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Crafting a winning content calendar

Developing a successful content calendar requires a strategy to fill the calendar. Bridal Buyer’s social media expert Megan Garmers discusses her five top tips to creating and planning engaging content.

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Achieving the perfect mix of authentic storytelling and marketing when creating a content calendar is crucial, ensuring your content is engaging while also satisfying the demands of ever-changing algorithms so your content gets in front your target audience. The best way to do this is short-form video, such as Reels or TikToks. They become short ads for your business as ways to connect and edutain (educate + entertain) your audience.

One advantage of short-form video content is the availability of templates, allowing you to adopt a Reel or TikTok template you like and simply integrate your own imagery or footage. Alternatively, tools like CapCut or other video editing applications can automatically generate a Reel or TikTok using your existing photos or videos. These tools provide various options for the final version, enabling you to select your preferred edits, audio, and additional video effects.

There are two main parts to a successful social media account: the strategy and the content calendar. Many people think these are the same thing but they are not. Think of it like your favorite tv series. The strategy is like the storyline. There are characters and each has a part to play in the storyline. The strategy says this is what is going to happen because our audience likes these things, this genre, this way of filming, etc. The content calendar is like what happens in each episode. It is the script, the set, etc. for each specific episode and every episode (content) leads you down a path that has been pre-determined (strategy) to get you to feel, like, hate, laugh or do something because you saw it.

Establishing a content calendar and consistently posting is essential for maintaining a steady and influential online presence. This consistency is vital not only for presenting fresh content that resonates with couples but also for ensuring the algorithms recognize and reward your commitment to publishing quality content regularly. Merely posting average content consistently will degrade your "algorithm score," resulting in a decline in visibility among your followers. If you’re uncertain about your content’s performance, email me for a social media audit to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your current strategy: hello@thebridalmasterclass.com. Sometimes it takes someone outside of your world to see things you can’t see.

If you aren’t sure where to start when creating a content calendar, here are 5 tips to resonate with a diverse audience, capitalize on peak seasons, and leverage the unique features of platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

1. Diverse Audience Engagement

A mixed target audience requires a nuanced approach. According to Sprout Social, posts that resonate with an individual’s specific needs and lifestyle see a 72% higher engagement rate. By addressing various preferences, daily life pain points and interests, you can increase your appeal and customer base. This is why knowing who your ideal client is becomes one of the most crucial parts to succeeding in business. If you are unsure of who you are targeting, email me for a free PDF workbook to help identify your ideal client avatars. 

How to Implement:

Segmented Posting: Create content themes for different audience segments, such as luxury bridal wear on Mondays and budget-friendly options on Wednesdays.

Interactive Content: Use polls and questions in Instagram Stories or TikTok to gather insights and preferences, tailoring future content to audience responses.

Success Stories: Feature real brides from different demographics to showcase versatility and inclusivity.

2. Platform-Specific Content Strategy

Each social media platform has its own culture and content preferences. For instance, Instagram users engage 58% more on beautifully curated image posts than other post types, while TikTok’s algorithm favours creative and spontaneous content, with users spending an average of 52 minutes per day on the app.

How to Implement:

Instagram: Focus on high-resolution images of new arrivals, styled shoots, and customer testimonials. Utilize Instagram Stories for daily updates and behind-the-scenes content.

TikTok: Create engaging, short-form videos showcasing dress fittings, fashion challenges, or humorous takes on wedding planning. Jump on trending sounds and challenges to increase visibility.


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3. Content Variety and Education

Educational content positions your store as a knowledgeable authority, with 94% of people likely to follow brands that offer transparency and helpfulness. Diverse content keeps the feed fresh and engaging, reducing unfollow rates.

How to Implement:

Tutorial Series: Create video series on how to choose the right dress silhouette, the timeline for alterations, or the latest bridal accessories.

Q&A Sessions: Regularly host Q&A sessions addressing common bridal concerns, showcasing your expertise.

User-Generated Content: Encourage brides to share their stories and photos in their chosen dresses, creating a community around your brand. On Instagram, there is a new feature with Stories for people to add their own photos/post to your Story – another great way to engage your audience.

4. Seasonal Planning and Trend Integration

Aligning with the bridal season ensures your content is timely and relevant. For example, content related to summer weddings should ramp up in early spring, as 40% of couples start planning their weddings 7-12 months in advance.

How to Implement:

Seasonal Guides: Offer monthly guides starting in January, highlighting dress selections, preparation tips, and trend forecasts leading up to the peak wedding months. Get brides excited about upcoming new styles/designer gowns coming to your store.

Trend Spotting: Regularly feature new bridal trends, styles, and themes, linking them back to your collection. Utilize TikTok to quickly adapt and showcase these trends through video content. Bridal Week in Harrogate and White Gallery in London are great opportunities to show new trends and designers. If you want more ideas how to use Bridal Week and White Gallery for capturing the attention of new brides, email me to set up a time I can walk you through it while you’re there.

5. Consistent, Quality Content Production

Consistency is key in social media; Content Marketing Institute study found that 76% of successful content marketers attribute their success to a consistent publishing schedule. Quality content reflects the brand’s professionalism and attention to detail, crucial in the luxury wedding market.

In fact, this is why we created Streamline Social so that business owners in the wedding industry could focus on their business instead of remembering to post or thinking about what they should post.

How to Implement:

Content Batching: Dedicate days for planning and days for shooting multiple pieces of content, ensuring a steady flow of posts. Don’t try to do it all once or you end up with a day of sitting around looking at each other saying, “What should we do?”

Scheduling Tools: Utilize tools like Hubspot or Buffer to schedule posts during optimal engagement times without having to be on the platform all the time.

Engagement Analysis: Regularly review which posts perform best and refine your content strategy accordingly. Don’t just blindly post – review your engagement every week to see what works and what doesn’t so you can tweak your content calendar to become better week by week.

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While all this might make sense as you read it, sometimes it can become overwhelming trying to actually do it. This is the very reason we created online and in-person opportunities to move your business forward via The Bridal Masterclass and Streamline Social. We have an in-person seminar day at Ashridge House in Hertfordshire on February 5th to learn more about properly utilizing social media and selling on social platforms. Email me for details: hello@thebridalmasterclass.com.

Megan Garmers

Megan Garmers is the founder and director of MG Hair and Makeup, as well as The Bridal Masterclass. With 25+ years’ experience in the beauty industry alongside 20 years in weddings, she now offers her two decades of knowledge in the form of business coaching. Megan also started The Bridal Masterclass Experience to offer online courses for those eager to upgrade their businesses.

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