You’ve heard it many times before about how to market your event planning business:
“If you build it, they will come”.
But will they? Let’s explore…
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing your Event Planning Business
Are you tired of hearing the same old advice about networking being the best way to market your event planning business? While networking certainly has its place, the online space offers countless opportunities to showcase your talents and attract your ideal clients.
With the average U.S. wedding cost reaching $33,000 in 2024, there’s significant potential for event planners who know how to position themselves effectively. This comprehensive guide will show you exactly where and how to market your event planning business online, whether you’re just starting out or looking to expand your existing client base.
In a rush? Download a cop of the complete event planning business marketing list.
This list is the ultimate resource for finding free and paid options for marketing your business online, so you can target your ideal clients. To make it even easier, we’ve broken down the options into categories and highlighted the free options.
Why Traditional Marketing Isn’t Enough
The old sayinf “if you build it, they will come” simply doesn’t cut it in today’s competitive market. While face-to-face networking can be valuable, it has several limitations:
- Requires an extensive existing network
- Can be challenging for introverts
- Takes significant time to build relationships
- Often restricts you to a local market
That’s why we’ve compiled this extensive list of over 100 platforms where you can promote your event planning business, complete with strategic insights on how to use each type of platform effectively.
Strategic Marketing Channels (With ROI Analysis)
Submission Sites
Best for: Portfolio building and industry credibility
These platforms allow you to showcase your best work through real events and styled shoots. They’re particularly effective for wedding and luxury event planners. These are websites where you can submit photos from your events or styled shoots to gain more exposure for your business and potential clients to your door.
- 100 Layer Cake
- A Practical Wedding
- Aisle Society
- B.Loved
- Belle the Magazine
- Bespoke Bride
- Black Bride
- Boho Weddings
- Bridal Musings
- Brooklyn Bride
- Carats & Cake
- Catalyst Wedding Co.
- Chic Vintage Brides
- Equally Wed
- Etsy Wedding Blog
- Fab You Bliss
- Festival Brides
- French Wedding Style
- Green Wedding Shoes
- Hey Wedding Lady
- Inspired Bride
- Intimate Weddings
- Junebug Weddings (Free)
- Kiss My Tulle
- Savvy Deets Bride
- Snippet & Ink
- Style Me Pretty
- Whimsical Wonderland Weddings (Free and paid options)
Pro Tip: Create a submission calendar and aim to submit at least one event per month to maintain consistent visibility.
Business Directories & Search Engine Listings
Best for: Local client acquisition and SEO
These platforms often provide the highest ROI because potential clients are actively searching for event planning services. Let’s break down why I highly recommend these platforms.
You can list your business and contact information for potential clients searching for service providers. Clients often visit these sites with the intention of hiring, rather than you chasing after them in the hopes that they find you. This oversimplifies it, but the advantage is that they already know they need an event planner or wedding planner and are just trying to decide which vendor is the best option for them. When they find your business on a directory they will be a “warmer” lead than if your were discovered as a result of a Facebook ad.
Search engines, for example, bring in a large number of organic traffic online and Google, in particular, has a 93% market share.
Some of these listing options such as Google Business Profile are FREE and provide quality local organic traffic to your website. See below an example of what a Google Business Listing can do for your search profile and place you on local maps!
- Bark (Free to List)
- Eventective (Free to List) * Highly Recommend!
- EventUp (Venue Specific)
- Gig Salad
- Gigster (Venue Specific)
- Wedded Wonderland
- The Knot Pro
- Little Book for Brides
- Guides for Brides UK
- Little Book for Brides
- Little Wedding Guide
- My Registry
- Offbeat Bride
- One Wed
- Party Pop
- Wedding Friends
- Wedding Happy
- Wedding Mapper
- Wedding Service Companies
- Wedding Vendors Directory (Free for the first year only)
- Wed Experts (Free and paid)
- Wedj (Free and paid)
- Wedding Wire Pro
- Venue Report (Venue specific)
- About.me (Free and paid)
- Angi
- Best of the Web
- Bing Places (Free)
- City Search (Free)
- City Squares (Free)
- Craigslist (Free)
- FourSquare (Free)
- Dex Knows (Free listing and paid advertising)
- Google Business Profile (Free) * Highly Recommend! (Impacts local SEO)
- Judy’s Book
- Kijiji (Free)
- Bright Local (Free)
- Manta (Free)
- Map Quest (Free)
- Merchant Circle
- PartySlate (Free to list)
- Shop City (Free)
- Local Listings (Free)
- Yahoo Local Listings
- Yellow Bot
- Yellow Pages (Free)
- Yelp (Free)
- Zola (Free to list)
Strategic Approach to mastering these platforms:
- Prioritize platforms based on your local market research
- Maintain consistent business information across all listings (crucial for SEO)
- Actively manage and respond to reviews
- Include high-quality images of your best events
Industry Specific Blogs & Advertising Platforms
Best for: Targeted marketing to engaged couples and corporate clients
These are websites and blogs specifically in the event planning industry where you can pay to advertise your business and get in front of clients looking for your services. These websites are great, particularly if your potential clients use them for inspiration and sourcing content for their events. When signing up for these websites, be sure to request a copy of their demographic stats to ensure that they match your ideal clients. This way you don’t end up wasting valuable marketing dollars, advertising on a website where your potential clients are not searching.
- Bridal Tweet
- Emmaline Bride
- EventBrite (Great place to advertise workshop and events)
- The V List
- My Wedding Songs
- NewlyWish
- One Fab Day
- Polka Dot Bride
- Pretty Pear Bride
- Rock My Wedding
- Rock N Roll Bride
- Ruffled
- Rustic Wedding Chic
- Something Turquoise
- Tahoe Unveiled
- The Budget Savvy Bride
- The English Wedding Blog
- The Un-Wedding UK
- The Wedding Community
- Want That Wedding
- Wedding Chicks
- Wedding Sparrow
- Wedding Bee (Offers free submission and paid advertising)
- Meetup
- Love and Lavender (Offers free submission and paid advertising)
- Loverly (Offers free submission and paid advertising)
- Love My Dress (Offers free submission and paid advertising)
- Magnolia Rouge (Offers free submission and paid advertising)
- Mountainside Bride (Free 30 day trial for submission and paid advertising)
- MunaLuchi Bride (Offers free submission and paid advertising)
Best Investment Strategy for Paid Listings:
- Start with one premium platform
- Track conversion rates for 3 months
- Expand to additional platforms based on performance
Social Media Marketing
Best for: Brand building and client engagement
Social networks are another great option for marketing your event planning business. These are online communities filled with potential customers with a problem you can solve. Whether you are sharing information about your company or actively seeking clients, your social media posts need to be value-packed to give clients a reason to connect with you. Try to offer event planning tips, trends, ideas, special offers, and updates on your business. The more helpful your posts, the more likely they are to be shared and expand your reach.
That said, there are several social media platforms on which you can market your event and wedding planning business. But rather than trying to be everywhere, focus on platforms where your ideal clients spend their time.
Here’s a Quick Platform Selection Guide:
- Instagram: Visual portfolio and daily inspiration
- Pinterest: Planning resources and inspiration boards
- Facebook: Community building and local advertising
- LinkedIn: Corporate event networking
- TikTok: Behind-the-scenes content and trends
Maximizing Your Marketing Impact
The great thing about a list like this is that you now have a ton of marketing platforms and options available in a click. The downside is that a list like this can also feel overwhelming if you feel you need to be listed on every platform. To help make this list manageable and actionable, here are a few tips that can help:
Create a Strategic Marketing Calendar
- Choose platforms that works best for your business and the type of clients you’re trying to attract
- Dedicate specific days to updating different platform listings
- Schedule regular content submissions to top-performing sites
- Plan social media content in advance
- Set quarterly review dates to assess ROI
Track Your Results
To ensure your efforts are being rewarded, it’s important to monitor these key metrics across platforms:
- Inquiry source
- Conversion rates
- Cost per lead
- Return on ad spend
- Client lifetime value
Conclusion: Sustainably Market your Event Planning Business
Success in event planning isn’t just about being present on every platform – it’s about being strategic with your time and resources. Start with the free essential listings, then gradually expand to paid platforms as you track their effectiveness for your specific market and clientele.
Remember: The best marketing strategy is one you can consistently maintain. Choose platforms that align with your business goals, target market, and available resources. Then focus on excellence in those chosen channels rather than trying to be everywhere at once.
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