Event Marketing Tips: Send a Save the Date Email

It might seem obvious, but your “Save the Date” is a crucial driver of event success.

The “Save the Date” is often the first touch point event professionals have with their potential attendees. An effective invitation sets the tone for the event and prepares the attendees for what they can expect. Forgetting this step will make hitting your registration goals challenging, especially if it is a competitive time of year.

A good “Save the Date” email will attract interest and help drive registration. A great one will drive registration as well as ample pre-registrants. But how do you make your “Save the Date” great? Here are 5 tips to help your “Save the Date” bring in more Yes’s!

The Basics of a "Save the Date" Communication?

1. Lock down your registration open date: Planners are sometimes reluctant to commit to a specific date because getting everything in order usually takes more time than anticipated. Still, it's good practice to pick a date and stick with it. You can always send updates if needed. In fact, that gives another reason to reach out to your guest list!

2. Embed an Outlook calendar appointment: Make it easy for attendees to add the registration date to their Outlook calendar. The appointment title should clearly convey the next action you'd like them to take. Rather than "XYZ Conference Registration Opens," make it "Register for the XYZ Conference." Within the Outlook appointment, add a location, itinerary, and one or more helpful links.

3. Add valuable early-bird incentives: Think beyond early-bird pricing. Brainstorm a few value-adds that your guests would love. A swag bag of goodies? Reserved seating at the opening keynote? An invitation to a VIP reception? Find meaningful incentives that won't break your budget.

4. Allow for fast & easy registration transfers: One of the biggest reasons that prevent guests from registering early is their fear that something will come up last minute and prevent them from attending. While you'll want to address cancellation policy terms, go a step further and offer a fast/easy way to transfer this registration to a colleague or client.

5. Add a one-click subscribe option: Provide an easy way for attendees to subscribe to event updates and stay in the loop. Assure them that you won't flood their inboxes with daily messages – and keep that promise. Continue to drip hyper-relevant updates monthly, then increase the frequency as registration nears. Be sure to manage these email subscriber lists carefully. Create separate updates for those who have already registered (including additional information they'll need to prepare for the event) and for those you'd like to convert.

Successful events start with effective “Save the Dates”. Make yours great to increase attendance and cultivate excitement about your next event.