5 Simple Marketing Ideas to Sell More Weddings

The trend of weddings becoming a bread and butter revenue stream for golf facilities around the globe is on the increase due to declining golf memberships and a shift towards more flexible golf.

This is not bad news by any means because weddings are GOOD MARGIN and can be extremely profitable if managed efficiently.

To grow wedding business, you’d expect a strong focus on marketing and creativity when trying to attract this profitable market, right?….

WRONG.

Time and time again we see the same thing, ”Silver, Gold & Platinum” packages, poor quality wedding photos on websites and a poorly designed, wordy pdf download of the weddings brochure.

If any of the above apply to you, you’re in luck!

You don’t have to be a dancing monkey of a salesperson like this guy to get more wedding sales!

We’re here to help.

Below are 5 Simple Ideas to Sell More Weddings at your golf facility:

1. Testimonials & Photos 

You most likely have a list of happy bride and grooms that celebrated their special day at your golf course. Let them share their experience! Get in touch, ask them how they are doing. Invite them in for dinner, send them an anniversary card or email.

Whatever it takes you must try to get a testimonial from them in words, or better still on video. While you are at it ask if you could use some of their wedding photos on your website or even in your marketing materials. Most newly-weds are proud to share their photos and flattered to be asked.

You’ll save money on a professional photographer as they’ve already paid one! Many wedding photographers are happy for you to promote their work in your marketing material provided you credit the photos to them. It’s an easy exchange if you get great photos for FREE. When you’ve got a few great testimonials, share them! Get them on your brochures, websites, social media channels.

2. Creative Packages 

Silver, Gold & Platinum….you can do better than that. Dig deeper!

What is attractive about your wedding packages? Is it low price? Time of day (evening)? Number of guests? Or is it because the package is all-inclusive for the bride that wants it all? When you establish WHY a particular package is attractive to engaged couples, come up with a more engaging package name that describes the needs of the Bride & Groom.

For example – if you have an evening wedding reception package that’s slightly better value than a full daytime wedding, you could call it the ”The Twilight Delight”.

3. Host a Wedding Fair

A gold mine of wedding leads await. Email or call all the wedding suppliers in your local area asking if they would like to be a part of the event. In some cases you can even charge a nominal fee to have a display stand. Next, promote the wedding fair through targeted Facebook advertising, through email to your current database or even by local radio. Most people you reach will know someone who is planning on getting married in the next year or two

4. Run a Competition 

One golf club we know ran a competition to give away a free wedding reception. Advertising locally on Facebook at minimal cost, they attracted more than 150 entries. That’s 150 (mostly brides) who effectively put up their hands and said, I’m local, getting married soon, I haven’t booked a venue yet, here’s my email address, here’s my personal phone number and while I’m at it, here is the ideal date that I would like to get married.
If that’s not a QUALIFIED lead I don’t know what is. The competition brought in over ten full paying weddings, providing thousands of percent return on the cost of advertising and the give-away wedding.

Incidentally, the give-away wedding still covered it’s own cost in Drink sales! Why not tie-in the give away with a wedding Fair and BINGO you’re in business!

5. Lead with content NOT a sales pitch

Competition in the wedding business is fierce and you need to STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD!

How? Well showcase your knowledge and expertise with blog posts of tips and tricks on how to organise a great wedding, source the best wedding suppliers, make the perfect wedding speech. Don’t forget, you’ll be way more experienced at organising weddings than your prospective customers. Why not encourage your wedding suppliers to write some expert content for you. Post these on your website or on Facebook & share them.

You could also showcase your knowledge in the format of a DOWNLOADABLE pdf document also known as a ”lead magnet”. Your knowledge is valuable so put a price on it and offer it FREE in exchange for contact details. Remember, you’ll be attracting perfectly qualified leads & using these techniques will keep you at the forefront of your prospects’ mind much more than your competitors.