Microblogging: Why Every Wedding Professional Needs It and How to Get Started
I'm so tired of seeing hundreds of “you need this” pitches all day. In my inbox. On social media. They're even in the grocery store.
You need this guide. You need this template. You need this e-book.
I bet you're tired of them too.
When starting or scaling a business, it's easy to get overwhelmed by these messages. It can seem like everyone is trying to sell you something, and no one is willing to help you for free.
Here’s the thing – you don’t need that guide, template, or e-book. Are there some tools out there that can help you boost your marketing strategy? Absolutely. I've used my fair share of them. None of us are all-knowing when it comes to marketing. But you don’t need to pay to create a content marketing strategy that boosts your traffic and your sales.
You need to know where to invest your time and energy.
Let me introduce you to the easiest, most effective content you can start using for your business today. It’s called microblogging, and it’s going to be your newest not-so-secret marketing weapon.
I know, there are tons of hesitations. I don't have the time. It won't work. It's too complicated for me. I'll never figure it out.
But here’s the thing – microblogging isn’t new. In fact, if you have social media, you’re already using it.
What is microblogging?
In short, microblogging is content that acts as a mini blog (usually less than 500 words). I like SproutSocial’s definition of microblogging best: it's a mix of “instant messaging and content production” [1].
Microblogging brings the “social” of social media to marketing. It’s a strategic, conversational approach to marketing that combines traditional practices of personal blogging and social media marketing techniques.
To fully understand what microblogging is, we have to debunk some common myths about blogging in general.
First, blogging for business is not a personal account of your life. There are many blogs on the internet that serve this purpose. There are travel blogs, food blogs, mommy blogs, etc. But for business, blogging works differently. A blog is usually housed on your business website. It’s a place your audience can go for information about your industry to help them make an informed decision about your product or service.
Blogging for your business is intentional, and it helps guide your audience to a sale.
Blogs educate your audience and build trust. The goal is to offer free education that helps your audience solve their problem through your blog. A conversational tone lets them get to know you, your business, and your brand.
You're helping your audience solve a problem for free, while also saying "this is who I am and this is what I offer." If they like the information you give them, they'll consider paying for your product or service. And because they already know and trust you, they'll be more likely to go through with that purchase.
You catching my drift?
Second, blogging doesn’t have to be a long and exhausting process. You should be blogging about information that is easy for you to talk about. If you’re a wedding planner, take one aspect of the planning process and break down how you complete it.
Lists, FAQs, interviews with other professionals, and featured weddings are all great blogs you can recreate again and again. Creating content should be about sharing your expertise with potential clients, so stick to what you know. Specific and detailed content is better than general content.
Most importantly, blogging isn’t dead. Your audience will read and appreciate the information you dish out on your blog, as long as you write it well.
A blog is an excellent, free addition to your website that can boost organic traffic. Using strategic keyword placement for Search Engine Optimization (SEO), you can easily create a new path to your website with each blog post you write.
Why only have 3 or 4 paths to your website when you can have 30 or 40? If you want to know the other reasons a blog is an essential part of your marketing strategy, you can find those here.
So you don't have a blog, and you're not sure how to start one. Microblogging is a great first step. Microblogging is an easy way to dip your toe into the realm of blogging without having to use a ton of time and energy.
There are tons of skills you can practice that will make writing traditional blogs quick and painless. Even as a professional copywriter, I use my social media content to practice hooking the reader early, putting the most important information before the fold, and shortening my sentences. And of course, using that conversational voice.
When writing a blog, you’re writing for your reader. Blogs should be easy to understand. This comes easily to some. I personally find it easier to write in an informal tone. It’s more difficult for others, especially those trained to view business as a formal venture.
Let me tell you – the wedding industry is one of those fields where personality and conversational tones aren't just the norm. They're necessary to book clients. Do you need to hold yourself in a professional manner? Of course. But business is changing, and we need to adapt if we want to thrive.
Clients aren't looking for super stiff, formal wedding professionals. They want someone who understands and respects all the emotions that come with planning a wedding. Practicing your conversational writing with a microblog is a low-stakes way to perfect this necessary skill.
Why is microblogging beneficial to my wedding business?
Two words: social commerce. Social commerce is the buying and selling of goods over social platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Even Pinterest and LinkedIn are popular social commerce platforms.
This trend isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s been steadily growing over the past few years [2]. More than ever before, people are looking to social media when making a purchase decision. Many discover, compare, and review products on social media before deciding to buy.
The idea of selling something on social media might feel slimy at first. My first thought is always that car-salesman voice in my DMs. You know what I'm talking about. The person trying to get me to buy social media followers or “become an influencer.” Yuck.
Don’t worry. Social commerce can be tasteful. There are forms of social commerce that don’t rely on cold-pitches. You’ve probably seen this technique all over social media, with varying degrees of success.
Hubspot refers to it as “light” social selling. This is essentially building connections with potential clients by liking, commenting, and responding to DMs [3]. Hubspot suggests you only move to direct selling if a client expresses interest in your products or services.
Think about your favorite brands. Their purpose is to sell products to you, and they do so by building a brand on their profiles. The more you see their posts, the more familiar you become and you begin to trust them. Once you trust a brand, you’re much more likely to buy from them. And with technology like LinkTree, you can now link directly to your sales pages in a social media post.
Microblogging brings the personality to social commerce. No one is going to trust you or buy from you if you just pitch them products or services constantly. But if you play the long game, build trust and community, offer free education, and make your audience feel valued, you’re more likely to get that sale.
You can use microblogging to advertise more important content like blog posts, youtube videos, or podcasts. Microblogging allows you to find that balance between sales posts and non-sales posts. Generally, the ratio should be somewhere around one sales post for every 4-7 non-sales posts.
There’s no hard and fast rule about selling on social media, but you'll want to supplement your sales content with free, valuable content.
That doesn’t mean every non-sales post needs to be fluffy and super personal. You can use these posts to advertise your other content, an opt-in for your email list, or a freebie you’ve created. About half of my non-sales posts on Instagram promote my content, while the other half builds trust and community.
For example, last week I posted a testimonial from a current client, a promotion for my free copywriting guide, and a personal post about World Mental Health Day, and a promotion for this blog. None of that content was directly calling my audience to buy my service. But they help build a personal brand that showcases my talents and shows my audience that I'm a real person.
Every microblog post should have a Call to Action (CTA), even if that CTA is just to comment on your post. When you get your audience to engage with you, you’re giving them a chance to get to know your brand.
There are other benefits to microblogging, too. Social commerce might make you the most money, but these will save you time and energy.
1.Microblogging takes less effort
Microblogging achieves the same goals as larger, more intense marketing tactics. While they might not bring in a ton of leads all at once, as a launch would, they can bring you more consistent leads. This can be especially helpful during the slower months of your year.
When you use a microblog, you can spend less time writing and chasing leads. A microblog allows you to write in smaller quantities while attracting ideal clients to your business.
Hootsuite found that 39% of marketers said using social tools helped them reduce the time they spent researching leads and contacts [4]. Creating great content and spending less time chasing leads? Count me in.
2. Microblogging allows you to post consistently
As social media guru Jasmine Star says, you need to “show up” to see results. If you want to succeed in playing the long game on social media, you have to be consistent. Without consistency, you can’t build trust.
Using microblogging techniques allows you to create punchy content without spending hours writing. In the time it takes me to write one blog post, I can write 10-15 microblog posts for social media. Imagine how much consistency you could have on your social media platforms if you could make two weeks worth of content in a few hours.
It isn’t a dream, my friend! It is possible for you to crank out that much content in one sitting. All it takes is a little practice.
3. Beta-test your ideas before you spend hours on them
This one is so valuable. Not sure if your blog post, video, or podcast topic is good? Test it with a microblog post!
You can tell a lot about your content based on audience engagement. If your post on wedding invitation trends gets a lot of likes and comments, it’s a topic that interests your audience. Turn these posts into larger pieces of content to drive traffic to your website. Yes, you can reuse topics on different platforms without getting repetitive.
You can also determine if an idea is worth pursuing by asking your audience outright. Use interactive tools like polls to ask your audience if they’d like to learn more about a certain topic. Polls are great if you’re stuck between two similar concepts. Turn it into a “this or that” poll that’s both fun for your audience and informative for you!
4. Microblogging is mobile-friendly content
We’re constantly on our phones. The average person checks their phone every 12 minutes, and 40% of us check them within just 5 minutes of waking up [5].
Research has proven that long copy performs well on desktop. On mobile devices, though, shorter is better. That’s why microblogging is a great way to approach content on social media. It’s mobile-friendly at its core because of the nature of social media.
Your social media content doesn’t have to be as short as you think, though. My social media captions average about 300 words per post. Some platforms, like Twitter, limit your characters. But generally, a one-sentence caption is not going to drive your audience to action.
The exact length of your content isn’t the most important part. What’s most important is your hook. On social media, you have 1-2 lines of text to get your point across. You have to intrigue your audience enough for them to click that coveted “more” button. Otherwise, your entire post is a waste.
Microblogs make great mobile content because they’re quick and easy to consume. Bite-sized content that packs a punch and leaves your audience wanting more is exactly what you want from a microblog.
Should I use microblogging on my website?
Definitely not. I wish I could say yes, but microblogging on your website is a death sentence for SEO.
Both the strength and quality of your website determine your traffic. This is because Google looks at each website page to determine if you’re a respected authority in your field. The average webpage that ranks in the #1 spot on Google has over 2000 words. If your website is full of microblog posts, Google will rank your website low.
Keep the microblogs to social media, and save the long-form content for your website. I recommend starting with a microblog on social media, but you want to gradually build to a more robust marketing strategy.
A traditional blog can be more effective at bringing in new clients than social media because of SEO. When you strategically use keywords that relate to your business, you’re giving potential clients more ways to find you on Google. They might not be looking for you specifically, but having high search results on Google can get them on your website instead of someone else’s.
Think of it like the children’s book If You Give A Mouse A Cookie. If you have quality content to show potential clients on your blog, they might follow you on social media. From there, they can get all the trust and community-building content you post there. Without both types of content, you don’t have a well-rounded marketing strategy.
How can I turn my social media into a microblog?
There are many methods to creating a microblog on social media. Copywriting genius Ashlyn Carter (Ashlyn Writes) suggests mastering two platforms first and playing around with two others.
The amount of time you spend creating content and the number of platforms you use depend on how much time you have to commit to your content strategy. If you only have time for one platform, start with one. You can always build up to more. Creating high-quality content with each post is most important. There’s no point in using every social media platform that exists if all your content is sub-par.
Here are three ways you can begin using your social media as a microblog intentionally.
Referrals & Affiliations
84% of buyers begin the purchasing process with a referral from someone they know [6]. Networking is difficult, especially this year. Reach out to other professionals in your field through social media and offer to exchange business shoutouts, guest posts, or affiliate links.
These posts can help you widen your audience and show your existing audience that you support other businesses. Try doing a #smallbusinesssaturday series, a live review of another business’ product or service, or exchange account information (with people you trust – temporary passwords are your friend) for an account takeover.
Social Proof
Social proof is so important when you’re working to build trust. Hubspot found a whopping 92% of buyers trust recommendations from peers, while 70% trust recommendations from strangers [6]. Those are huge numbers when it comes to sales.
Posting testimonials regularly is super important in your marketing strategy. It shows your audience that you have multiple clients who can vouch for your work ethic, dedication, and services.
Testimonials don’t have to be professionally-written, either. Many pros are posting screenshots of messages between clients and themselves (with permission, of course!) Get into the habit of saving any messages that you could use for social proof later on. Even a single sentence can make a huge difference for someone who is making a purchasing decision!
The more visual the better
Be careful with this one. You rarely want to create content based on a visual. Ultimately, visuals aren't as important as your copy is. But sometimes you come across a GIF, meme, or picture that inspires you. Though it shouldn't be the focus of your strategy, having a visual aid to accompany your content is important.
On social media, visuals stop the endless scroll and get people to look at your content. Depending on the platform, there are multiple types of visuals you can use. These include:
Photos
Videos
Infographics
Memes
GIFs
Screenshots of customer messages (with permission)
Spend some time looking at other posts. What are other people in your industry using? What’s working well? Make your own list of visuals to refer to when it’s time to post and you’re stuck.
Custom graphics are a great way to create a visual for your content that includes your branding. Canva is the design platform I use for social media graphics. Use graphics with your brand colors, logo, and fonts to share important information with your audience. Always make sure you add your website or social media handle to your graphics so people know where they came from.
What platforms work best for microblogging?
Pretty much every social media platform that exists can be used for microblogging. But each platform has different rules that might affect how you use them (and which ones you choose).
1.Twitter
Twitter is extremely popular for short videos. They have a 280-character limit on posts which gives you the perfect opportunity to practice keyword-rich summaries and hooks. Twitter is generally used by younger audiences but is slowly gaining popularity across the board.
2. Instagram
Instagram is by far the most popular social media platform for social selling right now. Their traditional posts, live videos, and stories are perfect for creating diverse and interactive content. Instagram is a platform where you can get away with longer captions, as long as they're packed with quality information. Bullets and strategic emojis are a great way to break up a longer caption on Instagram. You can also use your custom graphics to strengthen your brand and make your grid recognizable to your audience.
3. Facebook
Facebook’s relationship status is a great way to find newly-engaged couples (without looking like a complete stalker). You can start your own group on Facebook or join an existing group. These are great for both networking and nurturing leads. You can also create business pages on Facebook, which keeps your private page separate. Longer videos are often posted on Facebook, and you can link previews to your YouTube videos or podcasts here.
4. Pinterest
Pinterest is the only social media platform that has a visual search engine. This is a super important platform for professionals in the wedding industry. When couples get engaged, one of the first things they do is go to Pinterest. On Pinterest, you can create your own ads for your content in the form of custom-made pins. Pinterest is also the only social media platform that utilizes SEO, which makes it the perfect place to practice SEO for your website.
5. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is no longer used just for job searches. While you might not find your ideal clients through LinkedIn, this platform provides a great opportunity for networking. LinkedIn works well for B2B services because many business owners are on the platform [7]. Think of it as the professional version of Facebook.
Not every social media platform is great for every field. Do some research to determine where your ideal clients hang out. You don’t want to spend all your time creating content that will get little to no engagement.
We’ve made it through all the details, now it’s time to implement. But what do you write about? If you’re looking for content ideas, check out this blog post. I talk you through my step-by-step content creation process, starting with how I plan my content calendar each quarter.
I’ll leave you with this important piece of advice: none of this will work if you’re not taking time to engage with your audience.
Spend 15-30 minutes daily responding to your audience across social media. Will you get to every person each day? Probably not. But you can slowly chip away at the mountain, continuing to build trust and community in the process. Take the time to write a personalized response. It goes a long way.
Still not sure where to begin? Check out my Instagram to look at how I use microblogging on social media. You can also download my free copywriting guide, which walks you through my exact copywriting process, start to finish.
Feel free to send me a DM with any questions you have! I’d love to chat. See you there!