This is the Transcript of the #WeddingMarket Chat on December 10th, 2014 with Abby Larson at
Style Me Pretty. The answers were made on Twitter so responses will appear different.

Abby Larson is editor and founder of the wildly popular weddingresource, Style Me Pretty. In 2007, Abby set out to create a space where highly curated content could live and thrive with just the click of a button, advocating the work of incredible artists and wedding vendors found around the world and guiding brides towards planning a wedding that felt personal and thoughtfully crafted.
Abby is continuing to grow the Style Me Pretty brand with the recent launch of Style Me Pretty Living, a field guide to inspired living. With parties and celebrations, DIY projects, recipes, travel, home tours and more, SMP Living is home to all things after (and before) the ring.

Regularly featured on the Today Show along with spots on E! News, Access Hollywood, Rachel Ray among others the SMP team is continuing to raise the bar for what it means to celebrate life’s most precious moments. Abby authored her first book, Style Me Pretty Weddings: Inspiration & Ideas for an Unforgettable Celebration, a carefully
curated photo-rich source of inspiration in 2012 which has become a staple for the newly engaged.

In 2012, Style Me Pretty partnered with AOL to provide brides with an even better online resource for consuming and sharing content and inspiration. The future holds incredible things for the brand and SMP’s devoted team is thrilled to continue paving the way technically and creatively in the lifestyle and wedding spaces.

The secret behind the success of the Style Me Pretty brand? A good idea, great content, and no shortage of hard work.

 

Learn more about Abby Larson at www.stylemepretty.com

 

Q1: Now you got into the wedding industry by creating wedding invitations?

Answer

Abby Larson: I did! I designed a line of engraved wedding invitations called Abby Jean. It was the beginning of my love affair with all things wedding.

 

Q2: How did you start the blog @StyleMePretty ?

Answer

Abby Larson: I saw a space online for edited content that magazines were producing, where brides didn’t have to wait 3 months for their next issue. I set out to create something that was as beautiful as what you see in print but as accessible and approachable as possible.

 

Q3: How does your husband help with your business?

Answer

Abby Larson: Tait runs technology + biz dev. He has been an enormous part of the success of our company. Plus I get to kiss him anytime.

 

Q4: Now you created your first blog with what? 

Answer

Abby Larson: I used a $9 Typepad account! We now use wordpress but really push it to its limits.

 

Q5: How did you plan to make @StyleMePretty stand out?

Answer

Abby Larson: It was very organic. Publish the best content I could get my hands on as consistently as possible.

 

Q6: How did you connect with Photographers?

Answer

Abby Larson: I reached out. I asked to be introduced. I emailed and called and met with as many people as I could. One introduction let to another!

 

Q7: What was the keys to gaining Website traffic?

Answer

Abby Larson: Blogging every day, putting out great content and relying on other online friends to help promote our brand.

  

Q8: What do you wish you could have told yourself at the beginning?

Answer

Abby Larson: That every brick you lay is important. The first post to the last, it all counts.

 

Q9: How did you get into writing/blogging?

Answer

Abby Larson: Back in 2007 blogging was just becoming a mainstay, but there really many dedicated wedding bloggers. I just set out to fill a void.

 

Q10: What advice do you have for wedding pros that struggle to write?

Answer

Abby Larson: Say it with pictures. Let your photo do the talking and frame it with simple words about the image itself. Keep things simple.

 

Q11: How often should wedding pros write on their blog?

Answer

Abby Larson: Focus instead on consistency. If you commit to 1 post a week, make sure you write every week. Ideally, 3 posts would be a great goal.

 

Q12: What types of posts would you encourage wedding pros to share in their blogs ?

Answer

Abby Larson: Their journey. Their inspiration, their ideas, the process, the end result.

 

Q13: What types of blog posts receive the most views?

Answer

Abby Larson: Hair & Beauty, wedding gowns, posts by beloved photographers or planners, weddings with unique ideas tucked inside.

 

Q14: Where do you find inspiration for blog posts?

Answer

Abby Larson: Our vendors! The vendors supply the content, we just format it to read beautifully.

 

Q15: What blog platform would you recommend for newbies?

Answer

Abby Larson: We like WordPress. But Tumblr is great for novice bloggers.

 

Q16: How does @StyleMePretty handle social media on a daily & weekly basis?

Answer

Abby Larson: It’s tricky with so much content and so many amazing vendors, but we try to keep a consistent cadence and presence all the time.

 

Q17: How do you handle Pinterest on a daily & weekly basis?

Answer
Abby Larson: Pinterest is one of our most valued platforms. It drives traffic and is our visual portfolio of sorts. We pin all day long, 7x a week!

 

Q18: How does your team look over 600 real wedding submissions a week?

Answer
Abby Larson: Very carefully! We have a submissions tool that makes it a breeze to study each wedding and give it the TLC it deserves.

 

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

Answer
Abby Larson: Dream big then make it happen.

 

#WeddingMarket Questions From Twitter:

 

1. @GreysonDesign Abby what mistakes do you see most new/ inexperienced bloggers making when first starting out?

Answer

Abby Larson:  Not looking at your blog as a business. Commitment to your blog is tough but critical.

 

2. @KnotsVilla When you started SMP, did you always have it in mind as a business? or initially just a hobby?

Answer:

Abby Larson:   For the first month, it was a hobby. Then a professor told me that I’d never make a dime off blogging and it quickly became a business.

 

3. @AmoroJewerly What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned about blogging?

Answer:

Abby Larson:  If you aren’t authentic, people can see right through you.

 

4. @NFehlinger How do you come up with fresh new content for your blog?

Answer

Abby Larson:   For weddings, we rely heavily on the vendors that are out there creating. For living, we try to think about the experience that we want to read about ourselves.

 

5. @SmartyHadAParty Do you think your success had a lot to do with timing? It’s so hard to get noticed today.

Answer

Abby Larson:  ABSOLUTELY. I live by the mantra…do something different or better than what’s already out there. And to do that, timing has to be on your side.

 

6. @BeautyNDetails what’s your take on wedding vendors offering advertising space on their blogs?

Answer

Abby Larson:  Some vendors position their blogs as expert driven sites. They are a part of their business model so it makes sense to monetize. If you are using your blog as a portfolio, I think it’s best to keep things as clean & pretty as possible.

 

7. @Hazelboone Will you produce a Best of 2014 magazine? Are your magazines digital, or in print as well?

Answer

Abby Larson:  Will you think I’m crazy if I say who knows?! So much pretty content, we just like to find another home for it at the end of the year!

 

8. @Rev_Cindy_Lee How did you develop a circle of associates that promoted you as you promoted them?

Answer

Abby Larson:  That is really when timing came in. Guest posts on Oh Joy and Design Sponge back in the day were amazing. Now, I always always always offer to return the favor. One for me and one for thee as @josevilla would say.

 

9. @SweetestEvents_ If you have a new or old BLOG; how do you attract people; and how do you GAIN subscribers?

Answer

Abby Larson:  It’s tough because blogging is so saturated. I would say leverage other blogs: guest posts create content for others and ask for links back. So an example would be…do a DIY project for a great blogger then ask them to link back to your DIY page on your blog for more ideas.

 

10. @MariellOnline What wedding trends do you expect to see a lot of in 2015?

Answer

Abby Larson: Classics with a twist. Black tie & lace gowns, gorgeous pastels, pops of gold. & then moments of PURE whimsy.

 

11. @KpaljugOK What difficult decision (for the blog) are you most proud of looking back?

Answer

Abby Larson:  We were offered a huge partnership after year 1 but it didn’t feel right. It would’ve killed the spirit of the site.

 

12. @BloomsByTheBox It’s so important to evolve w/ the trends. How do you do stay ahead of trends like SMP is known for?

Answer

Abby Larson:  Honestly? We get bored seeing the same things over and over again. We actively seek out things that are new & different.

 

13. @FlowerGirlWorld Pinterest seems to be a huge social media medium for @stylemepretty, any tips for bloggers looking to maximize their reach?

Answer

Abby Larson:  We were lucky in that we got in early. But the best advice? Pin consistently. Nights and weekends are often the best time to pin!

 

14. @SmartyHadAParty Before you got popular, what did you tell people to get them interested in working with you?

Answer

Abby Larson: I think they just got it.

 

15. @birdie_list We started a blog, but it’s hard to get promoted. What is the best way to get people to notice u?

Answer

Abby Larson: Having your name top of mind always

 

16. @MarvinYanPhotog What advice would you give to wedding photographers who aren’t keen to writing?

Answer

Abby Larson: Say it with pictures. Let your photo do the talking & frame it with simple words about the image itself.

@MarvinYanPhotog I shouldn’t worry about SEO keywords?…I know some will come naturally when writing about the image(s).

Answer

Abby Larson: It depends what your goals are. Going after high value keywords is often not worth the time. Going after niche keywords is often very valuable.

 

17. @BridalBalance Any time saving blogging tips or tools you use? 

Answer

Abby Larson: Some of our editors format all of the images for the week’s post first, then go back and write the copy. We have a tool that allows us to build boards (you can too & embed on your site) that makes it a breeze.

@BridalBalance What’s the name of the tool or has it been customized for you?

Answer

Abby Larson: It’s the build a board button in WordPress!

 

18. @MiraWed Do you recommend pushing blogs out on social media all at once or scheduled?

Answer

Abby Larson: We schedule a bit & we work real time a bit. Prepped posts can be scheduled but don’t lose the conversation aspect.

 

19. @WedByJean Do you find there’s a better time of day/day of the week to blog?

Answer

Abby Larson: I know I’m beating a dead horse, but it’s more about consistency. Monday & Tuesday are our highest traffic days.

@WedbyJean Any thoughts on the length of a blog post? How much is too much?

Answer

Abby Larson: We usually aim for a minimum of 200 words of text. For the most part – no such thing as too much. You simply want to keep readers engaged.

 

20. @LarissaParks Do you find brides enjoy reading blogs or viewing video content on blog?

Answer

Abby Larson: Both! We are definitely seeing a huge increase in our video “devour”ship. It’s fast, easy & obviously visual.

 

21. @Louboutinslove Do you think the same tips for wedding bloggers apply to fashion bloggers?

Answer

Abby Larson: Much of blogging is universal – Post often and well. Stay dedicated. Be authentic.

 

22. @Nfehlinger Any other social media mediums where you should publish your blog?

Answer

Abby Larson: We use most of them – Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Google+ and we experiment with anything new coming down the pipes. Each platform provides a different and unique return.

 

23. @samanthaophoto what achievement are you most proud of this year?

Answer

Abby Larson: Great questions. Sometimes life is so busy we don’t stop to feel pride or be grateful We had a banner year at SMP. I’m SO proud of this team.

 

24. @BirdieList How would you as a big blogger be convinced of featuring other blogs or wedding services on your blog?

Answer

Abby Larson: It’s ALL about content. We want great content in many forms and functions and great photography or videography to illustrate.

 

25. @louboutinslove What is your opinion of changing your blog’s name after you have some kind of following?

Answer:

Abby Larson:  I would ask yourself WHY you want to change the name and go from there. Could really improve your brand but it might not be worth it.

 

26. @DanielDegrassi I’ve heard blogging before launching a new business is crucial to build audience. Any advice on this topic?

Answer

Abby Larson: To me, being active online in some capacity is critical to a new business. It doesn’t have to be a blog but something visual.

 

27: @SYTInvitations Q. How many people are on your team?

Answer

Abby Larson: I believe we’re at about 26 total now.