What We're Doing After Finding Out Style Me Pretty is Closing and Think You Should Too
The news that Style Me Pretty is closing hit the wedding industry like a ton of bricks the other day. And, for good reason. Being the most famous and most highly regarded wedding blog in the industry means that it has become a pillar in tons of wedding industry businesses. So, as we all try to wrap our heads around what this means not only for our businesses, our lead generation, and the wedding industry as a whole, we thought it was a good time to talk about the things we are going to do to prepare for it closing and think you should too.
Take Stock of Where You’ve Been Featured
As it turns out, Style Me Pretty closing is a great reminder that you need to know exactly where you have been featured in the past. So, if you are not in the habit of actually keeping track of your features, now is the time to start. Create a note in Aisle Planner or a Google Doc, label it “Features” or “Media Coverage” and start copying and pasting the urls of your features. If you are going back and doing this for previous years, break out the sections by year so it is easier to read.
Diversify Your Portfolio
Once you have taken stock of where you have been featured, it's time to start being more strategic about where you submit your work. Just like a stock portfolio, you don't want all of your marketing assets invested in one place. Take some time to do a bit of research to find the blogs and publications that align with your brand so you have a go-to list of where to submit in the future. Style Me Pretty was a brand that aligned with ours so now we need to create a new list of publications and re-prioritize where we are submitting and where our ideal bride is going for inspiration.
Reinvest Your Time and Money
If you had a listing with SMP, that money was already spent – so reinvest it! Again, do some research and find a new listing or marketing opportunity to invest that cash in since Style Me Pretty is issuing refunds. The “good news” is that since SMP was the one of the most expensive listings, you definitely have enough of a budget to test out a few listings in other marketplaces!
Up Your SEO Game
This one is more of a kick in the butt than anything else because is a great reminder of what we do and don't have control of on the internet. The only thing you have complete control over is your website, so now is definitely a great time to invest in upping your SEO game. Do the research (or hire an SEO consultant like we did) to help you figure out what your SEO keywords should be and then work those into your marketing and content strategies.
Go Back to Basics
Lastly, there will always be real value in building strong relationships. I can remember that when I first started LVL, I spent most of my time meeting vendors, scheduling appointments, and doing everything short of beating down doors to build relationships with the professionals I wanted to work with. So, if you have felt like you haven’t had the time to connect and partner with those who have a similar ideal client, make the time. No blog, feature or publication will ever take the place of making real connections.
In the end, we hope that the SMP Founder, Abby Larson, is successful in her efforts to save everything she worked so hard to build. And Abby, if you are reading this, we thank you for all of the inspiration and opportunities you brought to all of us in the wedding industry!
Interested in hearing other people’s thoughts on the subject? Check out these great articles from Sage Wedding Pros, The Editor’s Touch, and Think Splendid!