When you are just starting to market yourself as a wedding planner, you may be tempted to save money by creating your own marketing materials and website, even if you have never created these things in the past. There is nothing wrong with doing things yourself, as long as you have the knowledge and experience to produce professional-quality materials.
I have seen business cards and marketing materials from new wedding and event planners that give very bad impressions. The business cards are on light-weight paper, have free clip art images and are smeared and wrinkled because they were not well-protected. I have also seen new planners get free business cards that have the logo of the online company that printed them is on the back. Self-printed brochures have misspelled words and are on flimsy paper. And website addresses read something like this; myeventcompany.freewebsite.com.
Here are 5 reasons why these types of Do-It-Yourself marketing can hurt your chances of attracting the brides you want:
1) Flimsy, smeared and wrinkled business cards look sloppy
Brides expect their wedding planners to be neat, clean and organized and your business cards should reflect that image. Self-printed cards can smear quickly so check locally and online for low-cost printers and have your cards professionally printed. Order the thickest, highest quality business card paper you can afford so cards do not wrinkle easily. Purchase a business card case to store them in so you are not just jamming them into your purse or pocket where they will be damaged.
2) Free clip art images can look dated and show a lack of creativity
One of the reasons brides hire wedding planners is for their ability to bring creativity and beauty to their vision of their dream weddings. Clip art does not show that you can do that. If you need graphics, find a graphic designer in your area or online and hire them to help you create a logo and graphics that express who you are and appeal to the brides in your niche.
3) Business cards with advertising for another company make it appear like wedding planning is your hobby
When cards advertise their printing company, they say, "I am not serious, I am just planning weddings as a hobby, I may not be around for very long." A bride wants a planner who is professional and reliable, they do not want to wonder if you will still be in business on their wedding day. The same companies that offer free business cards usually also print business cards for a fairly inexpensive price that do not have their logo on them. Make this investment in your business.
4) Brochures with errors say you are not detail-oriented and thorough
Carefully check any marketing materials for spelling errors. Have a few people proofread everything before you print. Also, get your brochures professionally printed on high-quality paper.
5) A web address with an extension looks unprofessional
Your web address should be myeventcompany.com. It should not have any extensions, that instantly tells your potential clients that you have a free site and may not be serious about your business. Also, be sure your email address contains the name of your website and is not an AOL, Yahoo, GMail or other free email account.
Save money when you can but always look at your marketing with a critical eye and make sure you can answer "yes" to the question, "Does this marketing piece reflect the high level of quality, professionalism, detail and experience that I bring to my work?"
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