For event marketers; speakers, venues and dates may change but the goals remains the same, registration and attendance. Email marketing is the perfect solution to reach your goals. In fact, it still ranks as the foremost tool for getting audience’s attention and having them take action. Besides it keeps your budgets lean and keeps your organization green.
It takes only one click for prospects to convert to a registrant. Here are simple steps to drive up numbers:
- Target Lists
- Craft Meaningful Message
- Personalize Approach
- Transmit the way your recipient receives
- Initiate Campaigns that Create Buzz.
Target lists
Start with segmenting your database for message relevancy. Within your database there are many sub-communities. Some examples are:
- Previous attendees
- Members vs. Non-Members (Here you can have an offer for non-members…if they attend they can apply the cost of the event against membership)
- Chapter and volunteer leaders
- Tangential industries related to event theme
- Folks who have clicked on similar events (in event emails) before but not attended
- Zip Code (Neighboring where the event is being held)
By determining sub-communities it’s easier to create targeted relevant messages that result in. increased open, click through and conversion rates. It also creates a relationship with your audience that is based on trust.
Craft Meaningful Message
Gear the message subject line and body to the needs of your audience.
- Subject Line: Make your title short, specific and compelling
- Tease: Have a teaser sentence followed by registration link
- Challenge: Describe a challenge or obstacle that your audience has
- Solution: Explain how this event will provide what solutions…and what the audience will gain by attending.
- Credibility: Convey credibility. Maybe this is a sentence or a bio blurb about your speakers and your organization
- Urgency & Action: Drive urgency and action. Offer something special with an expiration date followed by the registration link. This will increase your clicks. “Respond before 10/8 to receive…” or “Sign up by…” You can offer such incentives as an event discount, download of a related white paper or maybe entrance into a sweepstakes.
Personalize approaches
Humanize your messages. Depending on your strategy, try adding a picture of the speaker, venue and/or event organizer. Or, have pictures of the speakers, with audio links. Use the name of recipient at strategic points. Personalize the message towards each sub-group. It all comes back to relationship and as far as your audience is concerned if you let them know that you understand them they will be more open to responding to you.
Transmit the way your recipient receives
Consider your audience and how they best receive messages. There are many ways to tailor messages to your audience. For example, what about a Blackberry version of your email? Or, an event digest that lists several related upcoming events. You may want to periodically email your audience a survey that helps you pinpoint their preferences.
Initiate campaigns that Create Buzz
Contagious is a good thing in email marketing. An excellent way to extend your campaign reach is by adding a “Forward to a Friend” option in your email. In addition, you can consider using social media or messaging options such as Twitter, You Tube or Facebook to promote the event and link to them in the event emails.
Turn on your creative energy – and turn out successful online marketing efforts that help you surpass your goals.
Using Email Marketing to Drive Event Registration is a post from the Mass Transmit Broadcast Blog. Subscribe to receive blog posts via email. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+!