463 MEGHAN ELY: Navigating the Editorial Boom and Getting Your Real Weddings Published

Andy is happy to welcome returning guest Meghan Ely back to the podcast today! Meghan is the owner of OFD Consulting and combines in the trenches event experience with a love of wedding PR, empowering her clients to take their businesses to the next level, and her team's publicity efforts are even regularly honored by the Public Relations Society of America. A longtime industry speaker and writer, Meghan is a wedding pro educator with regular contributions to Wedding Planner Magazine, The Knot, Wedding Business Magazine, Catersource, and SpecialEvents.com. Meghan also is the 2022 WIPA International President and is a long-time supporter and member of NACE, and SpecialEvents.com honored her as one of the top 25 young professionals in the event industry, with NACE recently having honored her as Speaker of the Year. Meghan catches up with Andy since her last appearance on the show, discussing the editorial boom in relation to the wedding industry. She also stresses the importance of mindset when it comes to strategy related to getting work published and diversifying your media strategy. Meghan also emphasizes the importance of having your strategies be year-round. Meghan, in addition, clarifies what's true about being in PR vs. some common misconceptions, emphasizing, for example, that there are rules that should be followed. She touches upon how to keep a line of communication open with editors and maintain connections, arguing that editors should be prioritized just as if they are clients and that we should follow their public accounts on social media, and offers some incredibly helpful advice to anyone looking to navigate this editorial boom! Andy really hopes that all of Meghan's valuable information is helpful to listeners! If so, then Andy would love it if you were to share this episode with a few people you know who might also enjoy it. Be sure to also subscribe to the podcast if you aren't already so that you never miss a new episode and to leave a top review wherever you listen, as that really helps out Andy and the show!   This episode is sponsored by Zola, the fastest-growing wedding platform that connects today's couples with the right planners and vendors. Zola gives wedding professionals more control, better exposure, and higher quality leads - all with competitive pricing and no annual commitment. Create your free listing at www.zola.com/andy.   Have you heard about Stop and Smell the Roses with Preston Bailey on The Wedding Biz Network? Listen as Preston shares the secrets, tools, and technologies behind his extraordinary ability to create a theatrical environment out of any space. Also, don't forget about Sean Low's podcast The Business of Being Creative, where Sean discusses the power of being niched, pricing strategies, metrics of success, and so much more. You can find both shows on The Wedding Biz Network.   SUPPORTING THE WEDDING BIZ Become a patron and support Andy and the show! If you are so inspired, contribute!   Time Stamps [0:00] – The sponsor of this episode is Zola. [0:16] - Andy updates on his comedy class. [2:17] - Today's guest is returning guest Meghan Ely! [3:31] - Meghan defines the editorial boom. [5:40] - Meghan shares a few strategies to get something published. [7:59] - Meghan discusses getting into the headspace of the media. [10:44] - How do we keep communication open with editors? [12:07] - Don't DM editors. [13:12] - Meghan gives advice on how to maintain connections. [15:58] - Hear some last-minute ways to navigate the submission boom. [17:03] - What is the best way to take advantage of what Meghan offers? [18:31] - Andy shares where to find Meghan online.   LINKS & RESOURCES Meghan's Previous Guest Spots on The Wedding Biz   Find Meghan: OFD Consulting - WebsiteOFD Consulting - Facebook PageOFD Consulting - Instagram PageOFD Consulting - Twitter PageOFD Collective - WebsiteWedding Industry Speakers - Website   Follow The Wedding Biz on Social: The Wedding Biz The Wedding Biz on Instagram: @theweddingbiz The Wedding Biz on Facebook: @theweddingbiz The Wedding Biz Network The Music Makers   Support The Wedding Biz by clicking here. Title Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Kushner Entertainment & Zola.