Its time to renew your ad contract. Should you continue advertising with the Knot?

In a recent article by WeddingPro, it was revealed that you can expect a 10% conversion rate from the leads you get from their site, which is below industry standards.

So, why do so many wedding business owners still flock to advertise with them?

Let’s break it down and see if continuing your contract advertising with The Knot, Zola, or WeddingWire is worth it, or if you should shift your focus to organic marketing.

Wedding Industry Average Closing Rate: 10% [Source: WeddingPro]

Conversion Rates and Lead Types Example

When you’re evaluating the effectiveness of your advertising strategies, it’s crucial to understand the types of leads you’re dealing with:

• Cold Leads: These typically come from paid advertising platforms like advertising with The Knot, Zola, WeddingWire, Meta, and TikTok.
  
• Warm Leads: These are generated through organic marketing efforts, such as referrals, network marketing, or social media engagement.

Cold Leads: What to Expect Advertising with the Knot

According to WeddingPro, you can expect a 10% conversion rate from the leads you get from their site. This means for every 10 leads, you might book one. For venues, the rate is even lower.

This is frustratingly low, especially when compared to the conversion rates you can achieve through organic marketing.

Warm Leads: A Higher Conversion Rate

In the Wedding Pro CEO Accelerator, I teach organic marketing strategies that can help you achieve a 40% conversion rate. This means that out of every 10 leads, you’re likely to book four.

When you compare these numbers, it seems like a no-brainer to shift focus from cold leads to warm leads, right? Well, not so fast.

Should You Ditch Advertising with the Knot?

Before you cancel your contracts with listing sites like The Knot, it’s important to make data-driven decisions rather than emotional ones. Let’s consider a real-life example from one of my students.

A Real-Life Example: Cold Leads in Action

One of my students was frustrated with her 12-month contract with The Knot.

Since November, she received 37 leads and only booked two. This is below the 10% threshold.

BUT.

The contracts she booked were worth $4,500 and $4,000, totaling $8,500 in value.

Despite the low conversion rate, these leads generated substantial revenue.

This example shows that while the quantity of conversions might be low, the value of those conversions can still be significant.

Balancing Cold and Warm Leads

The key isn’t to compare cold leads directly to warm leads but to see how they can complement each other in your overall marketing strategy.

Cold leads from paid listings and strong organic marketing presence can work together to make sure potential clients see you everywhere, increasing your chances of booking them.

Tracking Your Leads and Conversions

If you’re not sure how to track your lead conversions, you can use tools like my lead conversion tracker. It’s straightforward to use and helps you keep tabs on how well your sales funnels are performing. Grab it at https://brandegaar.com/leadconversion.

Answering the Question: Should You Renew Your Advertising with the Knot?

When your contract is up, review your data.

Look at the number of leads, conversion rates, and revenue generated. This is fun math!

Use this data to decide whether to renew your listing or focus more on organic marketing.

How to Optimize Organic Marketing Quickly

Organic marketing is a powerful tool.

Have you used chat bots yet? Not the sleazy ones that never help when you have a question.

No no no.

I have an entire episode dedicated to showing you how to consistently get leads from Instagram directly into your sales funnel.

Check it out in episode 212 of the Wedding Pro CEO Podcast.

Data Over Emotions

Decisions based on data are always more reliable than those made on emotions.

Evaluate your leads, conversion rates, and the revenue each source generates before making a final decision about your advertising strategy.

Before We Go

I want to hear from you! How are you advertising what is your conversion rate? DM me on Instagram, I’m @brandeegaar.

“If you’re feeling frustrated with low conversion rates from listing sites alone, you’re not the only one. But before you cancel the renewal, consider shifting your focus to a blend of paid and organic marketing, which can increase your conversion rate and bring more quality leads into your funnel.”
– Brandee Gaar

Thanks for dropping by! Making smart, data-driven decisions can transform your business, so keep tracking those leads and refining your strategies. Happy marketing wedding pro!

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