The most unnerving part of hosting an event is not the hours of organizing and planning it takes to make it happen; it’s the actual day of the event, the not knowing if everything will go according to plan. Even more nerve-wracking than the possibility of things going wrong is the uncertainty of people showing up at all. An empty event, now that’s a disaster!
The success of event-focused businesses relies on the commitment of the users to attend the events they sign up for. What is it that makes people attend the events they RSVP to? Are there steps a host can take to ensure the attendance of the invitees?
Based on the information the marketing consultant agency in the UK “You Are The Media” provided through the telling of their experience launching their own business, through a trial and error model, they have successfully identified what makes people come through with their plans. We have outlined it below:
1. Readily available information
“When people came to the company website (the page was on the site that then clicked to Eventbrite), it became confusing.” (YATM). Your webpage, page, or app needs to give the user a clear message of what you are about. The information about how your events work needs to be clear, concise, and readily available. This will not only make people commit to going, but it will also jump-start the actual signing up for events.
2. Familiarity helps decisions
Your users need to feel at home with the event and the situation surrounding it. The more familiar and natural it feels, the more likely they will come through with the event. You can’t ask for a vote of confidence based on emptiness; trust must be built, which only happens after a relationship has already started. This means that the second event is usually more effortless. According to the Eventbrite author, when dealing with an online community, the leap toward face-to-face reunions is more challenging and requires a vote of confidence from the user.
3. People attract people
Monkey see monkey do is a concept widely followed by people, even if it is unconsciously. Knowing that more people are attending the event, especially if shown proof of it, may make people more confident about their decision. Incorporating a channel where the attendees can visualize and interact with each other in the days leading up to the event may prove crucial for the success of the attendance rate. Humans need social proof from each other; it’s in our DNA.
4. Word to mouth organic marketing
If you open Instagram and see a friend or someone you have an affinity for post their attendance to an event, you are more likely to check it out than if the event came to your attention through paid advertising. This comes well into play with our previous point; it is the social proof that someone like you is also going to the event. Creating the space for people to be encouraged to publish or announce their attendance will attract more people to do the same. According to YATM, attendees who posted on LinkedIn their attendance at their launch were the catapult to creating an attendance spike and its’ success. Posting their LinkedIn event helped create visibility and organically spread the word.
5. Remove the friction of navigating
The user experience has to be smooth. Everything from navigating your page to getting informed of the event, all the way to the booking and payment. The less friction there is for the users, the better their experience and the more likely they will commit.
6. Non-isolated events
“If you can demonstrate to others that your activity is part of a wider effort, it can help people recognize that what you’re creating has a pulse.” (YATM) It’s easier to ask for people’s time and money when you can prove that your concept comes with a bigger picture, a bigger purpose, and going somewhere. Unfortunately, this might take an extra effort for the first
event, so ensuring that your vision and company are built on a solid foundation can help create the feeling that the event is one of many and a part of something big.
7. Put your money where your mouth is
Across the companies and the events, we’ve analyzed, we noticed one common factor in all of them: financial commitment. But not any kind of financial commitment, a small fee with representative purposes. Small fees were the characteristic of less-known businesses or events and starting off their efforts to acquire loyal users. It’s not a barrier of entry because it doesn’t represent a substantial financial effort, but it is quite literally a written contract and will most likely increase the likelihood of someone standing up from their couch and going to the event.
Overall, event-focused businesses have the great challenge of depending on the commitment of users to show up. By following the steps above, hosts may be a step closer to achieving a successful attendance rate. It’s crucial to remember that just like picking up running, the first mile is always the hardest, and everything flows easier after it. In general, familiarity, easiness, and availability are among the things that make people commit to their word and attend events, together with a small financial fee representing said commitment.
