Four e-invite statistics every event manager should know

Used in the context of an event manager, your replies would increase by 9%.

Event managers are often under the impression that an e-invite needs to be an image-dependant work of art. While we’re all for great design and pleasing aesthetics, using an image-heavy invitation frequently results in a message either being marked as spam, or as an email full of “broken” images.

While you may think it’s a good idea to use your company font and logo and all of the corporate identity bells and whistles that go with it, sending an image-heavy invitation means that a large portion of your intended recipients will be unable to view it. Don’t forgot that if they’re checking their email from a work address, the majority of people don’t have a choice about how their mail is received, as companies have to be vigilant about spam, viruses, phishing and the like.

Ensure that any e-invite of yours isn’t reliant on images – that is, that your event is clearly explained via text only. Any images you do include should merely support the copy.

2. 35% of email recipients open email based on the subject line alone
(Source: Convince and Convert)

Our frenetic lifestyles, coupled with the huge quantity of emails received every day, mean that we’ve become adept at skimming our inboxes for the most pertinent content. The majority of emails received are superfluous, whether they’re spam, “chain mail” or a never-ending stream of company mails you’ve automatically been cc’d in on. Your recipients take a split second to decide whether an email adds value to their lives or not. Event managers need to be able to use compelling copy in their subject lines if they want their guests to open an e-invite. It’s crucial that you employ a skilled copywriter who is able to engage people with just one line of copy.

3. Click through rate (CTR) is higher when using the recipient’s first name in the subject line, compared to subject lines that don’t
(Source: HubSpot)

This statistic follows on from the one above, reiterating the importance of your subject line. Addressing your guests by their first name personalises your communication with them. By creating a one-on-one interaction, your guests are much more likely to feel that they’re valued by your brand. Instead of using a generic line like: “Vespa is proud to invite you to the launch of our new two-seater”, opt to use something along the lines of: “Garth! You’re invited to take a cruise on our brand-new two-seater Vespa.” Addressing a guest by name also adds an air of exclusivity to an e-invite – an aspect that goes a long way in upping the appeal of your event.

4. 6am has the highest CTR of any hour
(Source: HubSpot)

Our dependence on our mobile phones has become so pronounced that rolling over and checking your mail is now commonplace. After a good night’s rest, your guests are bound to be less impatient or pressed for time than if they were to check their mail during the day. This is good news for event managers, as it means that the likelihood of your invitation being read instead of ignored, is high. Manually sending out an email invitation isn’t an option for most event planners though, which is why scheduling them beforehand is advisable. Using a service like The RSVP Agency to manage this process for you will ensure that your invite isn’t lost amongst their other mail, and that it’s the first thing someone sees when they wake up. Making use of specially designed software to create and send your invitations plays a crucial part in making sure that your e-invites are received at the right time, increasing click-throughs and subsequently, RSVPs.

Using these helpful hints will go a long way in making sure that the next time you’ve got a guest list to fill, your e-invites do the job.

This article first appeared on www.bizcommunity.co.za