In the second part of this two-part blog post, I will be outlining strategies you can use to find event planning clients online.

In Part 1 we looked at some of the places you can visit and techniques you can use to find event planning clients online. As we previously mentioned, one of the biggest challenges when starting out is finding event planning clients who will pay for your services.

I will be taking the mystery out of the process for you. So what's the different between finding event planning clients online and finding them offline? Well during my first trip to Thailand the locals have a popular saying that sticks with me today "Same Same, But Different".

Online marketing strategies will be more of less the same as offline marketing strategies, the difference will be in the places where you market. Here are 7 tips on how you can find event planning clients online:

1. Get a website.

This can be a paid website through a service such as Squarespace.com or a free option through Wix.com. While a paid website will look more professional, a free website will still provide you with a place to refer clients so they can view your portfolio and contact you.

2. Submit your website to online directories.

This includes Yellow pages, Yelp and Bing to name a new. This will help to get you found in Google searches by potential clients. If you are not familiar with SEO, this is also the time to learn some basic SEO tips to get your website found.

3. Setup your social media accounts.

Social media platforms from Facebook to Instagram offers you a free platform on which you can find and get found by potential clients online. All you need to do is setup an account and start posting content that would be of interest to your potential clients.

As an event planner, I highly recommend the more visual options such as a Facebook page, Instagram, and Pinterest. You can also show behind the scenes footage of your events with videos on Youtube, Facebook Live and Instagram Stories.

4. List your business on Google business listings.

This is another method for getting found not only in searches but also on Google maps when customers in your local area search for services related to your business. To learn how to setup your business account check out Google Business Listings today. 

5. List your business on event planning websites/blogs/forums.

Your clients will be scouring websites looking for answers to their event and wedding planning questions. For example, brides will be on theknot.com or weddingwire.com searching for answers and others with the knowledge and expertise sharing their advice. Try visiting these websites and get your business listed so that customers can find you.

6. Engage with your customers online.

If your customers are commenting on websites, blogs and in forums, get there! But don’t just drop your business contact information and leave. Hang around, answer their questions, share your knowledge and engage with them to build trust and nurture relationships that could lead to more bookings.

7. Advertise online.

If you have the funds available one of the best ways to get clients to your website and aware of your services is through paid advertisements. This could be Facebooks ads, google Adwords, paid ads on blogs, and other forms of online advertisements. This allows you to get in-front of your ideal customer and bring them to your website to review and hopefully book your services.

Got a question? Leave a comment below!​