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How to Advertise Next to Your Competition

Wedding Professionals:

A wedding photographer recently asked me, “Is it bad to have a bridal show table next to another wedding photographer?” A small stationery company recently asked me if they should worry that their banner advertisement was next to their competitor’s banner advertisement. For both questions, my answer was no. Don’t worry. Don’t worry at all.

Instead, focus your energy on these four winning strategies:

1. Have a unique offering. Every photographer has their own style. Every wedding planner has they own flair. Every celebrant adds their own special touch. What is exceptional about your wedding services? Think about that and focus on it. Know what you’re good at and play that up.

2. Know your ideal bride. This means that you need to have a deep understanding of the type of bride that will want your wedding services (aka your ideal bride). Because let’s face it, a wedding vendor that is the right fit for one bride might not be the right fit for another bride. A bride’s personal preference will ultimately determine which wedding vendor’s unique offering is best suited for her. The key is to get to know the kind of bride that IS the right fit for your services. Know her needs and wants better than your competitors know them.

3. Be confident about your unique offering. Feel good about your unique talents. Remember that there’s a reason why you chose this profession and don’t lose sight of that. Know it. Work it. Own it!

4. Communicate and showcase your unique offering to your ideal bride. This needs to come through loud and clear in your advertising and marketing. After going through this process, you’ll be surprised how you will start to stand out and shine – even when you are next to your competitors.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that you should ignore your competition. You should constantly observe what else is being offered in the wedding industry. Checking out what competitors are doing and what their reputation is has never been easier. Websites with reviews and testimonials can be incredibly helpful for this. Observe your competition and then refer back to the four steps above. Continuously fine-tune your unique offering --> know your ideal bride --> build your confidence and --> refine your communications.

If this system doesn’t work for you, then find out why wedding clients aren’t interested. Put in place a formal process to ask wedding clients why they are no longer interested or why they chose a competitor’s product. This can be done by phone or by online questionnaire. You’ll soon identify patterns suggesting weaknesses that you should fix.

These steps are certainly attainable. The bottom line is that you need to know yourself and your strengths. And don’t waste your energy worrying. Instead, use that energy to acquire and service new wedding clients!

Do you have any tips about standing out while next to your competition? If so, please share those tips 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 Brenda Phillips on October 26, 2010 at 6:46am: Thanks Christine, great points! I have seen some many times that businesses don't follow sound business principles, your article reinforced for me that if you stay the course that all will work out in your favor.

Comment by Ivor Tetteh-Lartey on February 21, 2011 at 8:06am: Marketing next to your competition can get you noticed, better still if you get to know them they may be in a position to pass on referrals for bookings they are unable to accept.

Comment by Ivona Tassin on February 21, 2011 at 11:51am: Christine, Thank You!

Very inspirational and informative article.

Keep them coming.

Ivona Tassin

Comment by JW Wilson on February 21, 2011 at 2:15pm: Great info, I have recently discovered this page and plan to use it daily.

Comment by Diane Martinson Live Music, Inc. on February 22, 2011 at 7:23am: Well said. We are all unique, and have something special to offer.

Comment by Rev. Concetta M. Pampinella on February 22, 2011 at 1:19pm: Everyone has their unique qualities, and one can only authentically be who they are, if you follow your true self with the desire to serve others as opposed to focusing on the financial aspect, the couples who you are perfect for, who's day you will helping many others to make Wonderful... will find you-

Sacred Ceremony

Comment by Reel Life Photos on February 22, 2011 at 3:55pm: That's our philosophy precisely Rev. Concetta! We tend to attract like-minded people too, which is very special. xx

Comment by Ophellia McKnight on February 26, 2011 at 2:51pm: This is so timely and so appropriate for me right now as I am in throes of producing the very first wedding show for men in Toronto next month. I have had many of my vendors asking about their booth placement and wanting to be as far away from someone else in their category as possible, though I have been encouraging tham to be confident and present their businesses regardless of where they find themselves on the show floor.

I am so convinced that clients book their vendors 85% because of WHO you are and what you bring to the table that no other vendor offers...in a word, your personality and how you connect with your future bride. I am happy to have some confirmation on this for my vendors :)

Comment by COLLEZIONE FORTUNA FASHION BOUTI on March 22, 2011 at 5:03am: Great advice! Thank you for sharing!

Comment by Susan Latimer on March 20, 2012 at 5:02am: When it comes to your competition the best flattery is having them copy you.

Never and I mean never let them scare you.

Dare to be different !

Be the heard leader and start a trend.

I do disagree about interviewing your brides that did not choose your services. Sometimes people are just not looking for your services specifically. Or Maybe their father hired a Catholic Priest instead of you as their officiant.

Not everyone who finds you will be your target market .. no matter how good your marketing is !