Nonprofit organizations often rely on an annual event to raise money and improve awareness of their mission. These can include silent auctions, conferences, fun runs, guest speakers, and more.
Regardless of the specific type of event in question, email marketing is a great way to connect with your audience and efficiently promote your event. While social media marketing is a growing field, email marketing provides an average of 3800% ROI, showing just how lucrative it can be.
An email marketing campaign for an event needs to be carefully crafted to maximize engagement and catch the attention of recipients. The average email open rate is roughly 25%, so if you can use exciting copy and a clear value proposition to raise that number, you’ll be well on your way to increasing attendance as well.
That’s not to say that event marketers don't need to follow email best practices when crafting these campaigns. It’s still important to segment lists, track key performance metrics, and use a tool to check if an email is valid in order to ensure messages are reaching your intended audience. Continue reading to learn more about the best event email marketing tactics.
Know Your Audience
You may have a very large email list, but there’s a slim chance that each subscriber needs to know about every single event. Instead, try segmenting your audience and only sending users information about relevant events. This makes them less likely to ignore or unsubscribe from your content, while also increasing the chances of them opening your email.
You can split up an email audience in a variety of ways with most email marketing tools. One easy method is simply asking new subscribers which types of content they wish to receive. That way, you’re only sending them exactly what they asked for. You can also segment your recipients based on other information, including age, location, and interests.
End with a Clear Call to Action
Once you’ve caught your audience’s attention with information about your event, you should make it easy for them to get involved. Many email marketing tools allow you to include an option for readers to add the event to their calendar directly from the email. You should also include a prominent sign-up button to promote immediate conversion.
Personalize Your Approach
Personalization is one of the most important aspects of any marketing email, as it leads to a six times higher transaction rate than that of more generic content. Use any information you’ve received about your audience, including what they told you when they signed up. Subscribers are more likely to engage with your business if they feel valued as a person rather than just a number.
Follow-up
Nonprofit event marketing doesn’t end with the event. You should send an email shortly after thanking those who attended and reminding them of the cause they helped support. If you host the same event annually, let them know that they can stay involved and join for the next one as well. Also be sure to tell them how much money was raised and outline what it’s being used for.
Email is the best way to market any event, but it requires a personal touch and a well-designed strategy. The most important aspects of event marketing include providing clear value to those who attend, making it easy to sign up or register, and following up after the event. These guidelines will help you put on a great event and encourage others to support your cause!
Written By : Camille of Taktical Digital