So you’ve crafted the perfect subject line for your upcoming show or festival, but for some reason people still aren’t clicking through to your event site. What’s the issue? There’s a good chance the trouble could lie in the actual copy of your event invitation – if the body of the invite isn’t engaging enough to galvanize potential audiences, chances are you won’t see much return on your investment. Here we look at five free and effective ideas for you next online invitation.
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Guest post by Sophia Vaccaro of the Eventbrite Blog
You’ve got a great subject line that’s getting plenty of opens, but people aren’t clicking through to your event website. So what gives?
Chances are good it’s your email invitation copy. After all, even the best subject line in the world can’t make up for generic messaging that fails to inspire action. You’ve got to use the momentum you’ve sparked with the open wisely — so people want to click through.
Here are five free online invitation ideas that can help boost your event marketing ROI.
If you don’t have VIP options at your event, you’re missing out. Eventbrite’s research shows that while VIP experiences account for 10% of ticket sales, they account for 25% of revenue. So it’s important to create an offering for these big spenders that they just won’t be able to resist.
Sample email
| Subject line: For Your Eyes Only: [Event Name] VIP Experiences Revealed |
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[Event Name] [Event Date] [Event Time] [Event Location] Dear [Name], The VIP experience at [Event Name] is all about options and we know you’re excited to find out what we have in store for you this year! That’s why we’re pleased to announce this year’s VIP packages:
[CTA BUTTON]: Reserve My VIP Best of all? [Year] VIP packages will remain secret for loyal VIP fans until [Date], when they’ll be made visible to the public. So be sure to save your spot before then! Cheers, [Your Name] |
Free event invitation idea #2: Invite people to save the date
Ideally, engagement with your fanbase should happen all year long, no matter how many times your event occurs. Sending out newsletters with relevant content, speaker or performer reveals, and save the dates at least three to six months before your event will all help keep your event top of mind.
Sample email
| Subject line: Save the Date for [Event Name + Year]! |
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[Event Name] [Event Date] Dear [Name], Can you believe it? [Event Name + Date] is just [#] months away! As the team puts the final touches on what will be the best [Event Name] yet, we wanted to make sure you added us to your calendar. [CTA BUTTON]: Save the Date for [Event Name] Looking forward to seeing you soon, [Your Name] P.S. Keep an eye on your inbox next month for our Early Bird pre-sale! This year, you can save [%] on your tickets when you buy them before [Date]. |
Free event invitation idea #3: Invite people outside their email inbox
Email is one of the easiest and most effective ways to invite people to your event, but don’t let that keep you from thinking outside of the inbox. Facebook continues to be a major channel of discovery for event-goers, so it’s worth your time to send an invitation through the platform.
How to invite people to your event on Facebook:
- Go to your event
- Below the cover photo, click “Invite” for a private event or “Share’ for a public one the cover photo
- Choose friends’ names
- Click “Send Invites”
For more tips, see Facebook’s help article.
Free event invitation idea #4: Invite the general public to a community event
Another way to engage your attendees throughout the year is with low-key community events tailored to a specific city or neighborhood, such as a park performance or street party. Here’s how to invite people to attend your community event and drum up excitement for your main one.
Sample email
| Subject line: Missing the [Event Name] Community? Reconnect at [Community Event Name]! |
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[Community Event Name] [Community Event Date] Dear [Name], [Main Event Name] is still [#] of months away, but we know you’re hungry for more opportunities to connect with our amazing community throughout the year. That’s why we’re inviting you to [Community Event Name] on [Date]! Please join us for a day of [2-3 Event Features] in [Location Type, e.g. Park]. [CTA BUTTON]: Get My Tickets This is a great way to get to know your fellow [Main Event Name] attendees and keep the community alive as we gear up for [Main Event Name + Year]. Hope to see you there! [Your Name] |
Free event invitation idea #5: Send your invite through your event management tech
Switching back and forth between your event technology and your email software is a waste of time. That’s why it’s important to have a ticketing partner who supports the day-to-day processes of running an events business — like integrations with your most-used tools.
Thanks to Eventbrite’s partnership with Mailchimp, you can seamlessly sync event attendees to an audience in your Mailchimp account. Once contacts are added to an audience, you can set up personalized email campaigns and send automated messages.
Looking for more email plug-and-play email templates that work? Check out Mailchimp’s full ebook all about invite emails.
Sophia Vaccaro: Bay Area native, snake enthusiast, and live music lover Sophia writes fantasy books for young adults and blogs for Eventbrite. So far there has not been much crossover, but only time will tell.