Want to create a buzz and generate excitement before an event to make sure you have a packed venue and an engaged audience? One of the most effective and accessible ways to do this is through text message marketing.
In this blog post, we’ll walk you through how to build anticipation and excitement, increasing attendance at your event.
Send Personalized Invites at Scale
Instead of sending generic mass invitations, send personalized messages. Personalized invites make people feel excited about the event and make them more likely to attend.
With a text messaging platform, you can use merge fields to easily address each recipient by name. Merge fields automatically pull in data and information, such as the recipient’s name, so you don’t have to fill it in for every message.
Further personalize your messages by segmenting or grouping your contact list based on criteria like location, interests, or previous event attendance. This lets you send relevant messages that resonate with each recipient, creating an emotional connection.
Personal touches like these help to build anticipation, excitement, and a positive attitude about your event.
Share Engaging Teasers and Content
Share teasers and exciting information gradually leading up to the event, making your audience curious and eager to come back for more.
For example, make it more interesting in the beginning by teasing your audience about something exciting that’s coming up without revealing the event. This approach works well because it keeps people curious about what’s happening.
Once you’ve revealed your event, share sneak peeks of guest speakers, performers, activities, or special deals, enticing your audience to look forward to the event.
Interactive content, such as polls, open-ended questions, video links, or multimedia, encourages recipients to engage with and reply to the message.
Consider attaching images showcasing highlights from previous events or sneak peeks of what attendees can expect at the event. Visual content often captures attention more effectively than just text.
As attendees actively engage with your messages, they become more invested in the event and develop a genuine interest in what’s coming.
Automate Reminders for Maximum Attendance
People have busy lives, and it’s natural for them to forget about upcoming events. That’s where automated reminders come to the rescue! With an SMS marketing platform, you can easily schedule pre-set reminders to be sent to attendees at strategic intervals leading up to the event. Most often, these messages are part of a drip campaign.
Set up automated reminders to send a few days before the event. By automating these reminders, you minimize no-shows and boost overall attendance. The convenience of text notifications also makes it more likely for people to take action, like confirming their attendance or sharing the event details with friends.
Also, schedule reminders for those who still need to RSVP. Often people need multiple nudges to take a desired action, whether to RSVP, click a link, reply, etc. If you have any last-minute changes, updates, or surprise announcements, send them in follow-up texts. This real-time communication keeps attendees engaged and interested.
Set-Up Drip Campaigns
The most effective way to send marketing text messages for an event is to set up a drip campaign. Drip campaigns send a series of scheduled, automated text messages to your audience in the days or weeks leading up to the event. These campaigns keep your event fresh in the minds of your recipients without overwhelming them with too many messages at once.
Start your drip campaign with a teaser message introducing the event and its unique highlights/value. This initial message should create a sense of intrigue and anticipation. As the event date draws closer, gradually increase the excitement by sending more detailed messages about the event’s program, special guests, and any surprises in store.
In the last few days before the event, intensify your drip campaign with messages that remind recipients of the approaching deadline for ticket sales, emphasize any limited-time offers, or showcase testimonials from previous attendees to build social proof. Build a narrative that keeps the excitement building up until the big day arrives.
By using drip campaigns strategically, you maintain engagement, making sure your event stays top-of-mind, and attracts more attendees to join.
The key to a successful drip campaign is not to flood your audience with messages but to create a gradual buildup of anticipation and a constant flow of information, leaving them eagerly counting down the days until your event begins.
Make Your Event a Success
With text marketing, you easily and consistently connect with your recipients and build pre-event hype.
Ready to take the next step towards making your event a success? Get started with Skipio or learn more about how Skipio helps you with a self-guided tour.
