your company in one place, it may not be enough for them to trust you and reach out to you.
BRIDES FIND VENDORS THROUGH MULTIPLE PATHS! THE MORE PLACES YOU ARE, THE MORE BUSINESS YOU WILL BOOK!
2. Have a strong web site. All paths and all roads lead to your web site. This is your most important marketing piece. All of your advertising, your word of mouth, your networking, and your bridal shows will lead people to your web site for more information BEFORE they reach out to you.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A STRONG WEB SITE THAT IS EASY TO NAVIGATE AND PROFESSIONAL, NO MATTER HOW MUCH ADVERTISING, NETWORKING AND BRIDAL SHOWS YOU DO, YOU WILL NEVER OPTIMIZE YOUR BOTTOM LINE.
3. Network. If you are not networking, you are missing a big piece of the pie. If you ONLY network with the same people, you're missing out. A DJ recently came to a Wedding Guild Luncheon and he knew 3 people in the room. Think of all the referrals he's missing out on!
THE WEDDING BUSINESS IS A REVOLVING DOOR; PEOPLE COME IN AND OUT OF IT EVERY DAY. DON'T DISCOUNT TODAY'S NEW BUSINESSES...THEY COULD BE TOMORROW'S NEWEST ROCK STARS!
4. Improve your personality. The number one reason brides book a wedding professional is not over price; it's over personality! If you are a sour grape or if you're unwilling to crack a smile, make a joke or warm up to your clients, they will not want to do business with you. The same is true for wedding professionals. If all you do is talk about yourself without being interested in the other wedding professionals you're talking to, they will lose interest immediately. This is NOT all about you!
IF A BRIDE FEELS THAT YOU'RE GOING THE EXTRA MILE FOR HER, SHE WILL MOVE HEAVEN AND EARTH TO BOOK YOUR SERVICES.
5. Have professional marketing pieces. Brides want to work with professionals. By having professional marketing pieces, you will give the perception of being that professional she's looking for. Having professional marketing pieces means hiring a professional designer to create your look and enhance your branding.
BRANDING YOUR COMPANY CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PEOPLE RECOGNIZING YOUR COMPANY AND NOT KNOWING WHO YOU ARE...NO MATTER HOW MANY PLACES YOU'RE SEEN.
6. Use professional images in everything you do. There are still ads, web sites and more where I see amateur photographs every day. Don't take a picture of your cake or people dancing or a ceremony set up with your personal camera and then use it in your ads and on your web site. Get professional images from a professional photographer and increase the look of your products and services.
FIND OUT WHO THE PHOTOGRAPHER OF YOUR WEDDING WILL BE GOING INTO IT AND CONTACT THEM IN ADVANCE OF THE WEDDING TO SEE IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO SEND YOU PHOTOGRAPHS AFTER THE WEDDING. THEN, FOLLOW UP.
PHOTOGRAPHERS: WHAT BETTER WAY TO BLANKET THE MARKET THAN TO SEND YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS TO ALL THE PROFESSIONALS FROM EACH WEDDING YOU DO? BE SURE TO PUT YOUR PHOTO CREDIT RIGHT ON THE PHOTOGRAPH FOR BRANDING AND TOP OF MIND AWARENESS!
7. Have a professional logo. Are you  seeing a theme here? There are web sites dedicated to designing a logo for your company. The price starts at $99. Go to a web site or hire a graphic designer, but get a logo for your company today. Again, it's the difference between being a beginner or part time service and being in a professional business.
SEARCH $99 LOGOS ON GOOGLE FOR A LIST OF WEB SITES THAT CAN CREATE A LOGO FOR YOU.
8. Do bridal shows. Bridal show attendance is up all around the country because brides want to meet wedding professionals face to face and compare services side by side. Bridal shows are a great way to meet brides of all budgets and is a great opportunity for you to set dozens of appointments and even sign contracts on the day of the show. Again, if they're already familiar with your company through print and internet when they get to the show, chances are you'll secure more contracts from the show than you would without prior advertising!
BRIDAL SHOWS ARE NOT JUST ABOUT BRIDES. TAKE TIME TO NETWORK WITH THE VENDORS THAT ARE AT THE SHOWS. IT'S A GREAT WAY TO LET THE WEDDING PROFESSIONALS SEE YOUR WORK FIRST HAND.
9. Get reviewed/Get wired/Get online. Word of mouth is the number one driver of business to your company. Even though not all referrals come from firsthand experience, reviews and testimonials can drive even more business. You should have significant online presence as 84% of brides are researching vendors online. On web sites like PerfectWeddingGuide.com, you can have your company reviewed by past brides. Future brides will see these reviews and will be more apt to reach out to you when the reviews are good. Through social media outlets, if you don't have a company Facebook or Twitter account, get started today. This is a great opportunity to stay top of mind, to connect to brides and build relationships with other wedding professionals.
EVERYONE GETS BAD REVIEWS. IF YOU HAVE 10 GREAT REVIEWS AND 1 POOR ONE, DON'T WORRY! MOST BRIDES SEE THAT LONE REVIEW AS A BRIDEZILLA AND WILL TEND TO IGNORE IT.
10. Get educated. People often make decisions based on what they feel...not based on what is fact. Don't always believe the hype. Ask for facts. Ask for figures. Don't trust the word of mouth from one or two wedding professionals alone. Ask for the numbers and research your options.
BEING SUCCESSFUL IN BUSINESS MEANS PLAYING BY YOUR OWN SET OF RULES. STAY ON TOP OF CURRENT TRENDS, LOOK AT THE FACTS AND FIGURES, CREATE A BUDGET AND MAKE EDUCATED DECISIONS THAT WILL GROW YOUR COMPANY.
Running a successful business means that you are constantly and effectively improving, not only your products and services, but the tools that you use to sell yourself. Business is about reinvestment. If you're not reinvesting in your company everyday through advertising, bridal shows, networking, updating your web site and your marketing materials, you will eventually be an old shoe that no one wants to try on.
Look at Walmart, they've had great success in the down economy, but they continue to update their stores, run print, television, and radio ads in addition to their other marketing efforts. Just because you've found success DOES NOT mean you can sit back and rest on your success. You've got to continually stay top of mind and remain current to stay on top.
Stay current and stay up-to-date with the trends in the marketplace to stay ahead of your competition. Good luck and happy selling!
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| Perfect Wedding Guide Bridal Show | |
The Triad & Triangle's Most Intimate and Elegant Events
Jerry Jerry Dillard Photography |
9/12 Durham Marriott Convention Center
11/7 Greensboro
The Empire & Regency Ballrooms
Caterer, Photography & Reception sold out
Early Bird discount expires 10/7
We would love to have you be a part of our shows where you can showcase your products and services to buying brides. Brides can't spend money with you unless they know you exist.
Would you like to check out our show or provide free admission to your brides? Contact the office. |
| The ALL NEW Perfect Wedding Guide |
It's Coming...
New size - New shape - New design
More chic - More opportunities - More affordable
The New Perfect Wedding Guide will be a perfect fit for you.
Save the date to learn more at these Guild luncheons:
9/29 Bay 7 at American Tobacco Campus, Durham
10/6 Royal House, Kernersville |
| Happenings in the Industry |
We learned a lot of tips on getting started with Facebook and Linked In at the Education Event taught by Angel Guerrero. A full video, available for purchase (proceeds going to The Humane Society), will be available soon. A report just out by Forrester's Research indicates 51% of online Americans have joined a social network. We recently posted an article on The Top Twelve Business Etiquette Tips for Social Media provided by Angel. Click here to read the full article.
Veronica Foster of Behind the Scenes, Inc. has been named the Greensboro Wedding Planning Examiner! She plans on writing about more local events, local wedding planning obsticales, and of course doing interviews of local wedding professionals and site visits of wedding venues. If you are intersted in being interviewed or having her come out and visit your venue or professional location please let her know via email. Articles will be posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday on www.examiner.com.
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