Likewise, if your best weddings stack up in a matter of weeks, you might reconsider scheduling your family vacation immediately after so you can focus on submissions. 2025 might seem far away, but the new year will creep up as it always does once the wedding season slows down. By looking ahead now, you’ll enter the off-season with a plan to maximize your time—whether that means creating a press page for anticipated real wedding features or crafting speaking topics for future submissions. EMBRACE AUTOMATION TO STAY ON TRACK A well-defined process can make all the difference in your PR success, as it saves you from recreating the wheel. Real wedding submissions are a prime example. If you know what you need up front—a curated gallery of photos, a write-up of the couple’s
background and design elements, and a detailed vendor list—you can build a standard operating procedure (SOP) for collecting those items in a timely manner. When pitching to editors and podcast hosts, developing a template makes it quick and straightforward to send out feelers. (Just make sure to update all those placeholders!) Better yet, find ways to automate steps of your SOPs. Perhaps you can auto-send an email to the photographer several weeks before an event to schedule a meeting to discuss media placement. For photographers, it may be a matter of using (or upgrading) a digital asset management platform. If you’re on the hunt for awards and speaking opportunities, you could set up an alert to notify you when a call for submissions goes live. Creating streamlined systems and processes during the off-season
will let you enter the new year with an efficient PR strategy that doesn’t require as much time. For now, start thinking about how to build or improve existing systems that support your PR efforts. Then, as business slows down, you’ll already have your work cut out for you! As you gear up for the off-season, remember that thoughtful preparation can be your ticket to a standout year in 2025. Take the time now to strategize your PR approach so you can hit the ground running once the off-season arrives and avoid last- minute scrambling when an exciting opportunity arises. 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.
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SPECIAL EVENTS FALL 2024
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