Want to craft the perfect event invite to your prospective attendees, but unsure where to start? Don't worry, we've got your back! Writing a compelling email invitation can help boost your ticket sales and add a personal touch to your marketing strategy. Read on for our team's tips on how to write an effective event email invitation that'll have your attendees counting down to your big day.

The audience of your invitations

Before we deep dive into how to write your emails, you'll need to determine what audience you're writing to. More specifically, are you writing to prospective attendees or returning guests? This distinction will help you create invitations in a way that best resonates with them. For first-timers, ensure your branding and logo are clearly displayed to establish your organization as a trusted source. For returning guests, try offering an exclusive discount or early access to tickets as a way of saying thank you for showing their support or referring a friend. Keep these differences in mind as you craft each email invitation for event-goers, and your event will be one they can't resist!

The 5 key ingredients of your invitation email

Now that you know who you're writing to, let's discuss how to best write each element of a successful event invite email:

1. Subject line

Since this is the first piece of text that people will see, your event email subject lines make a big difference in whether they open your email or not. You want it to be catchy and to the point, ideally nine words or less. Throwing in an emoji or two can also help grab their attention. Here are some examples:

• "Ready to Party? 🎉 Join Us at Scottfield's New Year's Gala!"

• "Don't Miss 2023 Sporting Conference's Award-Winning Speakers! 🤩"

Both of these examples include a benefit of attending and the event name, while remaining both exciting and brief. Subject lines can also create a sense of urgency with phrases such as “Act Fast!” or “Don't Miss Out!” (like in the second example).

Another best practice is to personalize the subject line with the recipient's name (e.g., “Hi Rachel, You're Invited!”) to add an even more personal touch to your message. You should also try out different subject lines with A/B testing and see which ones get the most clicks. Give it a go and see what works best for your event!

2. Headline

Now that you've crafted an effective subject line for your event invitation email, it's time to focus on your headline. A headline is the title within your email (just above the main text) that works hand in hand with your subject line. Instead of repeating what you already said in the subject line, use this text to shine the spotlight on other details about your event that'll peak your reader's interest. Plus, you want your headline to naturally flow into the body of your email. For instance, if you were hosting a beer festival, the headline “Tap Into a World of Flavor on June 20th!" would be the perfect headline for the subject line “Adam, You're Invited to the Copperridge Brew Fest! 🍻”.

3. Email copy

When writing the body of your email, first things first, make sure to place all the important details near the top. This includes your date, time, location, and duration of your event. That way, it'll be easy to find this info later without having to scroll through your email. Keep your message short and sweet, highlighting the value of attending your event in a way that's easy to digest. Highlight the featured activities you have lined up, your roster of special guests, or any additional perks they might get for attending. If there's other essential info for your specific event, like a dress code or registration details, this is the place to do so. And remember, depending on who your target audience is, make sure your language and tone of voice speaks directly to them.

4. Call-to-action

This call-to-action (CTA) button prompts the reader to take a specific action, such as "Buy Tickets" or "Subscribe Now." You'll want to ensure this action is easy to understand (e.g., click a link, watch a video, buy a ticket). Then, use bold colors, larger sizes, and simple wording so the button itself easily catches the reader's eye. We recommend placing your primary CTA above the fold or just below the text of all your most important event details. Design recognizable links that are underlined or use a contrasting color with hover effects and cursor changes so readers know your CTA is a clickable element.

And be sure to install tracking codes (called UTM parameters) to your links! For your ticketing pages specifically, you can set up Google Analytics or another third-party tracking tool straight to these links using TicketLeap. This will give you valuable information about those who click your CTA to help you assess the effectiveness of each email and conduct remarketing campaigns. You may want to consider having a secondary CTA (like “Learn More”) that provides the reader with more information about your event or organization, should they need some extra persuading before purchasing their tickets.

5. Design

Designing your email invites in a super sleek, engaging way can help win your email recipients over! You should especially highlight your organization's logo, colors, font, and other branding elements throughout the email. That way, you'll build credibility with your readers, increase brand recognition, and create a cohesive look in your invite that's visually appealing. And don't forget to include some high-quality images of your upcoming events to hype up your readers too! Plus, between each section of your invite, you'd be surprised how adding some white space can make your email easier to read, as well as create a sense of balance and structure.

One last thing: it's important to remember that most people will be opening your email on their mobile devices, so double check that your design is mobile-friendly. With a ticketing platform like TicketLeap, your emails are automatically optimized for display on smaller screens!

Now that you're an event invitation email wizard, you'll be creating invites that not only look awesome but also drive conversions. And imagine how easy this is with an intuitive ticketing platform that can manage your email blasts for you! TicketLeap gives you built-in marketing tools to help promote your event and learn more about your ticket buyers. So, why wait? Start selling tickets with TicketLeap today!