I just started my own wedding and event planning business in Ohio and i have questions about how to advertise?

[Byrd]

I'm hosting my 2nd bridal event and I'm trying to find out the best and most cost effective way to reach brides to come out to my event. Every way seems to be so expensive for my small business...and I've also got to find great vendors to also participate in the event as well. I'm advertising on social networks but that wasn't quite enough the first go round.....and I need this event to be great! Any advertising advice?

[Steve D]

One thought that comes to mind is to write a short article about planning a wedding with tips for the wedding couple. Then mention at the end of the article the event (i.e., "For more tips and to meet with venders, plan on attending the Wedding Event being held yadda yada yada..." - Submit it to the social page editor at the area newspapers (well in advance of your event obviously). The newspapers get free content, the wedding couple gets free advice and you and the venders get free advertising. Obviously not everyone reading the article will need your services or attend the event, but that is going to happen anyway.

Make sure you keep in touch periodically with the social page editors - become a point of contact for them year round (sort of an on-call wedding expert). That way, if they have an article to write, they may call and you get free publicity for your business - i.e., Joan Smith of DowntTown Wedding Planners has this tip..."

[?]

Hold a contest. Collect horror stories of the worst things that went wrong at weddings. Set up a blog to post these reports. Invite people to submit in writing or by video. Offer a prize for the best "worst" story - maybe a dinner at a nice restaurant.

Send notice to the local media of the contest to get some coverage. And be sure to send the results to the media when the contest is complete.

Then continue this every year.

Good luck.

For more creative marketing tips get a free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas"

[delightfulaction700]

Best advertising is to diversify your ads both free and paid featured ads.
You can get a list of places to advertise by google search them (using the right keywords) as follows:-
Biggest Classifieds
Best Online Classifieds
Largest Classifieds
Free Classifieds Directory
Free Community Classifieds
Sites Like Craigslist
Huge List of Free Classified Websites