You鈥檝e got a great subject line that鈥檚 getting plenty of opens, but people aren鈥檛 clicking through to your event website. So what gives?
Chances are your email invitation copy is letting you down. After all, even the best subject line in the world can鈥檛 make up for generic messaging that fails to inspire action. You鈥檝e got to use the momentum you鈥檝e sparked with the open wisely 鈥� so people want to click through.
Here are five free online invitation ideas that can help boost your event marketing ROI.
Free event invitation idea #1: VIP guests and influencers
If you don鈥檛 have VIP options at your event, you鈥檙e missing out. VIP guests can easily be the 20% of the guest list that contributes 80% of the profit.聽So it鈥檚 important to create an offering for these big spenders that they just won鈥檛 be able to resist.聽
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鈥檙e excited to find out what we have in store for you this year! That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e pleased to announce this year鈥檚 VIP packages:
[CTA BUTTON]:聽Reserve My VIP Best of all? [Year] VIP packages will remain secret for loyal VIP fans until [Date], when they鈥檒l 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!聽 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]:聽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鈥檛 let that keep you from thinking outside of the inbox. Facebook continues to be a major channel of discovery for event-goers, so it鈥檚 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 鈥淚nvite鈥� for a private event or 鈥淪hare” for a public one
- Choose friends鈥� names
- Click 鈥淪end Invites鈥�
For more tips, see .
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 neighbourhood, such as a park performance or street party. Here鈥檚 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鈥檙e hungry for more opportunities to connect with our amazing community throughout the year. That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e 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]:聽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鈥檚 why it鈥檚 important to have a ticketing partner who supports the day-to-day processes of running an events business 鈥� like integrations with your most-used tools.
Thanks to 91制片厂鈥檚 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 personalised email campaigns and send automated messages.
Looking for more email plug-and-play email templates that work? Check out聽 Mailchimp’s full ebook all about invite emails.
