Wedding Business Solutions

Matt Campbell - An event pro with no category is invisible!

• Alan Berg, CSP, FPSA, Global Speaking Fellow

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Are you struggling to stand out in the crowded wedding industry? What if focusing on a specific niche could make you the first person people think of? In this guest episode with Matt Campbell, we ask: What does it take to become the go-to expert? How do your reviews, social media, and content reflect the category you want to own? We explore real strategies for narrowing your focus while still enjoying the work you love—and why that focus is crucial for referrals, higher fees, and success in a changing digital world.

Listen to this new episode for ideas on how defining your specialty can help you build authority and become the top pick for your ideal clients.

About Matt: 
Matthew Campbell is the founder of Wedding Hit Records, the first brand built entirely around wedding music for professionals. He runs My Wedding Songs, The Wedding MusicLetter (5,800+ subscribers), and The Wedding Songs Podcast (95,000+ downloads). He's spent 30+ years at the intersection of weddings and music. 


Contact: https://weddingmusicletter.com/


If you have any questions about anything in this, or any of my podcasts, or have a suggestion for a topic or guest, please reach out directly to me at Alan@WeddingBusinessSolutions.com or visit my website Podcast.AlanBerg.com 

Please be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave a review (thanks, it really does make a difference). If you want to get notifications of new episodes and upcoming workshops and webinars, you can sign up at www.ConnectWithAlanBerg.com  

View the full transcript on Alan’s site: https://alanberg.com/blog/


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I'm Alan Berg. Thanks for listening. If you have any questions about this or if you'd like to suggest other topics for "The Wedding Business Solutions Podcast" please let me know. My email is Alan@WeddingBusinessSolutions.com. Look forward to seeing you on the next episode. Thanks. 

Listen to this and all episodes on Apple Podcast, YouTube or your favorite app/site: 

©2025 Wedding Business Solutions LLC & AlanBerg.com 

Hey, it's Alan Berg. Welcome back to another episode of the Wedding Business Solutions Podcast. I am so happy to have my friend Matt Campbell back on today.

Hey everybody, thanks Alan for having me on the show today. Really appreciate it.

Well, thank you, Matt, because I see your newsletter, the Wedding Music Letter, and myweddingsongs.com. I was just reading your hat. You posted something for DJs, because music is your lane, about how the DJ with no category is invisible. I said, "Gosh, this really applies to anybody in the wedding and event industry." That's why I wanted to have you on to talk about this. Where did the inspiration for that come from?

Actually, just reading DJ boards and everybody talking about being luxury DJs. That's really how it started. Then it went from there. It goes back to the old saying that a jack of all trades is a master of none.

I'm reminded that if people are going to think of you, why should they contact you? If you're known for weddings or a specific type of wedding—if it's a Jewish wedding, for example—and you're the best at that, then every planner in your area knows to contact you for those types of weddings.

Right. So what are you the go-to for? People think narrowing their niche is going to hurt them, but I've spoken about this a lot because I did it myself.

When I left The Knot, I had to decide whether I was the wedding and event industry guy or the guy who talks about sales, business, websites, and things like that. My speaker friends looked at me and said, "Your niche is an inch wide but a mile deep."

Does this apply if somebody does weddings and mitzvahs and quinceañeras and corporate events and proms and fundraisers? Can they still be the go-to for something?

I absolutely think so. For me, it really comes down to the image that you portray.

You can still do those events, but what are you posting on social media? If you want to be known as a wedding DJ, then you're not posting about the mitzvahs or the proms. You're portraying a specific image.

I also think a lot of vendors don't think about the reviews they're getting. If your Google reviews are all about how great you were at the bar and everybody was drunk and you were off the hook, how is a bride and groom going to relate to that review? Are they going to disqualify you because of it?

Yeah. And something you just said is second nature, but it's worth mentioning. You said "bride and groom." If you're only posting about brides and grooms—always a man and a woman—you may be excluding other couples you work with. If you do work with them, showcase them too. Otherwise, it may not seem like you're a welcoming place for them.

There are different ways to be the go-to person. Saying "I'm the wedding person" is still too broad.

Maybe you're the LGBTQ+ officiant. Then everybody knows you're the go-to officiant for those ceremonies. We're not saying don't do everything else, but be known for something.

Right. That's me. I'm known for the wedding and event industry. Seven of my sixteen books apply to any business. I do work outside the industry, but I don't pursue it. It comes to me because somebody in the industry saw me or has one foot in and one foot out.

Those books reinforce my expertise, but if you look at my social feeds, it's all wedding and event industry content.

Exactly. Think about your business. What do you want to be known for? Are you the category of none, or do you own a specific category? The word "niche" gets overused, but figure out what your specialty is.

In the speaker world, they always say the riches are in the niches. Really, it's about being the go-to.

Think about yourself. If you needed a plumber, an electrician, or a handyman, who immediately comes to mind? There are dozens or even hundreds of people who do that work in your area, but one name pops into your head. You want to be that person.

Exactly.

Take florists as an example. I'd love to be known as the florist who provides whatever flowers are in season—not every flower, just the flowers that are at their best. Or maybe you're known for sunflowers. Whatever it is, I'd rather be known for something than simply "the wedding flower shop."

Or maybe it's your creativity.

There's room in the market for everybody. If you're the one doing whatever's trending on Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest, that's great because there are people who want that. But if you're doing the same thing everyone else is doing, the lowest price usually wins.

Exactly. You can charge more because you're known for that specific thing.

In the DJ industry, if you want to be known for high-end weddings, you have to portray yourself doing high-end weddings—not mitzvahs or proms. You have to attract the customer you want.

And some DJs pick up weekday work doing bubble parties. Do your wedding couples really want to see bubble party content?

Right.

Photographers may shoot boudoir, families, pets, food, and weddings. I'm not saying don't do it, but you might want different Instagram accounts for those different audiences.

What do you want to be the go-to for? You can't be the go-to for everything.

Exactly.

When I ask people who their target customer is, they often say, "Anybody getting married."

Really?

Budget matters. Location matters. Not everybody is pleasant to work with. There are customers you don't want.

If you could choose your ideal customer, who would that be?

The same applies to corporate work. Saying "I want to do more corporate work" is still too broad. Is it holiday parties? Grand openings? Retail events with a live DJ? Those are all different markets.

The same goes for photographers shooting concerts, celebrities, sports, or homecomings. Follow your passion if you can make a living at it. Otherwise, it's a hobby.

This even applies to AI because you do a lot of AI talks.

AI is trying to figure out who you are as a business. If you're a photographer and AI is reading reviews about family portraits, boudoir, and everything else, while you're trying to rank as the best wedding photographer in Las Vegas, that's a difficult challenge.

Exactly. You're diluting your SEO, your answer engine optimization, and your generative engine optimization.

People are searching with AI now. If you're not consistently talking about the things you do best, AI won't know to recommend you.

I recently taught a workshop where we used AI to find the questions people are asking about your category. Then we used another AI to evaluate your website and create content answering those questions.

The goal is to become the answer when someone searches with AI.

Exactly. It's no longer just about rankings. AI is making recommendations, and you want to be the recommendation.

People still use Google, but even Google traffic is changing. We used to search for links. Now we search for answers. We want ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok, and the others to give us the answer directly.

AI is a tool. It helps me, but my judgment determines how I use it.

For years we've said you should answer questions on your website because that's how people search. It's even more important now.

Absolutely.

If you're unsure what your category is, have a long conversation with AI. Years ago, you'd pay a consultant thousands of dollars. Now you have a business partner that's available all the time.

That's exactly how I use it.

Tell ChatGPT to be your thought partner. Ask it to interview you one question at a time so you can discover your niche and ideal customer. Upload your reviews too.

One thing I've been doing lately is telling it not to offer suggestions until it's asked me at least five questions. That goes back to Toyota's Five Whys. Keep peeling back the layers until you get past the surface.

For me, it comes down to this: I do what I do because it brings me joy and it brings you value. If something won't bring me joy or won't bring you value, I'm not interested.

If it does both, then I'll happily cash the check.

Think about everybody listening: venues, photographers, videographers, planners, DJs, officiants, and people all over the world.

What about someone who works for a company instead of owning one? How can they become the go-to?

What do you mean by the go-to?

Let's say someone works at a venue as a salesperson. The venue has the branding, but people remember people. How can an employee become the go-to?

Absolutely.

What makes you stand out?

How can AI help you improve your processes and create a better client experience? Not every AI suggestion is perfect, but it can help you think differently.

More importantly, what can you do that nobody else at your venue or company is doing? That's your own category.

Exactly.

You don't just want people to refer the venue. You want them to say, "Talk to this person."

One of my favorite quotes is that AI won't take your job, but someone who knows how to use AI might.

Beyond AI, how do you make yourself invaluable? Are you the one with the answers? The one with the connections? The one who attends networking events and conferences?

Years ago, I sold Chrysler cars. I became the national product information champion. Whenever anyone in the dealership needed information, they yelled across the showroom to ask me.

What message did that send to customers? I was the guy.

Even if you're not the owner, think about your niche. Figure out what you love to do.

Around here in New Jersey, people joke that everyone needs "a guy" for something. The question is, are you that person?

Exactly.

If a photographer gets asked for a florist, does your name come up first? If a couple asks about a bat mitzvah or quinceañera and you don't do those events, do you know the go-to person?

If your name isn't the first one people think of, what can you do?

We've talked about social media and websites. What about thought leadership? How can someone demonstrate expertise?

It's funny. With everyone talking about AI, I keep thinking that one-on-one connections are still incredibly important.

Share your expertise. Speak at your local BNI chapter, ILEA, WIPA, or another organization. Just don't turn it into a sales pitch. Give people useful information that helps them become better.

I recently heard someone give a presentation where every sentence started with "I." It felt like a sales pitch.

I don't like selling from the stage.

I may mention that I wrote about something in a book, but I don't stop the presentation to promote myself. I provide value first. At the end, if there's a slide saying where to find my books, that's different.

When you give value first, people naturally want to give value back to you.

If you want to speak at conferences like Wedding MBA someday, start locally. Speak to ten people, then twenty-five, then grow from there.

I also watched someone constantly looking down at their notes during a presentation. The content was good, but it was distracting because it suggested they hadn't prepared enough.

Being nervous is okay. Nervous means you care about doing a good job.

Maybe holding an iPad instead of being anchored behind a podium would have helped.

The content was solid. The delivery will improve with practice.

You can also blog, send newsletters, post on LinkedIn, or even start a podcast. If you don't like writing, talk instead. People will recognize your expertise when they hear you.

If I had to choose two platforms today, they'd be YouTube and LinkedIn.

Create YouTube Shorts—even thirty-second videos if you don't like being on camera.

LinkedIn is hugely underused in our industry, even though so many business professionals are there. Share your expertise with simple posts.

The great thing is that one piece of content can be repurposed everywhere.

This podcast becomes a transcript on my website. It gets turned into emails, LinkedIn posts, Facebook posts, Instagram content, YouTube videos, and AI-generated clips.

All we're doing is talking.

People overthink content creation. Technology can help you multiply it.

I recently suggested a workflow improvement to my virtual assistant using AI that will save her time.

We're adding a short "too long; didn't read" summary at the top of transcripts, followed by the full transcript and then a question-and-answer section. It helps readers and also trains my AI knowledge base.

The equipment isn't complicated either. I have some lights, one camera, one microphone, and no producer. The simplicity makes it feel real.

When I read your newsletters, I feel like I'm just sitting down talking with you. That's part of what makes them work.

Tell us a little about what you're working on.

The biggest thing is my newsletter. It comes out every Wednesday.

Paid members also receive new and trending songs at the end of each month.

I'm also working on a book called The Wedding Music Canon. It'll feature the best wedding songs from the 1950s through the 2010s—over 1,500 songs—with tips and interesting facts about each one.

Hopefully it'll be out in the next couple of months.

I want to read that.

I want to see whether "I Only Have Eyes for You" is in there. That's our song. My parents' song was "The Nearness of You."

I'm not sure about "The Nearness of You." My parents' song was "Twilight Time" by The Drifters, and that's included.

My parents got married in 1954, but "The Nearness of You" was probably more of a 1940s song.

"I Only Have Eyes for You" is in there, but I prefer the Art Garfunkel version. My wife stops whatever she's doing when she hears it. It's magical. As is she.

So, weddingmusicletter.com. There's a free version and a paid version with additional content. People can also find you on LinkedIn and Facebook.

We'll put all of that in the show notes.

Matt, thanks so much for joining me. I know you wrote that original article for DJs, but it really applies to everyone in the wedding industry.

Think about what you can narrow down.

This reminds me of Mike Michalowicz's The Pumpkin Plan. What can you cut away that's pulling your attention so you can put all your energy into the one thing?

Thanks again for joining me.

Thanks everybody for listening. See you on the next episode.

Thanks, Alan. Thanks everybody.


I’m Alan Berg. Thanks for listening. If you have any questions about this or if you’d like to suggest other topics for “The Wedding Business Solutions Podcast” please let me know. My email is Alan@WeddingBusinessSolutions.com or you can  text, use the short form on this page, or call +1.732.422.6362, international 001 732 422 6362. I look forward to seeing you on the next episode. Thanks.

Listen to this and all episodes on Apple Podcast, YouTube or your favorite app/site:

©2026 Wedding Business Solutions LLC & AlanBerg.com


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Alan Berg, CSP, Global Speaking Fellow

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