There are many reasons to host events throughout the year.

From product launches, exclusive offers, private sales, and contests to hosting a trade show or conference—or simply bringing clients and employees together to celebrate your company's 10th anniversary.

To ensure your event is a success, there’s nothing like promoting it the right way! And SMS marketing is the ideal solution to boost your visibility and increase attendance.

Of course, be sure to use personalized SMS messages sent at just the right time!

Octopush reveals the keys to making SMS a powerful communication tool and maximizing participation from your target audience.

Why is SMS ideal for events?

SMS marketing offers numerous benefits for your business. First and foremost, it is the channel of immediacy. It boasts a very high open and read rate, often within 3 minutes of receipt.

It is a formidable, reliable, and high-performing communication channel that delivers excellent conversion rates.

When organizing an event, you need people to react quickly and register almost immediately after receiving the information. If they wait too long, they won't sign up. And if they don't sign up, they won't attend. It’s that simple!

With SMS, 95% of your recipients will see your message pop up on their mobile phones seconds after it’s sent, and they will read it very quickly—within 3 minutes—leading to higher participation.

Its concise format is perfect for sending essential information that needs to be processed quickly: date, time, location, and registration link.

It is also highly effective for sending reminder messages a few days before the event, or for notifying attendees of last-minute changes to the location or schedule.

Whether you are a business, an event agency, a local authority, or an association, at any time, launching SMS campaigns will allow you to effectively promote your events and quickly share all relevant information with your target audience.

SMS Examples

You can send event-related SMS messages for various reasons: product launches, private sales, special holiday or Black Friday discounts, company anniversaries, contests, and more.

Don't forget to include a link in every message to a registration page for physical events, or to a dedicated e-commerce page for online sales.

Product Launch

When you launch a new product or service, you want to shout it from the rooftops! So, why not organize a physical or digital event (webinar) to showcase your new offering?

What kind of SMS can you send to your customers and prospects?

For example, this message:

"Discover our new range this Thursday! For more information, click here: [link]".

Simple and effective!

VIP Invitations

Do you want to invite your best customers to a night they won't forget? To share the latest news or give them a behind-the-scenes look at your company?

The message could be: "Reserve your spot for our private event. To see what's in store, click here: [link]".

Contests

A contest can be an event in its own right for your business. You need to communicate with impact to make it a success!

To encourage your customers and prospects to participate in large numbers, send a personalized message like: "Marc, try to win this exclusive [prize] by answering the following question: 'What color was Henry IV's white horse?'"

Open House Days

Whatever your business or organization type (company, association, local authority), hosting an open house is a great opportunity to show people behind the scenes and attract new customers, partners, or talent.

For this occasion, sending a well-crafted marketing SMS will help you promote the event and boost registrations.

It could look like this:

For a company: "Come meet us and discover how we [action] to achieve [goal number 1]. To go behind the scenes, click here: [link]"

For a local authority: "Discover our new gym and take part in the many activities organized for the occasion. To register, click here: [link]"

Sales and Private Sales

Use SMS to notify your customers about upcoming sales and private events, making sure to include all the essential details about these exclusive offers.

To drive more foot traffic to your store or boost online sales, send a message that clearly states the discount amount and the sale end date to create a sense of urgency.

Reminders

To make sure your audience doesn't miss your event, a quick reminder never hurts!

Be direct and concise: "It's tomorrow! Join us at 7 PM at [location]."

Best practices for a successful event SMS campaign

For a successful event SMS campaign, there are a few steps you shouldn't overlook.

Plan your messages

Some companies dive in headfirst and forget to map out all the SMS messages they need to send for their event in advance.

We recommend drafting all your SMS messages and their specific send dates in a document so you don't miss a thing.

Finally, don't forget to choose the right timing for each one, as it's key to your success!

The teaser

To boost engagement and conversion rates, plan a teaser before you even announce your event.

A good teaser should intrigue your audience, building anticipation until the big reveal and making them much more receptive to your message.

The announcement

The event announcement SMS is the core of your messaging. If you've done your job well with the teaser, participation rates should be high.

The reminder

After the announcement, sending a reminder a few days before the event—two days prior, for example—will help ensure that participants show up on the big day for your party, conference, or other event.

Thank-you SMS

Don't hesitate to send an SMS the day after the event to thank all the attendees for coming and for their enthusiasm.

Include a short link

To ensure recipients sign up, add a short, punchy call-to-action that makes them want to click immediately.

The link will direct them to a landing page where they can register online and purchase their tickets.

For private sales or clearance events, the link will direct them to a specific page on your e-commerce site, tailored to the interests of each of your target segments.

Segment your contacts for personalized communication

As we’ve mentioned, personalization is crucial for promoting any type of event.

To send relevant and personalized invitations, be sure to segment your mailing list using meaningful data.

Sending the right message to the right person will help you increase event attendance and boost sales.

What’s next?

Thank yous

Once the event is over, it’s standard practice to thank the participants. Share a link to the photos and videos from the evening or day so they can relive the experience.

Satisfaction survey

You can also send them a satisfaction survey. This small gesture will be appreciated, and it allows you to gather valuable feedback to improve your future events or simply hear what your customers think.

Why is Octopush your ideal partner?

Octopush is a high-performance, all-in-one solution that lets you automate your event SMS campaigns, saving you time.

You’ll have no trouble getting started: it’s incredibly easy to use.

From the platform, you can track clicks and conversions in real time and easily personalize each of your messages to effectively promote your events.

Get started with Octopush

Easily launch your first event-based SMS campaigns and boost your events by sending impactful, relevant, and personalized marketing SMS.

Reach your target audience and ensure increased traffic to your store or website.

Try Octopush for free or request an online demo.