61: The Importance of PR in the Wedding Industry

Meghan Ely, owner of OFD Consulting, shares her journey from accidental CEO to wedding publicist and PR expert. She saw a gap in the wedding industry for effective promotion and decided to fill it. Megan emphasizes the importance of PR in getting your work seen and offers various strategies beyond paid advertising, such as event features, company write-ups, quotes, podcast interviews, and product roundups. Building relationships with media outlets and journalists is crucial for PR success, as it leads to trust and repeat collaborations. Megan advises starting with clear PR goals and researching writers and editors in your niche. She also discusses crisis management and shares her experience during the Zika crisis, where she shifted focus to areas unaffected by the crisis. In this conversation, Meghan Ely, a PR expert, shares insights and strategies for effective PR campaigns in the event industry. She emphasizes the importance of leaning into crises and changing the narrative to focus on what can be done instead of what cannot be done. Meghan discusses the evolution of PR with the rise of digital and social media, highlighting the need to leverage social media campaigns and pair them with traditional PR efforts. She also provides advice on when to start working on PR, what to include in a media kit, and how to measure success in PR campaigns. Meghan shares examples of impactful PR campaigns, including one during the COVID-19 pandemic and another related to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding. She concludes by discussing upcoming trends in PR, such as the rise of pay-to-play opportunities and the importance of being prepared to adapt to changes in the industry.

Meghan Ely, OFD Consulting, wedding industry, PR, promotion, media outlets, journalists, relationships, event features, company write-ups, quotes, podcast interviews, product roundups, crisis management, Zika crisis, PR, crisis management, narrative, social media, digital media, media kit, success metrics, thought leadership, event professionals, challenges, PR campaigns, trends

Takeaways

• PR is essential for getting your work seen in the wedding industry
• Beyond paid advertising, there are various PR strategies to consider
• Building relationships with media outlets and journalists is crucial for PR success
• Having clear PR goals and researching writers and editors in your niche can guide your outreach
• During a crisis, it's important to be upfront, adaptable, and change the conversation Lean into crises and change the narrative to focus on what can be done instead of what cannot be done.
• Leverage social media campaigns and pair them with traditional PR efforts for maximum impact.
• Start working on PR when you have the expertise, resources, and bandwidth to dedicate to it.
• Create a comprehensive media kit that includes press wins, press contact information, and collateral such as logos, headshots, and company profiles.
• Measure success in PR campaigns by looking at metrics such as traffic, backlinks, and brand awareness.
• Position yourself as a thought leader through PR by identifying your area of expertise, researching competitors, and targeting the right platforms to showcase your knowledge.
• Unique challenges in PR for event professionals include the reliance on event submissions for press coverage and managing PR during the busy wedding season.
• Effective PR campaigns require creativity, personalization, and a focus on building relationships with journalists.
• Upcoming trends in PR include the rise of pay-to-play opportunities and the importance of adapting to changes in the industry.