I love the Business Advice Clinics at Bridal Week Harrogate, as they give me the chance to sit down with boutiques and really dig into their biggest marketing pain points.

What I do find, is that there are always themes and many boutique owners are struggling with the same things.

Q: How do I plan out my social media content?

A: Your social media marketing needs to have a strategy & your content needs to serve a purpose. You wouldn’t go into an appointment without doing any prep work on the bride or having a structure, and your approach to social media should be the same.

I advise planning out one month of content at a time (and doing the planning at the midpoint of the month before), this way you don’t go into the new month panicking about what you’re going to post, or worst just posting ‘something’ on the day. Every business takes a different approach to the number of times to post per week, so we’ll use %s to breakdown how to plan your content.

50% - Awareness

This content should resonate with the bride. It should either solve a problem or tap into the emotions they are feeling. Don’t sell in this content: either entertain or inform. This is your opportunity to have fun with your products, jump on a trend (as long as it’s relevant) or create content that the bride is going to share or save. You want this content to reach as many of your target audience as possible - so on Instagram, you need to be creating reels and on TikTok you need to create short, snappy videos.

30% - Consideration

This content is all about building trust and showcasing your expertise. It’s quite likely that this is the bride’s first interaction with your business, and you want to show them that you are here to help them on their journey.

Here, you’re looking for content that shows you have an understanding of bridal fashion and styling, plus demonstrating what will happen in an appointment, what to expect from your team, and who you are as a business. You want them to feel like they’ve learnt something and that they see themselves in your business.

It should be slightly longer in form or on Instagram could be a carousel.

20% - Conversion

This is your opportunity to show the dresses. Now, it’s the lowest percentage, and that’s because we don’t want to SELL on social media. It’s about storytelling and helping our audience. So use this opportunity to tell your audience about any promotions / what’s new in the shop / how to book an appointment. But make it authentic and soft in it’s approach.

Now to planning it out:

1 - Take your number of posts per week and break it down using the above split.

2 – Brainstorm ideas for each of the themes / look at any key dates or announcements you need to make

3 – Plot the ideas into your content plan

4 – Finally plan in dedicated time to create the content (look at what you can batch together to be super-efficient)

Q: How many channels should I be using to market my business & which ones should I be focusing on?

A: This was a great question! And unfortunately, one that doesn’t have a simple answer.

When it comes to marketing, any business/product/service you need multiple touchpoints. Research shows that the consumer needs on average 8 touchpoints with your business before they make a purchase. So, what channels should we be using as a bridal boutique to make sure we’re reaching our brides multiple times before they purchase?

Before we start with the different channels. I want to stress that each of these touchpoints need to be delivering high value content that is going to resonate with the bride and build her trust. So, let’s get started:

Social media (Mainly focusing on Instagram & TikTok)

You need to be creating informative, fun and relevant content on your social media channels that will help you find new brides and help convert current followers into customers.

I would advise bridal boutiques to be on both Instagram & TikTok (but placing more focus on Instagram, as for the time being that is where the majority of your target market is). In order to manage both platforms, you’ll need a comprehensive strategy and plan (which should include tailoring your content for each platform – if you need advice on this, drop me a DM on Instagram).

Your social media platforms can count towards multiple touch points on the buyer’s journey, as they may interact with our content a few times before booking.

Website

It needs to be very easy for them to book their appointment, find out answers to their questions and see the prices (or at least price ranges) of your dresses (controversial I know, but happy to chat to any boutique owners about this via email or DM as I think it’s key in the current market).

Think about the UX (user experience), is it easy for them to move around the site, does it have a clear CTA (Call to Action), can they get in touch with you.

It’s also incredibly important that you have brand consistency when it comes to your website and social media. Many brides will end up on your website from your social media channels, so you need to ensure that it feels like they are interacting with the same brand across both channels.

Email (including pre & post appointment)

Email communication is still important, as it offers more opportunity for personalisation and segmentation. It also allows you to provide more in-depth information on important subjects and can help create community as you can give this targeted set of data sneak peaks or early access.

Your post-appointment email communication is also a vital touchpoint, as whilst a bride may have been to an appointment, they still aren’t a customer, so you need to continue to provide them with targeted, relevant content that will bring them back in store.

Partnerships with influencers and other suppliers

Partnering with other businesses or influencers gives you access to a new audience, which is exactly what you need to drive brand awareness.

It’s key that the demographic matches yours and that the business aligns with your values and mission. If both these are true, then this could be a fantastic marketing channel to explore.

When partnering with other wedding suppliers, try arranging a styled shoot or encouraging photographers to tag you in their work. This way you’re putting your product in front of new eyes and there shouldn’t be a cost to this as you’re both benefiting from the activity.

When it comes to influencers, it’s a little trickier, but it can be done in bridal. However, the key is authenticity. I would advise exploring micro-influencers who are based in your area, as they’ll likely have the best demographic match. Make sure you’ve got a contract in place for any influencer marketing you carry out with clear deliverables.

Referral

Referrals is one of the most effective marketing channels for bridal boutiques. If you can give a bride an incredible experience buying their dress, they going to tell their friends and family about you when it’s their time to find their dress - so make sure you’re taking some control over this channel! Think about giving your current brides an offer to hand out or a gift to give to the next friend they have getting married that features your boutique’s branding. 

These are five of the most important channels I believe bridal boutiques should be utilising to hit the 8 touchpoint standard. This variation will ensure that no matter what part of the journey a bride is on, she will be presented with content from your brand.