In Part of 1 of this wedding marketing tip, I emphasized the importance of having an online inquiry form on  your website. Now comes the nuance.

Rather than just a single field, fill-in-the-blank, asking: How did you find out about us?, you need more.

The strongest strategy is relatively large block of check boxes listing the various ways a person may have heard about you, or encountered  you. Here’s the subtle side. The list should not just include those places you actually advertise or exhibit, but ALL the places you could be advertising in market.

For example, if there are three bridal shows, and you only exhibit in one or two, list all three. If there are five publications, and you advertise in two, list all five.

For one thing, your competitors will have nothing to learn about your promotional practices from this, simply because you have listed everything.

For another, you will get some false positives, and that’s good. People will check boxes for some places you do not advertise. That should tell you that prospects are reading those publications, visiting those websites, or attending those bridal shows, even if they met you someone else. If you see a particular choice coming up (falsely) again and again, you should consider advertising there.

For search engines, list the big ones: Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, and then a box for other… with a fill in field to specify which one.

For referral sources, list check boxes for: Venue referral, wedding professional referral, or personal referral… again, with a fill in field to specify who.

What you will learn: You will get a much more accurate sense about your name recognition and visibility, and the screening/searching habits of your prospects. Furthermore, when someone lists a referral, from a specific person, you have a much hotter lead. And, you have a conversation point. Beyond that, you know you are getting referred by a specific person, and can acknowledge that referral, whether or not you get the business.

Better marketing decision: We think we know how business finds it way to our door, but we really don’t… unless you keep score. Accurate score.

Using these lead sourcing methods will give you a much better body of knowledge when it’s time to make advertising decisions.

Once you develop the list of lead sources for you online inquiry form, it’s about 1-hour job for your webmaster.

What are you waiting for?

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

written by Andy Ebon \\ tags: advertising ROI, Andy Ebon, database, lead sourcing, website, wedding marketing

Hopefully, you have an online inquiry form on your website. Something more detailed than just an email link, where the customer fills in information to give you some background about their needs.

Oh you have that… great!

Perhaps you have a field asking: How did you hear about us?

If you do, that’s pretty good, but not good enough.

With all the communication options, these days, chance are that someone has heard about you from two or more sources. If you just give them a fill-in-the-blank field, they’ll usually give you the source of the last place they heard about your company, and no more.

That kind of incomplete information will give you misleading data on how your advertising is working. Your print advertising, for example, may drive people to your website, but you may not hear about.

In Part 2 of this topic, I’ll share the ideal way to structure customer response to give you better information about how they found you.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

written by Andy Ebon \\ tags: advertising ROI, Andy Ebon, database, lead sourcing, website, wedding marketing

Call it what you want: Rolodex, contact files, database, address book…

Whatever you call it, bring it current. Businesses move, people get promoted, job titles change, people get laid off, new businesses open, you collect business cards at networking events, membership in networking groups and association change, [your addition to this list goes here]

In our rapidly changing world, we tend to acquire new information and contacts, faster than we process them. If you plan to send holiday cards or just keep in touch, being up to date comes first.

There is no worse feeling than having the holiday cards arrive and, only then, discovering your contact information is way out of date.

Today is the 1st day of November. Make it a 3-week project, then you won’t drive yourself crazy, when you need to use the information.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

written by Andy Ebon \\ tags: address book, contact files, contact management, database, relationship management, rolodex