How to Send an Evite through Text Message and Increase Event Attendance

What Is an Evite?

An evite is a digital invitation sent to guests via text, email, or social media. You’ve probably received evites for your nephew’s fifth birthday, your colleague’s baby shower, and more. Any event, whether virtual or in person, can be marketed by an evite.

Why Should I Send an Evite through Text Message?

Sending an evite through text message is one of the best ways to get people to your event. Here’s why.

SMS Messages Have Sky-High Open and Read Rates

With a whopping 98% open rate, text messages are the most reliable way to reach your audience. Plus, most text messages are read within 90 seconds of being received. It only makes sense to use this channel for your event messaging.

Evite Text Messages Are Personal

Text messages are a more personal way of communicating with your audience. You can address each contact by name and tweak messages for different groups of people, creating more personalized experiences.

They’re Cost-Effective

Just think of all the money saved by not having to print, use envelopes, or buy postage. Plus, SMS messaging allows you to send bulk texts for a lower price than other traditional marketing strategies, making it easier on your bottom line.

An Evite by Text Message Is Easy to Track

Sending evites by text message lets you track RSVPs, clicks, bounce rates, and more — all in one place.

How to Write a Compelling Evite Text Message

While evites are the way to event-goers’ hearts, the only way people will show your event some love is if the message is compelling. Here are some things to remember as you write your evite text message.

Include an Image

Make your evite through text message stand out by including an image that depicts the type of event or its branding, a small evite “cover image,” or even an illustration that says “You’re Invited.” Adding a visual helps to draw people in; plus, it can be used as event marketing collateral across all touchpoints — email, social media, and in-person signage — to create a cohesive experience.

Remember that you’ll need to send your evite + image via MMS message. Check out these MMS templates for inspiration, and discover some of the best ways to use MMS in text message marketing.

Provide the “Why”

Clearly state the value of the event. Now, with some events, like weddings, those with well-known speakers, and so on, the value might not need to be spelled out. But for other types of events, make it known upfront why it’s important for this person to sign up. Here are some examples:

• “Get a sneak peek of our long-awaited product drop!”
• “Here’s your exclusive invite to our store opening!”
• “Help us care for our planet — join our fundraising gala.”

Don’t Forget the Details

Give contacts all the pertinent information about the event. But remember that SMS and MMS texts have character limits, so you’ll need to ensure that your message lays out this information clearly and concisely.

Details should include the location (whether virtual or in person), the date and time, how to RSVP or purchase tickets, and what will happen at the event (if it’s unclear from the title). If you can’t fit everything into your message, there’s always the option of linking to an online event page that has more details.

Include a Strong Call to Action

Don’t leave your audience hanging — tell them what to do with a strong call to action (better known as a CTA in the marketing world). This should be the last part of your message, asking them to register, RSVP, or learn more with a link. To save characters, use a link shortener.

What Are Some Tips for Increasing Event RSVPs?

Some tips for increasing event RSVPs include sending a “save the date,” sending text message reminders and offering incentives.

Send a “Save the Date”

Before sending an evite through text message, send a “save the date.” This is an event promotion tactic that serves as a little sneak peek for your audience to let them know that something great is on the horizon and they need to clear their calendars. If they already have your event penciled in, they’re more likely to register immediately when they receive the official event evite.

Make sure to wait to send a “save the date” until you have the event location and date set because these details shouldn’t change. Then, once you have more logistics set, like time, speakers, performers, incentives, and so on, you’ll send the evite text message.

Send Text Reminders

Sometimes people need a friendly nudge to commit to attending events. Schedule automated text reminders to be sent at certain intervals throughout the event planning process. The timing will depend on the nature of your event, but plan on sending a reminder at least one to two weeks beforehand and then the day before.

Offer Incentives

Incentives are a great way to bring in more RSVPs because, let’s face it, people love free stuff. These will differ depending on the type of event, but some ideas include a free business coaching session, a tote bag, entrance into a raffle, a product or service discount, and more.

Try not to offer incentives to every attendee, as doing so might decrease your ROI. One idea is to tier them based on when people sign up, like incentivizing the first 50 people to sign up.

What are Some Common Mistakes to Avoid When Sending an Evite Through Text Message?

When sending an evite through text message, try to avoid making these common mistakes:

• Not including a CTA. Provide a clear call to action that tells your guest what to do, whether it’s replying “yes,” clicking a link to buy tickets, or clicking through to a sign-up form.
• Not including all of the necessary info. If your audience doesn’t have enough information, they might not sign up for the event. Make sure you give them the best chance possible.
• Not writing for your audience. Using the right tone of voice and language is key when drumming up excitement about your event (and it’s also a text message marketing best practice). Use language that’s appropriate for the audience and the event, and avoid using all caps or an excessive number of exclamation points.
• Not incorporating two-way texting. Two-way, or conversational, texting is a nice feature when sending evites by text message because it allows guests to reply to learn more, RSVP, or ask questions. Get more info about conversational text messaging for events.

How Can I Track the Success of My Evite?

Tracking the success of your evite is important for viewing the number of attendees and assessing the overall engagement. You can do this through SMS marketing platforms, which provide analytics on bounce rates, clicks, and individual contact interactions. And if you’ve requested RSVPs directly through text, you’ll be able to see individual replies in the platform as well.

With event planning, convenience is everything. You have a lot on your plate, so make your life easier with an SMS marketing platform! With EZ Texting, you can easily upload your contacts, segment them into groups, craft your message, and send your evite through text message. Sign up for your free trial today.