Wedding Empires - Grow and Market Your Dream Wedding Business

How Wedding Pros Can Use Copywriting To Stand Out Locally And Convert More Leads

• Jac Bowie & Ben Connolly

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0:00 | 37:38

Pretty portfolios don’t automatically turn into enquiries, and most wedding websites lose couples for one simple reason: the words never make them feel chosen. We sit down with copywriter Vanessa Wilde to break down what actually makes wedding sales copy convert, especially when you’re competing in a crowded local market where couples can compare you to five other vendors in the same scroll.

We dig into the biggest copy mistakes wedding photographers, planners, venues, and florists make, starting with vague messaging that tries to appeal to everyone. Vanessa shares how to define your dream client without fear, how to write website copy that sounds like you while still driving action, and how to build instant trust with authority, differentiation, and social proof. You’ll also hear practical headline guidance, when it’s smart to mention fears and pain points, and how to do it without sounding harsh or salesy.

Then we map out a simple five-part sales page structure you can apply to your services page, landing pages, and even enquiry flow: identify desire and struggle, position yourself as the solution, show authority, clarify deliverables with emotional benefits, and remove objections before a direct call to action. We also talk premium positioning, why brand feel matters when your prices are higher, how to use testimonials and even message screenshots as proof, plus how lead magnets and email nurture help couples who aren’t ready to book yet. Finally, Vanessa shares a realistic approach to using ChatGPT to polish your copy without falling into generic, repetitive “AI” language.

Subscribe to Wedding Empires, share this with one wedding friend who needs better bookings, and leave a review so more wedding pros can find the show.

SPEAKER_02

Hello everybody and welcome back to Wedding Empires. I'm your host, Jack Bowie, and today I have a special guest co-host. How is this? Everyone, I'd love to introduce you to Ben Connolly. Ben, how the hell are you?

SPEAKER_00

Um, I'm a little bit hung over actually for the first podcast, but not in a fun way, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_02

I want to hear all about this wedding last night. It sounded pretty wild. And uh talking about things wild, I have an incredible guest for us today.

SPEAKER_03

Look at you guys.

SPEAKER_02

My name is Vanessa Wilde. I'm Vanessa.

SPEAKER_01

I like that smooth introduction with the wild. I was like, oh my god, I'm gonna I'm running with this one.

SPEAKER_03

That was that was good.

SPEAKER_02

I married it to an awesome last name. Yeah, it is a pretty cool name, Vanessa Wilde. You know, you sound like a movie star. Let's let's be honest. Maybe switch careers and go into like singing or acting or something. Yeah, yeah. Well, I mean, obviously you'd know how to change up the copy on your website to do that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

It's a cool name, like there's that element of ooh, this is and her photo was all like windswept hair.

Vanessa’s Path Into Copywriting

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Anyway, so back to why we're here. Uh so Vanessa, I guess I want to know first up, like how have you fallen into this space of copywriting and sales copy specifically? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So I started within digital marketing space like years ago. Um, everyone tells me I look young, and I'm like, well, I'm pretty old, but so I've been on this digital space for a while. And um my I got um, I was kind of like tapping into it a little bit, getting to know like this whole new world of digital space. At the time, it was Facebook that was on the rise and everyone was talking about. And I got pregnant with our first son, and I was a teacher at the time. And I said, I do not want to go back to work. So I just went all in, learned all the ins and outs of digital marketing, um, built up different businesses along the way. And I um became friends a few years ago with this girl that I was doing copy for. I was doing like emails and and such for her. She's like, and I was doing it for free because I just loved it. And so she goes, Why are you not making money with this? And I'm like, I don't know. Like, I didn't think that was like I was coaching in different ways, and I was like, I don't think that was something that I'm that great with. I labeled myself, to be honest, not a great writer ever since I was a kid. And so then I decided to go um and test it out and test the waters. And here we are a number of years later, and have had um so many experiences now and been able to help so many different businesses.

unknown

Great.

Why Copy Matters In Weddings

SPEAKER_02

That's cool. Now I know you don't obviously specifically work with the wedding industry, but we wanted to bring you in because I think you've got a lot to share with us. Um, so how can your how can your skills sort of be applied to the wedding industry?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so what's really unique within the wedding industry is a lot of times it's um like because a lot of these businesses were so with courts, courses and stuff, you can tap anywhere in the world. But for a lot of those within the industry for weddings, photographers, um, within wedding industry, for photographers, for um wedding planners, all of that, you are so specific to your area. And you're not the only one in your area that's trying to fight to get that next wedding, to plan that next wedding, to get be that next photographer. And so, in order to truly be able to be chosen, you have to get your copyright because yes, they will choose you for the photos, like they're going to look at your photos, but there's more than to the photos than um, like more than just the photos that they're gonna choose you for or for the work that you did for planning another wedding. They want to know what you're going to bring to the table. They want to know what your values are, and all of that is what comes in your copy.

SPEAKER_02

I've covered this in a couple of previous episodes, actually, just how important it is to get your personality and your specialty and uh out there in your copy. And I I during COVID got my wedding planning business, darling, don't panic. I got all of the copy redone. And it was so interesting to work with a copywriter who drew out of me, you know, all those things about my personality and how I work and why we're different. Uh, so there's a lot that goes into it in terms of, I'm sure you'd work in a similar way with your, you know, the questionnaires and getting the information from people and and you know, drawing that the right language out and the right words and key phrases and things like that. So there's a lot that goes into it.

SPEAKER_00

I've never really gotten a copywriter before.

SPEAKER_02

Haven't you? No. Now you know one.

SPEAKER_00

I've just always bitten on far more than I can do and just gone as fast as I could to try and get it right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And and to be honest, like day-to-day copy isn't too bad. Like if you're just putting up a, oh, I did this recent photo shoot and you want to show it on your social media, it's very different. That type of copy versus I need to convert people that land on my website, on my service page, on my contact me page. It is so different when you do that. And so you want to really think, I need someone that knows the conversion. I need someone that knows how to take someone from landing on the page to the sales versus um social media content that typically is just, oh, it's fine, it's entertaining, it's just connecting.

SPEAKER_03

Cool. That's yeah.

Define Your Dream Client Clearly

SPEAKER_02

So so understanding like a wedding professional's audience, I guess, how can they uh understand their audience and apply that when writing their copy?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, so yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So part of that is knowing who you want to attract. So um, for example, if you are really, if you're a wedding planner and you're wanting to attract um really uh, let's just say, young and married people that it's their first time they they're getting married, they're excited, they're doing this huge wedding, and you really like get to know this person, you can speak directly to that person in your copy. So someone that wants a small, intimate, um, go into the courthouse type wedding is not going to be able to like really relate to what you're speaking if you understand. Oh, I want they want big weddings. They want a big, um, I don't know the right word, but I'm not and he's saying boutique wedding in my head, but that is not at all what they want. They want this like extravagant wedding. And if you're able to speak to that, they're like, she understands or he understands that I want to go all out and they can handle that for me.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. And knowing I think knowing that that that particular person can handle it for you is such a big thing, too.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, because there's that authority and that trust piece that has to come into play, and they need to know, and it and and like I said, like the visuals are important, like they've got to see that you can handle it, but at the same time, you've got to give bring that authority piece in by what you're saying and how you're speaking to them so that they're like, Oh, she gets me, or he gets me. They understand me.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Have you made any copy mistakes on your website?

SPEAKER_00

Um, probably the whole thing. Now, yeah. Um I uh I've done a lot of backwards and forwards, and and I have I do a lot of backwards and forwards with email templates and and replies and stuff. And I send an email template, I make an email template and and reply, and I have a like a standard reply to to a wedding inquiry, and that's constantly evolving as I learn and as I do different things. So and it's it's kind of the same with the website, but I know that we don't need to change, I don't want to change the website too much because Google hates that and that sort of thing. But with replies and and you know, Facebook ads and copying it, I'm constantly just refining and evolving, and it's it's just constantly circled, sort of going around just as I learn and as I get a bit better.

SPEAKER_02

So yeah. So I guess that leads me to ask, um, you know, what what common mistakes do you see when it comes to sales page copying? That was my question. I know, I can't give you the noun at all. It's my first time.

SPEAKER_01

All right, all right, you want to you want to ask?

SPEAKER_03

No, no, that's that's all right.

SPEAKER_01

She's like sneaking on your paper. I'm looking over here. I'm like, what mistakes? Hello.

Mistakes That Kill Conversions

SPEAKER_00

So have you got some advice for wedding professionals? Like, what are the common mistakes that you see and how how I'm a big how person, so how can we rectify some of the common mistakes?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so really the biggest mistakes that I see is the lack of being specific. So we you know you're you're a photographer, you know you're a wedding planner, you know you do flowers, and so we tend to speak to more of oh, like anyone can have this. Any anyone that's getting married can have these, and they can. Like, truthfully, I'm sure they can. I'm sure, like for you, Ben, you could take photos for any wedding out there if you wanted to. But when someone's trying to find a specific person, they want a specific type of person. And that comes to speaking so uh, I'd say so specific, so direct to who you actually, your dream client, who you want to attract, that when they see that, they're like, oh, this is the person for me. This is who I should hire. This is who I should bring onto my wedding team to get things planned. Um, and and then we get into this spiral sometimes of, oh, it makes my net smaller. I won't attract enough people if I do that. But what happens is, for example, if we are talking and we're like, oh, um, you want this really big extravagant wedding, there are still people that are gonna come in and they're like, Hey, Ben, do you take photos for um elopements? And you'll be like, Yeah, that's cool. I can still do that. So you're still, even if you're specific, you're still going to attract other people. But at the end of the day, you're going to attract more people because you're speaking directly to what they're looking for instead of trying to speak broadly word gener and generalize what you're saying where no one understands.

SPEAKER_03

Right. Yeah. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_02

And um, I think that storytelling plays Is that another hint?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I think that storytelling plays a big part in this.

SPEAKER_00

Before the storytelling, though, we we need to get their attention. So the the headlines are the first thing that someone's gonna see in in a copy or ad or something like that. So have you got any tips for crafting amazing headlines that that really grab attention that can draw people in?

SPEAKER_01

Yes. So really what you want to do is one, call out who your person is. So this could be in in different ways. So you could call out who they are. So, like um, if you're a bride getting married in the next six months type of thing, um, you could call out uh like specific. Like I know sometimes people are looking for a um specific type, like if you're getting um going for like having an elementment within the next little bit, like specific to who it is you're trying to attract. Then the next step is either calling out their desires or their struggles. So it could be, hey, they're desiring to have really um clear, crisp photos that they can have for a lifetime. Um, so you could speak directly to that desire, or they're trying to avoid having um a wedding that feels chaotic to them. So you can speak to without feeling like you have to um be in your like have your hands in everything within the wedding planning. So then you're speaking directly to like that three part of who they are, their desire, and what they want to avoid or that struggle that um they are trying to pull away from.

SPEAKER_00

And that was that was something that came to mind as well in bringing up a fear point that that they're scared about. Is that a good idea to to because we're we're all uh aware of loss aversion and that sort of stuff, and we all have insurance because we're we're adverse to loss. Um so to have a negative there, is that a good thing as well?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so a lot what I've noticed within like the industry as a whole on digital marketing is there's so many saying, don't talk into fears, don't talk into pain points, pull away from that because people don't want to hear it. But in the end, there's two reasons why it's important. One, they need to hear it because it's like, yeah, that's actually a fear of mine, so I'm in the right place. Like I know that this person understands me and I'm where I need to be. Secondly, we're yes, there's a part of us that will move for desire, but a lot of times we want to, we will take action faster out of pain. And so if we put on pants, for example, and they don't fit, well, we're gonna be more proactive to get a new pair of pants because they don't fit versus, oh, I like that pair of pants.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I'm faster.

SPEAKER_01

But if we just are like, I don't feel like I want a new pair of jeans, we're slower to purchase, we're slower to buy.

A Five Part Sales Page Framework

SPEAKER_02

When it comes to pain points and uh rubbing salt in the wound, I'll I I read a few things about that where it's like you should have that, and then you and then you like really press them. Um, it's got me thinking about sort of like the format of a sales page. Can you talk to me around like have you got a secret source when it comes to the format and the structure of a sales page?

SPEAKER_01

I do. So I have a five-point um process that I utilize within sales pages. So the very first part is talking with their desires and their struggles. So really making and that's just making them realize like you're in the right spot. You are here because this is what you want, but right now you're struggling with this. Maybe it's that they're struggling to find the right person to um that fits their needs, or they're struggling to find someone that um understands the wedding that they're want they want, whatever that struggle is that they're currently experiencing when they're trying to find the right person. Then we're gonna go into the solution, which is you like you're that solution, you introduce yourself, who you are, which then leads you to the authority. Um, and so you want to bring into what makes you different, what's your unique selling proposition that makes you stand out from everyone else within your industry? So that could be bringing in um like special weddings that you've done, um, your story, even speaking of stories, which we can go into, bring in your story and what led you to where you are. Um, and then after that authority, you're gonna get more into the tangibles of like what it looks like. So if they hire you as if you go into wedding planner, but whoa, wedding planner, um yes, yes, sorry. So what are the parts like what are the things that they're going to get from that package that you're gonna give them? And even if it's like tiered things, or you're like, um, these are some of the things that are included in most packages, you at least give them an idea of the deliverables. And the key part in in this is making sure, well, if they get this deliverable, what will the what will it make their day feel like? What will the the feeling be because of this? So if it's like um I give you a full-on um seating arrangement for your big day for the dinner, so then you we can make sure that the people that want to sit together sit together. And so it takes that ease off of, okay, like I know she's gonna make sure, he's gonna make sure that everything flows smoothly for me and I don't have to have my hands on everything. And then the last part to all this is is um doing that final breakthrough, that overcoming anything that that may be holding them back, um, answering any questions that they may have. And I always do at the very end of that breakthrough of like almost like that love note in a way, but that last call to action, almost like you're sitting across from this person in a coffee chat and just calling them final to action, being reminding them, hey, I'm that person for you. I can give you this beautiful day. Just imagine what it would look like when I can do that for you with your final call to action.

Testimonials And Easy Social Proof

SPEAKER_02

Great. I I think that testimonials and social proof play a big part in this. I mean, what's what's your process to be asking that from every client, I guess?

SPEAKER_00

I I try to, yeah. And um a lot of times getting testimonials from, especially from wedding clients can be a little bit harder after, like a long time after, because a lot of stuff that from the photography sense can take up to two or three months to to finalize everything. So when it gets to that point, sometimes the the hype's all gone down and and the testimonial isn't as bright and big and fluffy as what it could have been earlier. So um, but yeah, always always try because yeah, it does help, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02

Because it's great to incorporate that, whether it's your sales page or just peppered through your website to back that up, that that deliverable, of course, it's proven, right? He can actually do it, he can take good photos, and he's nice to work with, apparently.

SPEAKER_00

But no one, but when when you think about it, whether with a wedding, no couple wants to be the pioneer. So they always want to know, they always want that social proof that someone's gone before them, and that you know, that you've done an amazing job. And with all the copy eyes, so I I I put that you know, a a thousand couples before you have in have enjoyed this, this, and this, or you know, that sort of thing.

Making High Prices Feel Worth It

SPEAKER_01

So there's always that proof in there, which is all part of that authority section. Like you've got to bring that in. And you could even say things like, um, like you were talking about, like, I've helped a hundred couples at this point, or whatever. They just want to know that you have authority, that you've done it. Um, and another little um cheat that you can do is yes, it's nice to get maybe like a full and written testimonial. Yes, it's nice to even more get a video testimonial. But truthfully, you could just screenshot and cover up names of messages that they've sent to you. Like the day after, they're like, oh my gosh, that was like the perfect day. Thank you so much. And just put those on your website on your sales page to make sure that there is that proof there. And in the end of the day, people just want to know that, hey, you have my back. And two, that the testimonials are legit too. Um, because hey, like anyone can make up to some random thing and say, hey, this is what someone said about me from Julie, but the screenshots actually show, oh, like that was actually from a text message. That was actually from an Instagram message.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Great.

SPEAKER_02

And I think um, I don't know, I'm just listening to you and I thought, what about the copy where you want to kind of like back up why your price is so high? You know, do you do you find if you worked in examples like that where you know a wedding planner really wants to hit that luck space and she's more expensive than other, of course I lean on a wedding planner, but in her in her local area, she's more expensive than others. Like, how would you, you know, back that up, I guess, in your sales copy?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. So to me, when you are charging a certain amount, uh, there's a few things that need to match that. One, you need to have the testimonials to match that. So if you're beginning and you're like, I am charged like 20,000 for a wedding, well, you've got to be able to back up that you've done these weddings, that you have these testimonials, that you've helped so many people to be able to charge that. So it comes down to that authority and that social proof we're talking about. Um, two, you need to um showcase within the imagery, and and this goes beyond just the the copy, but how your brand looks, how the images look on the page. Because I'm not gonna go to McDonald's and pay$50 for a meal, but I'll go to a really nice sit-down restaurant that feels high end, that feels high class, and pay maybe even up to$100 for a meal because I know going into that that I'm that it's going to be at that end. Um like Ruth Chris is in America and really popular, and I know that I'm gonna be paying that high-end just for that feel, just for that um, that high-end caliber. Um, and then when you're you're talking, utilizing such the um adjectives and feelings, like that high-end luxury feel that they're going to get on that day. Because your price should also come with an elevated experience. And so describe the elevated experience. So you don't have to fully address, be like, oh, my prices are this way because, but you need to think how am I going to exemplify just within those adjectives, the high end luxury feel, the feel on my website with the photos. Um, And my authority that, hey, I'm worth it. I'm worth it with these high prices. And you're almost expecting it when you land on my page that I'm not going to be the cheapest option out there.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I love that. I love that.

Strong Calls To Action And Lead Magnets

SPEAKER_02

Okay. Um that leads me to call to actions. Have you got any kind of killer call to actions that you think might well work well for wedding professionals?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. So one thing to keep in mind is direct is always best. So I was actually talking about this on my social media because so many want the fancy, fun, like kind of like um, I'm trying to think of like a fun one at the top of my head. I stop having that. Yes, we're a match.

SPEAKER_02

Let us make your wedding dreams come true or something something flowery, and I get where you're going.

SPEAKER_01

Yes. So it sounds fun and it's so interesting. But I think I'm a mom of three. So I think of it with my kids, and I'm like, if I tell them, hey, we're gonna walk out the door in 10 minutes, what are they gonna do? They're gonna sit there and continue playing with their video games, doing whatever they want. But if I said, go and put your shoes on now, because we're walking out the door in 10 minutes, there the likelihood, yes, they're kids, so the likelihood is not gonna be 100% that they will put those shoes on right when I ask, but the likelihood that they will go put on those shoes at when I say that versus hey, we're leaving soon, very fluffy, not direct, is a lot higher. So being so direct, like book your consultation, book um a or let me know you're interested. So it's very direct on what you want them to do. You can even say click here to save your date. But the more direct you are, the higher you're going to get those clicks because they know what to expect and what to do on the other side.

SPEAKER_02

I had a I had a banner for years. I don't know, I've sold the business, I don't know if she's still got it, but you know, the the old 2004 weekends of booking fast, you know, something like that that gives them that, you know, I'm popular, weekends fly out the door. Yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_00

On on those call to actions, would you also recommend to have a transitional call to action as well as a direct on the same page?

SPEAKER_01

Tell me more of what you're thinking about with that.

SPEAKER_00

So with a transitional call to action, is obviously they put in their email address to to receive something back from you. So if you've got a a wedding planning guide that they can download and then they drop in their email address, you they then download the guide, and then you have their email address, you can contact them that way, as well as the direct book with us now, that sort of thing.

Buyer Journey And Ongoing Copy Tweaks

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so like a lead magnet, a freebie, that type of thing on your page would be so ideal. Uh, because there's people that are not quite ready to book you yet. Maybe their wedding isn't for a few years, maybe they're like talking with their fiance or they're going to be fiancé and you're kind of like feeling the waters out and you're not sure yet. But then it allows you one to get their email address so you can nurture them through emails. And I know you recently had someone, um, a guest, talk about emails. So definitely go check that one out on the email side. Um, but then also when they're ready, they're already seeing your name. And so they know, oh, Ben is the photographer. I've been seeing him, I researched him, he's still connecting with me, still emailing me, giving me tips to prepare for my big day. And so when they actually get engaged or when it gets closer, if they're like, oh, we're not getting married for five years, but it actually gets a couple years out, they can be like, oh, let's book it, let's get it scheduled because Ben's been constantly giving me tips and staying in contact all this time.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I think the other important thing to note is where that particular wedding professional sits in the order of the booking process. Like for us as a wedding planner, they usually book the venue and then they book us, for example. So you want your copy to reflect that, you know, they they could be shopping around for a photographer for a little bit longer than say booking their venue. You do know what I mean? So if it's a wedding venue owner listening to this, um, and and that's very much we want that date at that venue, you know, that their call to action might be more direct than say a wedding vendor that that that the couple sit on that precision for a while and shop around research for a while longer. Um, I think that's important. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, understanding your buyer's journey is is vital because you need to know, even with just your regular copy, where they are in the journey most of the time. So if they're already getting a venue, you can say, hey, you may have already like gotten your venue and speak to that. And they're like, Yeah, I did get my venue already. And so they're already understanding, oh, she's gonna get me or he's gonna get me at this point because they already know I've done these steps. So if you're able to more speak to where they are in that buyer's journey, then it like helps them be able to feel more comfortable with you because you already know who they are.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Great. Um now I think not just doing your copy once and forgetting about it forever is the key. I think you need to be refining your copy and and improving it and observing it and getting data on it. Have you got any tips around that in terms we don't we we don't want to spend all month doing it, but what are some ways that wedding professionals that have limited time can kind of keep on an eye on what's working and refine their copy over time?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so there's two reasons that you want to update. One, it's not converting. So you want to make sure you're looking at data, even if you want to do it once a month. I know there's some um people that like to do it weekly where they're just tracking how overall all of their data, how many followers they've gotten that week, how many email open rates. So you can do that with your your website and um how many people landed on your page versus how many reached out to you. Um, so that would be a reason. That means you're not hitting the mark. There, if they're landing and they're not converting over, then you're not hitting the mark with that copy. The other reason is you're going to evolve. That's just what happens. You're going to evolve, you're going to um get even better in your art, or you're going to be like, hmm, I actually don't enjoy this type of certain wedding, but I prefer this wedding. And so you're able to speak more direct to that type of wedding that you actually want to show up for and be part of. So then you're wanting to refine it then as well.

SPEAKER_02

Great. Anything you'd like to know about sales copy? Think of your website. Ben's got lots of awards. So he's he's he's very strong in the uh is that another hint? No, no, no, no, you might want to look at your notes. No, it's um, but no, you you look at Ben's site and it's like award after award after award in different countries for different things. Like it just I think I think that's great, right? It just you just feel like wow, this guy obviously knows what he's doing and he's really good. So um, you know, I your approach is really I I like it. I liked it when I did my research.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, thanks. I I just didn't want people to think that they might be the pioneer. And for me to I guess to get the point across that that what they can expect so there's no surprises. So having no surprises, I think, is a really good thing, and knowing that that person can do it. So wouldn't would you recommend obviously noting those those awards down and trying to limit the surprises that that people because and we all we like surprises and we hate surprises. So to try and limit those, would would you agree that'd be a good idea?

Storytelling And Using ChatGPT Well

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, 100%, especially for a wedding day, like they want to feel comfortable when they hire out something. They want to know that you have their back. But at the same time, I'm sure there's people that listen to this where they're like, I'm not as good as that. I have not had these awards, I haven't maybe don't even have awards yet where they're feeling like they're I'm not gonna get picked at all. Like I'm not gonna be chosen because I don't have those awards. Well, bring your authority in other ways, even if you're just starting out, that could be just telling your story and then getting the photos and showing your work and what you're doing. Um, like even showing, hey, this is a um how I like updated the photo to make it even more appealing. Here's the um updates I've done in the um I'm trying to think of the right word, like the um when you change the photo to make it even look better. The filter. This is putting to it and stuff. Um, but showing your authority with the work that you've done in itself will help as you're building up your name. And if at the beginning, you're like, well, I don't even have my first client because some of you are just hopping in. Well, go and try like find a friend that's a photographer or a wedding planner, go and work with them, and so you have photos of things that you're doing with them and can show that because just that to start, people are gonna relate and be like, I need her to do this for me, or I know need him to do this for me because he knows what he's doing.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And you just you mentioned storytelling or mentioned the story there before. So storytelling is a bit of a game changer, and I know that in the photography industry it's it's what we do. Um how how does that relate to to the sales copy side of things? Can we tell a story in sales copy as well as imagery and that sort of thing?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so there's a different way to showcase storytelling. One, you can tell your story in within your introduction to yourself, how you got into the industry, uh, how you got to doing what you're specifically doing, because there is this connection point. People buy, and this is such a common thing, but when they know, like, and trust someone. And so part of that is knowing you and knowing what brought you here to doing your work. The other side of it is telling the story of where they are and what they're searching for. So you don't have to be like sales copy doesn't have to be boring. It doesn't have to be like, hey, you're experiencing this and you want this, and which can I would find Chat GPT does a lot of very like that boring plain sales copy. Um, I have lots of feelings on Chat GPT, as we can tell. But um you can bring in like storytelling of like, I know that you've already grabbed your venue and you're looking for this, and maybe you're struggling with this, and and put it in more of a storytelling field. The other thing is tell stories of your clients. Um, even if you can't use their name, you can you can say, like, we had a client and you can make up a name if you want who came to us looking for this and tell the story of what that looked like, how you were able to bring to light what they were looking for.

SPEAKER_00

Great idea. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I love it. Thanks so much, Vanessa. Oh, it's been a joy getting to know you and hear about all your skills. Uh, the last thing that I'd like to ask is I guess for someone who's who's got their own, you know, one-woman show or one-man show going on and doing their own copywriting, have you got any tips for them to go in and enhance their website?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so I will say Chat GPT has its good and bad parts. So there are sides to it that I like and sides to it that I don't. So, one, I would go in and write your own stuff to start. Just get some things down, even if it's like choppy, even if it's not a full sentence, get some ideas out there of your headline, who you're wanting to attract, um, a section of like, I work with this type of people and help them achieve this outcome. Then go into Chat GPT and utilize it to fluff it up. You could say, add more humor to this, add more luxury feel to this, and then take it from there and adjust to make sure it feels like it flows right. But I wouldn't recommend don't start with chat GBT because it's gonna spit you out some very interesting stuff. Sometimes it's very dry, it can give you um words that are repetitive, so you'll see a lot of like unlock unlock or um your dream or different things, whereas everyone's gonna have those words.

SPEAKER_00

You're gonna be not cheese free dot when it comes to wedding marketing.

SPEAKER_01

So you're just gonna sound like everyone else, and so bring up your words and what you want to say first, then go and help have it help you refine it, and then you just refine at the very end.

SPEAKER_02

That's great. I love I love that. That's a really good tip.

SPEAKER_01

All right, well, thank you so much for joining us. It's been a pleasure.

SPEAKER_00

Thanks, Vanessa.

SPEAKER_01

It has been so fun. You two are fun house. So, Ben, A plus on your first day.

unknown

Oh good job.

SPEAKER_00

Thanks very much.

SPEAKER_02

All right, thanks, Vanessa. Thank you. Talk to you soon. Bye. Bye, Ben.

SPEAKER_00

Wow. Hi. Come here often.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I do. I live here. Um so if you want up uh at home listening. Um, oh, we've got some comments coming through on Facebook. Awesome. Uh, if you'd like to join us for more live craziness like this, then you need to sign up for Wedding Empires Pro. We have a free seven-day trial where you can attend all of our podcasts live. Plus, there's additional trainings and templates for your wedding business. So head to pro.weddingempires.com. Also, we've got a brand new Instagram account which needs some love. I think we've got about 80 followers, which isn't too bad for a couple of days. A couple of days.

SPEAKER_03

That's pretty good. That's pretty good. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Um, but yes, come find us there. So wedding empires podcast is the username, and it's the same username on TikTok now as well. So you can find us there. Uh and Ben, yes, pleasure having you. Thank you. You might join us again.

SPEAKER_00

Maybe, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

If you want to check out Ben and his work and all his awards, go to benconnelly.com. We'll have we'll have all those links in the show notes for you. But thanks for joining us and we'll see you again soon.

SPEAKER_00

Thanks very much. Bye.

SPEAKER_02

Bye.