Stop the Quit Spiral With These Helpful Tips
Are you a wedding or event professional and it’s the start of the New Year or you're at the beginning of your off-season and you’re already ready to quit? You’re in the right spot today as I give you my thoughts on how to stick with your task or your to-do when it comes to marketing and promoting your wedding or event business, whether that’s social media scheduling, learning Pinterest, finally launching that podcast, or tackling email marketing - when you want to give up before you have the results that you originally wanted. I’ve been in the wedding and event industry for over 20 years, so I have some thoughts! Here’s how to not give up before you get your goal. We’re all into this together, I got you!
Photo credit: Amy Anaiz (of me chatting with By Dami Studios at Engage!24 Amelia Island)
You started out so good. You had all the energy, all the motivation, and the confidence to match. But then… the newness wore off. It was harder than you thought. It is taking more time. It is confusing. And worst of all? The results weren’t immediate. (Thanks a lot, social media algorithms.)
Now, the spark is fading, and you’re questioning if this whole marketing thing is worth it. Maybe the progress feels glacial, or the effort seems too great for the payoff. It’s tempting to throw in the towel and go back to what’s familiar, even if it wasn’t getting you where you wanted to go.
Quitting is not the answer. It’s not what you’re looking for. It’s not going to magically solve your marketing woes. The answer you need is not an all-or-nothing approach. It’s not about some giant leap that changes everything overnight. It’s about small, intentional shifts. It’s about showing up, even when it’s hard. So let’s talk about how to do that.
From finally learning Pinterest to making more Reels for Instagram, I’m here to tell you that quitting is not the answer. It’s not what you’re looking for. It’s not going to magically solve your marketing woes. And it’s definitely not going to bring more leads or inquiries into your business. The answer you need is not an all-or-nothing approach. It’s not about some giant leap that changes everything overnight. It’s about small, intentional shifts. It’s about showing up, even when it’s hard. So let’s talk about how to do that.
This is especially for you, the luxury and experienced wedding and event professional - whether you’re a wedding planner, photographer, designer, stationer, DJ, entertainer, florist, videographer, rental company, or beyond. (Or a wedding garter designer, like me!) You work with discerning clients and engaged couples getting married who demand excellence, and marketing to them takes skill, patience, and persistence.
help me help you
I have so many products and services to help you achieve your wedding business marketing goals. You know that I wouldn’t just give you tips without leaving you empty-handed. Be sure to check out my shop of digital marketing products just for wedding pros, or check in with me if you don’t see something to solve your problem. I might just make a product for you! But as you read the tips I have for you today, just know that there are a few specific digital courses and services that might, just might help you in your journey toward inquiry dominance and turning your wedding or event business into a lead magnet machine!
If you need more, as I said, my door is always open. You can check in with me anytime, or you can book a 1:1 consult with me for us to talk about legit anything. I’m an open book!
Without further ado, let’s get to it already! Let’s dive into the strategies that will help you stick with it when you just want to give up.
Stop Trying to Be Perfect
Perfection is the enemy of progress. Perfection in your wedding business marketing (and anything in life, really!) will paralyze you, keeping you from hitting “publish” on that blog post, sending that email, or sharing that Instagram Reel.
Here’s a little secret: No one is looking at your work under a microscope. Your audience or potential clients aren’t sitting there, picking apart every word or pixel of that photo or milli-second of that video. They’re scrolling, scanning, and moving on. And honestly? They just want to connect with you. Or more likely, they have a huge wedding planning problem and they need a wedding vendor, like you, to help them fix their problem.
So let it be imperfect. Let it be real. Done is always better than perfect. Your clients don’t need you to be flawless; they need you to show up consistently.
So take that pressure off yourself, and just start. Better yet, don’t give up. Make a shift, but don’t quit.
Scale It Down or Back
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with your marketing, it’s probably because you’re trying to do too much. Maybe you decided to blog three times a week, post on social media daily, finally start a Pinterest strategy, and launch an email newsletter… all at once. That’s a lot.
It’s unsustainable. And it’s setting you up for burnout.
Sustainable change comes from small, manageable efforts that build over time. Instead of trying to master every marketing channel at once, pick one or two areas to focus on. Scale it down. Maybe you blog once a month instead of weekly. Maybe you post on social media three times a week instead of every day.
Small steps are still steps forward. (As my favorite Peloton instructors like to say: forward is forward!)
Besides when it comes to marketing, small is better. Small is better for SEO, it’s better for the algorithm. It’s better for your client. And, turns out, it’s better for you too!
Embrace the Long Game
Here’s the hard truth: Anything worth having takes time. That’s true in life, in business, and definitely in marketing for your wedding and event business. This is especially true with your wedding clients, you know this. You tell them all the time, be patient, slow down, don’t force it.
As one of my favorite movie quotes goes: Stop trying to make “fetch" happen!
Results are rarely immediate, and that’s OK. Engaged couples planning their weddings aren’t making decisions overnight. They’re not booking vendors impulsively. They’re browsing, researching, comparing, and thinking it through. Asking a million different people in their lives. That’s just how it works.
Your marketing is no different. SEO takes time to build. Social media takes time to grow. Email marketing takes time to nurture. But when you stick with it, those efforts compound. The momentum builds. So wrap your head around the fact that this is a marathon, not a sprint, and commit to showing up for the long haul.
Celebrate Small Wins
It’s easy to get caught up in the big picture and feel like you’re not making progress. But every small win is worth celebrating. Got a new follower? That’s a win. Published a new blog post? Another win. Did someone engage with your content, like your post, or inquire about your services? Scheduled some pins on Pinterest? Finally, re-wrote that blog post from a million years ago that is getting all the traffic. Major wins!
These small victories add up over time. They’re signs that your efforts are working, even if the big results aren’t here yet. Take time to acknowledge and celebrate them. They’ll keep you motivated to keep going.
Lean Into What You Love
Marketing doesn’t have to feel like a chore. If you hate Instagram but love writing, focus on blogging and email marketing. If Pinterest lights you up, make that your primary platform. When you enjoy what you’re doing, you’re more likely to stick with it. So play to your strengths and let your passion shine through.
There is a saying that says something to the effect of your time goes where your treasure goes. My point is: if you like it, you’ll keep doing it. But, if your marketing task is too big, it’s harder to see those little wins at the moment, making it that much harder to stick with it.
Not only do you need to break your project down into smaller tasks (see other tips!), but you need to do more of what you love so that you can enjoy the process.
Get Help If You Need It
You don’t have to do this alone. Whether it’s outsourcing, investing in tools, or learning from experts, there are ways to lighten your load. Hire a virtual assistant to manage your social media. Use templates for your emails or graphics. Take a course to sharpen your skills. Whatever you need to make it easier, do it. It’s an investment in your business and your sanity.
Here’s my pro tip about outsourcing though. There is a difference between delegation and abdication. When it comes to marketing your business, you want to delegate. You need to delegate, but you do not want to abdicate all responsibility. You’re still the business owner. You need to set the tone and make the major decisions. You don’t have to do all the work, but you need to be the leader.
Remember Your “Why”
When the going gets tough, reconnect with your “why.” Why did you start this task or this thing that you now want to give up on? Why do you want to reach more clients? Why does this thing matter?
Keep those reasons front and center. They’ll remind you why it’s worth sticking with your marketing efforts, even when it feels hard.
Sometimes when we’re in the thick of it, and ready to quit, it is hard to remember the reasons that you started in the first place. There was a time when you thought that blogging more was the answer or you felt like posting more on social media or tacking Pinterest or starting an email newsletter or finally pushing publish on that podcast was the answer to your problem. Don’t forget that!
This is why it’s important that you start out small - so that you don’t forget your “why” when you’re ready to give up. Your “why” will save you and bring you back.
Make a Plan
Instead of throwing in the towel, take a step back and map out a plan to reach your goal. What are the specific steps you need to take? Break them down into smaller more manageable actions.
Create a schedule or timeline to keep yourself accountable. Think about how you would help a client who was getting married and was so overwhelmed and frustrated with some aspect of planning. You would probably tell them to chill out, to relax, to trust that it will all work out (because they are working with you, of course!), and to make a plan.
Having a clear plan not only makes the goal feel more achievable but also gives you a roadmap to follow when motivation dips. A well-thought-out plan can be the difference between giving up and making steady progress.
My Final Thoughts
Quitting might feel like the easiest option, but it’s not the right one. You’re not a quitter. You’re a wedding or event business owner with a vision, a dream, and the ability to make it happen. Couples out there getting married don’t know what they don’t know. They need you to do your thing. They need you to be the expert. They need you to not give up so you can help them plan the wedding of their dreams!
Marketing doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. It’s about progress, not perfection. It’s about small, consistent efforts that add up over time. Boom. Done. Period.
Take a deep breath, scale it back if you need to, and keep showing up. Your clients are out there. They’re looking for someone just like you. And when you stick with it, they’ll find you.
That’s the magic of marketing. You’ve got this.
Did I tell you that you’re doing a good job today? Because you are! I see you!
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If you’re a creative small business serving the wedding and event industry - such as a wedding planner, photographer, entertainer, DJ, rental company, florist, invitation designer and more - and you need help with your online marketing, content creation, or your Pinterest account, please send me an email at info@juliannesmith.com or check out my done-for-you and training services for wedding pros. I’d love to work with you to maximize your creativity and the overwhelm and work with the clients that you want to work with!
For more tips and advice on the wedding industry, be sure to check out past blog posts and sign up for my weekly emails where I’ll send you all kinds of wedding business education nuggets in 100 words or less!