Organizing an event is no easy feat -- it’s time intensive, resource intensive, and financially intensive. So, if you’re investing your efforts into pulling an event together, you’ll want to make sure you’re squeezing every bit of benefit out of it as you can.

If your attendance levels aren’t as high as you’d hoped, hopefully, this four-stage email marketing plan will help you hit your event’s overarching key performance indicators (KPIs).

Phase #1: the invite

First things first, you need to pique peoples’ interest, and to do this, you need to feed them with the facts that will benefit them. What will they come away knowing that they don’t know now? How will this information benefit them? And what do you have to offer that others don’t? 

And, of course, as with any email, this all needs to be said in as few words as possible; easier said than done, we know.

The template 

Hi [insert name],

Do you want to build your business’ brand awareness? Attract more people to your site? Overtake your competitors? And increase that all-important profit margin?

Yes, yes, yes, and yes?

Then you NEED to come to our next event: [insert event name].

This event is being hosted by [insert speaker’s name] and he/she brings a whole load of knowledge to the table. He/she’s:

• Reason #1 (e.g. number of years’ experience)

• Reason #2 (e.g. qualifications)

• Reason #3 (e.g. big brands they’ve helped)

Interested? Here are the details:

• Date:XX/XX/XXXX

• Time:XX.XX

• Duration:XX hours

• Location:XXXXXXXX

To secure your spot today, just RSVP to this email and let us know how many of you will be joining us.

Thanks,

[Company X] team

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Phase #2: confirmation 

This one doesn’t need to be long at all, but don’t leave people guessing; let them know - right away - they’ve successfully signed up to your event. It’s a nice added touch, shows your professionalism, and saves them accidentally signing up twice.

The template

Hi [insert name],

Thanks for signing up for our [insert event name]event!

We’re really looking forward to meeting you there and we can’t wait for you to see what we’re all about. 

We’ll touch base with you again soon, but if you need anything from us between now and then, get in touch with our team at [insert number].

Thanks again,

 [Company X] team

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Phase #3: Keep them keen 

Once you’ve got a bunch of people on board, let them know they’ve not slipped off your radar – and, as an added bonus, arm them with even more valuable information. We suggest sharing content like a blog article or guide that is relevant to the topic(s) covered in the event.

The template

Hi [insert name],

It’s only one week until our [insert event name]event - eek! We hope you’re as excited as we are for the big day.

To give you a flavor of what’s to come, we’ve put together a free guide on [insert event topic(s)]for you - just click hereto read it.

See you very soon!

Thanks,

[Company X] team

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Phase #4: the reminder

The fourth and final stage of your pre-event build-up is your reminder. This one is important because, let’s be honest, everyone’s human and we all forget things now and then - especially at work when we’ve got to-do lists as long as our arm! So, give your attendee list a polite prod the day before. That’s how you can ensure your event is fresh on their mind.

The template

Hi [insert name],

We can’t wait to see you tomorrow!

To save you crawling through your emails, here’s all the info you need to get to the venue:

• Location:XXXXXXXX

• Time:XX.XX

• Duration:XX hours

• Directions:XXXXXXXXXXX

See you tomorrow, 

[Company X] team

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Hue & Tone Creative: Let’s work together

If you need help with your email event marketing, presentation graphics, branding, business cards, or more, that’s exactly what we’re here for. Get in touch at (336) 365-8559 or hueandtonecreative.com to see what exactly we can do for you.

Getting ready to throw a party, annual conference, or charity fundraiser? It’s never too early to start creating hype for your event. 

Putting time and energy into marketing your event will help spread the word to a wider pool of potential attendees and boost ticket sales. 

Ready to get started? Watch your RSVP list grow with these 5 easy steps. 

1. Create an Event page

We suggest getting started with a Facebook event page. You can link it to your business page and invite friends from your personal page, which will help you gain reach fast!  

Here’s a few things to keep in mind to create a standout event page: 

• Use a bold graphic that draws attention and looks great when it’s resized. Facebook recommends using pictures that are 1920 X 1080 pixels in order maintain clarity. Vector illustrations, event logos, or relevant stock images are all strong options.

• Come up with a clear and compelling headline to entice people to attend.

• Link all your social channels as well as your brand’s page, website, and a link to buy tickets.

• Add as many relevant tags that you can think of to improve your SEO and help possible partygoers find your page.

If you don’t want to use Facebook, Eventbrite is a great alternative (or great to use in addition to Facebook... more on that below). You can even sell tickets through Eventbrite and link it to your Facebook event page!

2. Send Invites and Save the Dates 

Sidebar: This isn’t the first time we’ve extolled the virtues of Eventbrite! Find our breakdown of the best Eventbrite features here. 

Now that your page is published, start sending those invites! If you want to send something more personal than a Facebook invitation, we’d second our recommendation for using Eventbrite. 

Choose from numerous email templates and add custom text for a personalized touch.  Want something a little more stylish? Eventbrite’s partnership with Event Kingdom offers designer digital invitations. Another plus? Every email invitation can be integrated with MailChimp, making it easier to track things like your open and response rates. 

3. Incentivize ticket sales

There’s no point in organizing an event with no guests. Get the ball rolling and start driving ticket sales as soon as possible. Offering special early bird, military, and group promotions can help you build buzz and sell out fast. Friend referral codes are another fantastic way to expand your guest list and spread the news to wider circles. 

Sidebar: Keep an eye on your metrics so that you can see which channels are thriving and which ones aren’t showing a strong return on investment. 

 

4. Drive excitement on social

FOMO is real. No one wants to feel left out. Use this to your advantage with creative posts on all your social channels.

• Use a clever and consistent hashtag on every post or tweet. Be sure to keep it short and make sure no one else is already using it.

• Start a giveaway or contest for a chance to win VIP tickets, gift cards, or event swag.

• Post behind the scenes videos or Boomerangs.

• Hosting a DIY event? Create a mini poll and invite followers to vote on an activity.

• Countdown the event on Twitter as it gets closer.
  

5. Keep Sharing at the Event

Pro tip: Be sure to screenshot and collect images from people – you can use these to help promote your event next year! 

Even when the event begins, the sharing shouldn’t stop. Sharing behind the scenes live videos and sneak peeks can help drum up last minute attendees. Don’t forget to send out another wave of reminder emails for tickets. 

When the party starts, keep the excitement going by encouraging your guests to share pictures on social paired with your event hashtag. Another fun touch is creating your own custom Geo filter for Snapchat. 

Now that you have some new tools and tips at your disposal, start promoting!

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Event Marketing & Graphic Design in Greensboro, NC and Winston Salem

Organizing an event? We’ve got you covered. From event graphics to email campaigns, Hue & Tone can help add style to the tiniest details. Give us a call today to find out more about our creative services.

Planning an event can sound like a fun little project… until you realize how many little decisions need your attention. Even after you’ve worked out the details for a lot of the not-so-fun things (like port-a-potties, silverware, and parking) you’re stuck with the task of marketing your event.

While there’s no shortcut for a well developed theme, eye-catching graphics, or a solid marketing strategy there is one really big tool that can help streamline your ticketing + marketing process. When it comes to event marketing, Eventbrite takes the guesswork out of seating, ticketing, and promoting.

Eventbrite allows you to seamlessly create invitations, sell tickets, plan seating, and advertise all in one place.
 

A few of favorite features:

EventKingdom specializes in personalized digital and paper cards. Their variety of styles fits both traditional and trendy aesthetics. 

Custom designed invitations: If you want to take your invitations beyond the simple Eventbrite page you can choose from several customizable invitation templates, or install the EventKingdom plugin to create even fancier invites.

Reserved Seating: Selling tickets for an auditorium, runway, gala, or seated event space? Eventbrite’s reserved seating feature allows your guests to select their exact seats using a simple + customizable map interface.

Facebook Integration: Want to create a Facebook event to publicize your event? Just hit the “publish to Facebook” button on Eventbrite to automatically create an event page (without the hassle of reentering all of the event details on Facebook). Anyone who visits the page can easily see the details of the event, and will be pushed over to your Eventbrite to purchase tickets.

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You can also publicize your event on your company’s website, Twitter, or Instagram with Eventbrite’s widget tool. View the full list of plugins HERE. 

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Manage Attendees: Look up customer information, issue refunds, and print out guest lists using the manage attendees feature. It’s also the perfect way to communicate with customers, or send personalized emails to VIP Guests. 

Analytics: In-depth reporting and analytics tools allows you to monitor website traffic, see how many tickets you’re selling, and better understand where to focus your marketing efforts.

Organizer App: Perfect for last minute hiccups this free IOS and Android App allows you to sell tickets at the door, scan barcodes, print out name badges, and look up customer ticket information. 

Although we love using Eventbrite, there are other great alternatives:

• Peatix

• Townscript

• Cvent 

• Evolero

• Eventbee

• TicketSpice

So, how much does Eventbrite cost?

There’s no cost if your event is free, however if you’re selling tickets, Eventbrite charges 2.5% of the ticket price, .99 a ticket, and a 3% processing fee.

Eventbrite occasionally offers special promotions to new organizers as well as discounted rates for nonprofits. If your using Eventbrite for a high-end event it’s good to know that the service fee is capped at $19.95.

Still not sold on Eventbrite? Even though it’s one of our personal favorite tools, it’s not the be-all and end-all site to magically make your event a success. No matter what tool you choose to promote your event, be sure to stay organized, stay calm, and be prepared for the unexpected! 

Have you used Eventbrite? What’s your experience with it (or another event service) been like? Tell us in the comments!