How to successfully organize an event using SMS marketing?

Your event is approaching, but ticket sales are lagging. Everything is about to fall apart, nothing will go as expected, and all your hard work will be for nothing. Sounds scary, right?

This unfortunate scenario unfolds because there's a gap in your strategy and the way you've promoted the event. It's clear why there's a gap: SMS marketing is missing from your strategy.

In today's digital era, SMS marketing is the main player, the real game-changer, the happy ending. With an open rate of up to 98% and a conversion rate of up to 45%, it is the most direct and effective way to connect with your audience.

Organizing a successful event requires attention to detail and, most importantly, effective communication with attendees - your potential guests. What is a perfectly organized event without its attendees? It would be a failure.

So, get ready with a pen and paper—here’s how to build a working strategy:

Step 1: Building an SMS Contact List

Before you start sending promotional messages, you'll need a list of potential attendees. We’ve created a whole article dedicated to ways to increase your list - link to article.

Step 2: Creating an SMS Marketing Strategy

Once you have your list ready, consider these moves:

• Announce your event with an exciting message that highlights key details and includes a link to the ticket page.
• Early registration offers: Encourage early ticket purchases with discounts or exclusive benefits.
• Last-minute promotions: Send a final reminder a few days before the event to boost last-minute sales.
• Notifications and reminders: Keep attendees informed with updates on event details, schedule changes, or useful attendance tips.

Step 3: Personalizing SMS Campaigns

To make your SMS campaigns even more effective, consider personalizing messages based on the preferences and interests of your target audience. Here's how:

• Segmenting your contact list: Group your contacts based on demographics, location, past event attendance, or other relevant criteria. This way, you can tailor your messages to resonate with specific groups and increase engagement chances.
• Using dynamic content: Include elements like the recipient’s name, birthday, event preferences, or other variables to make messages more personal and relevant.

Step 4: Enhancing Attendee Experience with SMS

Besides promoting the event, you can use SMS marketing to enhance the overall attendee experience. Here are some ideas:

• Pre-event preparation: Send helpful tips and reminders before the event, such as what to wear, what to bring, parking information, or public transport options.
• On-site assistance: Set up an SMS help line where attendees can ask questions or report issues during the event.
• Interactive experiences: Use SMS to create fun, interactive experiences for attendees. You can organize a quiz or photo contest and encourage participants to send their answers or photos via text messages.

Step 5: Post-Event Engagement

Don't stop communication once the event is over. Continue to engage your audience with follow-up messages:

• Thank you messages
• Event recap: Share highlights and photos to keep the positive memories alive.
• Feedback request: To identify areas for improvement and make the next event even better.

Step 6: Analyzing Results and Optimizing for Success

To ensure your SMS marketing efforts pay off, track campaign performance with analytical tools. Monitor key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversions to identify what works and what doesn’t.

Use this data to optimize future campaigns, achieving greater and greater success each time!