Who wouldn鈥檛 want to come to a free event? Lots of people, it turns out. You build, they RSVP 鈥� but they don鈥檛 come.
Even the most successful events have no-shows. Things come up; people can鈥檛 make it. But for free events, there鈥檚 no financial consequence to skipping the event. So free events tend to see much higher dropout rates 鈥� up to 50%, according to .
If you鈥檙e an organiser of free events, the high numbers of no-shows can be discouraging 鈥斅爊ot to mention damaging to your budget. After all, you stocked the bar, snacks, merch, and other goods in accordance with how many people you expected. And you booked a venue to hold them all.
The success of your event depends on decreasing the number of no-shows at your event. Use these seven tactics to increase turnout.
1. Register twice as many people as you hope will come
The golden rule of free events is to register twice as many people as you鈥檙e hoping will show up. Gear your marketing strategy around this number. This might mean stepping up your marketing efforts substantially so you reach more people. (More ideas on that below.)
2. Plan an event with an air of exclusivity
One of the best ways to inspire people to show up is to make them think it鈥檚 their only chance. Perhaps it鈥檚 one-time event, or a rare guest speaker, or an opportunity to demo and buy a product that鈥檚 not available to the general public yet.
If they can鈥檛 get it elsewhere, and they can鈥檛 get it later, they鈥檙e more likely to show up now. Frame your event as 鈥渋nvite only鈥� or 鈥渆xclusive鈥� to increase turnout.
3. Invite the right people
When people RSVP to free events, they know no one will hold them accountable if they don鈥檛 make it. As event creator, your job is to make them want to make it! And the easiest way to do this is to appeal to the right audience in the first place.
Audience targeting is made easier with digital advertising options that allow you to target your ads to specific types of people. On Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Google, and other ad platforms, you can choose exactly who should see your ad.
So if you鈥檙e planning a B2B workshop called 鈥淪ales Strategies to Sell More Books,鈥� you might target, for instance:
- People in a certain geographic radius from your workshop venue
- Who have a job title of 鈥渂ookseller鈥� or 鈥渂ook store owner鈥�
Pro Tip: If digital advertising intimidates you, choose a ticketing partner like 91制片厂 who integrates easily with automatic marketing tools.
4. Survey people and find out what they want
Sometimes the best way to get inside the heads of attendees is to ask them exactly what they want. Use digital survey tools like SurveyMonkey to send easy, short questionnaires to people who鈥檝e registered. Probe for things they鈥檇 like to see at your event.
Another way to connect with your audience is to use the polling function of Instagram Stories. Not only is it a quick and easy way to gather responses from your followers, but the whole conversation is public. Now, everyone鈥檚 engaged in the question. As an event business, with Instagram Stories, you can also link directly to your ticketing page.
5. Entice them with goodies
People love a good takeaway, and we鈥檙e not just talking ideas. Mention that you鈥檙e putting together swag bags featuring certain irresistible brands, and help lure those who can鈥檛 resist fancy chocolate or one-of-a-kind t-shirt.
6. Offer a paid ticket
This might sound counterintuitive, but selling a certain amount of paid tickets to a free event can help guarantee that the free ticket-holders show up. Here鈥檚 why.
When you assign a ticket price to an event, people instantly attach a value to the event. If you鈥檙e charging $25 for a certain type of ticket (like guaranteed seats or access to guest speakers), those who opt for free tickets now think of your event as being worth somewhere just under $25.
Now, free ticket-holders have to consider whether bailing on your event is worth that much to them. A night of Netflix and takeaway might seem like a great cop-out 鈥斅爑ntil you realise you鈥檙e wasting a $25 opportunity that you got for free.
If you can sell out your limited run of paid tickets, it gives you another advantage: now you can slap 鈥渟old out鈥� on your ticket type. This simple phrase is a marketing catalyst like none other.
7. Check in with registrants last minute
This might sound basic, but just before the event, ask your attendees whether they鈥檙e really going to come. Maybe they signed up three weeks ago, but things have changed. They haven鈥檛 bothered to tell you, because they鈥檙e not going to lose money on the ticket. Or, they鈥檝e just forgotten about your event altogether.
When you email them to remind them about their RSVP, though, your intention isn鈥檛 to give them an out. It鈥檚 to remind them that space is limited and things like merchandise, food, and drinks are sure to be popular. Encourage them not just to show up, but to come early and grab the best spot.
Ensuring that your 鈥測es鈥� RSVPs actually show up takes a combination of proactive tactics. If you鈥檇 like to try a free event ticketing option that supports all of these strategies, .
