There are numerous reasons for wanting to explore organic ways of marketing your wedding business, and they don’t all have to be because you’re new in business, needing to make some budget cuts, or somewhere in between.

Oftentimes, organic marketing can be just as effective as paid advertising if you’re consistent with it and dedicate the appropriate time to making it work. This is why we’ve created a list of 36 ways you can organically market your wedding business (a.k.a. for free!) without needing to pay for advertising.

1. Pinterest

This is virtually every wedding pros hotspot for organic traffic beside what perfect place will newly engaged couples go for wedding inspo and advice? The most popular visual search engine, of course!

2. Tailwind tribes

Tailwind is a top dog when it comes to scheduling content for your Pinterest account, and their Tribes feature allows you to add your content into groups (Tribes) related to different niches. From there, members of the Tribe can rePin your content while you rePin theirs.

3. Blogging

Not only is blogging great for allowing you to exercise your SEO muscle, but it also gives you some great content to post to Pinterest.

4. Facebook groups

You can network with other wedding pros in Facebook groups, and you may even be able to promote your business in certain groups depending on their rules.

5. Facebook live

Did you know that Facebook Lives and other video content get pushed harder by Facebook’s algorithm? Not only that, going live gives your audience a chance to learn your mannerisms, hear your voice, and feel like they’re getting to know you more personally, which is amazing for building relationships.

6. Instagram

Instagram is highly visual as well, which makes it another perfect platform for wedding professionals to be on.

7. Account takeovers

Ask other wedding pros on Instagram if they’d like to trade accounts for a day. It’s beneficial to you both since they’re able to show up in front of your audience as you show up in front of theirs!

8. Hashtags on social media

Using the right hashtags on Instagram can expand your reach past just your follower base. Using them on Pinterest makes it easier for your Pin to be found in searches.

9. SEO

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. When you think of SEO, you should think of keywords. Using the right keywords can increase your likelihood of showing up in search results on Google and other search engines, as well as how soon you show up (i.e. page 1, 2, etc.).

10. Handwritten Thank You Cards to Vendors

Put yourself in other vendors’ good graces by sending them a genuine, handwritten thank you card. This will help you build relationships with other vendors and make it more likely that they’ll refer your business to their clients.

11. Handwritten Thank You Cards to Past Clients

Similarly to sending handwritten cards to vendors, sending them to past clients is an extra step you can take to show your appreciation for them choosing to work with you and makes their experience that much better, as well as increasing the chances that they’ll both refer your business to their newly engaged friends and family and leave a great review.

12. Handwritten Happy Anniversary Cards on their 1 Year

Let your clients know that you haven’t stopped being grateful for your time working with them, while also putting your business top of mind and, hopefully, encouraging them to tell others about your business.

13. Free Listing on The Knot

The Knot is a huge database where couples can search for wedding professionals, so it would be a great idea to list your business on there as well.

14. Free Listing on Wedding Wire

Similar to a listing on The Knot, it doesn’t hurt to show up on another database for wedding professionals.

15. Google My Business

Have you ever searched for a service or business on Google, and seen the cards on the right of businesses near you related to your search? That’s all thanks to a Google My Business account. The best part is that they’re free!

16. Yelp Listing

Create a free account on Yelp so couples can search for your business and read reviews!

17. Thumbtack Listing

While thumbtack isn’t exclusive to wedding pros, it’s another database that connects customers to professionals who offer the services they’re looking for.

18. Instagram Giveaways

Hosting a giveaway on Instagram is the perfect opportunity to expand your reach and increase your following. If you don’t know where to start, check out this blog post all about the different kinds of giveaways and how to host them!

19. FB Giveaways

Facebook giveaways work very similarly to Instagrams. Be sure to check out this blog post we wrote about hosting giveaways.

20. Email Giveaways

Similar to hosting giveaways on social media, hosting giveaways exclusively to your email list is another way to gain subscribers. You can talk about the giveaway on social media, but encourage your followers to subscribe to your list if they want to participate.

21. Styled Shoots

What better way to show your unique style as a wedding pro and network with other vendors than to collaborate for a styled shoot? They also give prospecting clients an opportunity to get a feel for your taste and decide if your style aligns with what they’re looking for.

22. Sending Gifts to Vendors

If you want to go above and beyond to show your appreciation for your vendor friends, send them a small gift during the holidays.

23. Gifting After the Wedding to Clients

Like the handwritten note, giving a small gift is another way to show your appreciation and make their client experience exceptional, even if it’s just a small gift card to their favorite coffee shop.

24. Email newsletters

Your email list is a great place to market and engage with your audience because you own it versus renting virtual space on a social media platform where it can be hard to connect specifically with your ideal clients. We give you the run-down on how to build an email list in this blog post.

25. Email Welcome Sequence

When someone subscribes to your newsletter, send them a series of emails called a welcome sequence. The purpose is to nurture your new subscribers by letting them get to know you a little better before you start pitching your services.

26. Networking at Events

Whether physical or virtual, attending events is an awesome way to network with other vendors and hopefully land referrals.

27. Attend Workshops

Workshops are another great way to network with others and build lasting relationships.

28. Attend Large Conferences

Be sure to have business cards handy so when networking at conferences, workshops, and other events, those you have connected with won’t forget about you and will have your contact info handy.

29. One-on-One Coffees

A more personal connection would be to invite vendors and potential clients to a one-on-one coffee appointment where you will both have each other’s undivided attention and get to know each other.

30. Build a Referral Program for Past Clients

Offer incentives, like a discount or a free shoot if you’re a photographer, to past clients if they refer someone to you who books.

31. Build a Referral Program for Vendors

You can create a network of vendors who will grant clients you bring them a discount. You’re bringing business to them while making your clients even happier by being able to save money on their wedding.

32. Build a Referral Program for Venues

Just like a vendor referral program, see if there are local venues that will be willing to grant clients you bring them a discount on their venue rates.

33. Linkedin

Oftentimes, just being listed as a specific wedding professional on LinkedIn can put you in contact with some great people and allow you to network with a broader audience.

34. Guest on Wedding Podcasts

Pitch to different wedding podcasts to become a guest. This will allow you to expand your reach to the podcast’s audience.

35. Published Weddings in Magazine

Submit entries to multiple print magazines to have your business featured. Most bridal magazines will let you submit your entry at no extra cost to you.

Be Consistent

As with any business strategy, be sure to only start with 1-3 strategies and stick to them. This will allow you to more accurately gauge whether it’s worth it to keep pursuing this avenue of organic marketing or if it may be time to move on to a different strategy. Implementing too many at one time may make it more likely that you’ll feel overwhelmed and burnt out.

Do you have more ways of organically marketing your wedding business? Feel free to share them with us over in our DMs on Instagram!