by Guest Blogger, Amy Stevenson, WPICC of EventSource.ca
An Introduction
The décor was perfect, the flowers gorgeous and the bride and groom were both stunning. You receive all the polished photos from your wedding photographer and you know for certain, you’ve got yourself a winning blog submission that will for sure grab the attention of new clients!
So now comes the hard part: with so many media outlets out there, which wedding website, blog or magazine will work best for you?
As a blog editor, I see dozens of submissions each day. Here are my tips for finding the right media outlet and how to get your work noticed and – most importantly – published!
Be Clear on your Objective
It’s time to be real with yourself and decide on exactly what you want to get out of having your work published. Are you looking to attract new local clients? Are you looking to bolster your brand’s cachet? Perhaps you’re just starting out and you’re looking to garner the attention of other industry professionals?
Once you’ve determined your end-goal in having your work published, you can then determine the best place to start pitching your idea. This brings us to our next point:
Research your media outlet
Sometimes we receive submissions where it’s apparent that someone does not understand what we do or who our market is. It’s likely they have submitted to as many outlets as they could find, essentially throwing their submission at the proverbial wall to see what sticks.
It certainly pays to do your homework to ensure that the media outlet to which you submit, does in fact target your desired audience and fits well with your predetermined objective.
For example, let’s say your goal is to target new clients: it would make the most sense to find local media outlets that are firmly entrenched with your desired audience. They can get your work in front of the people that are most likely pick up the phone or send an email to inquire about your services.
It’s also important to look at the styles of features they publish. If your event is a DIY wedding, it likely doesn’t make sense to submit it to an ultra, high end blog or magazine (unless of course, the DIY is incredibly impressive!).
Each media outlet will publish their requirements for submission so make sure you read that section carefully. Do you have enough photos? Do they only publish colour photos and you have mostly black and white? Submitting with the wrong requirements can cause delay and perhaps even lead to your work not being considered – even if it is otherwise fantastic!
It’s about the Details…
This goes hand-in-hand with reading up on the submission requirements. Once you have the technical items taken care of, it’s time to “wow” the editor.
My favourite submissions are those that include personal stories from the wedding planner, photographer and of course the bride and groom! We love to hear about the story behind the submission: what sort of stand-out features were at the event? Were there any interesting customs or traditions? What made the event so unique?
Readers want to be drawn into the wedding and to feel as though they were there, so that they can relate and picture your submission as their own. The more details you can provide, the more compelling an article we can write, the better the results you will receive.
What to do once you’ve been published
Getting your work published on a reputable blog or magazine is a full-on brag-worthy accomplishment! But it’s not just about opportunities; it’s about what you do with them!
To make the most of your newfound exposure, social media is your tool of choice. Your fans and followers want to hear all about your victories and accomplishments. Everyone wants to work with a winner: reinforce this fact wherever possible your fans will become more engaged with your brand (even if you’re the modest type in real life).
Most blogs and magazines offer badges and graphics you can use to display on your website or email signatures. Badges act as perpetual ringing endorsements from third-party sources – why not take advantage of them? Displaying your “achievements” prominently on your website not only looks great, but provides current and prospective clients additional reassurance that they’ve “come to the right place”.
In Conclusion
Like any form of marketing, blog submissions are an ongoing process that can yield some pretty serious results over time. To maximize your efforts, start off right by being clear on your objectives and submitting to the appropriate media outlet. Let the publisher know exactly why your submission is so awesome by including lots and lots of details. Once published, maximize your efforts by sharing your achievements on social media and displaying a graphic on your website.
We are fortunate that our industry is chock-full of incredible opportunities. It’s how you optimize and maximize these opportunities that can be the difference between a good opportunity and a great one.
Amy Stevenson, WPICC, lives to discover all the newest and most fabulous event and wedding trends. Drawing from over 10 years in the industry, Amy compiles her fabulous finds daily on the EventSource.ca Blog.
EventSource is Toronto’s leading online event planning site. Through this, Amy connects and works with Toronto’s most talented vendors, showcasing the absolute best of the Toronto weddings and event scene!
Amy’s love for weddings is matched only by her love for animals. Amy acts on the board of directors of a charity raising funds to build a new animal shelter.
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