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You might find a lot of options on the web when you turn to the internet to find ways to increase your wedding business. You'll read a lot of suggestions that sometimes just don't seem realistic, such as blogging multiple times a month and practically living on social media. Whether you're building things from the ground up or already have launched and are doing business with couples, you will need a low-touch, high-impact marketing method. You're busy, and you may not have the time to be so hands-on when it comes to marketing. Instead, look into advertising on WeddingWire and The Knot.
Often, we get asked, โWhat is the difference between The Knot and WeddingWire? It makes sense to us that advertising is done by pros seeking to grow their business.โ That makes sense to us. To help you make the most of the money you spend on advertising, we're sharing the details of each, what you get from advertising on them, and some insight that can help. Explore our powerful platforms in this article to learn more about how they can help you book more couples.
When comparing the two companies a few years ago, there were a number of differences, but that changed in 2019 when the two organizations merged to create the most effective marketplace for professionals to book more weddings. We were once known as WeddingWire and The Knot, but now we're WeddingWire and The Knot, and we've been supporting the industry as WeddingPro, connecting professionals with the millions of couples who get married every year.
Read More: How Much Does It Cost to Develop an App like WedMeGood?
Once you know both websites run on the same machine, let's talk about the benefits of advertising with both sites, since putting your business on the largest wedding marketplace has its advantages.
A Storefront โ
On WeddingWire or The Knot, a storefront is a place where you list your wedding. You can use this as your virtual business card to include the most important information couples want to know: your business information, the services you provide, your pricing, photos, video, information about your team, and links to your social media and website. You may not know this, but reviews are perhaps the most powerful marketing tool featured on your Storefronts (did you know we have 6 million reviews across both brands). You can easily display reviews from couples on your storefronts using our review collector tools.
Awards โ
Award seasons help brands build trust, which is why both The Knot and WeddingWire have them. We also offer a Couples' Choice award on WeddingWire when you advertise with us. In addition to celebrating your hard work, being recognized also helps to create an enticing brand.
Analytics โ
Every wedding professional who advertises on WeddingWire or The Knot should have access to analytics so they can see how much money they are putting back into their business. In order to calculate your advertising's ROI, what kinds of numbers will you see? Here are some examples:
Your next question may be, โThis sounds great, but why should I advertise on both websites?โ. There are two top wedding planning websites - The Knot and WeddingWire. Couples turn to both companies before getting engaged since they've spent decades building brands they know. As an affiliate of both brands, you are able to benefit from established (and consistent) web traffic as well as boost your own search engine optimization by advertising with us. In summary, if you want your business to be found by the millions of couples who turn to The Knot and WeddingWire for advice, ideas, and vendors, having an advertising strategy is vital.
Leads may be another question on your mind. How are they different? The reality is that couples use both sites to plan their weddings but when it comes to reaching out; they submit leads on one or the other site. It means there is no lead duplication between the two sites (less than 1%), so being on both is important to avoid missing potential inquiries.
Analyze vendor profiles
After you've addressed the importance of that other end of the click-through, let's take a look at vendor profiles on The Knot and WeddingWire.
There are four different types of profiles available on "The Knot Wedding Network":
These paid profiles have one serious flaw, however:
As crucial as it is to be listed early in search results, you should note that the maximum number of featured accounts per region is not small.
You may be among the 12 caterers featured and therefore listed as No. 12 of 12. Your ranking on the search results is still low. Getting dropped off the first page of search results isn't the end of the world, but it isn't a good thing for a company spending a great deal of money either.
Does it make sense for your business?
If you want a featured profile, make sure you check your region first.
If you'll be one of a dozen featured profiles, 100+ dollars per month might not be worth the investment.
If several caterers do not have featured profiles, it may be worth it. You would not want to appear on Page 6 of 6.
There are five types of profiles on WeddingWire:
Perhaps the most striking feature of WeddingWire is that spotlight profiles cost $500 a month. That's a lot.
Caterers may find it worthwhile - might find it worthwhile - for some. As a result of companies like Google AdWords, consumers are mighty familiar with the concept of having to pay for top spots, especially if they're called "spotlights." What usually happens is that they breeze right by the ones they believe to be "paid" spots, such as spotlight profiles.
The same applies to simply being listed on the first page as to being selected as a spotlight.
Visitors can also sort results by rating and number of reviews on WeddingWire. Bridal couples should take these two factors into consideration. Catering options with 35 reviews and 4.1 stars are much more likely to be clicked than catering options with 9 reviews and 4.1 stars.
You likely don't need to purchase a more expensive WeddingWire profile if you have the opportunity to grow your review (positively) since brides and grooms who sort results by these two important factors will see you at the top irrespective of what package you purchase through WeddingWire!
Let's now compare the two sites head-to-head. Here are four key points we'll compare between The Knot and WeddingWire for caterers.
Brands on a budget: The Knot
You might want to think about using The Knot first if you are frequently hired because you put on a great value wedding for your brides and grooms.
The Knot provides a number of "filter" options. Brides and grooms can select from:
There are many great filter options, specifically for couples who are looking for an Indian caterer or a vegetarian caterer, but for most visitors, the pricing filter is the most important.
Couples consider their budget when selecting a caterer.
They will definitely rule out those whose budget is far above or far below theirs.
Think about WeddingWire if you have a great incentive program or if you have clients willing to review you online.
Sorting options on WeddingWire include:
Visitors to WeddingWire can sort by a number of reviews and average star rating, displaying "the best" caterers to the top of their results, at least according to WeddingWire reviewers. When deciding which caterer's profile to click on or skip, the bride or groom will take these two things into account.
When it comes to having a wedding vendor profile, the more reviews you have and the higher your average star rating, the more likely your profile will be seen.
It is not possible to sort reviews on The Knot by a number of reviews or by average star rating. With the strength of reviews today, this is a HUGE win for WeddingWire over The Knot in terms of vendor profiles.
For Couples Who Plan Their Own Weddings: WeddingWire
The top vendor category on WeddingWire is "catering". "Catering" is available under the vendor dropdown menu. It takes just one click to find local caterers.
It is actually known for being more vendor-focused than WeddingWire.
The place to be if your couple is planning their own wedding.
WeddingWire is more friendly for couples looking for a handful of vendors to handle their wedding, as opposed to The Knot for all the components that piece together the entire picture - including dress styles, tips for bridesmaids' dresses, themes, etc.
Caterers are not listed as a top vendor category by The Knot. Aside from calligraphers and ceremony accessories, the caterer category is hidden among 47+ other wedding vendor categories. The caterer is often the most expensive part of a wedding, but it does not top the list.
There are numbers on The Knot; it's that simple.
There are a lot of impressive statistics for The Knot, including the number of reviews, unique visitors, wedding planning apps, and other big categories. Couples often use this site to plan their weddings.
You might be a good fit for The Knot if you are a caterer who can handle any type of wedding event. Couples of all types and budgets will be able to find a "dream wedding". The Knot offers the best value for your money. As long as you use the right strategy, you'll appeal to many of these (assuming you're using the right tools).
In the debate between WeddingWire vs. The Knot, there is no single answer.
There are pros and cons to each of these advertising sites, and the choice that is best for you depends on these factors.
To sum it up: Research, take into account your unique situation and measure your results. Increasing your chances of success isn't a guarantee, but it certainly helps.
Have trouble deciding what to do?
We can guide you to find brides or our Done For You work can help book more couples if you're done messing around, serious about growing your wedding venue or wedding business, and want training.
Get in touch with Orion Infosolutions today!
DC Kumawat is the CEO of Orion InfoSolutions, a leading provider of IT solutions to businesses of all sizes. He has over 14+ years of experience in the IT industry. He is a passionate advocate for the use of technology to improve business performance.