The worst thing that could happen to your event (or in the top 3 at least), is having low attendance. With all that effort you’ve put in to create something good, having barely anyone show up is… let’s face it… a total embarrassment. One of the most common reasons that events don’t go well is because of the inability to engage an audience from the start. That can result from poorly created event emails and invitations. You need an effective email marketing strategy to attract the right people and draw them into your virtual event. Your event invitation email must convince people that your event is worth attending!
In this article, we’ll cover everything that you need to know about crafting the perfect event invitation email:
– The elements it should include
– The best ways to get responses
– Examples of some of the best subject lines
– And more!
Email Best Practices for Events
The ever-critical event invitation email is not some elusive entity that you will never catch. In fact, it’s actually quite easy to create effective email invites once you know what you’re doing and familiarize yourself with the best practices.
– These emails need to be engaging.
– They should also be integrated with a common calendaring app for easy scheduling.
– You should personalize your invitations to ensure that you deliver the connections that each attendee or subscriber deserves.
– You will need to use this invitation to disclose all the event details and provide people with the insight and information they need.
– You can even set up invitations with reminder emails in case people forget to RSVP and you want to check in with them one more time.
Of course, half the battle is in creating the right invitation or conference invites. That’s what we’ll focus on throughout the rest of this article.
Stand Out & Be Relevant with Well-Crafted Emails
There are several different factors to include here, from the template that you use to the details that are included. Personalizing invitations has a huge impact on your success with email invitations.
Today’s audience is inundated with junk mail and useless messages clogging up their inboxes. If you don’t get their attention, you’re going to quickly get lost in the shuffle. That’s why you’ll find an entire section below dedicated to crafting the perfect email subject line. First, though, let’s talk about what makes an effective invitation. Pay special attention to the following elements:
– Subject
– Sender name and personalized greeting
– Body copy
– Call-to-Action (CTA)
When these elements come together perfectly, you’ll have the ideal event invite email for any and all events that you’re hosting, no matter how big or small they might be.
Let’s first talk about the elements that should be in an invitation template and then we’ll talk more about those elusive subject lines.
What Elements Should Your Email Invitation Template Contain?
There are several different elements that make up a good template but keeping it simple is the key with email invites.
A solid template should contain:
– Event time
– Date
– Location/Event platform
– Event itinerary
– Any relevant preparatory materials that need to be understood prior to the event: PDFs, presentations, interactive brochures, other informational documents
– Event duration
That last one is important, and it’s one that people often overlook. If you tell someone your event starts at noon, they might not elect to come because they have a 2:30 pm appointment. However, if you were to tell them that the event is only an hour-long, you could get them to attend if that’s their only concession.
If you have different types of events, it could be helpful to save different templates so that you’re changing fewer details in between events. However, if you have these basic elements, you’ll guarantee that you get better responses from your emails, even if they’re rejections. Implementing an email marketing strategy template can streamline your communication process, ensuring that you consistently deliver well-crafted messages with relevant content for various events, ultimately increasing engagement and fostering stronger relationships with your audience.
Later in the article, we’ll provide some great examples of how to get RSVPs with your email invites. After all, any RSVP is better than none at all—it at least lets you know that you’re getting the message across enough that people care to respond. They’re just too busy or have some other reason for not attending, and that’s fine. You’ll still want to reach out to them in the future.
The Best Email Subject Lines to Use for Events
Of course, no matter what your event email says, it’s not going to matter unless you convince people to open it in the first place. That’s where your event invite emails will make the biggest impression. As mentioned, there are different types of attendees you’ll be reaching out to, so you’ll want to approach the subject lines to fit each audience.
First Event/Invitation
– Don’t miss out: [Event]
– Hi [Name], free on [Date]? Join our [Event] for a great time!
– Largest [Event] in the Area: [Name of Event]
Invitations for Returning Attendees or Visitors
– Early bird offer for fans only!
– Exclusive ticket/presale price just for [Name]
– Hi, [Name], it’s [Event] time again!
Last-Minute Reminders
You can also send last-minute invites to get people’s attention one last time before the event. These include subjects like:
– [Event]: Almost sold out! Get tickets now!
– Last chance to attend [Event]! [Name], did you get your tickets?
– Don’t miss out on Event ticketing system available for a limited time
Here is a collection of a few more catchy subject lines and phrases that have garnered impressive results:
– Act fast!
– Early/Limited Access exclusively for [Name]: Get your tickets before they’re gone!
– Invest in yourself with [Event]. Get tickets today!
– Save 10% on early ticket sales for [Event]! Buy yours today!
– Last-minute tickets available: [Name], don’t miss out on [Event]!
– Mark your calendar, [Name]! [Event] is coming up and tickets are limited!
– It’s here– [Event/Year]. Do you have your tickets yet?
As you can see, it’s all about appealing to the audience in the right way and with the right offer or insight. There are several different approaches that can be used in email invite subjects, including the popular ones like creating a sense of urgency or instilling fear of loss (if you don’t get your tickets fast, they’ll be gone). You could also offer a promotion, provide information, or offer special deals for those who pre-order or buy ahead of time, for example.
One great line that always hits the mark and generates good early sales is the “limited” gift or bonus that is offered to the first “X” customers. You pick how many you want to reward and what the reward will be, and then incentivize people to buy tickets by giving them a premium for doing it sooner than later.
Types of Event Invitation Emails
This might seem like a redundancy, but there is more than one type of event invitation email that you might want to send.
Why can’t you just send everyone the same invitation letter for event communication? Well, the way that you approach a new attendee is very different from how you approach an existing subscriber or someone you’ve encountered before. Thus, your emails will need to be different.
There are three main groups to consider:
#1: First-Time Attendees
The obvious one is the new attendee event invitation. These are popular for lead generation and will help you reach out to new audiences.
– They should have more urgency and create that connection that you already have with your other subscribers or return attendees.
– Make them feel like they’re already part of your brand and they’ll respond in kind.
– Give them the value proposition right out of the gate, too.
#2: Return Attendees
You can also use these emails to reach out to your subscribers and past event attendees about new events that are coming up. These should focus on getting people “back”.
– Focus on the unique value proposition for return attendees (i.e. ticket discounts, etc.)
– Offer that personal connection they know and love.
– Make sure that you remind them why they chose you in the first place.
#3: Existing Subscribers That are Also New Attendees
Finally, you have those subscribers that have been following your brand but may have never actually attended an event for one reason or another. The way that you reach out to them will be different than reaching out to brand-new audiences– you already have a relationship, of sorts. Your email invitation should be more focused on cultivating that with this group.
Creating templates for all groups can be a helpful way to keep things organized and make sure that you reach people in the best way possible.
Examples of Event Invitation Emails That Encourage RSVPs
So, now you know more about what makes up a proper event invitation email. But what does that look like? Let’s take a look at some winning examples that encourage:
– RSVPs
– Attendance
– Ticket sales
– Retention and loyalty
SaaSTr
SaaSTr is one of the biggest tech conferences in the country. They went big for their return to in-person events. While we’re focusing primarily on virtual events, this example was good enough that it had to be shared.
It’s simple. It includes all the details. It’s eye-catching, and it creates urgency. It even promotes a two-for-one deal on tickets for early attendees.
Bizzabo
Bizzabo also has a great invitation example for their Event Stack Webinar Series, seen below.
Notice how it catches the reader’s attention with the event-style header. Then, it offers a simple message with all the details people need. It even has three places to register to ensure no one misses out. Multiple CTAs can emphasize the importance to your audience.
Sumo
Let’s take a look at this unique take from Sumo. Rather than looking like an invite, it presents like a news article.
The giant header promises a 50% revenue boost right out of the gate. And then, all the details are included, and there’s a picture of the speaker to create that personal connection. Telling people what they get is critical. It’s known as the value proposition. It needs to be the main focus of your invites if you want to get your audience’s attention.
Typecast
Typecast offers a true-to-brand event invitation email that looks more like an ad than an email.
That’s partly why it works. It’s simple, clean, and gets to the point. The central focus is an image of the speaker, and there are multiple ways to register. This invite proves you don’t need a lot to make an impression. Sometimes, simple really is best.
Unbounce
We like Unbounce’s example because it has their brand logo as the focal point.
There’s a lot of talk about event branding in invite emails. You also need to make sure business branding is emphasized. While the details are good, too, it’s the logo that sells it. It can be worth your time and money to invest in a high-quality logo for your invites if you don’t already have one.
The best event invitations are borne of creativity and designed to deliver results. 306 billion emails were sent and received each day in 2020. That makes your invite a needle in the proverbial haystack. Don’t get caught in the same old template invite cycle.
So, what’s it going to be? Another boring email template you found online? Or are you ready to embrace the future and take your event invites to the next level?
Talk to our team of experts about how Everytale offers insights into your audience to help you tailor-make the best email experience for your event. Everytale’s virtual event marketplace also offers end-to-end event hosting, planning, and marketing services so we’re sure we can help with all your virtual event needs!