Organising a successful event is one thing; managing and encouraging bookings is quite another! You may find that getting people to attend your event is a bit of a struggle – particularly if it’s your first time hosting.
There are a number of things you can do to ensure that you’re attracting potential guests and publicity: it’s all about creating a“buzz” in the lead-up. So, with that in mind, here are 6 ways to get people talking, and to encourage online bookings to your event!
1. Make it easy for customers to book on mobile
Research shows that 57% of mobile users will abandon your site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. Considering that nowadays a huge percentage – if not the majority – of users accessing your site are doing so via mobile, it’s highly important that your site is fully optimised. Making the booking process on mobile as easy and as clear as possible should be your no. 1 priority.
2. Use paid search and online advertising
Promote your event on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn – depending on where your target guest spends most of their time – a few weeks or months in the lead-up to your event. In addition, it is well worth putting a little budget towards boosting your social posts and targeting them towards the right audience on this social network; a sure fire way to get more eyes on your event page and more bums on seats!
3. Offer a discount code to drive early bookings
Early-bird discounts and other incentives for those who book between certain periods are a good way to attract guest list sign-ups early on. Incorporate the ability to redeem a discount and voucher code into your online booking software and you could distribute these codes in your email or social media marketing. Using different codes on different platforms is another good way to track where your digital marketing efforts are converting the most leads, too.
Alternatively, if you’ve hosted another event recently, then why not reward last event’s attendees? Show that you appreciate them by offering a special discount if they sign up, or book on, to your next bash.
4. Send out countdown “last few tickets!” emails & posts
Sending out emails or posting on your social media channels about the “last few available tickets” will create a sense of urgency, giving people that extra nudge to book on to your event.
5. Reach out via multiple social channels
Posting about your event on Facebook a handful of times just won’t cut the mustard, unfortunately. You need to make your event seen on an array of social channels – LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter are other platforms you could be fully utilising to promote your event and brand (depending on what’s appropriate for your industry and audience). A few regular posts, weekly, should do the trick: serving as a friendly reminder, as opposed to a pushy sale.
6. Ask early bookers/registrants to help you spread the word!
Encourage the people who are registering for your event first to help you get the word out. You could offer anyone who tweets about the event a free glass of bubbly on arrival – or you could offer a bigger incentive for writing up a quick blog post or for referring a friend. Your first few registrants are probably the most interested, and third-party endorsements from guests will carry more weight than posting about your own event. Think of them as “ambassadors” for your good cause!
Any tips for driving those all-important extra bookings to your event? Let us know!
