Getting Your Work Featured in


Publications Siri Eklund


CEO of Two Bright Lights


Bridal publications are nothing new, but with the growing popularity of wedding blogs and the increasing prominence of bridal magazines, publications have come to play an unprecedented role in the wedding industry. More than ever, brides are turning to real wedding features in blogs and magazines to find inspiration—and vendors—for their wedding. Because of this, real wedding features offer an excellent marketing opportunity for wedding professionals to boost exposure and revenue for their business. With strategic planning, editorial submissions can be an attainable and effective way to generate business and increase revenues.


It seems logical that media exposure in blogs


and magazines would serve as an excellent source of publicity for any business, but its ability to generate revenue might surprise you. In Two Bright Lights’ 2010 Marketing Effectiveness survey, we uncovered a strong correlation between Real Wedding features and higher revenues for vendors and photographers. Wedding planners whose weddings were featured in bridal magazines saw revenues over 50% higher than those who were not featured; published photographers saw revenues over 70% higher. These statistics suggest that Real Wedding features can be an extremely cost-effective and successful marketing tool for wedding professionals. Editorial features guarantee that potential clients will view your work and, in turn, this increased publicity provides confidence for your clients. Being published offers


WedBiz Journal


credibility too, which makes it easier to increase your prices.


So how can you improve your chances of


being featured in publications? Like all marketing practices, it is important to approach media exposure strategically. In a highly-competitive industry with a vast number of publications, carefully defining a target list of blogs and magazines can help improve your chances of seeing your work published. You’ll want to maximize your acceptance rate by submitting to the right publications; those in which your chances of success are greatest.


First, narrow your field of publications by


identifying those that might be potential outlets for your work. Eliminate all publications whose intended audience does not correspond with your submission—for example, if you’re submitting weddings from North Carolina, you may want to eliminate magazines and blogs that feature primarily destination weddings. Instead, identify those publications where your submission meets their general criteria and caters to the correct audience base. Selecting regional and local publications can be especially effective, as these often have a higher probability of success.


Next, identify the professionals that the


publication currently features, and evaluate how your artistic style compares to those already being published. Photo editors or bloggers often trend


NAWP Connect 2011


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