Off-Season Training

Do you find yourself wishing you had more weddings or events booked for the coming year? The wedding off-season is officially here, so it is the perfect time to work on growing your business and marketing yourself for next season’s events. Here in Central Florida, our wedding season is a little different than other places around the country. The busiest time for us here is from October to May. (Can we talk about our gorgeous weather in the Sunshine State right now? No? Maybe we’ll save that for another article.)

One thing is the same no matter where you live: engagement season. The holiday season is a wildly popular time to get engaged. Getting to spend the rest of your life with the one you love? That’s a pretty great gift if you ask me. You might still have your Christmas tree up, but those newly engaged couples are already planning their summer and fall nuptials. If you want to fill up that 2018 gig calendar, then you’ll want to check out my 18 things you can do now to get ready for wedding season. Keep in mind these tips are geared toward freelance wedding harpists, but most ideas can be applied to any aspect of a harpist’s business—teaching, concertizing, session work, etc.

“Remember, your potential clients are using social media to visualize their wedding. Let them see how beautiful the harp looks at their venue,” advises Hoyos. She practices what she preaches—these are just a few of the many venue shots Hoyos has posted on her social media accounts.

1. Socialize

Social media is an incredibly powerful tool to attract potential clients. Social media networks have multiples uses. People use social media not only to share what they’re eating for lunch or pictures of their cat, but to help plan their wedding. What better way to visualize your wedding venue for your big day than to scroll through pictures of actual weddings? Follow other wedding vendors—musicians, florists, caterers, etc.—to get ideas for how others in the industry use social media. You can also use social media to increase your online presence and even to network (more on that later). Make sure you’re doing these things on your social media accounts. (Yes, you should have an account on multiple social networks.) At a minimum, your harp business should be on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can kick it up a level and add LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Snapchat to your portfolio if you’ve already covered the basics.

2. Consistency is key

Make sure you’re posting on social media regularly. It only takes a few minutes to prepare a post. Social media management apps have made it even easier by allowing your one post to be shared on multiple networks. Set up a goal to post on your accounts two or three times per week, but keep in mind that quality is often better than quantity. (My motto when it comes to practicing too.) Make sure you’re keeping your followers intrigued. Post interesting pictures, like one of those 50 photos you took at your last wedding. Wait, you didn’t take pictures on your smart phone at your last wedding? This is a must. (Just be sure not to take the picture during the ceremony unless you’re discreet, andnever take out your phone if it’s an “unplugged” wedding). It’s important to note that the picture should be captivating. Practice your phone photography skills. Try to find good lighting and focus on the composition of the photo—don’t settle for any old photo. Remember, your potential clients are using social media to visualize their wedding. Let them see how beautiful the harp looks at their venue. You should also have fun with your photos—take a few selfies, make a silly face. This will help your audience connect with your personality. You should sprinkle your account with photos from behind the scenes, family shots, and silly pictures, but keep in mind that this shouldn’t be your focus of your business social media account.

Build a Big Presence

There is no better time than now to work on increasing your online presence. Why is your online presence so important? The better your online presence, the better your SEO. If you don’t know what SEO is, you have some homework to do. SEO stands for search engine optimization. It is so important to learn how to increase your SEO. The better your SEO, the easier it is for people to find you when they do an internet search. The easier it is for people to find you, the more bookings you will get. Hoyos says most of her business comes from people who find her through Google searches. An internet search also landed Hoyos a spot on an internationally released commercial directed by a world-renowned director. Check out numbers 7–12 for some tips you can do now to boost your online presence.

3. #Hashtag

Our beloved musical sharp sign is now better known to the wider world as a hashtag. (Yes, I’ve actually had students think sharps were hashtags. Do you remember when it used to just be a pound sign?) You should be hashtagging your posts and pictures. Put thought and effort into your hashtags. Make sure you hashtag often (but don’t go crazy,) and use key words. Most couples designate their own wedding hashtag for photos on social media from their big day. Don’t forget to include this custom wedding hashtag on the picture from the wedding you played. This will help all the guests (that just loved your playing) find your page. I bet there is at least one guest that knows someone else who’s getting married. Also, create your own custom hashtags to help market your business. This will allow your followers to quickly search for your posts. I like to tag a specific hashtag to all of my videos on Instagram. This way my clients and future clients can find all of my video clips quickly.

4. Interact with your followers

This can be as easy as asking a question in the description of your photo on Instagram or a simple status update/post on Facebook. Reply and interact with the followers that comment. Allow your followers to get to know you. Social media networks often use algorithms to show certain posts to users. The more likes and comments you have, the more people will see your post.

5. Record and post videos

This one may take a little bit longer to post since you have to record the video (and if you’re like me, re-record if the kids are too loud playing in the background). Post a clip of the song you’re working on. Share some insight on your practice habits or play your favorite song. If you’re a teacher looking to reach more students, give advice on technique, performance, and theory.

6. Go live

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you’ve got a little remedial work to do in social media 101. Most social media networks allow you to post a live video. When you go live on a social media network, your followers will often receive notification of you “going live.” Play a song, talk to your followers, ask questions. Try to stay live long enough, approximately 3-5 minutes, for people to hop on the network and watch. This is a great way to build a connection with your followers. As I mentioned earlier, it’s really important for your clients to develop a connection with you, especially a bride and groom. They’re going to be sharing one of the most significant moments of their lives with you.

7. Update and edit your website often

Please tell me you have a website. There are several companies that make it easy to create and design a website. I personally maintain my own website. However, if you don’t have the time or desire to create a website, hire someone to do it for you. A website is required for your business to be successful. People want to see your work. Showcase it on your website (and social media too, of course). Search engines are looking for updated and relevant information on your web page, so keep your website updated with your current contact information, pictures, pricing, packages, repertoire, etc. Also, it is essential that your web page is mobile-friendly. Most people use a mobile device to search the web. Search engines prioritize mobile friendly websites when someone seaches via a mobile device.

Timely Tunes

Keeping your gig book stocked with current hits is a big selling point for your wedding business. Here are Hoyos’ top three requested wedding songs of 2017:

“Turning Page” by Sleeping At Last
“All of Me” by John Legend
“Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran

Hoyos’ predictions for what will be popular for 2018 nuptials:

“I Get To Love You” by Ruelle
“Over and Over Again” by Nathan Sykes
“Say You Won’t Let Go” by James Arthur

8. Blog

Find some time to blog. Every blog entry made to your website is an update. Remember, search engines analyze websites for updates. It’s important when you blog to use local, wedding-specific keywords. This will help search engines identify relevant content. I blog about every wedding. Okay, almost every wedding. (I need to be better about this.) It’s a great opportunity to share my thoughts about the wedding with the bride and groom. I also post pictures from the wedding. (Remember those 50 pictures I mentioned earlier? Okay, 50 might be excessive. I do try to take at least 10 pictures at each wedding, though. ) The bride and groom can share your blog with their family and friends on social media. You don’t necessarily need to blog every wedding like I do. If you have any advice for couples looking to hire a musician for ceremony music, blog it. If you feel passionately about a certain topic, write it down and publish it to your website. Make sure you tie your website to your social media accounts. Every blog I post is automatically shared with my Twitter and Facebook accounts.

9. Set up your business on search engine directories

The main goal of marketing your business is so that potential clients can find you. It’s critical to list your business on different search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. This will help your overall online presence. The more places your business is listed, the more likely a client is to find your business. This seems like a no-brainer, but registering your business on these directories is often overlooked. The process of registering in a directory is simple and takes just a few minutes. Search engines often use location services while performing a search. When you have your business registered in the directory, your business will appear to those around you. You can even designate the distance of the area that you serve. This helps you reach your target location market.

10. Run an ad

Advertising online can be so easy and affordable too. Google and Facebook both offer different levels of advertising. The best thing about running an ad is the numbers. You can easily target certain age groups and locations. You will receive the statistics on how many people your ad reaches and how many of those people are interested (i.e. clicked on your ad). If you run an ad for $15 and one person books you, the ad was worth it.

11. Ask for reviews

If my husband and I are looking for a new restaurant to try, the first thing we do is look at reviews. Whenever we are planning a trip, we look at reviews to determine what activities we should do. When a bride is looking for a vendor for the most important day of her life, she wants the very best and is going to search and read reviews to find the right person. Don’t be afraid to ask your previous clients to write a review for you. You should not need to provide an incentive for your clients to do this. You want your reviews to be honest and real. Your performance and service should be incentive enough. Make sure you have multiple avenues for your client to leave a review; you want to make it convenient. You can set up reviews on your Facebook business page, Google, Wedding Wire, The Knot, just to name a few. Don’t ask your client to leave a review on every source—that would be too tedious and time consuming—just one will do. Don’t forget that the great service you provide to your customers will guide their review of your business.

12. Branding logo

A logo is an easy way for people to recognize your brand. I strongly suggest you create a logo. I’m not that artsy. (Okay, I’m a little artsy, but not very tech savvy. I would have no idea how to take a drawn logo and make it digital.) I hired a professional service to create my logo. The internet is amazing—you can find graphic designers at a variety of price ranges. I wasn’t in love with my first drawn logo, but it helped give me some ideas until I settled on my final logo design. You can put your logo on your website, business cards, harp bag, coffee mugs, etc. The only person that sees my logo coffee mug is me, but it makes me feel motivated when I take a sip in the morning.

Low-tech Tips

There are, of course, many things you can do to develop your business that don’t even require internet access. Check out tips 13–18 for some ideas to improve your wedding game without a wi-fi connection.

13. Look the part

The harp is so elegant, and it’s crucial that your presence reflect that. I had a bride tell me that she attended a wedding where the harpist “looked like she was going to a picnic.” This bride added that even though she knew I was more expensive, she knew that I was going to look professional. You are showcasing yourself and the harp at an event, not just the music. Your attire doesn’t need to be the same for every event. I don’t wear the same style of dress for a black-tie formal event as I would for an informal garden wedding. A tux or nice suit is great for men to wear, and a dress or long skirt is perfect for women. Don’t forget the shoes. I know we all love to play barefoot, but make sure you’re wearing appropriate shoes—absolutely no flip-flops. (Floridians like to wear flip-flops everywhere. There is a time and a place for flip-flops, but a harp performance is not one of them.)

14.Wedding shows

If you live near a large city, chances are there are bridal shows being hosted in your area. Many wedding shows are held in the beginning of the year to reach those newly engaged couples. Now is the time to start looking for a bridal show to participate in. Often, wedding shows will highlight live musicians and give them an opportunity to play on the stage or in the lobby. This is a great way to connect with potential clients. In my opinion, it is critical that you are able to play, not just man a booth. You need to show people how amazing the harp is and why they need you at their wedding. Play all the wedding favorites, and remember to dress to impress.

15. Volunteer

I know what you’re thinking, but trust me, it’s so important. I believe you should always give back to your community. Growing up, I volunteered with different organizations. Now, I share my passion and talent with others. When you play for a charitable event, you are networking and meeting new people. Someone may need a harpist or may know someone who will at some point. Every year I plan to play a certain number of events for free. Often wedding planners will organize free weddings to a deserving couple. You can volunteer at a hospital, nursing home, or fundraiser. One of my favorite charitable events that I was fortunate enough to participate in was volunteering for the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. I played on a yacht for very deserving special guests. It was quite an experience getting the harp on the boat. Find a cause that is near and dear to your heart. Music is empowering—share that with others.

16. Add some current pop songs to your repertoire

Sometimes we are so busy we forget how important it is to stay current with our repertoire. I love working on those really challenging classical pieces but often have to remind myself that, generally, wedding clients don’t really care too much about that. They want to hear recognizable songs. Musical trends are, by nature, always changing, and the most popular wedding song will be different next year. Spend some time working on current pop songs and making fun and interesting arrangements. Don’t forget to throw in some glissandos. Everyone loves glissandos. The great thing about current pop music is that the songs are mostly pretty similar (you know, those same four chords?). It should not require a lot of time for you to learn and perfect some new songs. Be sure to post videos of these songs on your social media. This will help draw attention to your pages. If you stay current and on trend, you may even have your video go viral. I had a video game themed wedding where I learned a song from The Legend of Zelda. I recorded and posted a short video clip of me playing “Lost Woods” from the wildly popular video game. The video had thousands of views and hundreds of comments and shares.

17. Make it easy

If you don’t have a customer relationship management system (could be a software or online tool), you need to get one now. There are many online programs out there that provide easy ways to send out electronic contracts, professional emails, questionnaires, and invoices. I use 17hats, which works well for my needs, but there are plenty out there to choose from. If you make it easy for the client, they will share their experience with their family and friends. That’s free marketing. I had one client who gave me a compliment on how easy the communication process was—from email, to quote, to contract, to invoice paid—before I even played the event. One more thing, by having a customer relationship system in place, you can be more efficient and reply to inquiries faster. The faster you reply to the inquiries, the more likely you are to turn that inquiry into a gig.

18. Network with other people in the biz

Venues, vendors, and wedding coordinators often host networking events. Make it a goal to attend a couple of these events throughout the year. It’s imperative to get to know other vendors in the business. Ceremony musicians are often the last, or near the last, vendor hired for a wedding or event. It’s wonderful to have contacts with other vendors that will refer a potential client your way. I know I’ve talked about the importance of social media already, but make sure you’re taking advantage of the networking opportunities that can arise via social networks. You can discover local networking events through these social networks. You should search and connect, but also take initiative to send a personal message about your services and contact information—nothing too presumptuous—just letting them know that you are there if needed. You can also google wedding venues in the area and send them business cards, call them, stop by and bring the harp. Some wedding coordinators or venue managers have never seen a harp. Once they see it and visualize it at their venue, they will have a mental picture of how beautiful it would look at a wedding and, who knows, may refer some brides your way.

Ultimately, you are your brand. Whether they encounter you on social media, your website, or in person, your future clients are looking for excellence not just in your music, but also your presentation and the customer experience you provide. •