Looking to promote your event?
The success of any event promotion hinges on your ability to get people to show up.
In order to get people to show up they need to know where and when your event is taking place.
Seems simple enough but most communication channels (email, social media, etc.) are unreliable in terms of getting their attention when you need it for example, if you send an email reminder about your event, only 20-30% of people will see it!
SMS marketing is an incredible tool to use for even marketing especially when you take into account that nearly everyone who you send a text message to will open your message minutes after they receive it.
Key Takeaways
- SMS boasts up to a 98% open rate, making it highly effective for event communication
- Text messaging can increase ticket sales through timely promotions and reminders
- Event organisers can expect higher engagement levels with SMS marketing
- Pre-registration via SMS significantly boosts attendance rates
- Personalised text messages help form connections with attendees
- Post-event feedback gathered through SMS can improve future events
Understanding SMS Marketing for Events
SMS event marketing is a strong tool for reaching your audience fast. It boosts ticket sales and keeps people updated. You can promote events, send reminders, and share updates with guests.
What is SMS event marketing?
SMS event marketing uses text messages to talk to your event audience. It’s a direct way to share important info about your events. Whether it’s a gala or a conference, SMS connects with attendees right away.
Why use text messaging for event management?
Text messaging for event management is a big change. It has a 98% open rate, with 95% read in 90 seconds. This makes SMS great for urgent updates or last-minute changes. It’s also cheaper than traditional ads.
Key benefits of SMS marketing in the events industry
SMS marketing has many benefits for event organisers. It cuts down on no-shows, boosts ticket sales, and helps staff work better. You can send messages that feel personal and special to guests. Real-time updates keep everyone informed. Geo-targeted messages promote local events well. With SMS, you’re not just organising an event; you’re creating an experience that starts with the first text.
Building Your SMS Subscriber List for Events
It’s key to grow your SMS subscriber list for event texting to work well. Start by offering incentives to get more people to sign up. Things like discounted tickets or special perks can really help.
Spread the word about your SMS campaign in many ways. Use event signs and ticket info to get the message out.
Text-to-win contests are great for getting more subscribers. Give away things like free tickets or backstage passes to get people excited. Always get clear permission before adding numbers to your list. This keeps things legal and builds trust with your followers.
Use social media to ask your followers to join your SMS list. This way, you can reach more people and keep them engaged. For big texting jobs, use short codes that can send lots of texts fast.
Make it easy for people to join by using keywords and online forms. This makes signing up simple and quick.
Have two-way conversations with your subscribers to keep them interested. Give them special deals to make them feel special. By sharing valuable, personal content, you’ll keep your subscribers and make your events more engaging.
Pre-Event SMS Marketing Strategies
SMS marketing is a strong tool for event planners. It boosts ticket sales and gets people involved. Let’s look at some good pre-event strategies.
Promoting Ticket Sales
Text messages are excellent for selling tickets. Send out SMS alerts when tickets are available. Give special discounts to your subscribers first.
This makes people buy tickets fast. Life is Beautiful music festival saw more ticket sales with SMS marketing. Now, 25% of their sales come from texts.
Sending Event Reminders
Keep your guests updated with reminders. Send texts about dates, times, and places. This cuts down on no-shows and gets everyone excited.
Make sure to send messages at the right time. Use your audience’s time zones for the best results.
Using SMS for RSVPs
Make RSVPs easy with text messages. It’s fast for guests and easy for you to track. Send a short message asking if they can come.
Include a clear call-to-action and a reply option. This makes planning easier and improves your event.
Pre-event marketing with SMS can really help your event succeed. With 86% of event marketers seeing tech’s benefits, it’s time to use text messaging for your next event.
Leveraging SMS Messages On The Day Of The Event
SMS marketing is great for events, offering tools for quick updates and keeping people involved.
Send instant updates on schedule changes, contests, and fun activities. Personalised session reminders can increase participation. For long events, send daily schedules via text to keep everyone on track.
Use SMS to help people meet others with similar interests. This creates chances for meaningful interactions. Also, offer a text service for quick questions or help.
Streamline event operations with SMS. Send staff rosters and important details to help your event run smoothly. This helps make the event experience better for everyone.
Effective SMS messaging are great for making your event more dynamic and engaging. It keeps attendees informed and connected. This channel is very useful for both organisers and guests.
Post-Event SMS Marketing Tactics
SMS marketing doesn’t stop after your event. It’s great for getting feedback, saying thanks, and promoting your next upcoming event.
Gathering Feedback Through Text Surveys
Send text surveys after your event to get feedback. Keep questions short and sweet. Offer discounts for future tickets to get more answers.
This helps make your next event better and shows you care about what people think.
Sending Thank-You Messages to Attendees
Send thank-you messages via SMS to show you’re grateful. A simple thank you can mean a lot. Add a quick highlight from the event to make it stick.
Promoting Future Events via SMS
Use the buzz from your event to promote the next one. Share special deals or early bird discounts with your SMS list. This keeps loyal fans coming back and encourages new ones.
Remember, seven to ten messages before an event can really help attendance.
Using these SMS marketing tips keeps the conversation alive after your event. This keeps your event community strong and growing.
SMS Marketing for Events: Best Practices and Tips
SMS marketing is great for events. It reaches people fast, with 95% opening messages in three minutes. Keep your messages short and clear, within the 160-character limit.
Personalisation is important. Use names and tailor messages to interests. This makes people feel special and boosts engagement.
Timing is also key. Send messages when they won’t interrupt. This maximises their impact.
Segmenting your audience is crucial. Group people by preferences or behaviour. This makes messages more relevant and engaging.
Include clear calls-to-action. Make it easy for people to act, like “Buy Tickets Now”. Always respect opt-out requests to keep trust and follow rules.
Integrating SMS Marketing with Other Event Management Tools
Using SMS in event marketing is very important. It helps when you mix it with other ways to promote. Let’s see how to use SMS with different event tools.
Combining SMS with Email Marketing
SMS and email are a great team. Use texts for quick news and emails for more details. This mix can help you reach more people and reduce ignored messages.
People often reply faster to texts than emails. So, use SMS to get people to check your emails.
Using SMS Alongside Social Media Campaigns
Social media and SMS are a strong team. Send texts to promote your social media posts or live streams. This can make people more interested in your content.
You can also use SMS for quick polls or contests. These can add fun to your social media campaigns.
Incorporating SMS into Your Event Management Software
Many event software now has SMS features. This makes talking to attendees and staff easy. You can send reminders, ticket confirmations, and updates right from your software.
This makes your work easier and keeps all your event messages in one spot.
By adding SMS to your tools, you make a strong marketing plan. This way, you can talk to your audience better and manage your event smoothly.
Measuring the Success of Your SMS Event Marketing Campaigns
Use these best practices to see how well your SMS event marketing works, track important metrics. First, find out how fast your subscriber list grows. Divide new subscribers by your total list size, then multiply by 100. This shows how quickly your audience is growing.
Then, look at how people interact with your messages. Your SMS delivery rate is key – it’s the percentage of messages that get through.
Also, check your click-through rate (CTR) to see how many people click on links. You’ll need to set up a tracking link (a service like bit.ly or using UTM builder to track inside google analytics)
It’s also important to know your event marketing ROI.
To do this, multiply the number of conversions by the average revenue per conversion. Then, compare this to what you spent on the campaign. This tells you if you made money. Use analytics to watch these numbers and see trends.
But remember, success in SMS marketing is more than just numbers. Use surveys and feedback to see how happy your attendees are.
This helps you plan better for future events. By always checking these metrics and tweaking your plan, you’ll get better at using SMS for events.