Ready to make a difference in 2021? After the year we just finished, you’re certainly not alone. Many wedding professionals are exploring new ways to better their businesses and one resounding strategy is to incorporate more tech throughout your processes.
While you may have some basic tech solutions in place (hello, Dropbox and Google Drive!), there’s always room for improvement. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new apps and tools that impact other areas of your business — even the corners you never considered to digitize.
Here are five small-but-meaningful tech additions that can take your business and its client experience up a notch.
FocusList
Need help keeping your sights set on the goal? Look no further than FocusList for an effective time management app that will help you to reclaim more time in your schedule, while still checking off those important to-dos. It’s a clean and simple app with a built in time-tracker and access to valuable insights that can tell you more about how you really spend your time.
Notability
Consider Notability to be your average notes app on steroids. It goes beyond the basic text and photo input and, instead, is a fully immersive app that allows you to sketch drawings, write notes in your own handwriting, record soundbites, and more. Additionally, Notability is designed for collaboration, so you and your team can keep up with one another in real-time, even from remote locations.
Canva & Piktochart
Not everyone has a knack for graphic design (or the time, for that matter), which can be difficult in a world where high-quality, professional graphics are expected on social media and other marketing materials. Fortunately, Canva and Piktochart are here to save the day for us less-than-savvy graphic designers. While Canva is great for multipurpose needs, Piktochart is especially useful for creating infographics and presentation decks. Both offer free plans, so there’s really nothing stopping you from giving them each a spin.
Giphy
It seems as if GIFs have become the preferred language of Millennials and Zoomers, so it’s time to get comfortable using them in your communications. While it’s easy enough to work with the multitude of pre-existing GIFs out there, sometimes a situation just calls for making your own. Giphy can help with both — you can search all that exists on the platform, but you can also get creative and make your own.
PunkPost
Now, there has been plenty of buzz in 2020 regarding virtual communications (and even in this article!), but don’t lose sight of what matters most: a personal touch. People appreciate authentic gestures that feel special, and PunkPost can help you fit that bill without leaving your desk. PunkPost brings back the charm of old-fashioned snail mail with cards that are handwritten by artists who mail them out on your behalf. (Don’t worry, you get to write the message and the artists have great handwriting!) This is a nice way to add an extra special touch to your client experience for very minimal effort.
As always, my biggest piece of tech advice is always to start small and grow from there. Taking on too many new apps at once is a recipe for overwhelm and will likely result in reverting back to your tried-and-true methods. Instead, focus on one or two digital upgrades until they become second nature; then, continue growing from there and you’ll have a fully optimized business before you know it!
Kevin Dennis is the editor of WeddingIQ and the owner of Fantasy Sound Event Services, a full-service event company based in Livermore, California. Dennis is the current international president for WIPA.
