It’s time for another EMPOWER THEM weekly tip, giving wedding planner CEOs like you one more idea of a task you can delegate to your interns and apprentices.
This helps them gain real-world experience, learn new skills and empower them to one day become a great wedding planner.
Raise your hand if you feel bogged down with the pressures of social media?
Keep your hand raised if you haven’t posted something to Instagram in two weeks…or don’t know what your Twitter password is…or if your most recent blog post was dated 2013…ok, what if you don’t even have an Instagram account for your wedding planning firm?
(it’s okay…your secret is safe with us.)
photo credit: jordan mcqueen, source: unsplash
What if you could change that?
We always encourage our clients to hire 3 or 5 apprentices every semester. Why? There’s power in numbers…and these millennial interns intuitively know Instagram better than their mama’s world-famous lasagna recipe.
TIP: tell your brand story on Instagram
…and assign one apprentice a week to takeover your Instagram account. Now, before you go into a full-blown panic attack over giving up so much control over something this big, hear me out.
Do you trust your interns?
(yes or you wouldn’t have hired them.)
Do they get your firm’s vibe?
(if not, review your firm’s vision and mission statement again with them.)
Do they have an eye for design?
(some people have it, some don’t, let’s get real.)
If you answered YES to above, this is a GREAT task for your apprentices to own. More and more, people are doing #InstaTakeovers on their firm’s Instagram account, letting their followers see the different viewpoints of planners on their team.
Here’s a sample of the pictures they could post:
- venue walk-thru photos – from their Venue Spotlight homework
- vendor meetings – show off a tablescape design or a sneak-peek inside the rentals showroom!
- cake and catering tastings – who doesn’t LOVE pictures of cake
- client meetings – snap a pic of the bride’s latest DIY creation!
- intern’s POV – what is it like to be a wedding intern? assembling welcome bags, replenishing emergency kits, being a superhero – the whole nine
Check out The Simplifiers Instagram account…when you scroll thru the pictures, you quickly pick up on the vibe that our event planning firm is all about English destination weddings, quirky design details and castles. Our brides LOVE seeing our planner’s POV…and everything we post is done with intention and thoughtful strategy.
If you’re nervous about what they’re posting, create a system for them to send you the pic and text first to proofread and approve before publishing. Also, create an Instagram marketing strategy with your apprentices, so everyone is on the same page with:
- what is the brand story we’re telling – example: “we’re creative. we’re fun. we’re designers. we love quirky stuff.”
- what voice are we using? – do we type in all lowercase letters? no cursing allowed.
- what hashtags are we using to attract more brides? #eventprofs #Dallasweddingplanner #mybrideistheBOMB
Try this task for a month and track the following metrics to see if it’s making a positive impact:
- how many Instagram followers have you gained?
- how many people clicked thru from Instagram to your website?
- what days/times/topics did you get the most likes?
Trust us, your interns will LOVE this task…you’ll multiply your social media efforts…and the phone will be ringing off the hook from more brides who want to work with you.
what skills the apprentice learns:
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sales and marketing
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Instagram – social media strategies
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sharpening their eye for design
We wanna follow you on Instagram!
Leave your Instagram handle in a comment below and tell us if your interns/apprentices are taking over your account this week! And follow us here:
The Apprentice Program
The Simplifiers
Inquiries are coming in from all over the US from wedding planners looking to implement The Apprentice Program with their interns next semester! Don’t miss the boat…
Apply today for the 6-week onboarding course with The Apprentice Program, online training for you and your interns, all about wedding planning. Try the first week of training for FREE and see if it’s a fit for you and your team. Just mention this code (GIMME1FREE) when applying online. Easy peasy, simple.