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3 Needs Brides Have that Vendors Can’t Ignore

Wedding Professionals:

“I do not regard advertising as entertainment or an art form, but as a medium of information,” wrote David Ogilvy. “When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product.”

Over the last twelve years, I’ve personally created many marketing communications. And whether I was developing a website, advertisement, direct mail piece, blog, email, tweet, or Facebook page, it has been critical that each marketing communication tap into my audience’s emotional and rational needs. The key is to understand what those needs are.

For wedding marketing to be effective, I believe it must satisfy these three needs of brides:

Create that special feeling (emotional need). For many brides, their wedding is something that they’ve anticipated their entire lives. Be in tune with how important this event is by using words and phrases like "exclusive," "congratulations" and "limited edition." Your marketing needs to make brides feel extra special. It needs to suggest to a bride that she is about to have a truly unique experience – one that other wedding vendors are not necessarily providing. What are you saying in your ads, on your website, or in your blog to make brides feel extra special?
Provide a resolution (rational need). When you do an Internet search, nine times out of ten you're looking for the answer to a question or solution to a problem. The same applies to brides who land on your website. Make the first few seconds count by quickly giving brides what they're looking for. To do this, be sure to first get a clear understanding of your ideal clients’ needs by talking to other vendors and by requesting feedback from your past clients. What resolution are you providing in your marketing?
Establish trust (emotional need). Trust must be created in the few seconds that it takes a bride to evaluate your website/advertisement/blog/etc. To create instant trust, ensure that your marketing looks professional. The design and wording needs to be beautiful, clear and concise. Remember – typos are unacceptable. And finally, you can establish trust by showcasing reviews, testimonials and awards that you’ve received. How can you establish trust on your website?

Are there certain emotional and rational needs that you tap into when creating your wedding marketing communications? If so, share your thoughts below.

About This Blog: Christine Dyer is the Creator and Founder of BridalTweet. Christine has an MBA in marketing and shares over ten years of marketing expertise with the wedding community. In this weekly blog, you'll find advice on an array of wedding business topics such as how to market to brides, social networking, wedding PR, wedding sales, vendor networking, branding, pricing and much more. Please pass this news along to your own professional wedding network. To receive this advice in your email inbox each week, Sign Up for a Free BridalTweet Membership.

Comment by Mirella's Ladies Boutique on December 7, 2010 at 11:49am: Great tips, thanks.

Comment by Simply Joi on December 7, 2010 at 12:12pm: Thank you for the great tips. The emotional need that we as wedding vendors fufill is something I think many of us overlook.

Comment by Shaunelle Brathwaite on December 7, 2010 at 1:32pm: Thank you for sharing these tips.

Comment by Janice Smith on December 7, 2010 at 1:42pm: Thanks. This definitely helps.

Comment by Bobbi Roth Weddings on December 7, 2010 at 2:02pm: This is fantastic, Christine!! I love your marketing tips. :)

Comment by Pam Bloch on December 7, 2010 at 4:36pm: Great info. Just finishing up a complete redo of my site and will add these words and feelings for sure....stayed tuned for my launch. ALso appearing on My Fairy Job Mother Dec. 25, 11pm, on LIFETIME. All my work will be shown and my success story....

Comment by nora gonzalez on December 7, 2010 at 4:49pm: Excellent post,helpful as always..

Comment by Stephanie Benedetto Padovani on December 8, 2010 at 3:00pm: So true! Connecting with a bride's emotional need is critical to getting the buying response, but we've also got to give her rational reasons so that she can justify her her purchase. :)

It sounds a little mercenary like that, but the buying state is pure emotion. I think it's appropriate that two of your three points focus on appealing to emotions.

Comment by Just Weddings on December 8, 2010 at 9:34pm: This is so helpful. It's always great to hear advice that you know in your heart, but often forget to put into practice. I've taken over the complete redesign of a weddings website, Just Weddings.org, and I'm going to try to keep your advice in mind every day.

Comment by Tami Santini on December 8, 2010 at 11:45pm: So true, I especially love your first point. A soon to be bride has been thinking about their wedding since they were a little girl, and everything that we, as wedding vendors, need to show her that our service or procuct will be an important piece to making her wedding as magical as she has dreamed of.