6 Steps to effective email marketing for event marketers

As digital consultants based in the capital, our email marketing agency London team are no strangers when it comes to optimising digital channels. With regards to the events industry, Email marketing is the most effective method of promotion. This should come as no surprise considering that over 269 billion emails are sent and received each day by the 3.7 billion email users around the world.

We all already know the importance of personalization, responsive email templates, verifying email addresses, mobile optimization, and automation. Here, however, we’ve gathered together six tips specifically for event marketers who wish to make their email campaigns even more effective.

1. What’s the message?

Before you go ahead and draft the email content, take a few moments to consider your message and what you want the email recipient to take from the communication. Think about who the reader is, what you want them to know, the main thrust of your message, and how you want them to feel about it.

Are you trying to give the recipient a sense of urgency so they enrol or buy tickets straight away, or are you aiming to make them feel special with a limited time offer? Answering these questions before you begin drafting the email content will help you craft a captivating email that is concise and gives the recipient a clear action to follow.

2. Show some style

According to Captains of Industry, 64% of people prefer rich text emails that provide texture for the email copy being sent.

While using bold, italics, and other text features can give email content additional interest and stylistic effect, it is important to use these features sparingly. Otherwise, you risk overwhelming the reader and ultimately losing the effectiveness of these tactics.

Apply rich text features only where they will be most effective at conveying your message and evoking the feelings you wish to give to the reader.

3. Showcase the highlights

As an event marketer, there are many aspects of the occasion you may want to show off. Great speakers, a unique location, or the range of new products that will be on display are all areas of an event that can be leveraged to raise interest from potential attendees.

When creating your email campaign in support of your event, consider which elements you would like to showcase. Use this to create a template that allows you to highlight select aspects with images, short blurbs, and even video when appropriate.

4. Increase CTRs with video

Embedding video into email messages is a great way to engage your recipient as soon as they open your message.

Videos that show highlights from last year’s event, reactions from the previous year’s attendees, or just you asking them to register can all increase conversion rates. In fact, WordStream’s research found that including video in an initial email earned an increased CTR of 96%.

5. Include testimonials

Be it event tickets or purchasing a product, most customers like to hear from those who have gone before them. Embedding testimonials from last year’s attendees or from guests of similar events you have hosted in the past is a great tactic. It will help to entice potential attendees to sign up for your conference or book tickets with you.

Positive reviews can be leveraged by embedding them in your emails. They will successfully provide social proof to the email recipient that joining you at the event is a good decision.

6. Use a dedicated email marketing platform

Platforms like MailChimp, GetResponse, and Constant Contact are just a few of the email marketing platforms available to make your life easier when it comes to building and sending an email campaign.

Some platforms also allow you to integrate your event management software with them to enable better data analysis. Equipping the platform with these types of software integrations can provide you with better insights while cutting down on administration time for the entire campaign.

It’s unlikely email will drop from the top spot in terms of marketing and communication any time soon. Following the above steps to improve your event marketing email campaign effectiveness will help you stand out from the billions of emails being sent each day.