Wedding Show Revelations: Cracking the Code to Connect with Engaged Couples

Kristina Stubblefield: [00:00:00] Thank you for tuning in to another episode of WedPro Business Solutions. I'm your host, Kristina Stubblefield, and I'm going to be talking about something completely different today because I am just back to the office from a wedding show.

And the first thing that I thought of, was, first of all, I wanted to go live in my Facebook group for people that are part of that group. If you're not already there, I encourage you to join WedPro Business Community. You can find it on Facebook and click join. So as I mentioned, I'm straight back from a wedding show today in Louisville, Kentucky.

And I got the opportunity to have some detailed conversations with engaged couples, and I could not wait to record a podcast episode. So I want to share with you all, one of my favorite questions to ask engaged couples is this, Where do you do your research for [00:01:00] vendors? And over the years, I've always keep track of that.

I share it with clients. I share it with, organizations or groups that I do marketing and advertising for, because to me that's very valuable information. But there's something about having a conversation with an engaged couple versus just reading it on a piece of paper, which I feel like that is such an important question.

Of course, you should have it on your form if you're doing a wedding show. So today I had a couple detailed conversations and are you all ready for this? Are you ready? These couples did not know each other. I talked to them at different times. I do not know them. And they just opened up and started sharing a lot of things with me.

One of them, follows the other podcast, that I'm involved in, and when I [00:02:00] started the conversation, how do you do your research on vendors? Every one of their answers was this, make sure you're sitting down. Please sit down. TikTok, these couples that did not know each other all different ages, because I know you're thinking to yourself, Kristina, how old were they?

All different ages. All different ages, and I probably seem a little riled up about this because I explain to people about short form video. I've just recorded a previous podcast episode on this short form video. It's not going anywhere. But I have tried and tried to explain to people, and I continue to do so.

TikTok is not just a dancing platform. I know that's how it rolled out. I know that's how it appeared to a lot of people, but it is not just a dancing platform. So here's the order that I got, because a lot of times I ask for others. [00:03:00] So here's the order I got from every one of these couples.

TikTok, Google, YouTube. Not one of them mentioned Instagram or Pinterest. So these couples, I said, I didn't hear you say Instagram. Two of these couples, out of the four that I had detailed conversations with said this to me. Yes, they may glance at Instagram, but they felt like it was mostly produced content or the best of the best content.

It wasn't a true inside look at a vendor, and this isn't super surprising to me. I think what surprised me how close these answers were that these couples were given. And how they were willing to share with me this information, and I really wanted to [00:04:00] understand more. even one of them shared with me about watching previous videos and trying to learn more about a business and really what it comes down to. This was my takeaway, and this is not what they said, but this was my takeaway. They wanted to get to know the person behind the business, the person that is the business. I for once I felt myself, this is as close to an answer from engaged couples about social being social. They are seeking out content to get an inside look at a business, what they're about, what they offer, who are they. Before they make their decisions, and the reason I shared this with you isn't to run out and, oh my gosh, now I've gotta spend all this time on TikTok or YouTube.

It's not that. It's just to bring awareness [00:05:00] to short form video is not going anywhere. As a matter of fact, it's becoming more important and that isn't something to be super stressed out about. The previous episode that I recorded was even about short form video and how you can even repurpose content on multiple social media platforms.

And I'll share this with you. So a lot of times when you record a video on your phone that can be used if you record a portrait that can be used on TikTok, Instagram reels, YouTube shorts. Can you also upload it to Google or LinkedIn or those types of things? Possibly. Does it have to be completely optimized landscape?

We could get into a whole strategy conversation about this, but that is why I want people to realize wedding professionals, these couples are going out and doing their [00:06:00] research. And I want you to be part of the conversation. I want you to be someone that they consider for their vendor team. But if you are not on the channels where these engaged couples are spending their time, are focusing their research and their energy, it's not going to be in the cards and the aha moment of today.

Short form video. And here's the interesting fact. They don't want you to be somebody you're not. They don't want you to be somebody that is necessarily all prim and proper. Has on the perfect clothing, has all the makeup done up. They just want you to be you, your authentic, true self. They want to get to know you.

Are you going to be a good match with them? Are you going to click? And this one couple that I had a conversation with, they told me about how much they had used Google. This couple I [00:07:00] met not very long after the doors had been opened to this wedding show and I didn't want to take up a lot of their time.

I had just said hello. they had said it was one of the first wedding shows they had attended, and I just me wanted to make sure that. I spoke to them and you could tell that they were a little deer in the headlights, maybe a little overwhelmed, and I just wanted to chat with them for a minute.

And after I did, they really told me about they had found the show on Google and that's where they had been doing a lot of their research. Was on Google and then they would go off to a person's website, to a vendor's website, to read more about the services or packages that they had to look at their pictures.

But then that they also wanted to go in and see about the reviews and testimonials. And I just felt like these conversations.[00:08:00] I needed to share with you all. It is so great to hear firsthand from engaged couples, and I love that I get to work with wedding professionals and I also get to experience things with engaged couples and be at weddings, and I love to turn that information.

And provide that valuable information back to you to help you in your business. The wedding industry is evolving the way engaged couples use different social media platforms, but also different search engines. Here's one thing I will share with you. Over the years, I've always heard something about Google.

Depending on the order that they've given. I've always heard something about Google and one of the best things about that is your Google business profile. It's free. You just have to go set it up, keep it updated. There's strategies you can use with Google business profile. I've, recorded [00:09:00] one or two podcast episodes in the past that you can go back and listen to.

That is something that I would encourage you a takeaway from today. Hearing every person talk about Google that I had a conversation with, make sure that you go in and update your pictures. Or if you put videos on there, make sure your services, your contact information's up to date because they are Googling.

That should be not a huge breakthrough to be honest with you, because that's something that has gone on for a number of years. It's the order that they share, that they're utilizing the different platforms, and today, TikTok was mentioned a lot, and I just wanted to go ahead and record a podcast episode, share this information with those that follow me and download the episodes so you can have this information.

And if you are someone [00:10:00] that has been considering utilizing short form video, Absolutely. it is something that can be repurposed. It can be utilized on your website, on different social media platforms. Engaged couples are utilizing TikTok, YouTube for their research.

So thank you for listening to this podcast episode. I hope you're able to take something away from it. If you're already a member of my free Facebook group, great. I would love to hear your feedback. Share with me, What are you hearing from engaged couples? Where are they doing their research? Where are they spending their time?

You can find the Facebook group. It is WedPro Business Community. And I look forward to reading your feedback, and if you have any questions, you can always reach out by going to my website, kristinastubblefield.com. Until next time, everyone take [00:11:00] care.