Online tracking could be the Holy Grail marketers have been looking for. Used properly and responsibly, it can offer extremely useful insights into the how customers interact with you website and ultimately drive sales, writes Oilbhe Doyle.

Over the last two years, we’ve seen the belts tighten and budgets squeezed in the media world and there’s increasing pressure on everyone to go the extra mile, be innovative and get added value to justify media spend. With accountability of media spend being foremost on the minds of marketing managers they are increasingly seeking media outlets that can legitimize their budgets.

Unlike any other medium, online is unique in its ability to substantiate media spends and demonstrate accountability.  The measuring scale of online has grown from the humble click through rate to a tracking system that is so sophisticated that it is akin to putting a “bug” on every browser. Tracking now allows us to follow customers every move right through from first click to purchase. The advancements in tracking have removed the blindfold and magnified browsers’ habits meaning marketers can now effectively target their consumer thus optimizing their media budget.

Traditionally, Click Through Rate (CTR) has been considered the essence of measuring online activity. Quite simply CTR is only one way of measuring the success of an online campaign, it will tell you the number of users who clicked on your ad but beyond this not a whole lot more. CTR declines to include the people who failed to click, yet arrived at your site later as a result of seeing your ad. If you are solely relying on CTR to provide you with answers, you are not getting a true insight. Indeed you are eliminating a whole plethora of possible purchasers and only getting a picture of the “window shoppers” as opposed to the “real shoppers”.

Beyond the measurement of CTR, there is a better way to assess your online activity with in-depth tracking. Tracking relies on two key elements, a “cookie” and “spotlight tagging”.

A cookie is a small piece of code that is embedded in display advertising; each cookie is unique to a user, akin to your own identification card. When you come in contact with a banner ad it is the cookies job to latch on and press record and report all information back to a central server.

Spotlight tagging is effectively a series of “trip wires” that you’ve set up on your site, as a consumer (carrying the omnipresent cookie) moves about your site they activate the spotlight tags and thus we can gather information on the user’s odyssey on the site.

Frequently whilst measuring online, post click activities are attributed to the success/failure of a campaign. One very important factor which gets missed out on is the post-impression activities. Here is where our pervasive cookie can rival big brother one step further by providing information on when a user arrives to a site Just to clarify, post click activities are the actions taken by the consumers directly after they’ve clicked on the ad. However, frequently consumers view the ad, do not click on it but later arrive on the site either through natural search or by directly typing in your website address; this has been termed as post impression activity.

The same information can be gathered on these post impression consumers as those who clicked directly through. Considering up to 70% of sales are due to post impression activity, surely it is advantageous to monitor this movement to build an effective picture.

Furthermore, if branding was your campaign initiative, more attribution should be paid to post impression activity as post impression activity happens when an ad leaves an impression in consumers mind thus showing an increase in brand awareness of the ad.

If tracking technology as sophisticated as online was available for TV, press or outdoor mediums, undoubtedly it would have its devoted fanatical followers scrutinizing campaign effectiveness with a fine tooth pick.

Imagine we had the ability to place a “bug” on consumers that had the facility to record when they saw a bus T-side, what street they were on, or when they heard a radio ad that thus drove them to purchase. It would provide us with so many answers that are currently not measurable in the offline world and thus we have to work on a trial and error basis for many campaigns. Considering this technology exists in the online world it is surprising that many people have not embraced it and reaped the benefits.

Tracking has allowed the transparency of the online world to be revealed by providing us with several in-depth insights. For a start off it is target specific and you can see where our most profitable customer is online. If, for example, 90% of your most expensive customers (e.g. your €5,000 spenders) are all coming from the website entertainment.ie, you can now focus on specifically targeting entertainment.ie. There is no wastage; if a site is not working it can simply be removed allowing you to spend your marketing budget more profitably.

It also allows you to calculate the cost per sale. If, for example, you invested €10,000 in online and you made one hundred €50 sales, then clearly something is not working if you have to spend €10,000 to only make back €5,000.

It also shortens the path to purchase as it highlights your most popular service or product which you can then bring to the front of the site making the path to final sale quicker and easier.

It can also show you the time difference from when they are first exposed to the banner and how long it takes them to purchase. In addition it can expose any barriers to purchase by highlighting

any impediments that are obstructing a final sale. This could be in an application form where there is a drop off when consumers reach, say, part 4 of the form. You can then go back and remove or amend anything that is stopping the transaction being complete in full.

Finally tracking will also expose the most effective or inefficacious artwork that’s on your site.

Although you may feel that tracking is irrelevant to your product or services the reality is that it is highly relevant to all digital campaigns. Every campaign has a goal, whether it’s a sale, a signup or a download and each one of these can retrieve a more in-depth insight that doesn’t simply rely on CTR.

Undoubtedly CTR will continue to have its place in future campaigns but with current technology allowing us to measure far beyond sales, its relevancy will surely be tested.

Increasingly advertisers are opting for in-banner activity; they just need to capture a small piece of information. For example, it might be an “insert your weight here” prompt which, in this instance, the term CTR doesn’t really matter if you’re not clicking through to anything.

In a nutshell, if you remain focused on CTR as the backbone for your insights, you are essentially like a blindfolded man sitting on a chair, outside his shop, only counting the number of times someone taps you on the shoulder. If that’s your focus, then you’re missing out a number of very important things. For example you can’t see what those people that did tap you on the shoulder are doing inside your shop. And you are also missing the people that saw you outside on their way to the supermarket and may have visited you on the way back because they made a note of your shop or it came recommended by a friend. Should they not count as a sale if they came to your shop as a result of you sitting out front?

While many marketing managers tend to be traditional in their media selections and hesitate to embrace online, there’s no turning back for those who have experimented with tracking. Those that already have will know about the sophisticated tools that allow them to continually challenge what’s available, find out answers they really want and thus reap the benefits of consumer insight, creative effectiveness, campaign productivity and optimal investment for campaigns.

Online tracking is a powerful and competent tool for telling us the how, what, where and when, thus if you can fine tune what works best, the proof is literally in the purchase. Ignore online tracking at your peril.

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Direct Marketing And Online Marketing Executive – Kildare

Our client is a supply chain management company based in Kildare. They are currently recruiting for a Direct Marketing and Online Marketing. The Success candidate will drive incremental sales through customer retention and acquisition marketing programmes, both on and offline. This role is a full time temporary contract for initially 2 months however this could be extended. .

Job Description:
- Marketing Initiatives: Plan, communicate, execute and evaluate B2B marketing initiatives in conjunction with the Relationship Marketing and Business Development Manager.
- Plan Execution: Deliver the agreed marketing campaigns on time, in-line with expectations and within budget. To identify and plan activities to achieve maximum penetration and opportunities to grow sales for our clients.
- To manage and continually optimise the creation and execution of all strategic and tactical elements of email and database marketing campaigns. To develop SEO, SEM, Affiliate marketing plans that is in line with our clients objectives.
- To develop and implement a social media strategy with the aim of creating meaningful dialogue with key influencers who can act as ambassadors for the brand and foster positive word-of-mouth recommendation.
- To develop content for, and to update website pages with the aim of increasing visitor engagement and minimising bounce rates.
- Research and analyse key business drivers, trends and operating metrics

Candidate requirements:
- Marketing Degree level or equivalent
- Minimum of 3-5 years direct marketing, online marketing experience
- Must have a passion for B2B Marketing
- In-depth knowledge of planning, implementation and evaluation of direct marketing campaigns, online marketing, and data analysis. Experience of utilising outbound email marketing
- Experience executing successful marketing plans, and clear evaluation of same
- Significant experience of managing on-line marketing campaigns.
- In-depth knowledge and understanding of web analytics
- Strong analytic and data evaluation skills, with the ability to extract and interpret data from various sources to offer creative marketing solutions

Benefits Package includes:
- Salary of €35,000 – €40,000 (pro rata)
- Paid holidays
- Free on site parking
- Excellent training opportunities

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Are you an Online Marketing Manager with  a passion for fashion?

We are currently working with a thriving retail enterprise to source a highly competent Online Marketing Manager to further develop and enhance their strongly established marketing channels.

This retail enterprise is seeking an experienced Online Marketing Manager to integrate their current marketing strategies with complementary digital campaigns, including the development of  a Social Media Presence, building and engaging with online communities, overseeing and managing the primary website (ensuring all content is fresh and relevant), overseeing SEM and SEO strategies, and consulting on strategies for consumer database expansion and management.  

To be considered for this exciting role you should have strong experience in implementing a wide range of offline, online, and inegrated marketing campaigns.
You should have an understanding of technical aspects of web marketing.
You should be a strong communicator and be able to mentor.
And ideally, you will have a good understanding and experience of marketing luxury goods, and you will ideally have a passion for fashion.

Please understand that due to a large volume of work, I cannot accept telephone enquiries on this role. Also, I’m sorry but I can only reply to applicants who have relevant experience.

If you believe your experience is relevant to this role, please apply and I will review your application. Otherwise, if you have any questions, please mail me at:
Many thanks, Lorraine.

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Turn on the radio, pick up a paper, and all the talk seems to be about the need for Ireland to project itself on to the World stage with innovative digital solutions. If we can do this, well maybe then we can again all have our huge German cars and 2010 Registration plates
Our client has no interest in aspirational talk – they are just getting on with it. And have been for some time. This is an Irish based e-commerce portal with a vast International reach.
They are currently seeking a Head of Online Operations to take ownership of, and formulate strategy for,  their key websites with a specific focus on optimising conversion, revenue and profitability.  In addition to their online offering, you will also spearhead new initatives using mobile, social media and other digital channels.  Essentially, you will be managing a team of Product Managers and Analysts and therefore you must have a proven background in a similar senior managment capacity. 

Your responsiblities will include the following:
• Develop and implement the strategy for a portfolio of websites, taking considering of user expereince, functionality, conversion rates and revenue.
• Manage and work with cross-functional teams; right from the intital strategic planning stage through to implementation and post-launch analaysis and modification. You will have direct responsiblity for two teams; product managment and analytics.
• Evaluate new  proposals or feature requests, presenting Senior Managment and the Board a researched and documented  SWOT analysis of each request, with recommendations on which ones will work best with the current online products and how to implement the chosen new features including budgets required, tiimelines etc.
• Analysis of all product’s performance – your role in a nutshell is to be the company expert on how to maximise all traffic and customer activity, therefore you must be able to put together a business case on how each product is performing and what, if anything, should be done to improve this.

Your core skills should include:
• A proven background of at least 6 years in managing online products and operations, ideally within a major e-commerce or dotcom organisation.
• Hands on management experience, leading and inspiring teams to perform and produce first class results.
• A natural flair for statistics and analytics; you are someone who can visualise trends/ patterns and you are competent in conveying this information to senior management and provide them with specific recommendations on how to use these statistics to propel and improve the online offering.
• A strong understanding of testing techniques, and how to implement ongoing evaluation so that all products are refined as and when necessary, with the end goal of achieving agreed traffic, revenue and profitability targets.

You should at all times be mindful of our client’s commercial considerations, and to that effect, you will be highly focused on translating all data analysis and initiatives into increased traffic / site user retention, and ultimately increased revenue generation for our client. 

Whilst this is already a very senior role, by no means is there a glass ceiling over this position and it offers scope for further career progression and development. You will have the opportunity to work for a major dotcom success story, and work with thinkers and doers who have made a real impact in  the e-commerce world.

To have a chat about this opportunity, please give me a call on my direct line (01) 609 0160 or mobile 086 6010411 . You can also mail me at: gary@prosperity.ie 

Confidentiality is completely assured and your details will not be discussed externally without your prior consent. 

Many thanks, Gary

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The chipping away of user privacy on Facebook has led to an erosion of trust in recent months for the social networking giant. Will recently announced privacy improvements help restore trust?

Social media site Facebook appeared to be well on its way to web, if not world, domination towards the end of 2009, having managed to clock up 350 million active users around the world in the six short years since it was set up.

Concerns over user privacy had previously been voiced by a range of parties, but it was the rollout in December 2009 of significant and – for most users anyway – complicated, changes to its privacy settings that started a substantial backlash against both Facebook and its now 26-year-old founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.

The general feeling was that the company was eroding user privacy and making substantial personal information public in order to allow partner websites to better target ads. For many, Zuckerberg’s assertion to users at the beginning of 2009 that “The trust you place in us as a safe place to share information is the most important part of what makes Facebook work” was starting to sound somewhat hollow.

The real problems began last June, when Facebook introduced an ‘Everyone’ update feature, which gave users the option to make certain information about themselves accessible to the entire internet. While that feature was initially an option that users could choose to opt into in the site’s privacy settings, the subsequent update in December 2009 made it the default. Overnight, users who googled themselves were shocked to find that their entire Facebook pages, including comments, photos and personal information, were available for everyone to see.

At the time, Zuckerberg didn’t appear to see what the problem was and said that the company was simply adapting to the online social norm. “People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people and that social norm is just something that has evolved over time,” he said, speaking at TechCrunch’s annual Crunchies Awards in January 2010.

Unsurprisingly, not everyone agreed. Within days of the December changes, the Electronic Privacy Information Centre (EPIC) and eight other organisations all filed legal complaints to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC). “Facebook’s changes to users’ privacy settings also disclose personal information to third parties that was previously not available. These changes violate user expectations, diminish user privacy and contradict Facebook’s own representations,” said EPIC in its complaint to the FTC.

The controversy heated up after Facebook’s F8 developer conference in April, when it introduced a range of new products and features, including the Open Graph Protocol. Open Graph has a series of social plugins, including a ‘Like’ button, which enables Facebook users to approve content on external websites and to share this with their friends. Of more concern to many was the introduction of ‘instant personalization’, launched with initial partners Microsoft’s Docs.com, Yelp and Pandora. This tool allows the partners to access the profiles and public information of Facebook users when they come to their sites in order to personalise their visit and show them things they may be interested in.

Critics made the point that while it’s possible to opt-out of sharing private information, many users are not aware of this option and find it confusing and complicated to navigate. In fact, the New York Times recently observed that users would need to navigate 50 settings with more than 170 options in order to manage their privacy on Facebook.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (www.eff.org), meanwhile, documented Facebook’s changing attitude to user privacy over the last five years. It noted that the site’s 2005 privacy policy stressed that “No personal information that you submit to Thefacebook [as it was then known] will be available to any user of the web site who does not belong to at least one of the groups specified by you in your privacy settings.”

EFF went on to publish four further steps between 2006 and 2009 before getting to the April 2010 policy, which states: “Because it takes two to connect, your privacy settings only control who can see the connection on your profile page. If you are uncomfortable with the connection being publicly available, you should consider removing (or not making) the connection.”

Kurt Opsahl, a senior staff attorney with EFF, noted: “Facebook originally earned its core base of users by offering them simple and powerful controls over their personal information. As Facebook grew larger and became more important, it could have chosen to maintain or improve those controls. Instead, it’s slowly but surely helped itself — and its advertising and business partners — to more and more of its users’ information, while limiting the users’ options to control their own information.”

Some critics have been more scathing, including entrepreneur Jason Calacanis who stated on his blog: “You can only screw people for so long before it catches up to you. The entire industry went from rooting for Zuckerberg to hating him and Facebook in under 18 months. Peter Rojas [technology writer and editor] and Matt Cutts [Google SEO specialist] have turned off their Facebook pages, and more intelligent people everywhere are talking about doing so.”

A matter of trust

In a blog entitled “Is Facebook trustworthy? (I think not.)”, Don Peppers, co-founder of Peppers & Rogers, and a customer relationship management specialist, wrote: “Even though they may be less concerned with individual privacy, [...] younger consumers are even more obsessed than their elders are with honesty, transparency, and authenticity when it comes to online corporate interactions. So it isn’t quite as easy to explain away the capriciousness with which Zuckerberg’s firm has tinkered with its ‘terms of trade’ when it comes to members’ privacy rights. Not only does this indicate something about Facebook’s lack of commitment to its members’ interests, but there has also been a patent lack of authenticity in its many different official explanations for its actions. This is definitely not a ‘transparent’ company by any definition of the word.”

Despite all the controversy, there has been little sign that Facebook’s actual user base and traffic has been damaged, with the site itself reporting that it now has 400 million active users and comScore estimating that it had 519 million users in April.

Zuckerberg is listening

Facebook has, however, obviously been listening very carefully to its critics. On 24 May, 11 days after the company held an emergency meeting on its privacy strategy, the Washington Post published an open letter from Mark Zuckerberg, in which he wrote: “Facebook has been growing quickly. It has become a community of more than 400 million people in just a few years. It’s a challenge to keep that many people satisfied over time, so we move quickly to serve that community with new ways to connect with the social web and each other. Sometimes we move too fast – and after listening to recent concerns, we’re responding.

“Our intention was to give you lots of granular controls; but that may not have been what many of you wanted. We just missed the mark. We have heard the feedback. There needs to be a simpler way to control your information. In the coming weeks, we will add privacy controls that are much simpler to use. We will also give you an easy way to turn off all third-party services.”

Just two days later, Facebook announced details of its latest changes. Included is the addition of ‘simplified’ options, whereby users can change all their settings to options such as ‘Everyone’ or ‘Friends Only’ in one click. Facebook has also made it easier to opt out of ‘instant personalization’ and restored the option to opt-out of all third-party sharing.

Commenting on these changes, the American Civil Liberties Union said Facebook deserved a lot of credit. “Facebook moved very quickly this time around, going from a reported closed door meeting on May 13th to the release of new privacy tools a scant two weeks later. And these changes address several of the most serious privacy problems with their service. Although there are further changes users want and need, today’s changes are a significant and promising step in the right direction.

“Allowing users to opt out of instant personalization and third-party app sharing is a significant advance for privacy and Facebook deserves praise for taking these steps.”

The test of time

Time will tell how these recent controversies will impact on Facebook’s long-term reputation and indeed on that of Mark Zuckerberg. Niamh Boyle, managing director of Corporate Reputations, believes that both can rebound as long as they take on board the lessons of recent experiences.

“Obviously trust and admiration and good feelings are broken in these situations where people are unclear, particularly about their own personal security and the security of their own personal information. I’m sure an amount of trust has been broken or damaged by this. But at least they’re reacting now to it, and facing up to it and listening to the consumers and listening to the people who have basically stopped their Facebook accounts or are about to.

“We haven’t measured Facebook’s reputation, but I would imagine that they have a strong reputation and that they should be able to rebound from something like this. They should probably be given the benefit of the doubt once, but if things like this were to repeat consistently they would start to lose that benefit of the doubt,” adds Boyle.

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Once you have researched your chosen company, using sites such as google.co.uk, yell.com or more event specific sites, such as eventsecrets.com, event-management-uk.co.uk, event-jobs.net or worldofevents.net and have sent them your great CV (check out the CV tips here) you will get invited in for an interview. As the vast majority of event management companies are quite small, this may not be like an interview you have been to before. It is unlikely that there will be an HR department, and you will probably be interviewed by one of the owners or directors of the business.

When you are being interviewed, try to remain calm, and be yourself. If you appear too over confident or too shy, you will probably not sell yourself well to the interviewer.

Make sure that you have done your homework on the specific company or organisation you are being interviewed by. Try to refer to things that you have learnt about the company – but try to mention only positive things you have learnt – don’t mention any bad press that they have had. Visit their website, have a look at their accounts (only available for limited companies from the Companies House website).

If they offer you a drink (and you are feeling thirsty) then take one. It is unlikely that this will reflect badly on you – unless you ask for ten sugars (or more) in your coffee. It is unwise to smoke, answer your mobile, or eat (anything other than a biscuit with your tea) during and interview as this will annoy the interviewer.

Possible employers will want you to be able to prove your experience and qualifications. Take certificates with you to demonstrate your exam results – both academically and for any other qualifications (first aid, driving licence etc). When talking about your experience, make sure you have evidence, or can back up anything you say with a knowledgable answer. Never lie to an employer – if they find out then it my be the end of your job – or even worse – your career.

When answering questions – particularly about why you want the job, why you want to work in events, or why you are leaving your current employment, try not to mention the negative aspects (how you hate your boss, or want more money), but rather concentrate on more positive aspects – looking for more responsibility, looking for a challenge or wanting to learn a new skill.

When the end of the interview comes – always try to ask at least a couple of questions – it will show the interviewer that you have been paying attention. Do not be afraid to clarify aspects such as salary, holidays, who you will be working with or for and who will be working with or for you. Also, ask questions about the future of the company, or what they expect from you as a member of their team.

Good Luck!

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1) Roknaa (Marriage Fixed Ceremony)

Profile: In this ceremony there is a formal visit between groom, bride and their parents. The meaning of this ceremony is to stop looking for matches any further.

Date: This ceremony can held several months before the wedding. Time: It is generally held in the evening.

Venue: Usually at bride’s home

Organized By: bride’s family

Gifts: No gifts

Puja: no puja

Banquet: light meal like snacks, sweets

2) Engagement

Profile: In this ceremony Bride and Groom exchange rings called the engagement ring.

Date: This ceremony can held several months before the wedding.

Time: It is generally held in the evening.

Venue: banquet hall, hotel, resort

Organized By: Usually by bride’s family

Gifts: No gifts Puja: no puja Banquet: luncheon / dinner

3) Tilak Ceremony

Profile: There are two Tilak ceremonies: one is of the bride and other is of the groom. In bride’s Tilak ceremony groom doesn’t come and in the groom’s Tilak ceremony bride doesn’t come. However parents and relatives of bride and groom are present in both ceremonies.

Date: This ceremony can held one day after the engagement or with the engagement.

Time: Morning / Evening.

Venue: Banquet hall, Hotel, Resort

Organized By: Bride and groom’s family

Gifts: In bride’s Tilak ceremony gifts are given to the groom’s relatives (this rite is known as Milnni) and Jewellery is received by bride from groom’s parents.

Puja: a pundit performs Puja Banquet: luncheon / Dinner

4) Ladies’ Sangeet

Profile: In this ceremony friends and other female relatives of bride and her parents sing and dance. There is a mehendi ceremony also in which an artist decorates the bride’s palm with mehendi. There can also be a DJ / DJ floor. Only friends and other female relatives of bride and her parents are invited in this ceremony.

Date: This ceremony held one day before the wedding.

Time: Morning / Evening. Venue: Banquet hall, Hotel, Resort

Organized By: bride’s family

Gifts: no gifts

Puja: no puja Banquet: light meal like snacks, sweets

5) Shaadi (Wedding)

Profile: In this ceremony bride and groom get married.

Date: decided by groom and bride ‘s parents with the help of an astrologer.

Time: Usually Evening.

Venue: Banquet hall, Hotel, Resort, Marriage hall, Marriage garden, ground or park.

Organized By: Usually by bride’s family Gifts: guest give gifts to bride and groom.

Puja: a pundit performs Puja. Bride and groom perform phera (moving in circle) in a mandap.

Banquet: multi-cuisine dinner

6) Reception

Profile: The purpose of this ceremony is to introduce bride with all the family members of groom.

Date: This ceremony held one day after the wedding.

Time: Usually Evening.

Venue: Banquet hall, Hotel, Resort

Organized By: Groom’s family

Gifts: Guests give gifts to bride and groom

Puja: no Puja

Banquet: multi-cuisine dinner

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A very popular choice of theme for weddings today is “Las Vegas”, as many couples are deciding to exchange vows in a fantasy, by creating with a themed wedding on an exotic island or some other location that they think will be provide the most perfect background to their wedding ceremony. While these can often be the most spectacular weddings, they are also the hardest to plan and most expensive for you. Whether you are planning for a wedding, a bridal shower, or any other family celebration, a “Las Vegas” theme will always add an exciting touch to the occasion.

Planning for the celebration is part of the fun and to many couples choosing “Las Vegas” as a theme is because it’s the perfect place for their wedding and they are living the dream. Vegas themes can be around “Elvis and The Chapel Of Love”, as there are many beautiful chapels in Las Vegas. The choice of venue for your ” Vegas” theme reception area will play a strong influence on the tone and quality of it as most of the time will be spent at the reception and you want to make sure that you and your guests have a fabulous time and fond memories of the occasion.

Aside from the lure of the glittering fun casino with full size, stylish and authentic casino tables, the success of creating a truly memorable themed wedding experience is because Las Vegas is about dreams and can make wedding dreams come true for every couple; that’s what makes it such a popular wedding theme. No matter how you imagine your perfect wedding, everything is possible in Las Vegas.

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The role of wedding planner is a fairly modern one. Until fairly recently, such a job was unheard of, where as now it is almost the norm. These days, such is the pressure on brides and grooms to spend money and get everything right on the day of their wedding, while still working full time demanding jobs, has led to the birth of the wedding planner industry. Whole companies are now evolving who will hire out wedding planners and cater for the whole day. It has also left some people wondering how they can become a wedding planner and what qualifications or training are available to them.

What Are The Business Options For A Professional Wedding Planner?

One of the first decisions to make when you decide you would like to become a professional wedding planner is whether you work as part of an established company or be an independent and work alone. Many budding wedding coordinators choose to run their own business as they can work from home with limited overheads. It is also possible to fit it around family commitments and the overheads would not be too serious as you don’t have to pay for special premises. With the prospect of keeping all the profits from the venture it is no surprise that 60 to 70 per cent of consultants start as independents.

Even so, working for a public company can have its own benefits. Firstly the publicity is better and you might have access to a wider range of clients. You could also avail yourself of the larger company resources and their contacts.

However, it is even more important to check that becoming a wedding planner is the right profession for you to pursue now or in the future.

Wedding Planner Skills

There are a number of skills required for those who want to be wedding co-ordinators. Some are natural while others are learned. A number of successful wedding planners have degrees in event planning. Others will have done a business course or worked in retail or done art and craft at college. These learned skills will be very beneficial, especially if you plan to run your own business. You will also need to set up records and accounts as well as develop contacts with a number of reliable suppliers from photographers to caterers, from venues to registrars, etc.

Natural qualities that are very valuable are not only organizational skills but also the ability to keep everyone calm. You will need to be a good communicator as well as a good listener. You will also need to network with businesses and prospective clients. If you feel there is much you need to learn, you might be better to start as part of a larger company and only branch out on your own when you feel more successful and that you have a good understanding of what it means to be a successful wedding planner.

Finance And Wedding Planning

One thing is certain, people are using the services of wedding planners and they are paying for the privileges of their services. This means there is the means to make a living. Many weddings are big affairs and as a consultant you can earn a good sized fee. How big and how successful you become will depend on the size of weddings you do, the reputation you build up as well as how good you are at negotiating deals and building up a reliable network of suppliers. The standard fee is about ten to fifteen per cent of the overall costs. The cost of the wedding will depend on the facilities required and the number of guests. A typical fee for a wedding planner can be between £1000 and £4000 per wedding.

The Life Of A Wedding Planner

As a wedding planner, you will need to be able to handle stress of varying proportions without losing your cool. You will also need to remember all the smaller details as well as the overall events of the day. There will also be many difficulties which you will need to overcome (although with experience these should become easier to deal with if not avoid altogether). On the other hand, you do get to relive countless “happiest days” over and over again. Although they will be other peoples “happiest days” the satisfaction level of this type of job done well, will be high.

All in all the job of a wedding planner is very satisfying indeed. The art of your job is to make everything look easy and effortless even though you will know all the hard work you have put in.

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1) Know how to answer questions about your background and your business

Be ready to answer questions about your experience, education, work style, the services and packages you offer, and your willingness to reduce your rates. If you struggle to come up with answers you will appear unprepared and inexperienced.

2) Create or update your portfolio

You should have a portfolio of recent photographs of the weddings you have planned, samples of any wedding favours you designed, timelines and worksheets that you use to keep organized, and testimonials from past clients. Make sure all materials are neatly organised and well presented in an attractive book or binder.

3) Dress professionally

No matter how you think the potential client might be dressed when they meet you, you need to look like a professional. This means being dressed in business attire. Your hair should be neat and your fingernails well-manicured. Many people are allergic to fragrance so don’t wear heavy perfume or cologne. Make sure your shoes are polished and in pristine condition. If you are carrying a purse, tote bag, or briefcase, make sure it is neat, clean, and well-organised.

4) Be prepared to take notes

Make sure you bring a pad of paper, pens and pencils, a calendar, and a calculator with you. There is nothing worse than having to ask your potential client for a pen or searching through your purse or pockets to find piece of paper. You need a calendar to help you review dates and schedule additional meetings and a calculator to help you with questions about budgets and rates.

5) Be familiar with the meeting location

If you didn’t select the location and have never been there, you might want to do a trial run. At the location, determine the best place within the room to sit and have a private meeting.

6) Allow ample travel time

Being late gives a very bad impression. Calculate how long it will take you to get to the meeting place and add extra time in case there is a problem with traffic. Plan to arrive first so you have time to catch your breath before your potential client arrives.

7) Make sure you are in a good frame of mind

This is important and often not mentioned. You must make sure that you are in a calm and confident state of mind when you go to a meeting. If you argued with someone earlier in the day, have been disorganized and rushed, or spent the day thinking about how badly your day is going, it’s going to show. Put yourself in a positive state of mind before your meeting and you are more likely to do well.

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