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It's no secret that selling tickets in today's current climate can be quite the rollercoaster ride, especially with inflation confronting event-goers with increased prices all over, making them more selective where they spend their disposable income. They also tend to make last-minute decisions making it harder to forecast event attendance well in advance. Not to mention fierce competition in the market. So, if you’re looking for fresh approaches to secure more sales, look no further. From utilizing new marketing channels to exploring creative and data-driven approaches and leveraging loyal fans and influencers, here are 11 creative ways to boost ticket sales.
While email marketing remains relevant, the oversaturation of promotional emails can lead to low open rates. So why not stand out by connecting with your audience directly through Instagram and Facebook marketing messages? The channels where younger generations are already spending hours scrolling. Send pre-sale alerts, updates, or facilitate in-chat ticket sales. By breaking through the noise, you can expect higher open rates, increased engagement, and a competitive edge.
Unlock the potential of your Customer Data Platform and harness the power of data to identify the visitors of your past events. Start by exploring who might have pre-registered or attended your past events - or even engaged in other interactions like giveaways but haven't completed their purchase yet. Then, leverage this valuable insight to send targeted reminder campaigns, enticing them with incentives such as exclusive discounts or free upgrades to provide that final push toward sealing the deal.
Another way to boost ticket sales is through a referral program, encouraging your current ticketholders to share a referral link with their friends. When a friend purchases a ticket through that link, both the referrer and the new ticket buyer will receive exciting incentives, such as drink or food tokens, a VIP upgrade, or a chance for a free ticket next year. This word-of-mouth marketing is a powerful tool, as current ticket holders generate a natural buzz around your event, spreading the word and driving even more sales.
Use the Customer Data Platform to identify your loyal customers by analyzing their interaction history, such as event attendance, app downloads, engagement, and send them personalized communication asking them to share promotions through their social channels. You could also leverage their ambassadorship by inviting them to share a referral link or code with friends and family, offering reduced prices or VIP tickets as incentives to shift even more tickets.
According to the findings from a recent study, older attendees plan their events further ahead and younger age groups – on the whole – make more last-minute decisions. For example, only 11% of 16-24-year-olds purchase their ticket on the day, versus 22% of 25-34 year olds, and 18% of those aged 35-44. One way to ensure younger audiences buy tickets in advance is by creating exciting giveaways that require participants to promote your event on their social channels, leveraging their reach among Gen Z attendees. Incentivizing social sharing in this way also increases your event's online presence.
Since younger audiences consume most of their content on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, tapping into the power of social media influencers can help you promote your event. However, it's essential to partner with influencers who align with your brand and target audience. For example, you can ask the artists performing at your event to join in on the promotion efforts. This way, they can engage with their fans while helping you attract new eventgoers, amplifying your reach. Even after the event, you can continue using these influencers to showcase post-event highlights, creating a sense of FOMO that builds anticipation and generates buzz for your next event.
One tried and tested method that can quickly uplift ticket sales by attracting more attendees is group tickets. As fans often come to events with friends, you could offer discounted rates for groups, such as “family tickets”, which would mean more sales for you - a win-win situation!
Don't let potential ticket sales slip away. Retarget visitors who have visited your ticket shop, website, or other pages but haven't converted for your next event by launching ads to remind them what's on the horizon. This will help create a sense of urgency and drive purchases. Online marketing tools such as GA4 and Meta Conversion API can assist you in this process. Just make sure your ticket provider integrates with these conversion tracking tools to save time and effort. Head over to our blog, which provides more information about conversion tracking.
Any online purchase should be frictionless, otherwise, there’s more chance of you losing potential visitors. To achieve this, prioritize mobile optimization for your ticket shop and streamline the check-out process. Utilize tracking platforms like GA4 to identify areas for improvement, pinpointing where customers tend to drop off during the purchase process. By offering the right payment methods, requesting less information, or simplifying the ticket flow, you can ensure more successful transactions and eventually ticket sales.
Capitalize on your visitors’ post-event enthusiasm by offering pre-registration or super early bird discounts for the next year, keeping the excitement alive and securing future ticket sales. You could further engage attendees with exclusive perks, such as VIP upgrades and backstage experiences, rewarding their loyalty and encouraging repeat attendance.
Don't wait until the last moment to engage with your audience. Make sure you stay connected with your fans throughout the year, for example, through the app that most eventgoers have already installed. With this powerful tool, you can send push messages, share exclusive content, or conduct voting polls to shape next year’s lineup. By capitalizing on the energy and positive feedback, you can ensure the ongoing success and growth of your event. Fostering year-round engagement helps build a strong community and brand loyalty, making your event the first one that comes to mind when the next festival season starts.
Boosting ticket sales comes down to a combination of creativity, data-driven insights, and engagement. At CM.com, we offer a comprehensive suite of event ticketing solutions, including a customer data platform, marketing automation tools, and an event app, which can help you boost your event’s ticket sales to a whole new level.
Focuses on understanding the needs and behavior of target groups and trends within the market to ensure that our story and solutions are optimally aligned.
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