By Mary Tucker | Senior Communications and Content Manager | IAEE
Getting people to register for your event is hard. Getting them to actually show up? Even harder.
If you’ve ever grimaced at disappointing registration numbers or watched your attendance rates drop despite your best efforts, you are not alone. The truth is, most event marketers are following the same tired playbook and getting the same mediocre results.
There is a better way.
Join us for IAEE’s upcoming webinar, Event Marketing Tips That Deliver!, in which Jay Schwedelson, the marketing maverick behind SubjectLine.com and CEO of Outcome Media, will share the proven strategies that have helped him generate over $400 million in revenue by doing what most marketers won’t: challenging the so-called “best practices” of marketing.
Jay’s team executes over 40,000 marketing campaigns annually and he’s tested more than 20 million subject lines through his platform. He knows what works and, more importantly, what doesn’t. Whether you’re planning virtual sessions, hybrid experiences or face-to-face exhibitions, you’ll discover the quick tweaks and creative tactics that can transform your event marketing from forgettable to unmissable.
Here, we sit down with Jay to get a preview of what attendees can expect. His insights on high-performing emails, landing pages that convert and social strategies that actually stop the scroll are eye-opening.
You’ve achieved impressive results by breaking marketing “best practices.” What’s the biggest myth about event marketing that’s actually hurting attendance rates?
Jay: The biggest myth is that people register for events because of your “amazing content.” Nope. That’s marketer fantasy land. People register because they believe the event will solve their immediate pain point. When event registration marketing is framed as outcomes (“How to Fix Your HR Complaints This Week”) outperform generic content pitches (“HR Trends”) by 37 percent in conversion rate. Stop selling “topics.” Start selling results. (Source: Worldata Research)
You’ve tested over 20 million subject lines. When it comes to event invitation emails specifically, what patterns have you seen that consistently drive higher open rates and registrations?
Jay: Here’s what actually works. Subject lines with time triggers like “TOMORROW” or “LAST CHANCE” see a 38 percent higher open rate. Including a question in the subject line drives an additional 22 percent lift. And event invite emails that include emojis perform better: open rates jump 27 percent for B2C and 21 percent for B2B. It’s science, not opinion. The best performers make readers think, “Wait, what is that?” Curiosity wins every time. (Source: SubjectLine.com)
Most marketers struggle with the gap between registrations and actual attendance. What is the most effective strategy you’ve discovered for turning sign-ups into show-ups?
Jay: Send more reminders. Period. Data from over 1,200 webinar and event sequences shows that sending three reminders (one day before, two hours before, and 15 minutes before) increases live attendance by 48 percent compared to just one reminder. And personalize the sender. Emails sent from a person’s name instead of a brand increase attendance click rates by 32 percent. Humans show up for humans, not logos. (Source: Worldata Research)
Social media algorithms seem to change constantly. What’s working right now for promoting events on social platforms, and how should marketers adapt their approach in the short-term?
Jay: What’s working right now is native engagement, not link dumping. On LinkedIn, posts that ask for comments instead of dropping a registration link get 3.5 times more. On Instagram and Facebook, carousel posts and short-form video outperform static images by 65 percent for event sign-ups. (Source: Worldata Research)
You will address common traps that stall event growth. Can you share one trap that even experienced event marketers frequently fall into, as well as how to avoid it?
Jay: The biggest trap is recycling last year’s campaign. Thinking you’re “keeping consistency” when you’re actually keeping mediocrity. If you are dusting off last year’s playbook you are already failing.
What is one quick win marketers could implement this week to improve their next event campaign, even before you dive deeper into your tactics at the full session?
Jay: Quick win time. Rename your event invite emails. Stop calling them “Event Invitation” or “Register Now.” Test conversational subject lines like “You’re on the list?” or “Sneak peek: The surprise session we just added.” Subject lines written as statements or questions instead of commands drive a 29 percent higher open rate. It’s small, but it works immediately. (Source: Worldata Research)
