18 December 2019

One of the biggest challenges that event marketers face is boosting event ticket sales and registration.

But not being short on creativity, event marketers are meeting this challenge with innovative strategies. Consider just a few.

1. Flaunt your event brand

Your event should have a standalone identity separate from your company brand. You don’t need to come up with an entirely new concept from scratch.

Your colours, fonts, and layouts can come under the umbrella of your company brand, but your event brand should be unique. Whether it’s bright and fun colours or minimalist and specific copy, you also want your brand to be unique and to stand out.

Start at your registration page by giving visitors a strong impression of what they can expect, the general vibe of the experience, and by using text, images, and videos that generate excitement for the event.

Make important information like locations and event dates easy to see and remember.

2. Simplify registration

A fancy event registration page means nothing if your users can’t figure out how to navigate it.

Streamline your webpage design so that important information stands out and is immediately accessible. Use bold colours for buttons so guests know where to click when they’re ready to check out.

Have a banner with your event name, dates, location, and other important information clearly visible. Use a drop-down menu or navigation bar that’s easy to read.

Integrate the registration page design elements so they align with your overall vision for the event.

3. Keep it personal

The more you tailor your emails to a specific audience, the more personal it will feel to them. Inside jokes, industry terminology, and a brand voice they can relate to are all attractive qualities in an event email marketing campaign.

You don’t need flashy graphics or complicated designs to grab your audience’s attention. Just help them relate to your event and feel the buzz.

4. Get your fans involved

Word-of-mouth is a great way to increase event registrations. Do this by creating social media posts on platforms that align with your event’s mission. Share the content that most excites your audience.

Reach out to your top subscribers and followers. They already love your brand so why not get them to help spread the word. Make sure you streamline the process for them. Use tools like social tiles and pre-written Tweets so it’s super easy for them to forward them to others.

5. Use retargeting ads

Only a few people will buy a ticket or register for an event the first time they visit your website. People will checkout your website then leave. Two months later, they check it out again. Maybe a week later they decide to register.

Reach out to those who seem interested in the event but are yet to commit by using retargeting ads.

Retargeting ads are specific ads you give to online agencies who serve them to web-surfers who have visited your site—and carried away a marker or “cookie.” Every time your customer sees your retargeting ads, your brand gains traction and more recognition.

Retargeting ads keep your brand front and centre and brings “window shoppers” back when they’re ready to buy.

6. Choose ad platforms wisely

When it comes to choosing paid advertising, you have lots of options. Narrow them down to the platforms and packages that best align with your event and brand.

If you have a lot of B2B clients, LinkedIn might be your best resource. If your audience responds to carousel ads, you may do better by using Facebook.

Even if you can afford to use paid advertising across all social platforms, be specific in your choices to make the investment worthwhile.

Conclusion

There are specific strategies you can use to help potential attendees to discover, learn about, and ultimately register for your event. These include making your event brand stand out, keeping registration simple and personal, getting your fans to spread the word, using retargeting ads, and choosing your ad platforms wisely.