I often get asked how I do it all, and the answer is, well…I get by with a little help from my friends. Or a few marketing systems, to be exact. From the beginning of starting this business, it was crucial for me to have workflows, systems, and automation in place. Efficiency, efficiency, efficiency!
Because at the end of the day, I want to spend less time on the backend, running around with my hair on fire, and spending more time with my clients, off of Instagram, and with the people I love the most!
In no particular order, here are my Top 5 FAVORITE business marketing tools for wedding planners that I use almost daily in my wedding planning business!
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I only share about companies that I truly believe in.
1. Flodesk
What if I told you that creating email newsletters could be as easy as posting to social media? Don’t believe me? Prepare to be mind blown. I recently switched from Mailchimp (which is free but so clunky, and basically is why I never sent any emails my first 2 years) to Flodesk and it has been a total game changer! I enjoy writing emails now and love that I can share and expand on stuff to a targeted audience, in particular, the people who want to hear from me the most!
Other perks:
- One monthly price, unlimited subscribers: unlike competitors, Flodesk doesn’t penalize you for growing your list. Whether you’re looking to start a small newsletter or build an email marketing empire, you pay the same monthly price.
- Creative freedom: For the first time ever in email marketing, you can use custom fonts and image collages. Yes please! I like my marketing on-brand. I had been using MailChimp but found it rather clunky, and I think that really affected how I view email marketing. As in, I think I sent 4 or 5 emails total in 2 years, and with Flodesk I have sent 4 emails in less than a month!
- Click and Drag Email Builder: Want to look like you have an entire marketing team crafting and coding your every email? Look no further! Flodesk puts the power of a professional designer in your pocket. Their click and drag email builder makes it easier than ever to create beautifully branded emails (no coding required).
Get 50% off with my code.
2. Showit
I host my website and blog on Showit, which integrates with WordPress. This is one of my favorite platforms I’ve used and I love how customizable it is! I will admit, there was a learning curve at the beginning, and it took some time. But once you get it down, you will fall in love with the ease of use. I also think Showit websites look higher quality, and if you ever decide to re-brand or work with a professional brand designer or want to buy website templates, a ton of people are already using Showit.
Learn more about Showit here. Get your first month free on me!
3. Planoly (Instagram scheduling)
Planoly is what I use for Instagram. I’ve been on the free plan for a few years, and when I use it, it is perfect for what I need. I admit, I often struggle to know what to post on Instagram and don’t use this app to its fullest potential, but when I have a burst of creativity, I’ll do a brain dump of topics on Planoly and do “placeholder” posts to swap out photos with once I have a great photo that works for my feed.
It can be tricky to get content In the beginning stages of business, but in the more recent years, there have been more and more resources for creative professionals to get photos specific to the wedding market. See the next point for more details!
4. Unsplash
When I first started and had NO work to show, I discovered Unsplash! The best part – it’s FREE! They have an amazing inventory of photos that I used when I literally had NOTHING. No photos, no content, nothing to share. It was intimidating to do my first Instagram post and build a website with so little to show on my portfolio. This is how I filled in the gaps until I was able to plan styled shoots and get some real weddings under my belt!
You can also get curated stock photos for wedding professionals through Sourced Co., however you do have to pay. But, my, oh my, will you look good!
5. Canva
Design graphics, like welcome guides, social media posts, welcome packets, design boards, and anything that has to do with branding online. Canva is a life-saver and it’s FREE! If there’s something that I need to create, their templates are extremely beautiful. In no way am I a graphic designer, but Canva makes me feel like one! I have also printed my cards and business cards through them and the pricing is actually more affordable than a lot of places I can find, and I thought the paper was very high quality.
There you have it! My top 5 Business Marketing Tools I use to run my business. Have you used these tools before? I hope this post helps make your life a whole lot easier. Get ready to impress with these tools! 🙂
