Event Invitation Emails: Common Mistakes to Avoid
01 March 2022There is no better way of reaching an audience and boosting attendees than through email marketing.
Because did you know that email marketing drives an average of $44 for every $1 spent? That’s a pretty good return!
However, for your outreach email marketing campaigns to succeed, you need to make sure they are put together effectively.
This post will focus on event invitation emails, particularly revealing some of the common mistakes you need to avoid.
1. What is an Event Invitation Email?
An event invitation email is used to boost the buzz around your event and increase registrations. The best event emails are clear and straightforward, making it easy for subscribers to understand what the email is about and register their interest.
Getting your event emails right is essential, as 40% of event creators have said that event invitation emails are the most effective marketing material for any event.
2. Mistakes Commonl y Made When Launching an Event Invitation Email Campaign
Event emails are crucial in terms of drumming up interest for your event, whether a virtual or in-person event.
However, we have seen many event invitation emails go horribly wrong. To ensure that this does not happen to you, read on to discover some of the main errors you need to avoid.It can be beneficial to use an email finder to contact more people and send them invitation emails. Proper email campaign management, including segmenting your audience and crafting compelling content, can significantly impact the success of your event.
Not Using an Email Template
There is only one place to begin when it comes to event invitation mistakes, and this is failing to use an email template. Email invitation templates are essential because they enable you to connect branding with your emails, provide consistency, reduce the time spent crafting your emails, and ensure proper email authentication protocols are followed.
Email templates make sure that all of your invites look sleek and stylish. You can be sure that your emails will wow from the moment they are opened, and you do not need to worry about them being hand-coded. but also make sure to have follow-up email templates as well to help increase your open rates.
Emailing Your Invites Without a Targeted List
Depending on how you go about building your email list, it can be made up of people from all over the globe. However, if you are hosting an event in New York, it is unlikely that people from London will attend unless it is a big event that is worth travelling for.
So, to make sure your click-through and open rates are as high as possible, it makes sense to segment your email list and only send it to those that are going to be interested in the event you are throwing.
If you do this, you will ensure that the email will only be sent to those who can attend the event. This ensures you do not inundate people with information about events they will not be able to go to, as this can frustrate people and feel like spam. Also, using a free email warm-up service before launching your campaigns gradually improves deliverability and reduces the risk of blacklisting. It helps build trust with email providers and enhances engagement by monitoring recipient interactions.
Not Having a Prominent Call to Action Button
Aside from the mistakes that we have mentioned so far, many people fail to include a prominent call to action in the email, which encourages people to take the next step if they are interested in your event.
It may be tempting to simply inform people about the event you are hosting and hope they turn up. There is a much higher chance they will come to your event if you get them to commit to it via a booking platform or registration process, even if the tickets or registration are free, meaning the process is pretty much arbitrary.
The reason for this is that people are much more likely to attend if they have already committed to doing so, even if the consequences of not attending are minimal.Plus, a confirmation email just makes everything more official.
So, when you are putting together your event invitation emails, make sure you understand the email psychology behind it, and place a prominent call to action that encourages people to register for the event. In the meantime, it’s also important to do a DKIM check for security and authentication reasons.
Ignoring the Importance of Social Proof
Another blunder that we have noticed a lot of people make is failing to incorporate some form of social proof within the email. Even if it is not going to cost anything for people to attend, they will be paying with their time. Because of this, some people may feel anxious or hesitant about attending.
There are several different reasons why this is the case. Some people worry that your event may not deliver the value it claims to, for instance. Others may feel that your event is not relevant to them. Furthermore, some people may think that your event will not be worth their money or time.
Therefore, you need to think about different ways to overcome these hurdles. Think about how you can erase any anxiety people may have about attending your event. One of the best ways to do this is by incorporating some social proof into your emails, for example, expert reviews of your event or testimonials from people who have attended one of your events before.
Another way that you can help to create confidence is if you are hosting is by revealing the number of attendees you had at your previous event. Statistics and customer reviews can really help sell your event and show the reader that it will be worth their time.
Forgetting Important Event Details
Aside from the mistakes that we have mentioned so far, you certainly do not want to forget all of the essential event details. Despite your best efforts to select an appropriate time and a central location, not everyone on your list is going to be able to make your event.
This is why it is critical to make sure you incorporate all event details, such as the location and the time, in your invite email. This will help people to be able to quickly determine whether or not they are going to be able to attend your event.
You can see an excellent example of this in the image above. It shows you the date, the day, and the time. It is a virtual event, so people can enjoy it worldwide, so the time zone has been included. You can also see that the price is free as well. So, next time you craft an event invitation email, make sure all of the relevant details about the event are included.
If you are hosting a physical event, the sort of information you will need to incorporate includes the location, time, transport details, parking information, and dress code . Also, ensure the dress code is clearly communicated to attendees based on the attendees and time of year. For example, you can suggest linen suits for men and light dresses for women if it's a summer event or specify formal attire for a winter gala.
If you are hosting a virtual event, such as a webinar or a demo, you need to be sure to incorporate information such as relevant URLs, log-in details, access codes, multifactor authentication protocols, access codes, and dial-in numbers. Additionally, if you're hosting it on your teaching platform or any other website that the recipients may be unfamiliar with make sure to provide clear instructions on how to access the event, including any necessary downloads or software installations. Of course, you may want to set it up so that people will only receive this information once they have registered their information.
Another tip here is to incorporate a link to a calendar event that will automatically add the event to your recipient’s preferred calendar, i.e. Outlook, Google Calendar, iCal, etc.) when clicked. This helps ensure that all guests are reminded that your event is taking place, boosting their chance to tend.
A Poor Event Description
Last but not least, once you have caught your subscriber’s attention, it is vital to make sure you wow them with a good description of your event.
A good description sells your event effectively but is also clear, concise, and straight to the point. After all, no one should be left guessing about what they should expect from the event you will be hosting. Instead, they should know precisely what will happen and what sort of event they will be attending.
When you write a description for the event, it makes sense to think about people's questions and aim to answer them in the email. You will boost people's motivation to attend your event if you answer these questions.
3. Final Words on Event Invitation Email Mistakes
So there you have it: an insight into some of the different errors and mistakes people make when sending out event invitation emails.
Whether you are hosting a product launch or planning a webinar for your business, you will want to make sure that you attract as many people as possible. Getting your email marketing campaign right is critical here.
Learn from the mistakes mentioned above to ensure that your email invites are well-received.
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