“Rock Your Business: How blogging Can Make Your Brand Sing”
Transcript of #WeddingMarketChat on March 7, 2012 with Dana LaRue (@BrokeAssBride)

Dana LaRue (@brokeassbride) is the founder & CEO of Broke-Ass Media, & Editor-In-Chief of her award-winning bloghttp://www.thebrokeassbride.com

Join Our Wedding Market Chats For Wedding Professionals Every Wednesday at 10:00PST, 1:00EST, and 6:00GMT (UK time) with the #WeddingMarketChat Hashmark On Twitter. Learn something new to help your business grow every week.

Q1: @BrokeAssBride How did you get involved with the @WeddingIndustry ?

Tweet Answer: I started as a real-bride blogger when I was engaged, & the blog grew very fast. It was a happy accident.

Tweet Answer: after the wedding, it kept growing. There was clearly a demand for this niche to be represented. and the rest is history!

Q2: @BrokeAssBride How did you come up with your company name?
Tweet Answer: The company name was born from necessity. I was the epitome of a broke-ass bride, myself… and I knew I wasn’t alone.

Tweet Answer: To me, “broke-assery” is a positive rather than a negative. A chance to turn obstacle into opportunity, using creativity.

Tweet Answer: Couples shouldn’t have to compromise just because they’re on a budget. Everyone has budget limits to contend with.
Tweet Answer: My mission is to empower couples to use creativity as currency to rock a bad-ass wedding without breaking the bank!
Tweet Answer: The best part is that most of the values that we “teach” are applicable to life as well. So it goes beyond just one day.

Q3: @BrokeAssBride Why should Wedding Professionals Blog?

Tweet Answer: Blogging helps wedding pros give a peek into what makes their approach to the services they provide unique.

Tweet Answer: You can share personality, taste, experience, and authority through a blog in ways a business website doesn’t always do.

A blog can always be an extension of an existing business website, as this is how many businesses decide to go about it. Of course, if your business hasn’t yet expanded into the digital space, you will certainly want some expertise to help guide you through the complicated world of website building and web hosting – you could check out digitalsupermarket.com to see the tools and solutions they offer businesses to help them succeed online! And once you’ve created the website, you might want to contact an SEO service for assistance with website ranking, because what’s the point of having a website if your potential consumers can’t find your website through a Google search? It could be a good idea to contact the Top SEO Agency in your area to see if they can help you in reaching your target audience.

Tweet Answer: It’s also a way to share current projects/events in between portfolio updates, to celebrate the vendors you partner with.

Tweet Answer: Every pro has different qualities that make them unique, and this way couples can get a sense of them before you meet.

Tweet Answer: What you share in your blog can be the thing that tips the scale in your favor when it comes to booking clients.

Tweet Answer: Share what inspires you. Could be a store display, a great outfit, a movie, a trip somewhere. What influences your work?

Tweet Answer: Behind-the-scenes posts are a great way to demonstrate the value of your work and the time/effort involved in what you do
Tweet Answer: Sneak peeks at recent events keeps your most current work, what you’re most proud of, at the forefront of clients minds.

Q4: @BrokeAssBride How often should they blog?

Tweet Answer: How often you blog is up to you. I recommend 2-3x/week at least. Consistently posting on a regular schedule is helpful.

Tweet Answer: Not all posts have to be lengthy, pithy dissertations. Post a simple picture that inspires you 1 day, a story the next.
Tweet Answer: If you struggle to find your voice, start a daily writing practice.http://750words.com is a great resource for that

Tweet Answer: The trick is: the more you write, the more you’ll write. It’s like a muscle you have to exercise to keep it limber.

Tweet Answer: If writing REALLY isn’t your thing, rely on pictures to tell the stories in your posts. Some people are more visual.

Tweet Answer: Read other pro’s blogs and leave comments, participate in each other’s discussions. Great networking/inspiration.

Tweet Answer: …and its also a great way to leave breadcrumb trails back to your site so people become aware of your blog as well.

Tweet Answer: Having pros you collaborate with often come in as guest bloggers is also valuable. Trade with each other for content.

Q5: @BrokeAssBride What do brides want to hear about ? Popular Topics ?

Tweet Answer: Brides respond to all sorts of topics. Eye candy is always super popular. DIY instructionals, budget advice, unique decor
Tweet Answer: They want to know WHO you are, what goes into what you do, and what makes your aesthetic/approach different and unique.

Tweet Answer: Brides also love love-stories, so if you can share photos/stories from past couples you worked with, that’s always fun.

Tweet Answer: Sites like pinterest are a tremendous source of inspiration you can pull for posting. Just always credit your source!

Tweet Answer: Always credit the photographer and other vendors involved with events you post photos from, whenever possible.

Tweet Answer: It’s also fun for couples to see behind-the-scenes. share photos from industry events, or prep work you’ve done.

#WeddingMarketChat Question: How do you get vendors & brides to submit their “real wedding” photos?

Tweet Answer: People submit directly to me, or via Two Bright Lights – which is a GREAT tool for getting published.

Q6: @BrokeAssBride What do you do when you can’t find something to write about?
Tweet Answer: When I can’t find something to write about, I go shopping! LOL. Store displays and fashion inspire a lot of ideas for me.

Tweet Answer: Also, film, television, and art are great for stimulating wedding inspiration. Color-scapes, themes, etc. are prevalent.

Tweet Answer: Or I troll the internet: pinterest, facebook, twitter, other people’s blogs, lifestyle/shelter blogs – all great sources.
Q7: @BrokeAssBride How does blogging help SEO (search engines like: Google etc) ?

Tweet Answer: Blogging also helps keep your SEO fresher. While a professional SEO company, such as voice seo, can help to boost your company, creating content is the best way to do this organically. The more you put relevant content out there, the better people can find you.
Tweet Answer: And be sure to link prominently to your blog from your website so people can find it. Keep contact info prominent too.

Q8:@BrokeAssBride What do you prefer WordPress etc.??

Tweet Answer: I prefer WordPress b/c its very customizable. Blogger is great for newbie bloggers, its super user-friendly.

Tweet Answer: Tumblr is a fun solution for people who don’t love writing, its far more image-based. But I use WP and love it.

Tweet Answer: I started on blogger too, but converted after about a year over to wordpress.

Tweet Answer: Also, if you have a big personality, post video blogs! They’re so easy and you can have lots of fun with them

Tweet Answer: Consistent branding is SUPER important. keep your blog aesthetic aligned w/ your branding and you’re on the right track.

Q9: @BrokeAssBride What are the best ways to promote your blog?

Tweet Answer: Promoting your blog: link from your site, comment on other blogs, post links to articles on facebook and twitter.

WeddingMarketChat Question: @BrokeAssBride How do you get advertisers on your blog?

Tweet Answer: We started selling advertising once people started asking if they could buy it & traffic was high enough to support it.

Tweet Answer: Grace from @DesignSponge has a great info on selling advertising and online etiquette in her Biz Ladies series, FYI.

Tweet Answer: While it’s tempting, don’t sell ad space until you’re sure you can provide exposure equal to the value of your prices.

Tweet Answer: Another thing to remember, its not always about #’s with traffic, its about the level of engagement in the readers.

Tweet Answer: Sometimes hugely-trafficked sites get fewer click-throughs, & smaller ones can have more loyal, participatory audiences.

Q10: @BrokeAssBride What do you think about templates compared to a customized blog?

Tweet Answer: Templates are a great way to start blogging w/o big investment. Esp ones you can customize with your colors/logo.

Tweet Answer: There are so many talented indie blog template designers now, you can find great designs at great deals.

Tweet Answer: An expensive blog isn’t always a great blog. I started on a blogger template with a cheapy header & people still read it!
Tweet Answer: What’s most important is that you keep it clean and format your blog posts with consistency. Same size pics, etc.

Q11: @BrokeAssBride What are you looking for to be featured on your site?

Tweet Answer: We <3 to feature creative, outside-the-box weddings. Budget-savvy, DIY-heavy, unique/clever themes. we <3 individuality. Tweet Answer: Every blog is looking for something different, so know your audience when pitching to editors & tailor it to their needs.

Q12: @BrokeAssBride What advice do you have for wedding pros that have difficulty writing with the correct grammar etc?

Tweet Answer: If grammar is a struggle, have a friend proofread your posts, or write them in Word & use the grammar check there first

Tweet Answer: Weddings are all about attention to detail, so let that your attention to detail be reflected in the quality of yr blog.

Tweet Answer: Anyone can have a successful biz blog. Don’t be scared to try. Let trial/error help you understand what works for you.

Tweet Answer: But blogging consistently can pay dividends toward clients finding, getting to know you, and booking your services.

Q13: @BrokeAssBride What would you like the #WeddingMarket to take away from this #WeddingMarketChat ?

Tweet Answer: Be an active member of the wed biz blog community. Share and support each other. Credit each other. And HAVE FUN 🙂

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