Organizing an event is a lot of work, and selling tickets is a crucial part of it. But sometimes, even with all the planning, marketing, and promotion, you may find yourself with unsold tickets. It can be stressful if your event has not sold as many tickets as you expected, but there are still ways to sell event tickets effectively. Here are some tips to help you out.
Offer Discounts
One of the most effective ways to sell tickets is to offer discounts. Discounts are a great way to incentivize people to purchase tickets, especially when they are hesitant about attending the event.
However, there is a right and wrong way to offer discounts. If you choose to create direct discounts for your event from your own platform, it may cause a possible backlash from customers who have purchased the event tickets earlier at full price.
Instead, you can choose to create discounts through partners and give discount codes or discounted prices to the partners who can promote the price drop. This way, the main listing will not suffer any price variances from previous purchases, and the brand will not be diluted.
Another way to offer discounts is by partnering with other businesses or organizations. For example, if your event is a music concert, you can partner with a local bar or restaurant and offer discounts to people who show their concert tickets at the establishment.
You can also use corporate discounts by offering big corporations preferential prices shared throughout the corporation. This way, thousands of corporate staff can be targeted and encouraged to purchase tickets to your event.
Use Social Media
Social media is a powerful tool that you can use to promote your event and sell tickets. With roughly 4.8 Billion users worldwide on platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, social media is an effective way to reach a large audience quickly.
Create a post about your event, include a call-to-action to buy tickets, and share it on all your social media platforms.
One way to increase engagement on social media is by using videos or live streams to promote your event. You can create a video trailer or a live stream of the event preparation and encourage people to buy tickets while watching the video. Most (71%) live stream viewers have purchased something via social media, so it can be a very effective way to reach the right audience.
Another effective tactic is to use social media contests or giveaways to generate excitement about your event. You can offer a prize or free tickets to people who share your event post, tag their friends, or follow your social media accounts.
If you don’t have an established social following, you can partner with your vendors, like your ticketing partner, to promote and host giveaways for your event on their social media channels.
Use Email Marketing
If you have an email list, use it to promote your event and sell tickets. Email marketing is a cost-effective way to reach your audience directly and encourage them to purchase tickets. With almost 4.3 Billion users, email marketing is known to give one of the highest returns on investment (ROI) for businesses, averaging around $40 for every dollar spent.
Create an engaging email with all the details about your event, including the date, time, location, and ticket prices. Include a call-to-action to buy tickets and make it easy for people to do so by providing a direct link to purchase tickets.
You can also use email marketing to offer exclusive discounts or promotions to your subscribers. For example, you can offer a 15% discount to people who sign up for your email list and buy tickets within a specific time frame.
Another way to leverage email marketing is by creating a sense of urgency. You can send a reminder email a few days before the event, letting people know that only a limited number of tickets are available.
Our email marketing experts can help you reach the right audience through bespoke email campaigns with carefully curated content. We apply the best email marketing practices to ensure your message reaches the right audience through our high-quality customer database.
Interested in learning more about our email marketing services? Get in touch with us now.
Reach Out To Your Network
Your personal and professional network can be a great resource when it comes to selling event tickets. Reach out to your friends, family, and colleagues and ask them to spread the word about your event. You can also ask them to buy tickets themselves or buy tickets for their friends and family.
Another way to leverage your network is by creating an affiliate program. You can offer a commission or a discount to people who refer others to buy tickets for your event. This can be an effective way to incentivize people to promote your event to their network.
Platinumlist has its own affiliate program that can help your event reach a larger audience with the help of our influencers and partners. List your event on our website to get started now.
Offer VIP Experiences
Another way to promote ticket sales is by selling VIP experiences. These can include perks such as backstage passes, meet-and-greets with the performers, or access to a VIP lounge.
VIP experiences can be a great way to incentivize people to buy tickets, especially those who may have been on the fence about attending. They can also be a way to generate additional revenue for your event.
When offering VIP experiences, make sure to price them appropriately, taking into account the value of the perks and the face value of the tickets. You’ll also need to ensure that the experiences are feasible and deliverable and that they don’t interfere with the overall flow and logistics of the event.
Platinumlist’s ticketing solutions help create tiered ticketing offers for your event and offer early-bird and last-minute discounts through a simple, user-friendly platform. You can easily list your event on our website with a few simple steps to get started.
Create Urgency Through Limited-Time Offers
Creating a sense of urgency can be a powerful way to promote ticket sales. One way to do this is by offering limited-time offers, such as flash sales or early-bird specials.
Flash sales are short-term promotions that offer a significant discount on tickets. They can be a great way to incentivize people to buy tickets quickly, especially if they are on the fence about attending. Flash sales can also create a sense of urgency and exclusivity, as people may feel they are getting a special deal that others are not.
Early-bird specials are similar to flash sales but are offered for a longer period of time, such as a week or a month before the event. They can be a way to reward early buyers and generate momentum for your event.
When offering limited-time offers, promote them aggressively through your marketing channels. You’ll also need to ensure that the offers are clear, concise, and easy to redeem.
Partner With Other Events or Organizations
Partnering with other events or organizations can be a great way to sell event tickets. By partnering with a complementary event or organization, you can cross-promote your event and reach a wider audience.
For example, if your event is a music festival, you can partner with a local brewery or restaurant and offer a joint promotion. You can also offer a discount to people who attend both events.
When partnering with other events or organizations, ensure they align with your values and target audience. You’ll also need to ensure the partnership is mutually beneficial and doesn’t dilute your event’s overall messaging and branding.
Use Influencer Partnerships
Influencers have large followings on social media, which can be a great way to reach a specific audience interested in your event.
When selecting influencers, make sure to choose those who align with your event’s target audience and values. You can offer them free tickets or a discounted rate in exchange for promotion on their social media channels or work with them on a commission basis.
Make sure to set clear expectations and goals for the partnership. You’ll also need to provide them with all the necessary information about your event, including the event schedule, dress code, and any rules or restrictions.
Tap Into Local Tourism Channels
One way to sell event tickets is by tapping into local tourism channels. If your event is in a tourist destination, contact the local tourism bureau, hotel concierge services, and visitor centers to let them know about your event. Many tourists are looking for things to do on their trip, and local tourism channels can be a great way to reach an audience that may not be familiar with your event.
When contacting tourism channels, provide them with all the necessary information about your event, including date, time, location, and ticket prices. You can also offer special tourist packages, such as a ticket-and-transportation bundle or a ticket-and-dining package. Make sure to include a call to action and a sense of urgency in your messaging to encourage
Use Targeted Advertising
Targeted advertising is a way to reach a specific audience through digital advertising. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Google Ads allow you to target your ads based on demographics, interests, and behaviors.
According to Sprout Social, more consumers report finding the perfect product by seeing a targeted ad (49%) over an organic post by a brand (40%). This indicates that running paid ads might be a more effective strategy in order to sell tickets for your event.
When using targeted advertising, make sure to define your target audience clearly. You can use data from previous events or surveys to identify the characteristics of your ideal audience. You can also use tools such as Facebook’s Audience Insights to analyze the interests and behaviors of your target audience.
Make sure to design your ads with a clear call to action and a sense of urgency. You can also use retargeting ads to target people who have visited your event’s website or social media pages but have not yet bought tickets.
Not sure where to get started with targeted advertising? Let our expert paid marketing team help you out with personalized, targeted marketing campaigns on Google and social media platforms for your event. Our team will ensure that your event reaches the right target audience to help you secure as many ticket sales as possible.
Get in touch with us to learn more about our digital marketing services now.
