Preaching to the masses

[Benny Smyth]

My SEO guy has asked me to do one of those 'preachy' blog posts about what you should do when booking your Wedding DJ.

I really hate those posts, but he's the expert so I'm not going to spend all morning working out how to put my own spin on it.

[Nakatomi]

Who doesn't love a good FUD blog post? ;) (FUD == Fear, Uncertainty & Doubt)

I'm guessing you asked why he thinks it's necessary - if it's 'because DJs A, B, C, D thru Z do it' is that really a good reason? The best other reason I can think of is it's another way to make 'reasons to book me' text.

[Benny Smyth]

Something about "link building and anything that is helpful or informative that someone like a customer would find useful" was the reason given.

(*I made a typo in my opening post - I meant I am now going to spend all morning working on it)

Meh. I guess it's a challenge for me to come up with a way to add a Benny spin on this kind of thing.

[rth_discos]

Something about "link building and anything that is helpful or informative that someone like a customer would find useful" was the reason given.

(*I made a typo in my opening post - I meant I am now going to spend all morning working on it)

Meh. I guess it's a challenge for me to come up with a way to add a Benny spin on this kind of thing.

SEO is not about one post.

It's about regular content, and a distribution method to achieve links back to the website.

For real SEO, you'd need to create a content schedule - at a minimum one decent length (1,000 word) post a month.

Plus guest blog posts on other websites - all with unique content.

[DeckstarDeluxe]

I've tried to do this before and will admit I hated it. I highly doubt many DJs out there have done this so once it's out there and being picked up it could be quite an effective boost.

Guess there's nothing to lose!

[Nakatomi]

I've tried to do this before and will admit I hated it. I highly doubt many DJs out there have done this so once it's out there and being picked up it could be quite an effective boost.

Guess there's nothing to lose!

I see it a lot. Usually it's something along the lines of

Make sure they're willing to meet you
Make sure they're insured
Make sure they have a registered business
Check their reviews
Check for evidence
Make sure they PAT their equipment
Make sure they turn up wearing a sparkling tux
Don't book residents they're all cowboys!
Etc

Most I've seen make for dismal reading & seems like negative marketing aka spreading fear, uncertainty & doubt.

What I think they should be doing is letting the customer know the kind of ride they're in for & telling the customer how to get the best out of their booking. To get the best results there's often more involved than merely making the booking & them turning up on the day. But customers may not realise that...

[Benny Smyth]

. What I think they should be doing is letting the customer know the kind of ride they're in for & telling the customer how to get the best out of their booking. To get the best results there's often more involved than merely making the booking & them turning up on the day. But customers may not realise that...

Not too dissimilar to the path I've taken.

bennysmyth.co.uk/blog/post/booking-your-wedding-dj-mobile-disco/

Not my usual sort of thing, but I hope it's informative but different to all the other schmucks.

[Nakatomi]

Not too dissimilar to the path I've taken.

bennysmyth.co.uk/blog/post/booking-your-wedding-dj-mobile-disco/

Not my usual sort of thing, but I hope it's informative but different to all the other schmucks.

That's very you though. I like that a lot.

Btw so much for banning the word 'disco'. Did you act on advice or... What changed your mind?

I'm asking cos I'd LOVE to banish it from my own site. And from customers vocabulary!

[yourdj]

I think it needs to be relevant and something you want to post about. My main bugbear with website people is that they tell you that you have to do this and that (especially with social media), when often they are just working on outdated Google Algorithm crap. My photography site breaks all the rules, but I don't care as people will find it if they want to. Real nice quality relevant content written passionately is what I like? :)

My sound level meter page is getting about 10-20 hits a day from all around the world, its amazing really considering the spelling and grammar. I am considering asking Sentry to pay me for the free advertising.

You guys can add to that - lurkers that dont have the balls to ever post, you know you want to you pussies! :p

http://yourdj.co.uk/sound-meters-noise-limiters/

[Imagine]

That's very you though. I like that a lot.

Btw so much for banning the word 'disco'. Did you act on advice or... What changed your mind?

I'm asking cos I'd LOVE to banish it from my own site. And from customers vocabulary!

I still VERY MUCH use the word disco.
It's what customer's are still using (I turned up on Saturday to "Oh - you must be the disco man"

As much as we hate it....it's what they call us and if it means an extra point on SEO - I'm using it ;)

[yourdj]

This is probably what you might be referring too and yes a proportion of fear mongering works, but at the end of the day there are some serious muppets out there who will just book any old DJ based on the cheapest quote and not ask any questions or get in touch until a week before the wedding date. If I booked a builder and had a well written simple checklist bible to work from then getting the right one would be much easier. I have had client relay my list back to me at meetings, not knowing that I wrote it LOL. Its nice to steer people in the right direction as more often than not this is the first event they have ever managed. Plus as you say its a plus point when Google goes through the site as its relevant and rich in keywords or whatever??

http://yourdj.co.uk/mobile-dj-advice/

[ukpartydj]

Not too dissimilar to the path I've taken.

bennysmyth.co.uk/blog/post/booking-your-wedding-dj-mobile-disco/

Not my usual sort of thing, but I hope it's informative but different to all the other schmucks.

Very good. It always amazes me how similar my clients are to myself when all they've done is seen my website!

I remember meeting a potential client last year and they were nice but their vocabulary etc was very different to mine and when I was asking about what they wanted all they were interested in chatting about nonsense and were seeing if we clicked which I couldn't get my head around. You defiantly feel much less stress knowing you've booked somebody who you can relate to.

[DazzyD]

I still VERY MUCH use the word disco.
It's what customer's are still using (I turned up on Saturday to "Oh - you must be the disco man"

As much as we hate it....it's what they call us and if it means an extra point on SEO - I'm using it ;)

I really don't understand the desire to drop words and phrases that are exactly how our potential clients identify and relate to us. Why would anyone in business alienate themselves like this? :confused::confused:


Its nice to steer people in the right direction ..

Which is exactly what "Sales" is all about. It amazes me how poor DJs are at selling themselves, especially at Wedding Fayres and the likes. If you're not comfortable employing sales techniques, then maybe hire someone who is? Sales are the very cornerstone of the business world. I'm not suggesting using blagging methods just simple sales techniques that make the whole process so much easier!


...all they were interested in chatting about nonsense and were seeing if we clicked which I couldn't get my head around. You defiantly feel much less stress knowing you've booked somebody who you can relate to.

Sales again! Building rapport - a connection between you and the client that goes beyond what you do and what you are selling - is vital as people buy people. It sounds like a really corny saying but, in the business world, it's very true. How many times on Dragon's Den do you hear a Dragon say "I'm not 100% on your idea but I really do like you so I'm going to make you an offer..."?

[Benny Smyth]

I really don't understand the desire to drop words and phrases that are exactly how our potential clients identify and relate to us. Why would anyone in business alienate themselves like this? :confused::confused:

Simply because that a lot of the 20s & 30s age-range clients see the words 'Mobile Disco' and are immediately transported back to when they were 6 years old at their Aunty Sue's 40th birthday party held at Generic Social Club, and they can see the adults going through the motions of the YMCA but not really enjoying it. They also regularly cite Abba & Dexys Midnight Runners being played behind a wall of crap lighting, muffled sound, dangly leads and unprofessionalism that they really want to avoid for their wedding day.

Mobile Disco is exactly what we are and exactly what we do, but to a lot of my potential clients, it's a tainted term.


Btw so much for banning the word 'disco'. Did you act on advice or... What changed your mind?

I did it by myself. It's what people type to start their searches on Google because they don't know what else they could type, and to not have it on a website is, as Darren rightfully says, an excellent way to alienate yourself from the pack. I've now come to terms with embracing it, but also pointing out that yes, I am a Mobile Disco but I am in no way what you are expecting. The pictures, video and copy that I have on my website, along with my social media stuff (which I have noticed quite a few folk copying now) show that I am a clear step of what people think when they imagine a typical Mobile Disco. I hope that having the words 'Mobile Disco' on my website doesn't bring me down - more that everything else that I do, when it relates to my website, social media and business, rises the value of those words.

[yourdj]

Simply because that a lot of the 20s & 30s age-range clients see the words 'Mobile Disco' and are immediately transported back to when they were 6 years old at their Aunty Sue's 40th birthday party held at Generic Social Club


I don't have mobile disco as a prominent search term (mainly mobile wedding DJ or just DJ). I feel the same and think its a bit outdated (after all it means discotech, who uses that in the UK these days?). Like 'roadshow' has, I think its slowly going out of date.

The people that refer to me as 'the disco man' (makes me cringe every time) at weddings are not usually my ideal clients. It's the ones that say 'hey it's the DJ' that usually are more my cup of tea. :)

[Nakatomi]

I think the words 'disco' and 'roadshow' are dinosoars personally. I'm 46 & as Benny says they resonate with naff music, naff sound & naff lighting. Oh & scream if you wanna go faster on the mic. I have a real problem with the word DISCO. It just rubs me the wrong way completely. I hate it.

I have more traffic coming to my site because I started using the word 'disco' again but that doesn't mean I like it or that customers who book me use it. Let it boogie on down to the scrapheap I say.

[Imagine]

I think the words 'disco' and 'roadshow' are dinosoars personally. I'm 46 & as Benny says they resonate with naff music, naff sound & naff lighting. Oh & scream if you wanna go faster on the mic. I have a real problem with the word DISCO. It just rubs me the wrong way completely. I hate it.

I have more traffic coming to my site because I started using the word 'disco' again but that doesn't mean I like it or that customers who book me use it. Let it boogie on down to the scrapheap I say.

Nah - let's rock the rafters with the platters that matter on the wheels of steel ;)

I have no real objection to the word....it might just be how customers speak over in this neck of the woods.
But to be honest, my target market is swinging more to the older generation as opposed to the hip and trendy young millennials so it's working for me :)

[Nakatomi]

Nah - let's rock the rafters with the platters that matter on the wheels of steel ;)

I have no real objection to the word....it might just be how customers speak over in this neck of the woods.
But to be honest, my target market is swinging more to the older generation as opposed to the hip and trendy young millennials so it's working for me :)

I've tried to rationalise why I don't like it & never have liked it but I really don't know what it is about it I despise. It's a gut reaction & guaranteed to wind me up when people call me 'the disco'.

Now disco as a music genre.. That's a different story.

[DJWilson]

Simply because that a lot of the 20s & 30s age-range clients see the words 'Mobile Disco' and are immediately transported back to when they were 6 years old at their Aunty Sue's 40th birthday party held at Generic Social Club, and they can see the adults going through the motions of the YMCA but not really enjoying it. They also regularly cite Abba & Dexys Midnight Runners being played behind a wall of crap lighting, muffled sound, dangly leads and unprofessionalism that they really want to avoid for their wedding day.

Mobile Disco is exactly what we are and exactly what we do, but to a lot of my potential clients, it's a tainted term.


I met with a client on Saturday ahead of their Wedding in August.

At the end the Groom said "When you said about meeting before hand I thought that was quite strange for a disco, but you've come across very professional".

And this is for a fairly decent priced gig in a beautiful venue which isn't cheap.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

I know exactly where you are coming from. That happened to me on many occasions. One of the comments I remember clearly, came from a lady who was having a 40th birthday party. She told me during our meeting that one of her friends had asked her if she fancied going to the cinema on the same night we had arranged to meet. She told her friend that she couldn't go because she had the DJ coming over. Her friend was confused and apparently asked the question "What does the DJ want to visit you for? Mine didn't when I had my 40th"...

During our meeting, the lady stopped me mid-way through my usual rambling and said "You know what, it is such a good idea that you do this. You've put me totally at ease and I know I'm in good hands".....

Anyway, to cut a long story short, she (we all), had a brilliant time. The friend that had made the comment apparently said to the lady that she wished she'd known I existed before she had her party a few months earlier.

Ok, a bit long winded as usual from me, but....I've always said, meetings beforehand etc are important (to me anyway) and worth doing. I hate the cliches, but "fail to prepare, prepare to fail" springs to mind straight away.

As for the word 'Disco', even though I think it is totally outdated, I also think it is necessary to use it as a tag, along with DJ. In my experience, the older enquirers will refer to you as "the disco" whilst others refer to you as "the DJ". It doesn't bother me which they prefer to use. To be blunt, I couldn't care less, it's just a tag at the end of the day and if it brings in the work, it's done its job.

[ukpartydj]

Which is exactly what "Sales" is all about. It amazes me how poor DJs are at selling themselves, especially at Wedding Fayres and the likes. If you're not comfortable employing sales techniques, then maybe hire someone who is? Sales are the very cornerstone of the business world. I'm not suggesting using blagging methods just simple sales techniques that make the whole process so much easier!

Sales again! Building rapport - a connection between you and the client that goes beyond what you do and what you are selling - is vital as people buy people. It sounds like a really corny saying but, in the business world, it's very true. How many times on Dragon's Den do you hear a Dragon say "I'm not 100% on your idea but I really do like you so I'm going to make you an offer..."?

I completely agree that building a connection is important, however a wedding is a very personal event, some clients are simply not on the same wavelength. The clients I'm talking about were very loud, forgien and I found it difficult to comprehend what they were really asking me, mostly because it was very off topic and secondly because they used words I hadn't a clue what they meant.

The people that are good at the traditional sales techniques are also the ones that earn the least, I'm sure some earn a lot more than me though so not a fair comment really. I personally hate standard sales techniques, I don't trust people that encourage sales it triggers the thought that this isn't worth buying if they need to try and convince me or influence my thought process using sales techniques or time pressures etc. I want to buy something because I've done my research and I've made the decision without somebody telling me that I should make the decision.

I focus on marketing and a high-quality and I'm doing pretty well for it :)

[Nakatomi]

This is probably what you might be referring too and yes a proportion of fear mongering works, but at the end of the day there are some serious muppets out there who will just book any old DJ based on the cheapest quote and not ask any questions or get in touch until a week before the wedding date. If I booked a builder and had a well written simple checklist bible to work from then getting the right one would be much easier. I have had client relay my list back to me at meetings, not knowing that I wrote it LOL. Its nice to steer people in the right direction as more often than not this is the first event they have ever managed. Plus as you say its a plus point when Google goes through the site as its relevant and rich in keywords or whatever??

http://yourdj.co.uk/mobile-dj-advice/

I see no FUD in that page Toby. Plenty others use phrases like "risk your whole big day if you book anyone else". I find that kind of going utterly desperate & way too 'sales-y'

[Pe7e]

I see no FUD in that page Toby. Plenty others use phrases like "risk your whole big day if you book anyone else". I find that kind of going utterly desperate & way too 'sales-y'

I don't see that sort of negative marketing tactic as sales-y, in fact the total opposite, it would send me scurrying for the back button.

[yourdj]

I see no FUD in that page Toby. Plenty others use phrases like "risk your whole big day if you book anyone else". I find that kind of going utterly desperate & way too 'sales-y'

Thats where I send enquiries who have £250 budgeted for the DJ & £450 on the LOVE letters. ;)

Perhaps its needs to be toned down a bit, but the 12 questions I think are very useful if you have no idea what to ask. I have even said, go and get quotes from other DJ's and compare and made it clear that they are questions WE would be asking when employing another DJ. Maybe taking that video out would be a good idea. I do find that funny though. My other advice pages are not that bad: http://yourdj.co.uk/wedding-dj-entertainment-advice/


I don't see that sort of negative marketing tactic as sales-y, in fact the total opposite, it would send me scurrying for the back button.

Have you looked at that page or is that general statement? I agree btw :)

[Pe7e]

Have you looked at that page or is that general statement? I agree btw :)

I thought your page looked informative and didn't come across as negative marketing, I was commenting on this line from Nakatomi post

Plenty others use phrases like "risk your whole big day if you book anyone else". I find that kind of going utterly desperate & way too 'sales-y'

[Nakatomi]

I don't see that sort of negative marketing tactic as sales-y, in fact the total opposite, it would send me scurrying for the back button.

By 'sales-y' I meant pushy. Used car salesman like. High pressure.