Tips for Following-up After the Winter Bridal Show

And that’s a wrap! In just two days, 2,500 brides, grooms, friends and family joined us this past weekend at Cashman Center, making the 2015 Winter Bridal Spectacular Show one of our most successful shows yet.

In our last blog, we provided some great tips to help you gain more clients before and during the show. Now, we are going to share a few post-show practices to help you create a successful follow-up campaign.

Follow-Up Immediately

It’s imperative to maintain the momentum you’ve built during the show and contact your leads while you are still fresh in their mind. Whether it’s an email or phone call, a quick response is a great way to help your company stand out from competitors who may take weeks to follow-up with couples.

Set Priorities

After you had the opportunity to speak with various couples during show, you should have a good idea of which ones were your best leads. Segment your leads into hot, medium and cold and focus most of your efforts on the hot leads. Then once you have been able to connect with them, you can move on to the medium and cold leads.

Be Original

Just as you put time and effort into creating a unique and professional quality booth to set you apart at the show, you want to put the same effort into creating a great follow-up piece. Consider mailing a small gift with a personal letter congratulating the couple and request an in-person meeting to further discuss ideas for their big day. If you can’t send a direct mail piece, send a creative email personalized for each couple that also requests an in-person meeting.

Have Multiple Touch Points

Repetition, repetition, repetition! The more a couple hears and sees your name, the more they will remember you. In your follow-up plan, be sure to include multiple touch points with the couple. You can begin with a phone, then send an email or text, and perhaps a direct mail piece or packet with more information. Keep in mind that emails may go to spam or brides may not even read them, so it’s important that you don’t rely entirely on this method.

Don’t Forget the Call-to-Action

However you choose to follow-up, be sure to include a bold and compelling message (such as a limited-time offer) and a strong call-to-action and deadline. You can even offer couples an incentive to meet with you in-person, such as a $20 gift card. This will increase the response rate immensely.

Track Your Progress

Be sure you have a way to track all of your leads so no one is accidentally forgotten. In your marketing database or in a spreadsheet, keep track of how many times you have reached out to a couple and how you communicated with them. Trying a different form of communication may yield better results.

Remember, persistence is key! If you don’t hear back right away, don’t give up. Depending on what planning stage the couple is in, you can send a special offer a few months down the road, invite them to an upcoming open house, or even the next Bridal Spectacular Show!