Event Marketing & Experience

How to Design an Email Campaign that Will Attract More Attendees

Victoria Rudi
July 6, 2017

Table of Contents

The crazy thing about running an event is that you, as the planner, need to know a little bit of everything, from logistics and how event management software works to budgeting and communication. Considering this, one of the things you should master from scratch is how to set up remarkable email campaigns that will attract more attendees.

According to these statistics for 2016 published by Hubspot, “The ability to segment email lists and individualize email campaign messaging are the most effective personalization tactics for 51% and 50% of marketing influencers respectively.” On the other hand, “Three-quarters of companies agree that email offers ‘excellent’ to ‘good’ ROI.”

Compared to paid Facebook ads or other event marketing strategies, an email campaign lets you be more personal and have better control over the outcomes, meaning you can attract more attendees to register for your next event.

You have immediate access to options such as open or response rates, and you can always experiment with different follow-up approaches, depending on the email receivers’ profile.

However, if you want to attract more attendees via email campaigns, you’ll want to do it the right way, avoiding the mistakes that may decrease the efficiency of this marketing strategy.

Here are some tips you can follow when designing your next event email campaign:

Tip 1. Know your audience

 

 

When it comes to marketing, it’s crucial to thoroughly understand your target group.

You can’t build a laser-like email campaign that will help you attract more attendees if you don’t know the needs and expectations of those who’ll receive these emails.

People usually want to experience something transformational. They won’t pay money to attend an event that will not somehow tackle their problems or offer concrete solutions to their (professional or personal) challenges.

Of course, you can’t know each person’s history, yet when we talk about one group, there’s always a need that unites them. From the desire to earn more money, grow their businesses, or lose weight (depending on the type of your event), you can find a common and sensitive trait that would define your target group and build your email message around it.

Tip 2. Keep it short, yet personal

 

 

How do you react when you open an email and see a huge chunk of text waiting for you to read? If it’s an email from your mom, you may postpone it, but you’ll end up reading it anyway.

But what if it’s a huge invitation email trying to convince you to attend a brand event?

Most probably, you’ll feel overwhelmed by the informational overload of the email, and you’ll end up deleting it (or leaving it for later … then later … then later).

If you want to attract more attendees to your next event, be sure to keep your invitation emails simple, yet personal. Always address people by their names (Hi John, Konnichiwa Marta, Bonjour Kevin). Usually, this is an automated option you have access to when setting up an emailing campaign.

Also, if possible, talk about something that will capture their personal interest. For example, you could mention the city where they are living or a previous event they’ve attended. This will make them feel more special and more predisposed to register for your event.

Tip 3. Stop talking about your event, and instead focus on your audience’s needs

 

 

What will people get from attending your event? This is the question you should answer when designing the text body of your email campaign. People aren’t interested in how cool your event will be. They want to know if they can get something out of it. So focus on their needs and find a way to reflect all the wins they’ll gain by registering to attend your event.

Tip 4. Don’t forget to follow up

 

 

If you want to attract more attendees, establish up a follow-up system. Don’t get discouraged if people don’t register right away or respond to your first email. Most probably, they are just busy or didn’t truly understand the benefits of your event. After a few days, make sure to follow up and experiment with a different invitation message.

Tip 5. Introduce an attractive and clear call to action

 

 

Make sure to simplify the next steps a potential attendee must take to register for your event. Think about a powerful call to action (just one, not two or three, because you’ll create more confusion) that will encourage the receivers to click on it. Attract more attendees with call-to-action messages such as, “Register Now and Save 25%),” “Book My Ticket Now,” or “I Want to Attend.”

Wrap up

When it comes to event mail campaigns, there’s no formula for guaranteed success. However, you have the freedom to experiment with different communication techniques and strategies that will help you learn what works best and attract more attendees.

 

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Victoria Rudi
Senior Content Specialist
With a Master’s degree in Event Management and a keen follower of SaaS technologies, Victoria is an event content master, producing insightful and valuable for Eventtia’s blog and beyond

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