Think of some of your favourite brands and then think about how they make you feel. 
Some of the most effective brand strategies make you forget that you are the consumer, and instead make you feel like you’re an extension of them. They do this by creating community within their marketing and bringing you along for the journey. 
Here’s three ways you can do this in your bridal boutique.

Invite them to join the club

A fantastic method of creating community, is by inviting your audience to join a ‘protected space’, like an ‘insider newsletter’. This is where you’ll give them a deeper look at your business, provide them with insight and give them something only available to those signed up.
Try introducing a monthly newsletter with the following structure:
   -  Highlights from the month with a more personal perspective
   -  A key piece of information that shows you are the expert 
   -  An offer 
   -  Your favourite dress of the month or most popular dress from the past month 
You want people to gain value and feel like they are receiving something ‘special’ that only your ‘insider’ community have access to.

Make social media social again

Use your social media as a platform to give your audience what they want, not what your business needs. You don’t want to consistently sell to your social media following, you want to encourage them to chat with you and your other followers. You want it to be a space that past brides, current brides and future brides can go to for inspiration and education. By doing this, you’ll create a community of people who love and advocate for your business. Here are some content ideas to help create that community:
   -  Use your IG stories to ask your past brides one piece of advice for your future brides and then use these to create grid content (reel or carousel) which will be a great source of inspiration for your future customer
   -  Create content that encourages comments – including a monthly post asking your audience for their wedding date/anniversary date etc 
   -  Show the behind the scenes of a shoot or you creating content in your shop to show the people behind the brand

User generated content

Putting your customer at the centre of your content is a great way to create community. Your previous brides become ambassadors for your business and stay connected, whilst your future brides will gain a sense of belonging when they see the brides they’re joining when they buy their bridal look from your boutique. 
   -  Ask your brides a couple of questions and film it when they’re in store and then use this to showcase the shop experience 
   -  Film parts of your bride’s journey (with approval) and use these to show future customers what it’s like to be one of your brides 
   -  Request real wedding content from your customers and use this to connect with your audience
Whilst it can be hard to create a community when we don’t operate in a ‘repeat business model’, it’s still possible. You need to lean into the emotional experience of the wedding dress finding journey and continue that past the wedding date. You’ll create community by keeping your previous customers engaged with your content and becoming advocates for your future brides.
I’m offering FREE marketing consultancy calls for June and July for all Bridal Buyer readers. 
Simply email eokstudios@outlook.com with the subject line ’BB Marketing’ for your 30-minute consultation call.