Category: Marketing and Social Media
If Facebook shuts your page down, are you prepared...
Posted by Josh Withers | Feb 18, 2021 | Marketing and Social Media | 1 |
How to name your celebrant business
Posted by Josh Withers | Dec 5, 2020 | Marketing and Social Media | 3 |
Do our social media challenge
Posted by Josh Withers | Sep 15, 2020 | Marketing and Social Media, Social Media Content Challenge | 0 |
Replying to new wedding enquiries with Bonjoro
Posted by Josh Withers | Aug 12, 2020 | Marketing and Social Media | 2 |
One of the greatest voids in the world today is or...
Posted by Josh Withers | Nov 28, 2019 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
Do I need more than one domain name for my website?
by Josh Withers | Mar 29, 2022 | Marketing and Social Media | 1 |
You've reached one of our members-only articles. Celebrant Institute members get access to read...
Read More“The truth is most of your followers won’t see what you share” on Instagram
by Josh Withers | Jun 9, 2021 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
Instagram has shared a post today about how and why people see what they see on Instagram. I’m not going to speculate on how much of this is smoke and mirrors, or politics, or conspiracy theories. Instead, lets take them at their word and believe what they say.
You can read the whole report here, and I’ll share some excerpts and thoughts on it below.
Read MoreThe law of social proof and celebrancy
by Josh Withers | Apr 11, 2022 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
When unsure how to act, people copy others, outsourcing their own decisions to others. Not only is this true when choosing a shop, or a cafe, but in weddings as well.
Read MoreA week’s worth of content prompts for your blog or social media
by Josh Withers | Jun 14, 2021 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
If you’re feeling a bit stuck on what to post on your blog, or social media, or both, here’s seven content ideas you can easily write right now. Then schedule them up to drop every day, and watch your online personal brand grow!
Read MoreBe vulnerable about your growth intentions to actually grow
by Josh Withers | Aug 24, 2021 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
A study has found that adding copy to a new app’s website around the lines of “we...
Read MoreGet testimonies that matter
by Josh Withers | Jul 5, 2018 | Marketing and Social Media | 1 |
Celebrants offer such a personal service, your service is very different to mine, to every other member of this website, and the thousands of other celebrants available. We can communicate our differences in text and photos on our website, through blog and social content, and by meeting people but meeting every single enquirer can become tiresome.
So, let me introduce you to a secret warrior in my sales toolkit: testimonies.
Read MoreReplying to new wedding enquiries with Bonjoro
by Josh Withers | Aug 12, 2020 | Marketing and Social Media | 2 |
You've reached one of our members-only articles. Celebrant Institute members get access to read...
Read MoreWhat should we do on social media? Part 1
by Josh Withers | Jul 30, 2018 | Marketing and Social Media | 2 |
A member asks: When chatting with celebrants recently I heard again and again that most celebrants aren’t really that interested in following the general Instagram “best practice” advice that you see on social media blogs/podcasts. Most people a) don’t want to invest the time and energy to go down the Pinterest-style heavily-curated aesthetically-pleasing path, and b) think it’s bullshit anyway. They don’t want to follow a posting schedule, they may not even post very regularly. I think most celebrants just want to post photos that they like, when they have them – but want to maximize the appeal/reach of those posts and spend the least amount of time on them. Can you share any practical little hacks to shave a few minutes and a few headaches off your posting/planning time.
Read MoreWhere should we get clients to review us?
by Josh Withers | Aug 14, 2020 | Marketing and Social Media | 1 |
Gail asks: Sooo… your couple love you and want to leave a review! Where is the best place/s for them leave this review to really market your business and what links would you send them?
Read MoreBuild my own website or pay a pro? Build a business brand or a personal brand?
by Josh Withers | Aug 30, 2021 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
Suzanne asks: “Looking for advice on professional web design v. self design. Objective to attract biz, be good return on investment and not rubber-stamp like. Also some good advice on logo vs personal service brand.” Two important questions here and they’re both worth addressing.
Read MoreHow to get professional photos to share on your socials
by Josh Withers | Jul 19, 2018 | Marketing and Social Media | 3 |
A common conversation amongst everyone in the wedding industry who is not a wedding photographer is asking photographers for photos.
It’s great when you get them, it means your social media feeds have a professional feel over an iPhone photo feel, and it’s literally their job to make art out of events so their photos are always going to be better than yours.
Read MoreYour price is part of your story
by Josh Withers | Dec 22, 2019 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
I thought I’d share a quick and small story about a wedding I didn’t get booked for.
Read MoreThe secret to having people share your social media posts
by Josh Withers | Sep 8, 2021 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
When you hear of social media posts going viral, it simply means people are sharing it....
Read MoreMarketing: if I was starting today
by Josh Withers | Dec 27, 2018 | Marketing and Social Media | 12 |
You've reached one of our members-only articles. Celebrant Institute members get access to read...
Read MoreHow to start taking better photos at your weddings
by Josh Withers | Sep 27, 2021 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
An element of my social media content strategy I’m quite proud of is that I’ve really worked hard at making better photos, photos that I have made – and therefore own – so that I have photos and video for my own social media channels and blog. If you’re interested in pursuing that art as well, Josh Rose has written a really good guide that I think would help you. It’s aimed at taking better holiday photos, but the advice translates directly to weddings as well.
Read MoreWhat if Google didn’t exist?
by Josh Withers | Jan 22, 2021 | Marketing and Social Media | 2 |
Google, in light of legislation being introduced in Australia, has threatened to pull out of the Australian market. I’m sure they won’t, if only because they won’t walk away and leave $59 billion of income on the table and destroy the trust in their brand over a couple of dollars being paid to news organisations.
Read MoreIt’s time to wean ourselves off this teat
by Josh Withers | Oct 18, 2019 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
The most popular question I’m asked in person by my wedding industry colleagues, and here on the Celebrant Institute, is which website do I advertise on or which directory do I list in that works?
Somewhere along the way, wedding vendors have gotten really comfortable being fed off the teat of wedding blogs, directories, websites, and magazines.
Read MoreHow to spy on other people’s Facebook Ads
by Josh Withers | Feb 18, 2022 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
If you’ve been wanting a way to spy on what other people in the wedding industry are doing with their Facebook Ads, here’s a very easy, open, and regulated way to do so.
Read MoreWhat should we do on social media? Part 2
by Josh Withers | Aug 1, 2018 | Marketing and Social Media | 2 |
A member asks: When chatting with celebrants recently I heard again and again that most celebrants aren’t really that interested in following the general Instagram “best practice” advice that you see on social media blogs/podcasts. Most people a) don’t want to invest the time and energy to go down the Pinterest-style heavily-curated aesthetically-pleasing path, and b) think it’s bullshit anyway. They don’t want to follow a posting schedule, they may not even post very regularly. I think most celebrants just want to post photos that they like, when they have them – but want to maximize the appeal/reach of those posts and spend the least amount of time on them. Can you share any practical little hacks to shave a few minutes and a few headaches off your posting/planning time. There’s a reason Facebook and Instagram have personal and business accounts. There’s a place for you to post what you like, and a place for you to post content that has a positive on your business.
Read MoreIf Facebook shuts your page down, are you prepared?
by Josh Withers | Feb 18, 2021 | Marketing and Social Media | 1 |
Your Facebook page, Instagram page, Google My Business account, your LinkedIn, and god forbid any of you have a Parler account, but they’re all not your property. Running your business on the back of those properties is like going to your local cafe and setting up shop at a table. Putting up a little sign with Married By John Citizen on it, and accepting meetings and enquiries there. It might be ok for the longest period of time (thanks for hosting me, Sisterhood Coffee), but at any time that business owner can ask you to leave and not come back.
Read MoreThere’s Gold In Them Thar Questions
by Josh Withers | Feb 18, 2022 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
There’s gold in the questions you get asked by other celebrants, people in the wedding industry, our clients, friends, and social media followers. Do you know what to do with them?
Read MoreHow to be “out there” and trust the process
by Josh Withers | Apr 13, 2021 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
Krystal asks: “I seek perhaps some advice on how I continue to be “out there” without sailing into the boring seas or moving into sharing content on social media that isn’t relevant. Maybe I need to be patient with the process, once my first wedding is over and I’ll feed my future marketing off that.”
Read MoreAn example of finding your ‘Almost Nobody’
by Josh Withers | Jun 1, 2019 | Marketing and Social Media | 1 |
In a post yesterday I described the hard work of finding your ‘Almost Nobody’. This, I argue, is your life’s work, and something that will forever be changing. A good example of me doing that work in my own business is by filtering out the ‘Everybody’ and making room for the ‘Almost Nobody’ to feel comfortable on my social media.
Read MoreThe only thing you can rely on in the wedding business
by Josh Withers | Jun 30, 2018 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
This afternoon a couple got engaged and they have never heard of you, they’ve not made any decisions about their wedding, and it’s highly likely they don’t know anything about the wedding industry, how it works, what things cost, and who does what.
The only thing you can rely on in the wedding industry is that today a couple got engaged and all of your previous branding, marketing, advertising, and godowill in the market means nothing.
Read MoreWriting prompts for social media and blogging
by Josh Withers | Aug 29, 2021 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
The Copywriting Course’s subject line generator might be just the gold mine you need to start writring that next blog posts, social media post, or recording that vlog or podcast.
Read MoreDo our social media challenge
by Josh Withers | Sep 15, 2020 | Marketing and Social Media, Social Media Content Challenge | 0 |
I’m writing a social media challenge for Celebrant Institute members to see out 2020…
Read MoreHow to get more wedding enquiries
by Josh Withers | Sep 19, 2019 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
Liene at Think Splendid shares five powerfully simple ways to get more enquiries to your wedding celebrant business today. They’re so simple that you are hopefully already doing them, or if you’re not, this is a quick and swift reminder.
Read MoreHow to name your celebrant business
by Josh Withers | Dec 5, 2020 | Marketing and Social Media | 3 |
David Placek is the branding genius behind some of the biggest names in the technology world. The words Sonos, Intel Pentium, Apple PowerBook, Blackberry, Gimlet podcasts (home of Reply All), and the Impossible burger, all came from David’s branding company, Lexicon Branding. In 2014 Placek released a book which I’d love to read – but can’t find for purchase. Luckily for me, and for you, Om Malik recapped the book in his blog recently.
Read MoreThe thing about all of your social media followers
by Josh Withers | Jul 1, 2021 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
You've reached one of our members-only articles. Celebrant Institute members get access to read...
Read MoreMaking customer journeys easier, and inclusive, like Sephora
by Josh Withers | Nov 21, 2019 | Marketing and Social Media | 2 |
Sephora has identified that not every customer desires the same journey, so they created a fork in the road to cater for two different personality types.
Read MoreHow to network in the wedding industry today
by Josh Withers | Aug 5, 2018 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
You've reached one of our members-only articles. Celebrant Institute members get access to read articles about building and running a sustainable celebrancy business, the nuances around the Australian marriage laws, advertising...
Read MoreHow to become a travelling celebrant
by Josh Withers | Jun 5, 2020 | Marketing and Social Media | 1 |
Alinta asks: I am going to take up the gypsy/not-yet-too-grey nomad life for a year or so and I wonder if it would be possible to be a sort of travelling celebrant? We will be travelling in a substantial caravan and aren’t intending to be too structured about our timing so that we can follow our hearts and interests… Any thoughts or suggestions on if this would work?
Read MoreThe stories you’re forgetting to tell on social media
by Josh Withers | Jun 21, 2019 | Marketing and Social Media | 4 |
Your stories are more powerful than you think. This article is about sharing the stories about you and your celebrancy that you’ve forgotten to share.
Read MorePeople hate ads
by Josh Withers | Nov 22, 2019 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
I’m eventually going to start sounding like a broken record, but we all need to get it into our head: ads as we used to know them no longer work. People hate ads.
Read MoreThe Facebook opportunity
by Josh Withers | Aug 5, 2018 | Marketing and Social Media | 2 |
You've reached one of our members-only articles. Celebrant Institute members get access to read articles about building and running a sustainable celebrancy business, the nuances around the Australian marriage laws, advertising...
Read MoreHow to make a wedding expo work for you
by Josh Withers | Jul 19, 2020 | Marketing and Social Media | 2 |
10 ways to make wedding fairs, wedding directories, wedding blogs, wedding magazines, expos, and virtual wedding fairs, work for you.
Read MoreWould you follow you?
by Josh Withers | Jun 3, 2019 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
Would you follow yourself on social media? If you saw that a friend of yours commented on one of your posts so it floated up to your news feed, and you clicked through to your profile, would you follow it?
Read MoreOne of the greatest voids in the world today is original content
by Josh Withers | Nov 28, 2019 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
A repetitive theme in my writing is the encouragement for you to create your own content. I really do believe that creating original, helpful, relevant, personal, content is a majorly easy way for you to have a win today.
Read MoreYou don’t know what ‘word of mouth’ looks like
by Josh Withers | Aug 2, 2018 | Marketing and Social Media | 1 |
I wanted to share a story straight from my inbox today, to show you how word of mouth actually works and how your marketing efforts today pay off for years:
Read MoreHow to be your own publicist
by Josh Withers | Aug 2, 2020 | Marketing and Social Media | 2 |
A solid foundation of my business success as a celebrant has lay in the realm of good publicity. Good publicity can’t make a filling business profitable, or an unskilled celebrant, talented, but if you’re already rocking a good business operating system, and your ceremonies are resonating with people and getting good reviews, publicity is the cream on top that helps more couples find you, and book you. In this article I wanted to lay out a few tools that I have used in the past, and continue to use today, to “get my name out there” but in a very deliberate and meaningful way.
Read MorePlease put the (sales) gun down!
by Josh Withers | Dec 7, 2019 | Marketing and Social Media | 1 |
A quick Saturday morning flick through the social media feeds showed me six celebrants doing a bad thing on social media.
They’re not breaking the law, and in their minds they’re not doing a bad or evil thing. Many people would see the same thing I did and think it’s perfectly fine.
But my advice would be to stop.
Read MoreHow to publish Facebook ads that work
by Josh Withers | Aug 7, 2018 | Marketing and Social Media | 1 |
I don’t know.
If there’s anything you can expect from me today and into the future is that I’m not going to talk BS. The good news is that I know as much about Facebook advertising as most marketers and advertisers do, and they don’t know either, because there is no one perfect ad that will close all the deals and make all the bookings. So as much as I don’t know how to publish Facebook ads that work, I do know how to publish Facebook ads that work for me, so I’ll take you through that process and also weave in some professional best practises and see if we can’t help you.
Read MoreWhat does Instagram Reels’ launch mean for the wedding industry?
by Josh Withers | Aug 4, 2020 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
Instagram’s latest feature ‘Reels’ is in addition to it’s existing product suite of regular Instagram news feed posts, Stories, and IGTV. This is a deep dive into how celebrants and people in the wedding industry can take advantage of Instagram Reels.
Read MoreThe easiest and cheapest advertising platform for Australian celebrants
by Sarah Aird | Jun 17, 2019 | Marketing and Social Media | 6 |
I’m staggered how many celebrants are not accessing this simple and completely free advertising platform!
Read MoreWhat are the ABIA awards? A guide for celebrants
by Josh Withers | Dec 12, 2019 | Marketing and Social Media | 2 |
A reader asks: “I’ve noticed the ABIA awards presentation nights have been occurring but what is the ABIA awards and how do people win the ABIA awards? What is the scoring based on? I see these marks of 99.93 etc.” I’ll answer this question on behalf of ABIA, then with my own opinion, which may or may not include the now famous, Billockery Awards, the celebrancy industry’s most favourable fictionalised awards system.
Read MoreWhich directories should we advertise in?
by Josh Withers | Aug 22, 2018 | Marketing and Social Media | 5 |
Sarita asks: I’m a relatively new celebrant and just after some advice on the world of wedding directories. There seem to be loads. Apart from the obvious ones like easyweddings, ABIA, there’s lots of smaller ones like polka dot bride, wedding guide, celebrant society, etc etc & a huge variation on how much it costs to list with them. Have you any tips, recommendations on where to go and where not to go. I feel like I should be listing somewhere (shouldn’t I?) but where to go!
Read MoreHow to change what address appears on your AG Register listing
by Sarah Aird | Jun 19, 2019 | Marketing and Social Media, Our Guidelines to Australian Marriage Law | 0 |
You've reached one of our members-only articles. Celebrant Institute members get access to read articles about building and running a sustainable celebrancy business, the nuances around the Australian marriage laws, advertising...
Read MoreWhen wanting to be featured or talked about, know this one thing
by Josh Withers | Dec 14, 2019 | Marketing and Social Media | 0 |
A favourite read of mine is the regular Susbtack email from Ariel Stalling. You might know her name from a little blog called Offbeat Bride. In this week’s mailout, Ariel tells the story of how someone a little bit like her was covered in the New York Times.
Before I actually read the words in the piece I thought Ariel was telling the story about how she was covered in the New York Times which would’ve been kind of cool, but then when you sit down and read it you realise that someone slightly similar to her with a really good publicist was covered in the Times instead.
Read More
Recent Comments