Marketers consider social media marketing to be one of the biggest tools to drive people to your product. However, did you know that shoppers spend 138% more when marketed through email, as compared to those who do not receive email offers (optinmonster, 2022)?
Social media marketing is great but sending an email can put your meeting or event directly in front of your audience instead of hoping they will maybe browse it online. Technology, now more than ever, can help you customize a message to a specific audience that will guide them into your registration process.
Here are the top 5 tips you should know about email marketing for your next meeting or event:
1. Build an Email List
The very first step before anything else is building and categorizing an email list. Everyone must start from somewhere, so it doesn’t matter how big or small your list is! One connection can grow into multiple.
Categorizing your list helps you know where they signed up and how you can alter the message to suit their needs. For example, you can have a registration list from a past event or maybe they signed up on your website to receive more information about your business, etc.
Note: however they were added to your list, there must always be an opportunity to "unsubscribe” from the list.
We suggest these email marketing platforms to help you get started with organizing your email lists:
AWeber
MailChimp
Constant Contact
HubSpot
2. Types of Emails
Get creative with the emails for your upcoming meeting or event! Your potential attendees may connect with one type of email over another, so it is important to shake it up. Email marketing platforms can help track the analytics for open rates, etc. This tells you what is working and what is not to help you send the right message to each category.
Need some ideas? Here are a few examples of emails you can use to promote your meeting or event:
Invitation - Invite the people on your list to attend your upcoming meeting or event. Let them know the benefits of attending and what is in store.
Share Your Story - Share why this invite is important. What is the “Why?” of your event? Let them know!
Testimonials - Showcase other people’s experiences with your company and event from previous years. This “social proof” shows the benefits of attending your event. Such as Reviews, Ratings, Testimonials, Case Studies, etc.
Urgency Email - An “urgency email” provides a reason for your email list to register right away. For example, this could be a countdown to the event or a special benefit for registering early. Anything that creates a sense of urgency.
3. Subject Lines
Your email subject line is one of, if not the most, important components of your email marketing strategy. This is the very first line that your audience will see. Within a few seconds they will decide whether to open the email and continue reading or not. Therefore, it must be good.
What makes a subject line “good?” Well, there are a few ideas and concepts to use to craft a good subject line. On the other hand, some items can make a subject line “bad.” Check out some of the good and bad notions to crafting a subject line below.
What to Consider When Crafting a Subject Line:
Personalization
Short and Concise
Numbers and/or Power Words
Create Curiosity or FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
What Not to Do:
Using ALL CAPS
Too much punctuation!!!!!!
Spam words
Too long
4. A/B Testing
One way to help you craft a good subject line is A/B testing. According to VWO, A/B testing refers to “a randomized experimentation process wherein two or more versions of a variable are shown to different segments of website visitors at the same time to determine which version leaves the maximum impact and drives business metrics.”
If you can create a few different subject lines, your email marketing platform can assist in A/B testing your emails to see which is more effective. In the case of event marketing emails, you will want to see the analytics for which emails get the highest “open rate” and clicks to register for your meeting or event and move forward with that one.
5. Email Marketing Calendar
Last, but not least, we suggest creating a simple plan or “email marketing calendar” to schedule when your event emails will be sent out. Many email marketing platforms can help you schedule your emails to be sent at a specific date and time, and to a specific audience.
Consistency is key and you want to build interest leading up to your event, as well as thanking your participants post-event.
Here are some dates and times that are a must in your email marketing calendar:
1 Month Before
1 Week Before
1 Day Before
1 Hour Before
Post-Event Thank You/Survey Email
The LaClare Group is here to provide free tips, tricks, and tools to help you succeed in your next meeting whether it be in-person, hybrid, or virtual! Here are more LaClare Group articles that explain how to successfully promote your upcoming meeting or event: