Dear Wedding and Party Network Vendors,

We're Social!

Our Social Media Department has been making great strides to bring your local business to millions of online users. To do that, we have created a Facebook page to directly interact with consumers and vendors, making your time with Wedding and Party Network a more social experience.

In addition, we are finding our vendors online. Many of you are active on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin. We dedicate social media resources to promoting Wedding and Party Network vendors to our followers.

Connecting to Your Profile

Following our redesign, we have created space in your vendor profile to link many social media platforms to your WPN profile. This allows you to connect in a variety of ways to clients, as well as find new customers.

To do this, simply log-in to your Admin account and copy and paste the URL of your social media accounts into the space provided. You will then see a tab added to your profile page featuring your social media networks.

Find us on Facebook!

To connect with our fans on Facebook, visit http://www.facebook.com/weddingandpartynetwork and “Like” our page. We will then add you to our list of favorite pages and periodically feature you on our page, where several hundred fans will see you and find a link to your business' Facebook page! You can also upload your own photos and comments to our page for everyone to see! Remember: the more you post, the more you will be seen by potential clients!

Follow us on Twitter!

Wedding and Party Network also uses Twitter to connect with fans and vendors to share ideas, news, and trends. We use special techniques to place our vendors at the forefront of popular Twitter searches, as well as promote our site across Twitter. Follow us at www.twitter.com/followWPN to begin receiving our Tweets!

Have a Blog?

If you have a blog, drop us a line at social@weddingandpartynetwork.com to be added to our blog roll featured on our site. Then add us http://www.weddingandpartynetwork.com/blog/ to your blogroll to get the latest in wedding and party information.

There are numerous ways to expand your business' online presence through Wedding and Party Network's Social Media Department. We are constantly exploring new ways to promote Wedding and Party Network members, and we look forward to seeing you on our many social network platforms!

If you have any questions, contact us at social@weddingandpartynetwork.com.

"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

This little phrase changed the game for a man named Randy Snow, creative director for R & R Advertising in Las Vegas. Charged with turning Vegas around following the September 11 attacks, Snow and his team brilliantly coined a phrase that has become a pop culture staple. We here at Wedding and Party Network had an opportunity to hear Snow speak during lunch today, and it was nothing short of inspirational–and not just for marketers. His ideas are applicable to anyone with an audience to reach.

Snow is clearly a smart man. Although he admits to not coining the phrase himself, he didn't let it get off his desk. In fact, Snow attributes the idea to a couple of his creative writers (ahem), who brought the idea to him in passing. Snow recognized the magic in their idea and held on to it. This is important for any business, big or small: a good idea is a good idea. Snow said he and his production crew often pause during shoots to rework and rewrite scripts as the ideas flow. They come from everyone from the actors to the cinematographers. The key is he listens. He doesn't charge himself with coming up with all of the ideas, but he does know a good one when he sees it.

Another key of Snow's success is research. Snow said following Sept. 11, he and his team went out with paper and pencil and started asking, "What should we do next?" to tourists on the street. The answer: keep being Vegas. Snow said his firm is allotted $7 million in research budgeting to perform focus groups, triads (focus groups of three people), and polls to find their audience and what they're looking for.

This goes for anybody. Use social media to get in touch with your clientele. Ask them questions. "What are you looking for? How can we make this easier?" Spend time with your consumers and listen. What you want isn't always what they want. Check out this blog for an example of how you can use social media for your business! Snow said he was met with a great deal of opposition when presenting the "What Happens Here, Stays Here." campaign. It wasn't until Mayor Oscar B. Goodman informed them that "Our Las Vegas isn't their Las Vegas," that the idea took hold.

Keep it simple, stupid. Snow said he and his team start with a good idea, whether it be print, web, or video, and start taking away things they don't need. One of the most successful commercials for the campaign contained no dialouge, and yet, the lead in the commercial won an acting award for her role! Another award-winning print ad showed nothing but a lint roller covered in sequins, feathers and fake eyelashes and the phrase "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." That's all it needed!

Although he was given a surprisingly small production budget, Snow said he never skimped on actors, directors or other crew ("We'll make it up in catering," he said). He had only a few seconds to make a point, and he wanted it to be the best few seconds possible. Quality is key. Don't skimp on the things that matter. Use your resources to create something special. This is where the importance of creativity and knowing your brand come into play. No one knows your brand better than you, and no one knows Las Vegas better than Randy Snow.

This post is sponsored by Wedding and Party Network videographers.

Looking to create an exceptional catering experience for you and your guests at your next big event? It’s possible with A Social Event Catering!

With over 15 years of customer satisfaction, A Social Event Catering can provide you and your guests with a delicious menu that's hard to resist. With their selection of mouth-watering casseroles, one-of-a-kind wedding cakes and fresh fruit entrees, how could you go wrong with this Montgomery, AL caterer?!

From the simplest, intimate get-togethers to the largest functions, they do it all!

Perhaps you're hosting Thanksgiving for the entire family this year, and cooking seems like such a hassle. Let A Social Event Catering help you!

Choose one of their holiday specials, consisting of an entire Thanksgiving meal! That's right, a entire turkey, cornbread, gravy, green beans, rolls and much more is prepared for you at a convenient price. Talk about a lifesaver!

Along with delivering fresh, made-to-order casseroles and dinners for almost any event, A Social Event Catering can also help prepare an elaborate wedding reception! With the ability to serve up to 3,000 guests, catering for a wedding is no problem for them. Their top-of-the-line wedding coordinators are ready to help you choose an extraordinary menu, decor and much more! Don't forget their cakes. They creates some of the most unique wedding cakes in Montgomery.  A Social Event Catering is sure to make your wedding day a tasty and beautiful event.

Large or small, formal or casual, choose A Social Event Catering for an event that "wows" and will leave guests raving about your event for years!

Success starts with opportunity. Take advantage of your opportunity to submit photos of your products and services to the Wedding and Party Network Photo Gallery. You can submit up to 10 photos a week to the photo gallery. Each photo links to a page with all your photos, your listing and a link to your site. This photo page is an opportunity to showcase your products and reach clients needing your services. This is one more way Wedding and Party Network connects your company to the consumer.

It's easy to do. Simply click here to log in to your account and go to the photo gallery. Once on this page follow the form to upload your photos. Your photos will then go to our moderator who will make it active in the photo gallery. Don't pass up this free opportunity. Upload your photos today!