Anyone use the knot to market - using a profile or ad?

[tigercosmos]

I received an e-mail from the knot offering: Limited Time Offer, The ultimate profile package to reach brides,

Interactive business profiles on both TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com, Each highly visible profile includes:

One four-color image, 45 word description and your logo, Your direct contact information, A link to your web

site... PLUS! A third profile on PartySpot.com, Added reach to Party Throwers planning a mitzvah, sweet sixteen

and more! Sign up today and receive 10% off the regular price plus nine **(9) images on all three websites FREE

with a $600 upgrade.

 

Has anyone had experience marketing via a profile on the knot? Any success from it?

 

Thank you,

 

Tiger

[art_tatum]

How much for the Limited Time Offer?

[steve_c.5]

It depends on what geographic area you're in, and what The Knot's market penetration is there. They locked me into

a 6 month committment, and I booked one wedding out of it. I got several calls, but they were all from people looking

for someone in another part of my state that I don't service. It had to do with the way The Knot divides territories

across a state, and how many eyeballs from YOUR area are looking at their listings. It's truly a numbers game.

 

Best thing to do is find other vendors in your area (the ones who will be open with you, probably videographers or

other types of vendors not in direct competition with you) who are using The Knot, and see what success they're

having. Heck, you might even find a photog who would share ideas with you.

[brooke_moore]

We pulled out totally this season after 10 years of advertising.

 

It was great at first but then got more and more into their own self promotions and when they started to offer album design service that was the last straw.

 

It seems to work for large retailers but not very well for smaller ones.

[tigercosmos]

Art - The promo is for $135 a month. The Promotion provides listings on all 3 of the knot websites and the 10 Photo Gallery, an otherwise $2400.00 value, for $1620.00.

[tigercosmos]

Steve & Brook: Thank you for sharing your experience. I am a small one person show. I am located in the San Francisco Bay Area. There are about 1000 photographers per wedding couple in this area. I think any profile in this area would get lost. I checked out the site and their are pages and pages of photogs for the Bay Area. And like Brook advised - these seem to be larger studio based.

[steve_c.5]

You're probably right, Tige. You'll probably do better by networking with vendors and other creative marketing techiques than putting your ad in with 1000 other "creatives".

[hassy501]

After 6 years of advertising with the Knot, we gave them up. Didn't book many weddings, customer service stunk, brides who did contact us were low end, but...........the thing that really irked me was the the Knot continually promotes DEALS to their bride.

 

"Get a better deal"......"learn how to get a deal"........"learn the secrets of getting what you want for less".......

 

It's just so frustrating to have the advertiser that YOU are paying, promoting DEALS to the brides.........

 

It's basically the dog biting the hand that feeds them...........

 

Instead of telling brides how to get their wedding vendors for less, they should be doing everything within their power to promote YOU and telling the brides who use their site to go with professional, credible vendors who will provide top quality work. And not be afraid to pay for that quality.