Event Promotion Checklist: 10 Steps to Sell Out Shows

Want to sell out your next event? Here's how. This guide breaks down 10 steps to help you promote your event effectively, boost ticket sales, and engage your audience.

Key Takeaways:

1. Set Clear Goals: Define success metrics like ticket sales, engagement rates, and ROI.
2. Know Your Audience: Understand their demographics, preferences, and pain points.
3. Create an Event Page: Include event details, visuals, pricing options, and a mobile-friendly design.
4. Plan Your Marketing Mix: Use social media, email, and digital ads for maximum reach.
5. Leverage Social Media: Choose platforms that align with your audience and create engaging content.
6. Run Email Campaigns: Build your list, personalize emails, and focus on clear calls-to-action.
7. Collaborate with Influencers: Partner with creators who align with your event’s values and audience.
8. Smart Pricing Strategies: Offer early bird discounts and group deals to drive sales.
9. Share Preview Content: Build anticipation with sneak peeks, speaker highlights, and behind-the-scenes content.
10. Track and Improve: Monitor key metrics like ticket sales, engagement, and website traffic to refine your strategy.

Why It Matters:

Events with strong promotion plans see higher attendance and engagement. By using these steps, you can simplify your planning, stay within budget, and deliver a memorable experience for your audience.

Ready to dive deeper into each step? Let’s break it down.

Event Marketing: 5 Tactics to Sell Out

Step 1: Set Event Goals and Know Your Audience

Start by identifying your event's objectives and understanding who you're trying to reach. This forms the foundation of your promotional strategy.

Define Success Metrics

Establish clear, measurable goals using key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress effectively:

Metric Type	Target Range	What to Track
Sales Performance	2–3% conversion rate	Daily sales volume, growth rate
Marketing Efficiency	4:1 ROAS	Ad spend efficiency, customer acquisition cost
Email Engagement	20.41% open rate	Click-through rate (2.19%), unsubscribe rate (0.28%)
Event Success	NPS > 50	Check-in rate, satisfaction scores

"If you are not tracking the right metrics, how will you ever increase revenue and improve your events?" – Accelevents ^[1]

To improve these metrics, consider:

• Offering early bird discounts to boost initial interest.
• Simplifying the checkout process to reduce friction.
• Testing different email send times to optimize engagement.
• Keeping an eye on social media interactions to refine strategies.

Once your metrics are in place, focus on understanding your audience so your efforts align with their preferences and behaviors.

Map Out Your Audience

Understanding your audience is key to creating effective promotions.

• Demographics and Behavior: Use data like age, location, income, and job role to create a detailed audience profile. Tools like Google Analytics can help track how they engage with your content.
• Communication Preferences: Experiment with different messaging styles and timings to see what resonates most.
• Pain Points and Motivations: Gather insights through surveys, focus groups, social media analytics, feedback from past events, and industry research to understand what drives your audience.

Tailoring your strategy to your audience ensures your event promotion hits the mark.

Step 2: Create Your Event Page

Your event page is the backbone of your ticket sales. A well-designed page can significantly boost both conversions and attendance.

Key Elements for Your Event Page

A successful event page builds on the strategy you developed in Step 1. Make sure to include these essential features:

• Event Details: Clearly state the event date, time, venue, and pricing.
• Visuals: Add sharp images and engaging videos to grab attention.
• Pricing Options: Highlight early bird rates, VIP packages, or group discounts.
• Social Proof: Share photos from past events and testimonials from attendees.
• Mobile-Friendly Design: Ensure the page is responsive and loads quickly on all devices.
• Call-to-Action: Use prominent "Buy Tickets" buttons to encourage immediate purchases.

Keep your branding consistent, make the purchasing process simple, and use time-sensitive offers to create urgency.

Curious how Membrz.Club can help bring these elements to life?

"A strong community is your most effective, low-cost way to sell tickets."
– Membrz.Club ^[2]

How Membrz.Club Can Help (https://membrz.club)

Real-world examples show how Membrz.Club’s tools can drive results. For instance, Valsa - a cultural venue - saw a 40% increase in digital traffic and doubled its online ticket sales by using these features ^[2]:

• Social Sales Integration:
  • Embed ticket purchase options directly into Instagram and Facebook stories.
  • Offer one-click buying directly on your website.
  • Track conversions from social media channels.
• Community Engagement Tools:
  • Send branded newsletters with open rates as high as 50%.
  • Offer exclusive deals for members.
  • Build excitement with sneak peeks and preview content.

Another success story is Punch Sessions, a concert promoter. They grew their community to over 2,000 members and increased pre-sales by 30% ^[2] by using features like:

• Streamlined team workflows.
• White-labeled event pages to strengthen branding.
• Simplified check-in processes for better attendance tracking.

Step 3: Plan Your Marketing Mix

Once your event page is ready, it’s time to craft a multi-channel marketing strategy. Why? Events promoted across multiple channels see 250% higher engagement rates compared to those relying on just one ^[6].

Pick Your Platforms

Data shows ^[3]:

• Social media is the top choice, with 47% effectiveness for event promotion.
• Email marketing comes in second at 30%.
• Digital advertising ranks third at 28%.
• Dedicated event websites contribute 27% to success.
• Influencer partnerships account for 21% of results.

Choose platforms that align with your event. For instance, a business conference might perform well on LinkedIn and email, while a music festival could thrive on Instagram and TikTok.

"Content is fire, social media is gasoline." - Jay Baer, Customer Experience Expert and Speaker ^[3]

After selecting your platforms, ensure your brand voice is consistent across all of them.

Keep Messages Consistent

Staying consistent with your brand can boost recognition by up to 80% ^[5]. Here’s how to maintain clarity and impact:

• Create Platform-Specific Content: Tailor your message to fit each platform. For example, use Instagram for eye-catching visuals and behind-the-scenes clips, while email newsletters can provide more detailed event information and exclusive offers.
• Develop a Content Calendar: Plan your promotional timeline. Include teasers, ticket promotions, speaker highlights, countdowns, and last-minute reminders to build excitement.
• Track Performance: Use platform-specific tracking codes and analytics to measure effectiveness and adjust your strategy for better ROI.

"Consistency isn't about posting the exact same thing everywhere, it's about delivering the same brand experience in ways that suit each platform." - Maria Bucarano, Chronically Online Social Media Manager ^[4]

Step 4: Use Social Media Effectively

Social media plays a key role in promoting events, driving traffic, and boosting audience engagement ^[7]. The first step? Choose the platforms that align best with your audience and event type.

Select Target Platforms

Each social media platform has its strengths. Matching your event to the right platform can make all the difference. Here's a quick guide:

Platform	Ideal For	Features to Leverage
Instagram	Lifestyle & Music Events	Visual content, Reels, high engagement
LinkedIn	Professional & Corporate	B2B networking, thought leadership
TikTok	Youth-focused Events	Short videos, viral trends
Facebook	Community & Educational	Event pages, broad reach

Pro tip: Focus on platforms where your audience is already active. For instance, LinkedIn is perfect for professional gatherings, while Instagram or TikTok works better for lifestyle events ^[8].

Create Engaging Content

Your content is what grabs attention and drives ticket sales. Did you know that videos reach 92.3% of global audiences ^[8]? That makes them a powerful tool for event promotion. Here’s how to make your content stand out:

• Mix it up: Tailor content for each platform. Share behind-the-scenes clips, event highlights, and teaser videos to keep things fresh.
• Go live: Live streaming can engage 27.6% of social media users ^[8]. Use it to showcase event prep or host Q&A sessions to build anticipation.

Use Hashtags Strategically

Hashtags can boost your event’s visibility, but only 45% of event-related posts on X use them ^[7]. Don’t miss out on this simple yet effective tool.

Here’s how to make hashtags work for you:

• Keep it simple: Choose a unique, easy-to-remember hashtag for your event.
• Promote it everywhere: Add your hashtag to event pages, email signatures, and promotional materials.
• Engage with users: Monitor hashtag activity and interact with posts to build excitement.
• Encourage sharing: Branded hashtags can increase conversions by 4.5% ^[8]. Offer perks like VIP upgrades for users who create standout posts.

Step 5: Run Email Campaigns

Email marketing is a powerful tool for driving event ticket sales. With 91% of people checking their email daily ^[13], it’s an essential part of any multi-channel strategy.

Grow Your Email List

Building a quality email list requires a thoughtful approach, especially since lists shrink by about 25% each year ^[10]. Here are some strategies to help grow your subscriber base:

Strategy	Implementation	Impact
Website Integration	Add visible signup forms and pop-ups	Brings in the majority of new subscribers
Text-to-Join	Create keyword campaigns	Increases mobile signups
Social Media	Share signup links in profiles	Expands reach across platforms
In-Person Collection	Use tablets at events	Captures direct audience information

"If someone has taken the time to find you online, they may be interested in staying informed about your upcoming events. Make sure that your sign-up form is somewhere visible and easy to find."

• Emily Wiseheart, Former Content Manager, Constant Contact ^[11]

DJ Prashant, founder of Bollywood Dreams, uses Eventbrite’s tools to grow his audience: "Eventbrite plays a central role in my marketing by being the place where I collect client info, such as emails. I also use the newsletter feature to announce my new events and reach out to my clients." ^[11]

Segmenting your email list is another key step. It allows you to send more personalized content, which can improve engagement ^[9][11].

Write Better Emails

Once you’ve built your list, focus on crafting emails that encourage action. Event emails typically see an average open rate of 37.3% ^[11], so making them effective is crucial. Here’s how to create emails that stand out:

Subject Line Tips

• Keep subject lines short - no more than nine words or 60 characters ^[12].
• Add personalization, like the recipient’s name.
• Use numbers or emojis to grab attention.

Email Body Must-Haves

• Clearly include the event’s date, time, and location.
• Add eye-catching visuals that load quickly, especially on mobile.
• Use bold call-to-action buttons.
• Promote early-bird offers or exclusive deals.

Jordan St. Pierre, founder of Something Dope Events, highlights the importance of using Eventbrite for email campaigns: "When we do email blasts, we're doing them through Eventbrite. They don't go to junk. They've already got a ticket, so it's not in their spam. That email coming from Eventbrite hits differently than it does coming from our website." ^[11]

Mike Lee’s Laugh Out Lounge saw impressive results by switching to Eventbrite’s integrated tools. Their email reach jumped from 2,000 to 6,000 emails per day, thanks to seamless integration with Mailchimp. This setup made promotions more efficient and boosted audience engagement.

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Step 6: Work with Influencers

In 2023, the influencer market reached $21.1 billion, with 81% of people paying attention to influencer recommendations ^[15]. Teaming up with the right creators can help your event gain significant attention.

Pick the Right Influencers

To find the best influencers for your event, focus on audience alignment and engagement levels. Here’s what to evaluate:

Evaluation Criteria	What to Look For	Why It Matters
Audience Match	Demographics and interests that fit your event	Ensures your message reaches potential attendees
Engagement Rate	Comments, shares, and meaningful interactions	Indicates active followers, not just passive viewers
Content Quality	Professional, consistent, and visually appealing posts	Reflects how they’ll represent your event
Past Events	Experience with similar promotions	Shows they understand event marketing strategies

Both macro- and micro-influencers can be valuable. While macro-influencers provide a larger reach, micro-influencers often have more loyal and engaged audiences ^[16].

"Alignment with a brand's core values is the number one most important factor when approached with a brand partnership opportunity." - Tap Influence social influencers study ^[14]

Here’s how to identify the right partners:

• Use tools like BuzzSumo or Klear to analyze rankings and engagement.
• Check hashtags from similar events to find creators already interested in your niche.
• Look for genuine engagement in their comment sections (not just likes).
• Ensure their content aligns with your event’s tone and values.

Once you’ve narrowed down your list, it’s time to set clear terms for collaboration.

Set Clear Agreements

After selecting influencers, establish agreements that protect both parties and outline expectations. A well-structured partnership ensures smooth collaboration and better results.

"Collaboration is key. Work with influencers to create authentic content that resonates with their followers." - David Ogiste, Founder at Nobody's Café ^[17]

Include these key points in your agreement:

• Deliverables: Specify the number and type of posts (e.g., Instagram Stories, Reels).
• Timeline: Set deadlines for content creation and posting.
• Compensation: Clearly define payment terms and schedules.
• Content Approval: Outline the review process to ensure alignment.
• FTC Compliance: Ensure all posts follow disclosure guidelines.
• Usage Rights: Detail how you can use the content.
• Exclusivity: If needed, specify that they won’t promote competing events.

For example, JennAir partnered with influencers to produce 33 luxury-focused posts within 48 hours, reaching 2.6 million Instagram followers ^[15].

Provide influencers with everything they need to succeed:

• Event marketing materials and branding guidelines.
• Key messaging and exclusive access opportunities.
• Venue details and event schedules.

Let influencers bring their own voice to the content. Authentic posts, where creators share personal experiences and genuine enthusiasm for your event, tend to perform better than overly scripted messages ^[18].

Step 7: Set Up Smart Pricing

How you price your event can directly influence its success. A recent study found that events offering early bird tickets sold 48% more tickets compared to those that didn’t ^[22].

Early Bird Pricing

Offering early bird pricing creates urgency and rewards those who commit early. Discounts typically range between 10% and 20%, and this approach can generate up to 80% of your ticket sales well before the event ^[21].

"An early bird pricing strategy offers a discounted rate to encourage customers to book or purchase tickets well in advance of the actual experience. It’s a strategic marketing strategy meant to drive sales weeks or months before an event or tour." - Carla Vianna, Writer ^[20]

For the best results, you can structure early bird offers in tiers. The earlier someone buys their ticket, the better the discount or perks they receive.

Here’s how to make early bird pricing work:

• Launch the campaign 10–15 weeks before your event.
• Limit the number of early bird tickets to create scarcity.
• Add countdown timers to your event page to emphasize deadlines.
• Include flexible cancellation policies to reduce buyer hesitation.
• Stick to your deadlines - extending them can reduce the sense of urgency.

A solid example is Sail GP's San Francisco competition, which offered a 15% early bird discount ending on January 17. This approach drove strong early sales without sacrificing ticket value ^[20].

Group Discount Strategy

Group discounts are another effective way to grow attendance while keeping your pricing strategy in check. By offering lower prices for bulk purchases, you encourage group participation and simplify ticket sales.

Here’s how to implement group discounts effectively:

• Define a minimum group size for eligibility.
• Make the discount appealing enough to encourage group purchases.
• Add extra perks, such as reserved seating or exclusive access, to sweeten the deal.
• Streamline the booking process for group leaders.

For example, vFairs' DiscoverNext conference used the code "DN100" to incentivize group bookings. This strategy boosted attendance while maintaining fair pricing for individual tickets ^[19].

"When deciding which brand or retailer to buy from, 87% of shoppers want to know they got a good deal." - Think with Google ^[21]

Step 8: Share Preview Content

Preview content plays a key role in building anticipation for your event. In fact, research shows that 96% of attendees search for event details online before deciding to attend ^[23].

Highlight Key Features

Behind-the-scenes content can spark interest and curiosity. For example, Social Media Examiner's YouTube series, The Journey, gained thousands of views and continues to attract attention ^[23].

Here are a few ways to create engaging preview content:

• Speaker spotlights: Share short videos introducing keynote speakers and the topics they'll cover.
• Venue highlights: Post photos or virtual tours showcasing unique spaces and event features.
• Experience teasers: Offer sneak peeks of planned activities or performances.
• Exclusive previews: Provide early access content to your email subscribers.

"Content is highly effective for event marketing and can help to boost your attendance and ROI. Always be authentic with your content." - Michael Brenner ^[23]

Adding time-sensitive elements to your content can encourage your audience to take action sooner.

Create a Sense of Urgency

Incorporating urgency into your preview content can motivate potential attendees to engage and commit.

"One mistake I see? Organizers forget to encourage UGC early on. The best way to get people posting is to start the momentum before the event even begins." - Michael Kamleitner, Founder & CEO of Walls.io ^[25]

Time-based strategies:

• Roll out content in a planned sequence leading up to the event.
• Use Instagram Story countdown stickers with your event branding ^[24].
• Share daily or weekly reveals to maintain excitement.

Interactive elements: Keep your audience involved with polls, Q&A sessions, surveys, and by featuring user-generated content with event hashtags.

Set clear, genuine deadlines to inspire action - without relying on artificial scarcity. A great example is Spotify's #Wrapped campaign, which shows how personalized content can drive participation and engagement ^[7].

Step 9: Connect with Communities

Once your promotional strategies are in place, building connections with communities can turn interest into strong attendance.

Engaging with communities helps increase your event's visibility by tapping into shared resources and reaching a broader audience.

Work with Local Businesses

Look for partners whose audience aligns with your event but steer clear of direct competitors. For instance, if you're organizing a music festival, consider teaming up with local music stores, recording studios, music schools, or instrument retailers.

Here are some ways to collaborate:

Partnership Type	Benefits	Example
Cross-promotion	Share advertising costs and reach more people	Run joint social media campaigns or share mailers
Package deals	Offer more value to customers	Combine event tickets with vouchers for local restaurants
Joint events	Pool resources and attract bigger crowds	Host pre-event workshops or preview nights
Referral programs	Grow each other's customer base	Offer exclusive discounts to partner business customers

Join Online Groups

Online communities can significantly expand your event's reach. For example, InEvent's Women's History Month campaign achieved a 15.73% engagement rate on LinkedIn - far above the platform's typical 2% engagement rate ^[26].

How to engage effectively with online communities:

• Participate in discussions genuinely before mentioning your event.
• Share helpful content that ties into your event's theme.
• Respond quickly to questions and comments.
• Provide exclusive behind-the-scenes content to spark interest.

"Make sure your event hashtag isn't just on a screen at the event. Use it in your emails, your website, registration pages, and even printed materials - so people see it everywhere."
– Michael Kamleitner, Founder & CEO of Walls.io ^[25]

Focus on giving value first: Before promoting your event, contribute useful insights, answer questions, and establish yourself as a trusted voice in the community. This builds credibility and makes your promotion more effective ^[27].

Find and engage with communities where your audience spends time. Platforms like LinkedIn groups, Reddit communities, and niche industry forums often deliver great results when approached with genuine, value-driven participation ^[27].

Step 10: Monitor and Improve Results

Keeping an eye on key metrics is essential for driving ticket sales and boosting attendance. Using analytics tools can help you stay on top of these numbers and make smarter decisions.

Check Key Numbers

Metric Type	What to Track	Why It Matters
Engagement	Social media interactions, email open rates	Shows how well your content connects with your audience
Sales	Ticket purchases, merchandise revenue	Tracks your return on investment
Website	Page visits, time on site, click-through rates	Measures how far your promotions are reaching
Community	Member growth, repeat attendees	Reflects audience loyalty and retention

Real-world examples back this up. Valsa managed to double their online ticket revenue and saw a 40% jump in digital traffic by focusing on these metrics. Baile Emo boosted ticket sales by 40%, while Punch Sessions grew their community to over 2,000 members and saw a 30% increase in pre-sales ^[2]. Tracking these numbers ensures you're not just guessing but refining your efforts for better outcomes.

Using Membrz.Club

Membrz.Club offers a powerful analytics dashboard to help you fine-tune your promotional campaigns. Here’s what it can do:

• Track ticket and merchandise sales in real time
• Analyze how visitors interact with your event pages
• Evaluate the success of your email campaigns

"Membrz.Club offers real-time data on ticket sales, merchandise buys, and audience interactions, helping you improve your marketing efforts." - Membrz.Club

Pay attention to areas like email open rates (aim for 50%), community interaction, sales trends, peak purchase times, and digital traffic. These insights will help you adjust your strategy for even better results.

Next Steps

After completing the 10-step checklist, it's time to turn those strategies into a clear, actionable timeline. Create a detailed schedule with important deadlines for payments, print materials, and other fixed dates ^[28].

Here’s a simple structure to help you organize your promotion plan:

Timeline Phase	Key Actions	Tips
3-4 Months Out	Define goals, build an event page, plan your marketing mix	Include extra time for unexpected delays
2-3 Months Out	Start email campaigns, finalize pricing strategy	Hold regular team updates to stay on track
1-2 Months Out	Launch influencer collaborations, share sneak peeks	Keep an eye on early performance data and adjust if needed
Final Month	Increase community engagement, track campaign results	Highlight urgency to encourage last-minute sign-ups

"Anchor points are essential for successful event management. They provide a timeline of deadlines that must be met to ensure the event runs smoothly" ^[29].

Make use of event management tools to simplify your process. Research shows these tools can boost digital traffic and ticket sales ^[2]. Keep your timeline visible to the entire team and be ready to tweak it based on performance insights.

Regularly check in with stakeholders - venues, suppliers, and tech partners - to ensure everyone is aligned with your objectives ^[28]. A transparent timeline and synchronized team efforts will help you hit every milestone and move closer to a sold-out event.

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