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.
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?
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
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.
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.
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!
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.
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...
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!
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.
