Hannah Bargas Has the Marketing Solution for Wedding Vendors

The marketing industry has seen a massive shift over the past decade, and continues to evolve faster than ever. With so many strategies, hacks and techniques to marketing, it can be overwhelming to know exactly how to brand and market yourself or your business. For one marketing coach, it couldn’t be simpler. With an intentional approach to marketing, Hannah Bargas has seen some incredible success for both her and her clients, through her mezmerising branding and marketing abilities. Having built and grown her business so quickly,  Bargas has become a highly sought-after marketing coach  amongst wedding vendors and the industry as a whole. Here I sit and discuss with Bargas, getting an insight into what she does, and how she’s already made such a huge impact with her company, Writefully Yours.

Thanks for joining me! Tell us a little more about your backstory?

I’m Hannah Bargas, 23, Midwest city girl that drives a red chevy truck, my favorite color is red – so it fits! I’m a huge Nebraska Huskers fan, raised in a small-ish family, with one sister, and mom and dad and a few pups along the way. I grew up in Kansas City, and now reside in Texas. When I was a little girl, I always knew I was a born leader.

I came home with many report cards that said “Hannah is a joy to have in class, but is quite talkative!” (haha) I’ve been talking in sentences before I was 2 years old and you can even ask my mom about it, she will confirm! I work hard for that little me that was loud in her classroom, I hope to be a kind of role model that my kids can look up to.

How did you get into your current line of work?

I first got into marketing when I was pursuing my Associate’s Degree. I had always been into graphic design, but hadn’t found a job that would give me the ability to do this yet, until my first campus job in the college’s marketing department. I fell in love with seeing an idea come to life through marketing. Seeing ideas come full circle is so rewarding to me. I started in the wedding industry when I was engaged. I started in the wedding stationery sector, and fell in love! At first, it was really slow and I felt that I couldn’t stand out against these other vendors that had an established business already. I was constantly comparing myself, until I realized that all I needed to do – was market differently. I started thinking of social media as a billboard of all my work. I spoke directly to my ideal client, and it came pouring in. Through hard work, tears and lots of sleepless nights – I grew my stationery business to 45 weddings in 7 months, from intentional marketing. Which is what I teach my wedding vendors in my marketing coaching now. I knew that if I knew how to market myself, and being my own worst critic, I knew I could do it for other wedding vendors. There are a TON of business coaches out there, but specifically, I focus on unorthodox strategies to grow your wedding business in such an oversaturated market. I believe that if you don’t want to post something that day, don’t. Your ideal client can tell when you’re just posting to post and it won’t look like your best work

Authenticity is the best thing you can be in your business and on all marketing/social platforms.

Is there a time when you achieved something you never thought possible? Can you explain what it was?

2020 has been full of experiences that I never thought could be possible. But, to pinpoint a few, it would be closing on my first house at 23, hiring a business coach (I didn’t even think I would qualify for something as BIG as that), hiring my first assistant and landing a $20k marketing client in 30 minutes because she saw my worth. I’m giddy just thinking about these things, because it is all the things I didn’t think I could ever have. From going from a college student who thought having $400 in her bank account was considered ‘ballin”, to being able to now, give back to people and charities that matter to me. 

What’s the greatest success you’ve achieved for a client? Can you share a story?

Ooh, this is a great question. Mainly, because I love talking about my client’s successes, even if I had nothing to do with it. One of my clients sells their products on Amazon, and we spent about $1800 in social media ads to support this new product, and after doing some analysis, it was failing. I felt like I didn’t know what I was doing. I felt like I was letting them down. Then, we had a brilliant idea. Let’s create an ad, with typos in it. Now, you’re probably thinking – what the heck do typos have anything to do with an ad? People were commenting that we spelled something wrong – and were quick to correct us (thanks social media). That engagement kept getting the attention we needed – and it kept showing up on our audiences feeds – so much so, that we landed $35k in one month and sold out of every product they sold on Amazon and their online shop.

What makes you and your work unique? 

If you Google “marketing techniques for wedding photographers, venues, etc.” You’ll get a ton of results telling you to, visit bridal shows, do blogs, post 1-3 times a day, blah blah blah. I cut straight to the point. If you’re posts, podcasts, blogs, etc. don’t excite you to post –

they won’t excite your audience either. I push for intentional marketing. A sector of marketing that isn’t so hot on the marketing trend list, just yet. But, I hope to change that. If you go look at my Instagram right now, @writefullyyours_ you’ll probably be surprised that an article is written on someone with less than 1k followers. Now that you probably think I’m no expert by the metrics these “influencers” tell you that experts need to have to be valid, hear me out. Followers do not equal return on investment. I tell my clients this ALL THE TIME. When I booked 45 weddings in 7 months? Never even got over 350ish followers. But guess what? I made more than my corporate job, 2x over. I cut out ALL the BS that doesn’t matter. I focus on a unique strategy to give my clients the ability to stand out. Unorthodox marketing is what will set you apart, not following all these cookie cutter ‘influencer’ freebie ideas that are just full of fluff. Want to see real results? Stop trying to conform, and make yourself the main character of your marketing plan. If you don’t invest in yourself, however you see fit, why should ANYONE invest in you?

Why do wedding vendors need marketing?

If you look at any bridal website, such as the Knot or WeddingWire you’ll see thousands of photographers, venues, planners, etc. In a market that is probably one of the most saturated service providers, you need to stand out.  How will you do that? You start at the basics. Your website, SEO, your social media accounts, how you engage with potential clients, networking, referrals – the list goes on and on. Without all those things, your ideal client won’t ever find you. If you don’t have a website for your business, are you even a business? What if social media were to go away tomorrow – would your business survive? Probably not. The other reason is because most of these wedding vendors are small businesses. Many of them, female entrepreneurs – who have families at home. When they go home, they are a wife, a mom and a business owner. But without marketing that will work for you, when you’re sleeping or at your kid’s sports meets, you’ll be exhausted and burnt out.

What advice would you give to those hesitant about hiring someone to help to grow their business?

The best advice that I could give someone is think about your goals and why you started your business. If your goal for this year or next year, is to have consistent bookings – how will you do it? How will you do it alone, even with all the other hats you wear in your business? Think on how many clients you’re missing out on, because they can’t find you. Let’s be honest – if you don’t invest in yourself, there’s no reason anyone else should invest with you either. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with all the tactics/techniques from all the freebies you’ve downloaded or pinned on Pinterest and still haven’t utilized, it’s time to hire someone to do the damn thing. It’s like a diet. A year from now, you’ll have wished you hired someone today.

Thanks so much for joining me, you’re doing some amazing things! Wishing you all the best. 

To learn more about Hannah and her work, follow her on Instagram for amazing content and inspiration. Looking to grow your wedding business? Visit her website here.