Here at GigSalad, we’re constantly working to improve our service for our users. That includes everything from bug fixes and small improvements to A/B tests and large product launches. We want to keep you informed about what we’re doing, so we’re introducing a new Product Updates blog series.
In this product update:
- Improved event planner engagement
- New and improved saved messages
- New saved quotes feature
- Making bookings count
- Calendar improvements
- Gathering member feedback
Improved event planner engagement
We know that a lack of response from clients is a big pain point for our members, so this year we’ve been focusing a lot on improving event planner engagement. We’ve tried and tested a variety of things.
What worked…
✔ Event status updates. Earlier this year, we began sending two follow-up emails to event planners to find out the status of their event. This helps us better inform our members of where their clients might be in the booking process.
✔ Better onboarding. Rather than taking event planners to their Dashboard after they submit a quote request, we are now redirecting them to their Manage Event page. This page shows them a list of vendors that got their request so they can review their options. We also improved the success message to better inform them of the next steps. When we tested this, it led to a significant increase in profile views and a small increase in bookings.
✔ Improved thread design. We changed how quotes appear to event planners to draw more attention to them in the message thread. We designed a new colorful background, added emojis, and improved the overall layout of information.
What didn’t work…
✘ Quick replies. We tested a couple of variations of a “quick reply” feature that gave event planners the option to select from a provided list of common responses when replying to messages and quotes. Unfortunately, neither variation we tried resulted in a statistically significant impact on response rate or bookings, so we removed the feature.
✘ Media modals in threads. We were featuring each profile’s media in a modal that popped up when an event planner went to a message thread. Unfortunately, showing the modal was more intrusive than helpful. However, we’re still testing other ways of getting your media in front of event planners.
New and improved saved messages
We had a very basic saved messages feature previously, but we added several new features to make them more useful. You can now add attachments, use shortcodes for personalization, and save your reply when responding to a client. Learn more about saved messages.
New saved quotes feature
Previously you could only have one set of defaults for your quotes, but now you can create multiple saved quotes to choose from when replying to leads. You can save prices, terms, and settings, add attachments, and use shortcodes for personalization. Also, when you are building a quote for a client, you can choose to save it as a template for future use. Learn more about saved quotes.
Making bookings count
Booking gigs on GigSalad has many benefits, but one of the biggest is that it can actually help you get more leads. This year we began putting more weight on verified bookings in both the search results and in choosing who we send leads to.
There are a couple of ways you can get more verified bookings. You can send quotes and collect client payments through our booking platform. Or, you can book offsite and then mark those gigs as booked.
Calendar improvements
Making our calendar feature more robust has been on our radar for quite some time, but 2019 is the year we have finally been able to tackle it! So far, we’ve improved the overall design of the calendar and made it possible to add unavailability. Coming soon, we’ll be adding the ability to block leads for booked dates and to sync from external calendars.
Gathering member feedback
Understanding our members’ needs, wants, and concerns has been a big focus for us so far this year. We’ve been conducting one-on-one feedback meetings with members about specific features and product ideas plus we recently started showing short surveys in the member control panel. We are using this data to make better and more informed decisions about the direction of our product. So keep an eye out and answer surveys if you see them pop up!
We can’t wait to share more announcements with you in the future. If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to leave a comment below or contact us. We’d love to hear from you!
Heather is the Content Manager and a GigSalad veteran of 15+ years. She loves helping event planners create unforgettable celebrations and talent make a living doing what they love. When not at work, she enjoys reading romance and fantasy books, bingeing TV shows, playing board games, and spending time with friends.
This is all good stuff that you’re doing now. However as a wedding officiant I would prefer to be found in the first part of the thread when my clients are looking for me. Right now it’s event planner well that’s not what I do I’m a wedding officiant and I would like that to be my first go to. Thank you very much, Denise Smith
Hi Denise, it sounds like we need to update your categories! Please send us an email to help@gigsalad.com or call 417-889-9909 so we can help you with that.
I would like to add a bit of helpful info for you on bookings for face painters. Do not make it an option for a 45 min. booking!!!!!! None of the face painters I know would do this gig even if it was in their back yard. Hope this info changes these ridiculous quote requests. Thank you. Lisa
Hi Lisa, thank you for that feedback! We will definitely take that into consideration.
Thank you so much for all that you are doing. I love the GigSalad platform! You guys Rock!!!
It should be mandatory for people asking for a quote to enter their phone # and not a bogus phone # like 999-999-9999 , an exact address for the event, and their budget amount for entertainment. Most people want a band for $0 . How can we quote on that ? They should not be able to ask for a quote unless their entertainment budget is at least $500.
Hi Joyce, we appreciate your feedback! We are constantly testing variables like this and have found that mandatory phone numbers result in lower leads for our members. Many people aren’t comfortable providing those details upfront but are happy to later in the booking process. However, we’re always looking for ways to improve and our team will take your comments into consideration. Thank you!
How’s it going Rickey Caesar of the marigny brass band from New Orleans, great leads for gigs but sometimes the client say they already have someone so how could you make it away that you lock the gig in for us?
Hi Rickey, sometimes the client books someone rather quickly after requesting a quote – maybe this is what you’re seeing? Unfortunately, we cannot lock in the gig for anyone in particular. It’s up to the client who they choose to book with. However, we’d suggest using our “Saved Messages” and “Saved Quotes” features to be able to respond to quote requests faster. Usually, the first to respond gets the gig!
All these responses to your gig salad members are inspiring. But let’s get down to brass tacks to say a few.
The clients rule the roost. They can do and say whatever they want. Now, as a booking agent, gig salad should put in writing some procedures that the salad member and client can live with and without their agreement the cannot post their event request. Unfortunately we are not booking agents so we need you to protect us rather then allowing the client the opportunity to do anything they want.
Give them a time limit to respond to the quote whether they want the musician or not. One writer wrote “ you should only let clients to request a quote and accept nothing lower than $500 budget”. This is good for us and would be a process part of our agreement.
Hi Anton, thank you for your feedback! We understand that working with unresponsive clients can be difficult. You can actually set your quotes to expire whenever you would like! If you’d rather not wait for days for a response, you can set it for 24 hours (or whatever amount you prefer). While we do our best to offer protection, we are not booking agents either. Instead, we provide the tools to help you manage your business on your own. This does mean that you’ll deal with tire-kickers, but we are always working to improve the process for both you and the clients.
I’m really thankful for the new Saved Messages and Saved Quotes features. While we already had our standard message templates saved in word files, it’s much easier to have them saved in your system, along with some attached photos. So when we’re out and about, we can respond quickly, rather than having to wait to get back home to our computer. This saves us a lot of time, and lets us act more responsively. Thank you for all your new innovations and constant improvements.