Top Things to Do If You’re in a Booking Slump
Slow seasons are inevitable, but that doesn’t mean they are easy to stomach. When leads dry up and bookings go down, it can feel demoralizing and lead to scrambling for scraps of new business. But instead of making rash decisions, evaluating your next steps can keep you on track to generating new leads while staying true to your brand.
During these slumps, it’s crucial to remain proactive and find creative ways to ramp up bookings again. Whether refining your marketing strategy or pushing out attractive promotions, you can take action now to turn a slow period into a valuable opportunity for growth and improvement.
Here are a few productive to-dos that will help you come out stronger on the other side.
Throw out some bait
When things go quiet, you need to stir up some noise! Consider driving interest and engagements with special offers that appeal to your target audience.
Colton Simmons, owner of Colton Simmons Photography, recommends pushing promotions or giveaways to interest people. “Offer complimentary engagement sessions with every wedding booked or a free design consultation to help book planning clients,” he suggests. “You will be able to gain more clients, which, if you do a fantastic job, can lead to 5-star reviews, bolstering your business even more.”
You can start by spreading the word through your marketing channels, including your website, blog, social media channels, and email list.
If you want to break into new markets, Jordan Roepke, owner of Jordan Roepke Photography, suggests running targeted social media ads, adding a reminder to “make sure you’re not giving away services and that what you’re offering is going to encourage couples to book their wedding day with you or buy additional products from you.”
In other words, be careful not to give away too much! Promotions can successfully attract new prospects, but operating at a loss won’t help you reach your goals — even if bookings increase.
Make time for housekeeping
Slower seasons don’t mean you have nothing to do; instead, they allow you to look inward and show your business some much-needed love and attention. A good tune-up can set you up for success when bookings inevitably pick up again, so don’t squander this time to optimize your business operations!
Penny Haas, owner of Penny Haas, LLC, notes that slow times are the best time to reinvest in yourself. She encourages wedding professionals to “take time during a booking slump to look into their own business and find the gaps.”
Spend some time digging into your systems, looking for ways to increase efficiency and smooth over any process hiccups. You may discover you’ve overlooked valuable features or are working with outdated information.
“The systems you created at the beginning of your business may no longer be effective,” explains Orsella Hughes, owner of Serenity Ceremonies by Rev. Orsella. “Check to make sure your automations are in place and are responding correctly to your clients. New clients will keep you busy when their experience with you is seamless.”
By streamlining your operations and addressing inefficiencies during quieter periods, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running when business picks up — and you’ll feel confident delivering top-notch service to your clients.
Revisit your content strategy
Whether you’re actively engaged in marketing or you’re more in the set-it-and-forget-it camp, booking slumps are a sign that something needs to change. Marketing takes time, so don’t expect results overnight — but with careful, intentional action, you can start attracting new eyes to your brand and into your sales funnel.
Tayler Cusick Hollman, founder of Enji, assures that a decline in bookings is “the clearest indicator you need to commit to consistently marketing your services.”
So, where to start? Roepke suggests boosting local SEO with location-specific blogging.
“Create blogs featuring every wedding you’ve worked on the past year and put the city, state, venue, and style of wedding in the headline,” she recommends. “If you have all of the vendor information from the wedding day, make sure to include it to encourage the sharing of your blog post.”
Using location-specific keywords helps to pre-qualify your website traffic, helping you generate meaningful leads in your area instead of couples who want to see a particular color or theme.
In addition to blogging, Cusick Hollman notes the importance of adopting a social media strategy. “Map out your social media content ahead of time (and include that blog content you put effort into!) so you aren't coming up with content on the spot,” she says. “When you've done that, you've planted the seeds—from there, you keep caring for things until (and well beyond when) the leads start picking back up.”
A fresh approach to marketing can uplift your branding and expand your reach to new audiences, so don’t expect to see results without effort. Educational content and a consistent online presence demonstrate expertise and authority, so focus on showcasing how you can help couples unlike any of your competitors.
Audit your sales funnel
Systems? Check.
Processes? Check.
Marketing? Check.
If everything checks out, but you can’t revitalize your bookings, it’s time to examine your sales funnel. Where are your prospects dropping out? Who do they end up booking? Reviewing your sales funnel can shine a light on costly leaks and how to fix them.
“It's important to know if everything has fallen off at the same rate, if a core segment has changed, or if a process step has sprung a leak,” says Vijay Goel, COO of Bite Catering Couture. “The more you understand the difference from before, the more you can understand if the fix is something across the board or hyper-focused on one customer segment or one portion of the sales process.”
In some cases, you may find that a referral source has dried up rather than a drop in organic leads. Tracy Autem, owner of Tracy Autem & Lightly Photography, recommends reaching out to referral sources if you have a strong personal relationship.
“Asking hard questions about if there is anything you could be doing better for their clients can give you a new perspective,” she says. “You may also find that they are also down in their bookings and that might be the reason for a change in referral frequency.”
Either way, initiating a conversation about bookings with close industry partners can teach you a lot about your market and client experience. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice or recommendations to serve your shared clients better.
Coming out of a booking slump requires a proactive and strategic approach to generating new leads and providing a streamlined sales experience. These activities will help you overcome a downturn in bookings while ensuring that your business is stronger and more resilient when business picks up again. Stay committed and stay creative — nothing lasts forever, including booking slumps!
Meghan Ely is the owner of wedding PR and wedding marketing firm OFD Consulting. Ely is a sought-after speaker, adjunct professor in the field of public relations, and a self-professed royal wedding enthusiast.
