編者按:本文于新冠疫情爆發(fā)之前報(bào)道、撰寫和編輯。
攝影師麥迪遜·麥克斯·皮特曼通過Instagram至少每周接受一次婚禮預(yù)訂。
事實(shí)上,她的公司Max McQueen Photo開業(yè)前九個(gè)月只用Instagram,她在此期間創(chuàng)建了自己的網(wǎng)站并建立了在線業(yè)務(wù)?,F(xiàn)在皮特曼有一個(gè)自己的作品集網(wǎng)站,但她依舊認(rèn)為Instagram是最有利可圖的工具。她說,她越來越多的客戶都是伴隨著互聯(lián)網(wǎng)成長起來的一代。他們生活中的一切都能夠網(wǎng)上預(yù)訂,比如通過應(yīng)用程序訂餐廳或者約會(huì)等,所以他們也希望可以在網(wǎng)上預(yù)訂一位婚禮攝影師。
皮特曼的Instagram昵稱是@maxmcqueenphoto。她說:“人們只要瀏覽我的Instagram頁面,馬上就能夠知道自己是否喜歡我的風(fēng)格和方法,而且他們可以通過私信在幾秒鐘內(nèi)聯(lián)系我。我能把我所有作品的鏈接發(fā)給他們,里面有我拍攝的照片,甚至還有我經(jīng)常合作的其他婚慶服務(wù)提供商的照片,非常方便?!?/p>
與她一樣的人大有人在。許多婚慶服務(wù)從業(yè)人員,比如婚慶用品提供商、音樂人、活動(dòng)策劃人等,都認(rèn)為Instagram是他們最重要的營銷平臺(tái)。新人與婚慶服務(wù)提供商面對面商討婚禮細(xì)節(jié)的日子已經(jīng)一去不復(fù)返了。現(xiàn)在的新人會(huì)通過Instagram搜索、關(guān)注甚至預(yù)訂婚慶服務(wù)提供商。私信取代了電話,內(nèi)容推送就是新的作品集。
活動(dòng)策劃人馬爾西·布盧姆成立了Marcy Blum Associates公司。她解釋說:“Instagram里的精彩世界是真實(shí)存在的,尤其是對于已經(jīng)訂婚的新人來說。這個(gè)平臺(tái)非常直觀。新人們很容易就可以找到能夠引起他們共鳴的婚禮或者設(shè)計(jì)。多數(shù)新人在有興趣與活動(dòng)策劃人溝通之前,都會(huì)先去查看一下他們的Instagram賬號(hào)?!?/p>
布盧姆是業(yè)內(nèi)頂級策劃師之一,擁有超過35年從業(yè)經(jīng)驗(yàn)。她的Instagram昵稱是@marcyblum,有超過58,000個(gè)粉絲。她利用Instagram與普遍到結(jié)婚年齡的千禧一代溝通,展示她的品牌,尤其是她的幽默感。
提到自己發(fā)布的內(nèi)容,她說:“我寫的內(nèi)容包羅萬象。”她的賬號(hào)有一個(gè)團(tuán)隊(duì)協(xié)助策劃和執(zhí)行?!拔谊P(guān)注了很多賬號(hào),它們所發(fā)布的文章晦澀難懂,讀起來像是新聞稿。”
布盧姆提到了Instagram平臺(tái)與其他數(shù)字媒體相比的一個(gè)重要優(yōu)勢:人們可以做真實(shí)的自己,展現(xiàn)自己的個(gè)性?;谕瑯拥脑?,活動(dòng)策劃人和設(shè)計(jì)師約夫·梅耶爾也將公司業(yè)務(wù)與Instagram掛鉤。他甚至說該社交媒體品牌是公司業(yè)務(wù)發(fā)展的動(dòng)力。他的公司Jove Meyer Events(@jovemeyer)專門策劃形式大膽的、現(xiàn)代化的慶典儀式,并且優(yōu)先與女性、有色人種和LGBTQ+群體經(jīng)營的企業(yè)合作。梅耶爾說他討厭條條框框的束縛,所以他喜歡同樣不愿意墨守成規(guī)的客戶;Instagram推行的自由表達(dá)意味著他們能夠輕松地找到彼此。他經(jīng)常收到咨詢業(yè)務(wù)的私信。
梅耶爾表示:“電子郵件感覺太正式,而短信似乎過于私密,但I(xiàn)nstagram很有趣,可以聊各種話題。在這個(gè)平臺(tái)上,我們必須隨時(shí)做好與人們交流的準(zhǔn)備?!彼f他會(huì)在Instagram上與現(xiàn)有客戶和潛在客戶談?wù)撆c婚禮無關(guān)的話題。
社會(huì)契約
大部分婚慶從業(yè)人員都有自己的商務(wù)頁面,尤其是有些人服務(wù)的顧客愿意為婚禮花費(fèi)幾萬美元。布萊恩·伯納西斯是一位目的地活動(dòng)DJ,藝名DJ Brian B。他說他的業(yè)務(wù)預(yù)訂有一部分“需要依靠Instagram”。他的Instagram昵稱是@djbrianbofficial,每周會(huì)收到四五次咨詢。他說:“在Instagram上與客戶交流比其他平臺(tái)更容易,因?yàn)閮?nèi)容創(chuàng)作者和觀看者都在同一個(gè)平臺(tái)上?!辈{西斯的成功要部分歸功于他發(fā)布的帖子和故事都在強(qiáng)化一種形象,即他是“一個(gè)普通人而不是大公司”,比如一些婚慶娛樂公司。他有11,500個(gè)粉絲。他每天都會(huì)與粉絲們交流,比如講述他即將舉辦的演奏會(huì)、旅行中遭遇的難題或者其他有實(shí)力的DJ等。他補(bǔ)充說:“我發(fā)布的內(nèi)容有旅游、音樂和擁擠的舞池等?!?/p>
WeddingWire的《婚禮統(tǒng)計(jì)報(bào)告》(Newlywed Report)顯示,近80%的婚禮策劃在線上完成,而且婚慶從業(yè)人員通常都認(rèn)為,新人希望聘請的婚慶服務(wù)提供商可以像朋友一樣。在線婚慶交易平臺(tái)Wedded Wonderland(@weddedwonderland)的創(chuàng)始人兼董事溫蒂·艾爾庫里表示,新人們在預(yù)訂婚慶服務(wù)提供商時(shí),會(huì)注重雙方的情感聯(lián)系。Instagram和私信讓新人能夠與公司老板直接溝通,并建立輕松的關(guān)系,因此是雙方溝通的理想平臺(tái)。
婚宴承辦人或花店可能習(xí)慣了簽約和預(yù)訂流程,但對新人來說,這或許是他們第一次聘請婚慶服務(wù)從業(yè)人員?;顒?dòng)品牌推廣和活動(dòng)用品公司Meldeen(@meldeenink)的創(chuàng)始人凱莉·威斯表示,Instagram人性化的一面,讓千禧一代新人在面對婚禮策劃這種令人焦慮和激動(dòng)的事情時(shí),可以輕松應(yīng)對。當(dāng)新人們感覺婚慶服務(wù)提供商不再是陌生人的時(shí)候,他們會(huì)更容易接受通過電話商談如何為他們策劃一場獨(dú)一無二的婚禮。讓新人接受電話溝通是最終預(yù)訂的重要一步,因?yàn)樵S多婚禮都是針對新人特殊的喜好量身定制的,另外還需要通過電子郵件發(fā)送合同和發(fā)票等官方文件。
每個(gè)婚慶從業(yè)人員都有一套方法能讓Instagram上的客戶轉(zhuǎn)為實(shí)時(shí)對話,但前提是他們在線上溝通后認(rèn)為雙方之間的關(guān)系是有效的。此外,他們會(huì)通過私信溝通一些基本信息,比如婚慶服務(wù)的可用性和風(fēng)格等。梅耶爾表示,從業(yè)人員快速回復(fù)非常重要;Instagram會(huì)向?qū)υ掚p方顯示已被查看的信息。
其他社交媒體平臺(tái)在婚慶營銷方面也發(fā)揮著重要作用。布盧姆說Facebook最適合維護(hù)她與其他婚慶服務(wù)提供商之間的關(guān)系,伯納西斯利用YouTube發(fā)布DJ舞臺(tái)的視頻,還有一檔有關(guān)活動(dòng)音樂的播客。梅耶爾和皮特曼都認(rèn)為Pinterest對于婚禮裝飾和攝影人員非常重要。威斯表示,手機(jī)支付日益流行,客戶要求用Venmo支付的情況越來越多。她解釋說:“我們許多客戶根本沒有支票簿。他們喜歡及時(shí)支付;他們把錢存到Venmo里,就像是一個(gè)銀行賬戶一樣?!?/p>
隨著年青一代通過社交媒體尋找和預(yù)訂婚慶服務(wù),婚慶服務(wù)提供商如果不利用這些平臺(tái),就會(huì)逐漸落伍。許多婚慶行業(yè)會(huì)議和聚會(huì)上都包含社交媒體議題,各種網(wǎng)絡(luò)研討會(huì)和博客上有各種指導(dǎo)婚慶服務(wù)提供商如何更好地執(zhí)行Instagram策略的信息。但對許多提供商而言,策略非常簡單:做真實(shí)的自己,新人們會(huì)找到他們(在標(biāo)簽的幫助下)。艾爾庫里說:“有些同行認(rèn)為這種方式并不專業(yè)。但我認(rèn)為重要的是溝通的語境,而不是方式。毫無疑問,千禧一代和Z世代會(huì)繼續(xù)使用社交媒體進(jìn)行決策和采購商品。這是他們與企業(yè)溝通的方式?!保ㄘ?cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:Biz
編者按:本文于新冠疫情爆發(fā)之前報(bào)道、撰寫和編輯。
攝影師麥迪遜·麥克斯·皮特曼通過Instagram至少每周接受一次婚禮預(yù)訂。
事實(shí)上,她的公司Max McQueen Photo開業(yè)前九個(gè)月只用Instagram,她在此期間創(chuàng)建了自己的網(wǎng)站并建立了在線業(yè)務(wù)。現(xiàn)在皮特曼有一個(gè)自己的作品集網(wǎng)站,但她依舊認(rèn)為Instagram是最有利可圖的工具。她說,她越來越多的客戶都是伴隨著互聯(lián)網(wǎng)成長起來的一代。他們生活中的一切都能夠網(wǎng)上預(yù)訂,比如通過應(yīng)用程序訂餐廳或者約會(huì)等,所以他們也希望可以在網(wǎng)上預(yù)訂一位婚禮攝影師。
皮特曼的Instagram昵稱是@maxmcqueenphoto。她說:“人們只要瀏覽我的Instagram頁面,馬上就能夠知道自己是否喜歡我的風(fēng)格和方法,而且他們可以通過私信在幾秒鐘內(nèi)聯(lián)系我。我能把我所有作品的鏈接發(fā)給他們,里面有我拍攝的照片,甚至還有我經(jīng)常合作的其他婚慶服務(wù)提供商的照片,非常方便。”
與她一樣的人大有人在。許多婚慶服務(wù)從業(yè)人員,比如婚慶用品提供商、音樂人、活動(dòng)策劃人等,都認(rèn)為Instagram是他們最重要的營銷平臺(tái)。新人與婚慶服務(wù)提供商面對面商討婚禮細(xì)節(jié)的日子已經(jīng)一去不復(fù)返了?,F(xiàn)在的新人會(huì)通過Instagram搜索、關(guān)注甚至預(yù)訂婚慶服務(wù)提供商。私信取代了電話,內(nèi)容推送就是新的作品集。
活動(dòng)策劃人馬爾西·布盧姆成立了Marcy Blum Associates公司。她解釋說:“Instagram里的精彩世界是真實(shí)存在的,尤其是對于已經(jīng)訂婚的新人來說。這個(gè)平臺(tái)非常直觀。新人們很容易就可以找到能夠引起他們共鳴的婚禮或者設(shè)計(jì)。多數(shù)新人在有興趣與活動(dòng)策劃人溝通之前,都會(huì)先去查看一下他們的Instagram賬號(hào)?!?/p>
布盧姆是業(yè)內(nèi)頂級策劃師之一,擁有超過35年從業(yè)經(jīng)驗(yàn)。她的Instagram昵稱是@marcyblum,有超過58,000個(gè)粉絲。她利用Instagram與普遍到結(jié)婚年齡的千禧一代溝通,展示她的品牌,尤其是她的幽默感。
提到自己發(fā)布的內(nèi)容,她說:“我寫的內(nèi)容包羅萬象?!彼馁~號(hào)有一個(gè)團(tuán)隊(duì)協(xié)助策劃和執(zhí)行。“我關(guān)注了很多賬號(hào),它們所發(fā)布的文章晦澀難懂,讀起來像是新聞稿。”
布盧姆提到了Instagram平臺(tái)與其他數(shù)字媒體相比的一個(gè)重要優(yōu)勢:人們可以做真實(shí)的自己,展現(xiàn)自己的個(gè)性。基于同樣的原因,活動(dòng)策劃人和設(shè)計(jì)師約夫·梅耶爾也將公司業(yè)務(wù)與Instagram掛鉤。他甚至說該社交媒體品牌是公司業(yè)務(wù)發(fā)展的動(dòng)力。他的公司Jove Meyer Events(@jovemeyer)專門策劃形式大膽的、現(xiàn)代化的慶典儀式,并且優(yōu)先與女性、有色人種和LGBTQ+群體經(jīng)營的企業(yè)合作。梅耶爾說他討厭條條框框的束縛,所以他喜歡同樣不愿意墨守成規(guī)的客戶;Instagram推行的自由表達(dá)意味著他們能夠輕松地找到彼此。他經(jīng)常收到咨詢業(yè)務(wù)的私信。
梅耶爾表示:“電子郵件感覺太正式,而短信似乎過于私密,但I(xiàn)nstagram很有趣,可以聊各種話題。在這個(gè)平臺(tái)上,我們必須隨時(shí)做好與人們交流的準(zhǔn)備。”他說他會(huì)在Instagram上與現(xiàn)有客戶和潛在客戶談?wù)撆c婚禮無關(guān)的話題。
社會(huì)契約
大部分婚慶從業(yè)人員都有自己的商務(wù)頁面,尤其是有些人服務(wù)的顧客愿意為婚禮花費(fèi)幾萬美元。布萊恩·伯納西斯是一位目的地活動(dòng)DJ,藝名DJ Brian B。他說他的業(yè)務(wù)預(yù)訂有一部分“需要依靠Instagram”。他的Instagram昵稱是@djbrianbofficial,每周會(huì)收到四五次咨詢。他說:“在Instagram上與客戶交流比其他平臺(tái)更容易,因?yàn)閮?nèi)容創(chuàng)作者和觀看者都在同一個(gè)平臺(tái)上?!辈{西斯的成功要部分歸功于他發(fā)布的帖子和故事都在強(qiáng)化一種形象,即他是“一個(gè)普通人而不是大公司”,比如一些婚慶娛樂公司。他有11,500個(gè)粉絲。他每天都會(huì)與粉絲們交流,比如講述他即將舉辦的演奏會(huì)、旅行中遭遇的難題或者其他有實(shí)力的DJ等。他補(bǔ)充說:“我發(fā)布的內(nèi)容有旅游、音樂和擁擠的舞池等?!?/p>
WeddingWire的《婚禮統(tǒng)計(jì)報(bào)告》(Newlywed Report)顯示,近80%的婚禮策劃在線上完成,而且婚慶從業(yè)人員通常都認(rèn)為,新人希望聘請的婚慶服務(wù)提供商可以像朋友一樣。在線婚慶交易平臺(tái)Wedded Wonderland(@weddedwonderland)的創(chuàng)始人兼董事溫蒂·艾爾庫里表示,新人們在預(yù)訂婚慶服務(wù)提供商時(shí),會(huì)注重雙方的情感聯(lián)系。Instagram和私信讓新人能夠與公司老板直接溝通,并建立輕松的關(guān)系,因此是雙方溝通的理想平臺(tái)。
婚宴承辦人或花店可能習(xí)慣了簽約和預(yù)訂流程,但對新人來說,這或許是他們第一次聘請婚慶服務(wù)從業(yè)人員?;顒?dòng)品牌推廣和活動(dòng)用品公司Meldeen(@meldeenink)的創(chuàng)始人凱莉·威斯表示,Instagram人性化的一面,讓千禧一代新人在面對婚禮策劃這種令人焦慮和激動(dòng)的事情時(shí),可以輕松應(yīng)對。當(dāng)新人們感覺婚慶服務(wù)提供商不再是陌生人的時(shí)候,他們會(huì)更容易接受通過電話商談如何為他們策劃一場獨(dú)一無二的婚禮。讓新人接受電話溝通是最終預(yù)訂的重要一步,因?yàn)樵S多婚禮都是針對新人特殊的喜好量身定制的,另外還需要通過電子郵件發(fā)送合同和發(fā)票等官方文件。
每個(gè)婚慶從業(yè)人員都有一套方法能讓Instagram上的客戶轉(zhuǎn)為實(shí)時(shí)對話,但前提是他們在線上溝通后認(rèn)為雙方之間的關(guān)系是有效的。此外,他們會(huì)通過私信溝通一些基本信息,比如婚慶服務(wù)的可用性和風(fēng)格等。梅耶爾表示,從業(yè)人員快速回復(fù)非常重要;Instagram會(huì)向?qū)υ掚p方顯示已被查看的信息。
其他社交媒體平臺(tái)在婚慶營銷方面也發(fā)揮著重要作用。布盧姆說Facebook最適合維護(hù)她與其他婚慶服務(wù)提供商之間的關(guān)系,伯納西斯利用YouTube發(fā)布DJ舞臺(tái)的視頻,還有一檔有關(guān)活動(dòng)音樂的播客。梅耶爾和皮特曼都認(rèn)為Pinterest對于婚禮裝飾和攝影人員非常重要。威斯表示,手機(jī)支付日益流行,客戶要求用Venmo支付的情況越來越多。她解釋說:“我們許多客戶根本沒有支票簿。他們喜歡及時(shí)支付;他們把錢存到Venmo里,就像是一個(gè)銀行賬戶一樣?!?/p>
隨著年青一代通過社交媒體尋找和預(yù)訂婚慶服務(wù),婚慶服務(wù)提供商如果不利用這些平臺(tái),就會(huì)逐漸落伍。許多婚慶行業(yè)會(huì)議和聚會(huì)上都包含社交媒體議題,各種網(wǎng)絡(luò)研討會(huì)和博客上有各種指導(dǎo)婚慶服務(wù)提供商如何更好地執(zhí)行Instagram策略的信息。但對許多提供商而言,策略非常簡單:做真實(shí)的自己,新人們會(huì)找到他們(在標(biāo)簽的幫助下)。艾爾庫里說:“有些同行認(rèn)為這種方式并不專業(yè)。但我認(rèn)為重要的是溝通的語境,而不是方式。毫無疑問,千禧一代和Z世代會(huì)繼續(xù)使用社交媒體進(jìn)行決策和采購商品。這是他們與企業(yè)溝通的方式。”(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:Biz
Ed. note: This story was reported, written, and edited prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photographer Madison “Max” Pittman books at least one wedding a week using Instagram.
In fact, she used Instagram exclusively for the first nine months of her business, Max McQueen Photo, as she built out her website and established her online presence. Now that she does have a portfolio website, Pittman still finds Instagram to be the most lucrative tool. And increasingly, she says, her clients have grown up with the Internet. If they book everything from restaurant reservations to a date with an app, they expect to book a wedding photographer that way, too.
“People instantly know if they like my style and approach just by looking at my Instagram, and they know they can connect with me within a few seconds over direct messaging,” Pittman says of her Instagram profile, @maxmcqueenphoto. “I can send them links to my full galleries, photos, even posts by other vendors who I enjoy working with super easily.”
And she’s not alone. An overwhelming number of wedding professionals, from stationers and musicians to event planners, say that Instagram is the most important platform for their marketing. Gone are the days when couples would meet with wedding vendors in person to discuss details. Today's couples are searching for, following, and even booking their wedding vendors via Instagram. Direct messages have become the new phone calls, and the feed is the new portfolio.
“The Instagram rabbit hole is a real thing, especially for engaged couples,” explains Marcy Blum, the event planner behind Marcy Blum Associates. “The platform is very visual. It’s very easy for a couple to see a wedding or design that resonates with them. Most couples will check out a planner’s Instagram before they are even interested in communicating with them.”
Blum is one of the top planners in the business and has more than 35 years of experience. She has more than 58,000 followers at @marcyblum. She’s embraced Instagram as a way to connect with millennial couples, many of whom are at the marriage stage, and showcase her brand, particularly her sense of humor.
“I write copy for everything,” Blum says of her posts, which a team helps plan and execute. “There are too many accounts that I follow, and the verbiage reads like a press release.”
Blum brings up an important perk of the platform versus other digital mediums: the ability to be authentic and personal. It’s the reason fellow event planner and designer Jove Meyer also aligns his company with Instagram—he goes as far to say that the social media brand powers his business. Jove Meyer Events (@jovemeyer) specializes in bold, modern celebrations and prioritizes collaborating with businesses run by women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Meyer says he doesn’t like to be put into a box and is attracted to clients who don’t either; Instagram’s free expression means they can easily find one another. He regularly receives direct messages inquiring about his services.
“Email feels so formal, text seems too personal, but Instagram is a fun way to chat about various subjects,” Meyer says, noting he will talk about non-wedding-related topics with current and prospective clients. “If we put ourselves out there, we have to be ready to be social and engage.”
Social contracts
Most wedding professionals—especially those who work with couples spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on their weddings—run their own business profiles. Brian Buonassissi, a destination event DJ who goes by DJ Brian B, says he “l(fā)ives off Instagram” as part of his bookings. He gets four to five inquiries a week at @djbrianbofficial. “Connecting is a lot easier than many other platforms because this is both where the content creator and viewers are living,” he says. Part of his success is that he sticks to a formula for his posts and Instagram stories that reinforce he’s a “normal human not a huge corporation,” like some wedding entertainment companies. He appears daily to talk to his 11,500 followers on stories about his upcoming gigs, travel hiccups, and empowering fellow DJs. “My posting buckets are travel, music, and packed dance floors—that’s it,” Buonassissi adds.
Nearly 80% of wedding planning is done online, according to WeddingWire’s Newlywed Report, and wedding professionals often share, anecdotally, that couples want to hire vendors who feel like friends. Wendy El-Khoury, founder and director of Wedded Wonderland, an online wedding marketplace (@weddedwonderland), says couples look for emotional connections when booking wedding vendors. The fact that Instagram and direct messaging allow for immediate contact with the business owner and casual relationship building makes it the perfect place for the two entities to meet.
While a wedding caterer or florist is used to contracts and booking procedures, it’s likely the first time that a couple is hiring service professionals. Kaleigh Wiese, founder of event branding and stationery company Meldeen (@meldeenink), says the human component of Instagram puts millennial couples at ease when reaching out for something as anxiety-ridden and emotionally charged as wedding planning. Once they feel the vendor is less of a stranger, the couple is more easily swayed to a conversation over the phone to talk about how something unique can be created for them. Getting the couple to a phone call is important for final booking because so much of the wedding is tailored to a couple’s specific tastes, and emails are needed for sending official documents like contracts and invoices.
Each wedding professional has a system for converting the client from Instagram to a live conversation, but not until they feel a valid relationship after conversing online. Additionally, they all go over basics—including availability and style—via direct message. It’s vital, Meyer says, that pros do respond quickly; Instagram shows both parties in a conversation which messages have been seen.
There are other social media platforms that play a role in wedding marketing. Blum says that Facebook is best for her B2B relationships with other vendors, and Buonassissi uses YouTube to show videos of DJ sets and has a podcast about event music. Both Meyer and Pittman agree Pinterest has a huge sway with wedding decor and photography. And mobile payments are on the rise, says Wiese, who has seen a huge uptick in requests to pay by Venmo. “Many of our clients have never had a checkbook,” she explains. “They like that it’s instant; they keep a pool of money in their Venmo like a bank account.”
Wedding vendors who aren’t utilizing these platforms are slowly being left behind as the younger generation embraces social media as a way to find and book their weddings. Many sessions at wedding industry conferences and meet-ups include social media topics, and webinars and blogs abound with information on how vendors can better execute an Instagram strategy. For many, though, it’s simple: Just be themselves, and the couples will find them (with the help of hashtags). “Some industry peers don’t see it as a professional way of doing business,” El-Khoury says. “I say, it’s all about the context of communication, not mode. Millennials and Gen-Z will, without a doubt, continue using social media for decision-making and product purchases. This is how they connect with businesses.”