This is the Transcript of the #WeddingMarket Chat on October 15, 2014 with Brian Maxfield from My Event Voice. The answers were made on Twitter so responses will appear different. This #WeddingMarket Chat was sponsored by My Event Voice.

Brian Maxfield is the Co-Founder of My Event Voice, a Social Media service for Wedding Professionals. The My Event Voice team was put together because we LOVE how Facebook, Twitter and Linked In can transform a business. Brian has put together a passionate team of experts who devote their time to finding new leads through Social Media for your business. Brian’s passion for new business has lead to working with over 7,000 businesses and helping them achieve new heights and profits.” Websites like https://www.salesforce.com/products/guide/lead-gen/ explain what business leads are in more detail.

Learn more about Brian Maxfield at www.myeventvoice.com

Q1: How did @MyEventVoice get involved in social media management for event pros?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: Our Experts had great success with Real Estate Agents in our partner company @CityBlast.com helping thousands of agents. We had requests from many in the Wedding Industry to use the same method of inbound marketing to help them gain new leads.

Q2: Why is Facebook important to market your wedding business?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: People spend 17% more time on Facebook than any other site. It is the best place to start talk and connect with people.

Q3: How are companies overcoming the changes with Facebook?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: Stay up to date and get creative. Having an expert who knows and is dedicated to Social Media can make a big difference.

Q4: Would you say there is an algorithm for being successful on Facebook?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: Yes! Be authentic. People don’t want to feel like they are being sold to on Facebook. They want to connect with people. Imagine you are having a conversation at a party. Would you like yourself if you spoke to people the way that you post?

Q5: What types of posts are successful on Facebook?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: Engaging posts that are meant to start conversations. Facebook is a great way to connect to people and share ideas. We sourced an article showing “train wreck bridesmaid dresses” which had a great response because it got people talking. Conversations are Connections, Connections create Leads, Leads generate business. That’s what Facebook can do. If you’re struggling for ideas, it may be time to look at getting help from an advertising agency jacksonville, or wherever your business is based.

Q6: How much time are brides spending on Facebook versus other social media?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: Brides are using Facebook to connect w/ friends for ideas, support & excitement. It is a great way to keep everyone informed. Think about how often you check Facebook in a day for no reason, Now think of how much you check when you have a purpose. Brides have an excuse to check into Facebook all the time. No matter what their reason is, your business needs to be there.
Q7: How much time should wedding pros be on Facebook each day?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: Experts recommend 1 hour a day, but it depends on your schedule. You have to find what works for you, or hire an expert.

Q8: Why Facebook works for wedding pros & event planners?

Answer

Brian Maxfield: Weddings are a highly researched industry. Brides look for friends & family input long before they contact a professional. Facebook is for their research. If you are properly & consistently positioned on Facebook, you set yourself up for success.

Q9: Is Twitter a good tool for marketing your wedding business?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: Wedding Pro’s with a creative mind for Twitter can generate leads. Twitter’s reach happens fast. A great tool!

Q10: What are the proper uses of Twitter?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: Be creative and look for specific engagements from your followers, not open ended questions. Your goal is a wide reach and don’t just tweet how great your weddings are, it becomes background noise. You are more than your designs.

Q11: How can using Linkedin be helpful to your wedding business?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: LinkedIn users are expecting you to talk about your business. They are looking to engage with similar products / services. You can get away with a lot more business to business posts in Linked In and engage with an entirely different audience.

Q12: Social media takes a lot of time to manage. Do you have any tips for time management?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: Find out what you’re good at; the rest – hire experts. There are too many social marketing opportunities. You can’t do it all. For example, on LinkedIn, you can use sites like https://increditools.com/best-linkedin-automation-tools/ to find automation tools that do the hard part of outreaching for you, leaving you time to create content and grow your business.

Q13: Can @MyEventVoice publish to my Facebook Fan Page?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: Absolutely! We even offer to make a Fan Page for our yearly clients absolutely for free! We want to set you up to succeed. Our experts are real people working for you. They know the difference between posting to a personal page and a fan page.

Q14: Does MyEventVoice have access to my Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn passwords?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: Absolutely not. We have no desire to store or ever know your personal information. We will never ask, so please never tell.

Q15: What type of content does MyEventVoice publish to my accounts?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: That’s up to you! You tell us the type of content to post, how often to post and where you live so we create a social profile. If you prefer funny articles, romantic pieces and quotes, but want to avoid news and technology, it’s up to you.

Q16: Will I publish the same thing as other members, or at the same time?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: Our experts focus on keeping your page unique based on the area you work in. You have a real person working for you. But if there is a major article related to weddings, it would look strange if it wasn’t posted on your wall, but this is rare.

Q17: How can wedding pros sign up for their Free Trial?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: www.myeventvoice.com You can start a free trial within 3 minutes and see some sample posts of what we do. Use code “weddingmarket” to receive 20% off ALL packages as a thank you to you and @weddingmarket .

Q18: Now once they sign up they have a chance to win free social media management for life? How will the winner be announced?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: One winner will get our service free for life, you must sign up for a trial account by going to www.myeventvoice.com . We will announce the winner during the Tweet Chat on November12^th, 2014. View terms and conditions on our website.

Q19: What would you like everyone to take from this #WeddingMarket Chat?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: Be honest and transparent online. Be yourself. Try and provide value to your followers and friends and make sure you have a social presence. If you don’t have the time, we would love to help you out. Thank you!

#WeddingMarket Questions From Twitter:
1. @smartyhadaparty Curious what the second most interactive site is. Twitter or Instagram?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: Twitter is right up there in second, but sites like Instagram and Pinterest are close as well. Instagram is a good platform for businesses to interact with their audiences. This platform also allows businesses to promote their products with pictures and videos. To increase success, businesses could always consider using Ingramer as a marketing tool. People asked about Ingramer, so Platypus reviews have tried it out. There is a review on their site, so businesses can be reassured of what Ingramer offers. It should help businesses to increase their audience, and hopefully sales.

2. @GueststoGarters How would you recommend to a small wedding biz when setting a social media strategy?

Answer:
Brian Maxfield: Small or large biz – find what you’re good at and can remain consistent with. Don’t do too much.

3. @BridalBalance Why is it that some FB posts are only seen by a handful of fans? How can that be fixed?

Answer:
Brian Maxfield: It depends on the engagement. Post content people will engage with. Then it gets spread to more people.

4. @BeautifullyPlan Why do posts that are sent at the same time get more views & others very few? Hard to test why. Similar content.

Answer
Brian Maxfield: There is no concrete answer. Best answer is to include pictures, content and links to entice people to act.

5. @BridalBalance Does FB share it more then if people engage in it?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: That’s right! Share, click, like = wider reach. FB wants to share posts that people engage with.

6. @BeautifullyPlan Do you recommend retweeting your own posts @ diff times or does that annoy followers?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: @BeautifullyPlan anything overdone can start to annoy. If you are the only one retweeting, it can be tacky.

7. @SmartyHadAParty What types of tweets do you think people in the industry are generally looking to see?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: Relevant posts that aren’t too content heavy. Keep it light hearted and exciting.

8. @BridalBalance Are there better times of the day to post on social media to get more exposure?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: There are hot spots that depend on your industry. Try and think about what your clients are doing at that time.

9. @DFWEventInc How important is it for #eventprofs to establish a presence on Pinterest?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: Pinterest is great for really connecting with your clients. On a scale of 10, I’d say it’s an 8!

10. @FunCakesRental Can you post too much on Facebook? How much is too much?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: Posting too much can make you background noise. Put yourself in your audience shoes. Better to engage a few times instead of sounding annoying by posting multiple times a day.

11. @WeDesignWedding could you speak a little more specifically about Twitter presence – how do you convert the traffic?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: We use Twitter to share ideas with followers. Get people sharing concepts and become an expert. We want people to consider you a source for info in the industry, then the leads will start coming.

12. @BridalBalance How often should professionals be posting on blogs or social media?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: It’s a balancing act. Too much – it’s annoying, to little – you’re irrelevant. Find what works for you. Pay attention to your time. Can you spend a lot of time posting & tweeting? or should you focus on your client.

13. @WeDesignWedding How important is original Pinterest content vs. re-pinning someone else’s content? A good ratio?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: Great Question! Re-Posts are common, but if you can Pin original content, I think it creates authenticity. If your work is unique, then obviously focus on that. But there is amazing content already out there too.

14. @SmartyHadAParty Is there a certain amount of time you should wait between posts?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: Focus the most engaging times TO post and Stay consistent. Find a balance.

15. @DFWEventInc Thoughts on Google+…is it the next big thing? How can #eventprofs maximize the platform?

Answer
Brian Maxfield: There’s always a next big thing, it’s a little early for us to declare Google + the winner. It is a great tool for recognition through SEO. Using that as leverage for your brand can help.