To Knot or not to Knot

I am currently reviewing my advertising dollars for next year. I have spent most of my money advertising on the The Knot for 2 years. I have currently canceled but not sure if I should start up again. In the beginning I received some calls, but last year I received three leads. Most of my leads are from referrals. I am asking if others have found TheKnot part of their advertising a success.

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Permalink Reply by Cake Fiction on December 19, 2009 at 10:08pm

We are advertising on Brides.com but approached the Knot to see what they have to offer so we could run parallel campaigns. Cost was going to be 2 1/2 times what we pay Brides. But the big problem was that the rep did not respond to repeated requests to support her pitch with real numbers in writing. If I can't even calculate an estimated cost per lead, then I am not going to buy the verbal advertising pitch. Disappointed, as I have read numerous times how the Knot worked well for other (wedding cake) vendors.

Permalink Reply by Andy Owen on December 21, 2009 at 11:50am

I have never once paid for The Knot (nor will I) and have gotten an average of 3-4 jobs per year from them anyway. I tell my brides if they liked my work to include that information in a vendor review on the forums. I've even had some brides - months after their wedding - respond to other other future brides requesting information on certain types of vendors by endorsing me. My recommendation: use The Knot's forums via your happy brides, and use Wedding Wire (free storefront) for everything else. Wedding Wire has set it up right too, with their vendor reviews, endorsements, and networking capabilities. Besides, like you, referrals are a big part of my business, I'd rather have the brides that come in with a positive mindset already, rather than that possible skepticism or doubt that they have when they don't know if anyone has been happy with your work. Does that make sense?

Permalink Reply by Curtis Copeland on December 21, 2009 at 12:33pm

Andy - you nailed the core of this conversation. Brides do not see any difference between the Knot, Wedding Wire, Bridal Tweet, One Wed, My Wedding, Top Wedding Sites, Perfect Wedding Guide, Off Beat Bride - pick your favorite from among the plethora of sites (there are hundreds). They are all equally valuable resources for a Bride. However, there is a cost for us vendors for the Knot (and other sites of the same ilk) - and the return on investment doesn't usually calculate into a reasonable business expense. In some markets it may still be a viable advertising solution, but for most it seems the value just isn't there. The Knot and similar sites will need to find better ways to add value to the Bride and the vendor to find positive solutions. What do others think? Who can say they have had exceptional results with the Knot?

Permalink Reply by Rev. Marian Hale on December 21, 2009 at 12:51pm

I was one of the first officiants in the Chicago area to advertise on the Knot about 8 years ago -- and I canceled my advertising last year. My business has not decreased -- in fact, records showed that only 5-10% of my bookings originated on the Knot. Most come from free wedding officiants booking sites -- or from WeddingWire, OurWeddingDay, WedPlan and Eventective -- all of which supply either free leads (after I pay for an ad) or leads at very nominal costs. The Knot was costing me $1,800/year, more than any other site, and I could not continue to justify it. I'm going to keep spending my ad $$ at the locations mentioned, they give very good results for low expenditure. Thanks, and blessings to all of you, Marian

Permalink Reply by Stacy Andrews on December 21, 2009 at 7:21pm

Hi there,

I did the Knot, and did it help my ~not so much . Not at all to be exact, I use
WeddingWire, and Bride.com, they have been great, 3 years with both of them very
happy with out come..... Also not that expensive.

Cheers Stacy! www.hiddenbeauty.biz ,

Permalink Reply by Rev. Rebecca A. Nagy on December 22, 2009 at 6:39am

HI there! I have had the same dilemma. But my business is down and I've had to cut my prices this year and The Knot had to go, along with print advertising. I believe all the wedding websites, no matter who they are, need to be more sensitive to the current economy.

Warmest Holiday Wishes!

Permalink Reply by Pamela Rachil on December 24, 2009 at 9:56pm

These are all good responses. I have not advertised on The Knot because of the cost as well. I am advertising on Brides.com for $50/mo. I'm in my 3rd month with them and I have gotten more inquiries for my parties, but not any increase in my bookings. I think it is just the time of year...holidays, bad travel weather...I'm hoping things pick up in the spring. I also use Party Pop and that has gotten me about 4 parties booked in the past 6 months.
www.IDoPoleParties.com
Pamela
PS--Happy Holidays!

Permalink Reply by Heather Hamilton-Sims on December 29, 2009 at 3:50pm

I can only comment based on my experience and my location. The Knot has been good to me over the years. The leads started out really slow, however they picked up momentum within the last year. Based on my website tracking, The Knot ranks number 2 on my hits after Google every month. Unfortunately, my profile is currently experiencing some technical issues has not been uploaded and I am currently seeing the decline in my traffic and inquiries. I would recommend sticking to it in conjunction with an alternate advertisement outlet.

Permalink Reply by Chris Moncus on January 13, 2010 at 8:18pm

Specifically for photographers, would you call The Knot a good place to advertise?

Permalink Reply by Laura Vogt on January 13, 2010 at 8:20pm

I am definitely canceling my Knot page. I might not have had the most effective page, though, as I created it when I was starting. Regardless, I never received a job from the Knot. A few leads, but not many. Wouldn't recommend it unless you have an idea of how to use a platform like that...

Good luck!

Permalink Reply by Julie Plevak on January 26, 2010 at 1:58am

I was on the Knot for 6 months and then cancelled my service. I felt like I paid a lot of money to get poor customer service. Once I agreed to advertise, it was impossible to get my Rep to ever call me back. I was actually counting the days until I could cancel! I've had better results from free sites, and referrals. So, I say no to the Knot!

Permalink Reply by Melissa Fife on January 27, 2010 at 10:16pm

i began advertising with TK and within the first 2 weeks i received several calls and signed 1 client. so far so good, plus you get an ad on a local website, weddingchannel.com and their new sister site partyspot.com.