Email Marketing For Events— How To Master It

You may have been planning events for years, but email marketing for events is still quite underutilized.

And no, we are not referring to your reminders to buy tickets.

That’s the most basic use of email marketing for events.

With a little bit of effort and content curation, you can run your email campaign for events all year round.

To find your way out of the spam folder and write emails that are actually opened, you’ll find an amazing community.

This community will help you spread the word and buy tickets, of course.

Turn your passive followers into an active hyped-up community with these event marketing tips.

A. Email marketing campaign timeline

Email marketing for events doesn’t happen out of nowhere.

You need a systematic way to enter and stay in your target audience’s subconscious mind.

Here’s a broad footprint for your campaign that you can follow:

• 3-4 months before the event: Send a teaser or “mark your calendar” email. Don’t give out too many details. Just convey that something very exciting is going to happen
• 2 months before the event: Offer a limited-time discount for early registrations. Share event details with early bird discount prices. You can also slash the actual price so the attendees know how good of a deal it is
• 1 month before the event: Share more details about the event like keynote speakers or brand partners
• 1 week before the event: Create FOMO or fear of missing out. Share all the freebies or perks one gets from attending the event. Additionally, you can share how many tickets are left

B. Provide value to your community

Try not to utilize email marketing simply for promotions.

If there are months in between events, simply sending promotional emails will bring down your open rate.

Even though you primarily built an email list for event promotions, there is so much more you can do with it.

To give you an example, try sending memes from your last event or advice on what to wear at a concert.

You can find similar search queries that fit your event niche.

So, ensure the value proposition is both ways.

Your email list should also look forward to opening the email and finding fresh helpful content.

C. You need multiple mailer lists

Imagine sending an email about a networking opportunity to somebody who signed up for a meditation retreat.

You need different email lists for the type of event you’re trying to promote.

Additionally, if you have the dataset, you can also create email lists based on:

• Demographics
• Interests such as food, travel, or networking
• Past event attendance

This sounds like a lot of extra effort. However, you’ll be more likely to convert readers into buyers with specifically tailored emails.

By keeping emails relevant, you can also effectively decrease your unsubscribe rate.

D. Automate email marketing for events

Talking of extra effort in the previous section had us thinking about all the alternatives.

Where segregating mailer lists is still quite important, you can utilize tools to automate:

• Welcome auto-responders: You can keep the first two or three emails standardized across mailing lists. Sendy allows you to automate this process through autoresponders. The content needs to be welcoming. You can also use these autoresponders to share the handles of your other social media platforms
• Re-marketing campaigns: Abandoned emails are not failures but missed opportunities. Create a sequence of emails for those who leave your email without opening or clicking. You can use Mailchimp to automate this process

E. Behavioral targeting in email marketing

So far, we have discussed the importance of segregating mailer lists and automating them.

However, an advanced tip for email marketing for events calls for a quick psychology lesson.

Without complicating it too much, behavioral targeting refers to studying subscriber behavior for targeting campaigns. This goes beyond demographics and allows you to segment your mailing lists more effectively.

You can do behavioral targeting by segregating campaign sequences along parameters such as:

• Content of the email: Look at the click rate of your emails and analyze what the email was about. For example, a potential client looks at an email related to a particular keynote speaker. You can then create follow-up campaigns related to that particular speaker
• Purchase history: Look at your purchase data. This will give you insights based on who prefers to buy which kind of ticket. For example, pitch VIP tickets to those who have purchased VIP tickets in the past before
• Location of event: If your event is happening in New Delhi, then there’s no need to market it to individuals in the other extremities of India. Geo-target your events and highlight local speakers or event features. This strategy ensures that you do email marketing for events in the most efficient manner

F. Interactive email marketing for events

Ditch the boring static emails with just text.

Here are a few ways for you to make your email newsletter a little bit spicy:

1. Talk to your audience: Embed polls or surveys in your email marketing campaign. This will allow you to get some valuable feedback that will help you meet expectations better. Additionally, it will also make your audience feel like they’re a part of the planning process
2. Timers: Never underestimate the psychology of urgency. You can embed countdown timers in your email related to early bird tickets or the event date. This facilitates immediate action way better than simple static emails
3. Video marketing: Include small clips of previous editions of the event or behind the scenes. This gives your audience a better idea of what to expect at the event

G. Best practices of email marketing for events

Here is a tried and tested checklist for your campaign:

1. Your subject lines need to use strong or emotional words. Keep it under 50 characters for the most impact. You can consider adding emojis but make sure you do it sparingly
2. All your emails in the campaign for events need to be mobile-friendly. Not everyone is still checking their emails on their laptops. Make sure you follow a mobile-first design and prioritize it
3. Tell stories in your email but do it visually. Use pictures and videos. Add text just to break up pieces of your visual storytelling
4. No email is complete without a Call To Action button or CTA. Consider adding “Register Now” or “Learn More” CTAs at the end of your email
5. Do A/B testing for your emails to see what works and what doesn’t. Replicate the ideas that work and send them to the masses
6. Your email marketing for events should run after the event too. Don’t let the conversation die down so soon. Share photos, feedback forms, or highlights in the post-event emails

Bonus Tip: Provide promo or discount codes in your email marketing campaigns. This will make your attendees feel rewarded for signing up for your newsletter.

H. FAQ

1. Why is email marketing so important for events?

Email marketing is a cost-effective way to market your event. It allows for a high degree of targeting that is also measurable. With the right tools and strategy, you can reach a wide audience. Don’t forget to track results and modify your email marketing campaign as you go.

2. How can I create a compelling email marketing campaign for corporate events?

For conferences and industry events, write subject lines that relate to industry trends. Alternatively, you can stress the professional perks of the event.

In your email content, highlight the topics covered along with the keynote speakers.

Offer perks such as networking opportunities, free passes for future events, and giveaways.

3. How can I create a compelling email marketing campaign for festivals?

You need a catchy subject line that creates a sense of excitement or exclusivity. These are the two things your target audience will seek.

It is imperative that you feature high-quality visuals of the performers.

Alternatively, you can include visuals of people enjoying your event previously.

You can run discounts or giveaways for ticket upgrades.

Another smart move here would be to provide the opportunity to meet and greet with the artist. You can design a contest around this.

4. How can email marketing help me build relationships with potential attendees?

Email marketing for events is a long-term process that starts months before the event and continues after the event too. Use the names of your subscriber and tailor content based on their demographics. It’s a fast and cost-effective way to build a community that supports your event.

5. What are some ways to use email marketing to drive registrations and sales for events?

You can use email marketing campaigns to provide early bird discounts and promo codes. A sense of urgency is created that drives immediate action. You can also use this mailing list long after the event to get repeat attendees. 

6. How can email marketing contribute to the overall success of my event?

Email marketing for events can get significantly better attendance and brand awareness. You can also use this marketing tool to track performance and get insights from your audience directly. These insights can also help you improve your other marketing channels. 

I. What did you learn?

By implementing these email marketing hacks, you’ll transform your subscriber list. It’ll go from a passive mass to a hyped-up army of event attendees.

Remember, it’s about building relationships and creating a sense of community.

Don’t utilize emails just for generic sales pitches. Treat it like a conversation.

Now go forth and conquer those inboxes!

If you found our tips helpful, you can sign up for more such free-access articles by joining our newsletter.

JOIN THE COMMUNITY