Whether you love or hate it, marketing and selling your venue is imperative if you want to keep your business afloat! Without bookings, our venues are not long for this world. Maybe you’re already killing it and have figured out exactly what you need to do so that you’re selling out your calendar each year. But I’m willing to bet that most of us would be open to booking more if we could. Or at least booking couples sooner or at a higher rate. Today’s guest is set to throw down some knowledge on all of this. Joe Rare is going to talk about the online marketing efforts that keep his venue booked solid! I know lots of venue owners have some pretty strong thoughts in that area, so let’s get to it!
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
- Meet Joe Rare and his venue [3:03]
- Setting the stage for why marketing is important [6:12]
- Why sales and marketing can intimidate people [8:35]
- Marketing is more than paid advertising [10:15]
- What is a sales funnel and the different stages of inquiries? [11:30]
- Why couples should opt OUT of being your potential client [14:22]
- Is it more important to generate more leads or to have better conversion? [18:28]
- Things venues can improve to help sales [20:01]
- Setting the foundation for your marketing efforts [22:08]
- Introducing email marketing automation with dynamic behaviors [23:46]
- How often do you follow up with a lead? [27:58]
- Does Joe advertise to attract new leads or to nurture existing leads? [31:27]
- How much should a venue spend on their marketing efforts? [34:43]
- How to determine if you’re getting a good ROI [41:22]
- Learning your “business numbers” [46:30]
- Where to adjust if your efforts are falling short [48:59]
- Does your market competition matter? [51:23]
RESOURCES WE MENTION:
The Venue Owner Shop – use code FIRSTORDER to save 15% on your first order
The Contract Law Shop – use code KELLYEWELL10 to save 10%
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Joe Rare is a partner of the Forest House Lodge, located 90 minutes east of Sacramento, CA in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The venue is a 27,000 square foot lodge with 27 guest rooms, and it only hosts all-inclusive weddings with a minimum one-night stay required. Joe is in charge of all things marketing and advertising there and is a wedding booking expert. Whether it’s attracting new inquiries or converting them to bookings, Joe has developed a system for venues to leverage cutting-edge marketing and advertising efforts. He’s had the benefit of being a natural born salesman coupled with his experience at a venue that does more than 100 multi-day weddings each year. When Joe stepped in to build their marketing system, the venue was stuck at 57 weddings a year. And in only 16 months he was able to get them over that 100-wedding mark, reduce their actual workload, and increase profits.
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BE A GUEST:
Are you passionate about sharing your knowledge about running a wedding venue? Know someone who is? Email us at kelly@aislefilespodcast.com to let us know why you’d be a great person interview!
Find full show notes from this episode here.
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The Aisle Files Podcast is created and produced by Kelly Ewell, owner of 48 Fields Farm.