Media in Focus - SaySo Weddings

Your Name & Position: Kelly Hody, Marketing Manager
Name of your media brand: SaySo Weddings
Target Markets: Brides-to-be of all ages and businesses servicing the wedding market
Launched: February 2010
Staff: Two

See SaySo Weddings Listing with MediaScope

Please provide a brief overview of your brand, your market position and forward plans? SaySo Weddings is Australia’s friendliest online wedding community. The SaySo Weddings website incorporates discussion forums, blogs, a live chat box and photo galleries as well as a supplier directory.

Advertisers on SaySo Weddings have their business exposed to a growing number of visitors through their listing in the supplier directory. Even more importantly, they also have the ability to engage directly with potential customers by participating in forum discussions.

We currently have an external consultant working on a website redesign, which will really set the SaySo Weddings website apart from its competitors and provide our brides and advertisers with an exciting and fresh new experience.

Can you give us an overview of your background and experience?
My background is in sales and marketing. I have a bachelor degree in Business Management and I’m currently studying towards an MBA. My main focus is building the SaySo Weddings brand and developing and implementing advertising and marketing strategies.

Andrew has widespread experience in IT systems and software. He developed the SaySo Weddings website and is focused on incorporating enhancements and technological advancements to ensure the site remains up-to-date and relevant.

Tell us how & why your site was launched?
When planning my own wedding, I was really disappointed with my experiences on the various wedding websites available. Andrew encouraged me to launch my own site, where brides could discuss their wedding planning journeys without censorship in a friendly and welcoming environment.

After extensive research and planning, SaySo Weddings was launched in February 2010.

What benefits does your site offer advertising buyers and marketers?
Unlike other wedding directories, SaySo Weddings limits the number of advertisers in each regional category to just ten. This means that advertisers don’t get lost in the crowd and have a far better chance of receiving their fair share of the business generated by the SaySo Weddings website.

SaySo Weddings offers one standard advertising package and does not charge additional fees for listing in multiple categories or regions.

Advertisers are listed on a “first in, best dressed” basis which means that once a business is listed, their position is guaranteed and their competitors can’t sign up later and jump ahead of them by paying a higher fee.

All advertisers are profiled in a “Featured Supplier” article on the SaySo Weddings website and highlighted regularly on the SaySo Weddings Facebook and Twitter pages.

What is the best & worst thing about being an independent media publisher?
It’s wonderful to be able to set our own direction and react quickly to effectively service our target market. We deal directly with our advertisers, so our service is very personal and focused on ensuring they receive maximum benefit from their investment with us.

The multiple demands on our time mean that we have to prioritise very carefully. This can be challenging, but it also means that we’re always focused on ensuring our time is being spent efficiently and effectively, which maximises our productivity. We also bring in external consultants when appropriate and a new perspective is always valuable.

Tell us about your advertising sales structure?
SaySo Weddings sells advertising directly to businesses servicing the wedding industry, in the form of listings in the supplier directory on the website.

We find that many wedding suppliers are relatively new to online advertising, so we help them through the process and make sure they understand how their business will benefit from advertising with SaySo Weddings.

Our target market is very broad and includes traditional wedding suppliers such as florists and celebrants, as well as less obvious businesses like fishing charters which are trying a new approach in their advertising to capture a different market segment.

What tips can you offer other media owners when dealing with advertising buyers?
When you’re one of several options available to a potential advertiser, customer service can really differentiate you from your competitors. At SaySo Weddings our philosophy is to always deliver more than we promise and to put in the extra effort to ensure customer satisfaction is an outcome of every communication or transaction. Simple things like how quickly you respond to advertising enquiries can also have a big influence on your conversion rate.

Can you offer any advice to someone starting a new commercial media business?
Putting together a formal Business Plan can be invaluable in helping you to determine your target market and how you are going to differentiate yourself from your competitors. It will also help you identify exactly how you can leverage your experience and skills to best advantage.

Also, make sure your expectations are realistic – overnight success is extremely rare.

Where do you get your advertising and marketing information from?
We subscribe to a number of magazines and websites covering both the wedding industry and marketing and advertising in general. We also do a lot of networking within our industry and keep a close eye on local and overseas trends to ensure we remain relevant within the Australian marketplace.

Would you like to be profiled like SaySo Weddings?  Please get in touch

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