I was once talking to an event planner friend of mine who’d organized a promising local food festival, but it was just two weeks before the big day and she’d only sold 30% of her tickets. Panic was setting in.
“I’ve put so much work into this. Everything’s ready to go, but ticket sales are crawling. I don’t know what to do!” she confided.
If you’ve ever felt that knot in your stomach watching ticket sales trickle in, you’re not alone. In fact, a recent survey found that 54% of sales professionals say selling has gotten harder in 2024. For those in the events world, this means new hurdles in getting tickets into people’s hands. But don’t worry — there are proven ways to turn things around and sell those tickets. In my friend’s case we were able to identify some tactics she hadn’t implemented yet and her festival was a huge success.
In this article, we’ll explore those tactics (and more) to help you sell more event tickets using WordPress too. Whether you’re organizing a local meetup or a big conference, these tips can help you boost attendance and revenue. We’ll also look at how tools like The Events Calendar and Event Tickets can make your sales process smoother.
Let’s dive in and get those ticket sales soaring!
13 effective strategies for selling event tickets online
Whether you’re looking to sell tickets faster or simply sell more of them, here are 13 effective strategies that can help.
1. Have an amazing event page
Your event page is your virtual storefront. It needs to grab attention and provide all the key details to turn visitors into ticket buyers. First impressions matter, so make sure your page looks great. Use high-quality images and a clean, professional layout. Clearly display all the essential event info — date, time, location, and a brief description of what attendees can expect.
Don’t forget about SEO. Use relevant keywords in your page content, meta descriptions, and image alt text to help people find your event online. Include clear, compelling calls to action (CTAs) like “Buy Tickets Now” or “Reserve Your Spot” to encourage purchases.
Note that if you want to sell tickets right from your event page, there’s no better way to do it than by using Event Tickets Plus. It integrates fully with The Events Calendar and helps you organize, display, and sell event tickets seamlessly on your WordPress site, enhancing user experience.
2. Start selling tickets early
The earlier you start selling tickets, the more time you have to promote your event and build anticipation. Announce your event as soon as possible. For example, Coachella typically reveals its lineup four months before the festival weekend.
Offer early bird discounts to incentivize quick purchases. Use Event Tickets Plus to manage early bird ticketing directly on your WordPress site using custom ticket types.
Before officially opening sales, build anticipation by teasing your event. The Events Calendar lets you create featured events that spotlight your upcoming shindig. This sneak peek can pique interest and get people excited about the ticket release.
3. Reach out to previous attendees
It’s often easier and cheaper to sell to past customers than to find new ones. In fact, 72% of revenue comes from existing customers, according to HubSpot’s 2024 Sales Trends Report.
Set up a loyalty program that offers perks or discounts to returning attendees. This encourages repeat attendance and can boost word-of-mouth promotion. It also boosts initial sales and creates a sense of exclusivity that can drum up even more interest.
Use targeted email campaigns to reconnect with previous attendees. Personalize your messages and highlight what’s new or exciting about your upcoming event. If you’re using The Events Calendar and Event Tickets, you can integrate with Promoter for automated, personalized email marketing. This tool uses dynamic content to create engaging campaigns that can drive ticket sales.
Remember to ask for feedback from past attendees. This helps you improve future events while keeping past attendees engaged and more likely to return.
4. Sell on mobile-friendly platforms
Let’s face it: we’re all glued to our phones these days. So why not make it super easy for people to snag tickets while they’re scrolling?
First things first, make sure your event page looks great on any device. Whether someone’s browsing on their phone during their commute or on their laptop at home, they should have a smooth experience.
Set up mobile payment options like Apple Pay and Google Wallet. With Event Tickets Plus, you can offer these digital wallet payments, making checkout faster than you can say “sold out!”
What’s more, with Event Tickets Plus, attendees can access their tickets on their smartphones — no printing necessary. They can even save tickets to their digital wallets or download PDF tickets for easy access anytime.
5. Create a sense of urgency and scarcity
Want to get people moving? Create a sense of urgency! It’s amazing how a ticking clock can motivate folks to hit that “Buy Now” button.
You can try adding a countdown timer to your event page. It’s like a virtual nudge, reminding visitors that time is running out on those special offers. Alternatively, show how many tickets are left. When people see those numbers dwindling, they’re more likely to snap up tickets fast.
Make sure to set and clearly communicate early bird pricing deadlines.
Tap into FOMO — the fear of missing out. It’s a real thing, especially for millennials. Use Event Tickets to display who’s already attending. When potential guests see their friends or industry peers on the list, they won’t want to be left out!
6. Utilize customer testimonials and referrals
There’s nothing quite like a glowing review to convince someone to buy a ticket, so showcase testimonials from past events prominently on your event page. These real experiences build trust and credibility with potential ticket buyers.
Got some particularly enthusiastic attendees? Consider setting up a referral program. It’s a win-win: they feel appreciated, and you get more ticket sales!
Share the love on social media too. Repost those excited tweets and Instagram stories from past events. And for those bigger, business-focused events, think about crafting some success stories. Did someone land a big client at your last conference? Or learn a skill that boosted their career? Those stories can be super compelling for folks on the fence about attending.
Remember, people trust other people. So, letting your attendees’ experiences speak for themselves is going to be much more effective than promoting your event left, right, and center.
7. Share on social media
Social media is your ticket to reaching a huge audience and it’s essential to make those platforms work for you. Share some behind-the-scenes content, sneak peeks of the venue setup, or interviews with speakers to build excitement.
Here’s another fun idea: encourage your attendees to become part of the buzz. Create a catchy event hashtag and invite people to share their own content. You’ll basically have a whole army of influencers promoting your event for free!
Don’t forget to create a dedicated event page on Facebook. It’s a great way to keep all your event info in one place and lets people easily share it with their friends. Plus, you can use it to post updates and interact with potential attendees.
And if you’ve got a bit of budget to spare, consider dipping your toes into paid social media advertising. You can target specific demographics and interests, helping you reach the exact audience you’re after.
8. Reach your headliner’s audience
Got a big-name speaker or performer? Their fans could be your ticket to a sold-out event. Reach out to your headliners and see if they’d be willing to promote the event to their followers. A single tweet or Instagram post from them could reach thousands of potential attendees.
You can create some exclusive content with your headliners, like a short interview, to generate interest and leave people wanting more. Don’t overlook the power of influencers in your industry, either. Partnering with relevant bloggers or social media personalities can help you reach an even broader audience.
9. Showcase video content
Did you know that 87% of marketers say video has directly increased their sales? That’s huge! Video gives people a chance to see and feel what your event is all about. It’s the next best thing to being there in person — and might just be what convinces them to buy a ticket.
Start by creating a teaser video for your event. Highlight the venue, showcase some speakers, or give a taste of what attendees can expect. Live streaming is another great tool. Hop on Facebook Live or Instagram Live to engage with your audience in real time. You could do a Q&A session about the event or give a live tour of the venue.
The Events Calendar lets you easily embed your YouTube Live or Facebook Live links right on your event page. So whether you’re streaming live or sharing a pre-recorded video, it’s right there for everyone to see.
10. Optimize pricing strategies
Clever pricing can make a big difference in your bottom line. Why not experiment with different ticket tiers? You could offer VIP packages with extra perks or early-bird specials for the quick deciders. This way, you’re catering to various budgets and preferences.
Tap into the power of group bookings. A “bring your team” discount encourages attendees to bring colleagues or friends, expanding your reach.
Keep your ear to the ground, too. What are folks in your community willing to shell out? Understanding this can help you hit that sweet spot between affordability and value.
Last but not least, past performance is a goldmine of insights. Dive into those previous event numbers — they’re your secret weapon for nailing future pricing.
11. Promote with targeted email campaigns
Despite the fact that there are dozens of social media apps at your disposal today, email remains one of the most direct and effective ways to reach potential attendees. Think about sorting your contacts into groups based on their interests or past behavior. This way, you can tailor your message to really speak to them.
Setting up a series of automated emails can also keep your event on people’s radar without you having to lift a finger. A gentle reminder here, an exciting update there — it all adds up.
And if you’re looking to step up your email game, consider using Promoter, which plays nice with your existing Events Calendar and Event Tickets setup. This integration allows you to create and manage targeted campaigns with ease, hitting key touchpoints in your sales cycle.
12. Use multiple platforms to expand your reach
While your website is your home base, don’t be afraid to venture out. Spread the word far and wide — social media, industry forums, local bulletins, you name it.
Adopt a multi-channel approach. Promote your event across various platforms, including social media, email, and event listing sites. This strategy ensures you’re casting a wide net.
Collaborate with partner websites and blogs to feature your event. For instance, if you’re hosting a music festival, partnering with local music blogs can help you tap into a relevant audience.
Consider listing your event on popular event marketplaces. The Eventbrite Tickets plugin, for example, allows you to connect your WordPress calendar with this leading ticket platform, potentially driving more sales for your events.
13. Capitalize on community-driven sales
Transform your website into a hub where users can engage with and even contribute to ticket sales. This approach not only expands your reach but also fosters a sense of community around your events.
Forge local partnerships with businesses and community groups. These collaborations can open up new networks for promotion and ticket sales.
Consider implementing a system where attendees can resell their tickets if they’re unable to attend. This helps those who can’t make it and potentially introduces new attendees to your event.
And here’s a thought — what if your regulars could sell tickets under your banner? With the Community add-on to Event Tickets Plus, you can add a submission form that allows community members to create and sell tickets for events, fostering a sense of ownership and participation. It’s about creating a real sense of belonging around your events.
Maximize your sales with The Events Calendar and Event Tickets
Now that we’ve explored these powerful strategies, let’s talk about how to put them into action. The Events Calendar and Event Tickets are two tools that can help you do just that. These plugins work frictionlessly with WordPress, making it easy to manage your events and sell tickets, even if you’re not a tech wizard.
Think of The Events Calendar as your digital event organizer. It lets you create and display events on your website in a clean, easy-to-read format. You can add all the important details like date, time, location, and description without breaking a sweat. Plus, it looks great on both computers and phones, so your attendees can check out your events no matter where they are.
Event Tickets takes things a step further by handling your ticket sales right on your website. This means you’re in control of the whole process — from setting prices to managing sales. You don’t have to send your customers to another website to buy tickets, which can sometimes lead to lost sales.
When used together, the event management and ticketing plugin combo offers several advantages like:
- Robust ticket management: One of the best things about Event Tickets is how flexible it is. You can create different types of tickets, each with its own price and quantity. Want to offer early bird discounts? No problem. Need to set up VIP tickets? Easy. You can even decide exactly when ticket sales open and close. But here’s the real kicker — when you sell tickets through Event Tickets Plus, you keep all the money. There are no extra fees eating into your profits. This can make a big difference, especially for smaller events or non-profits.
- Email marketing integration: These tools also play well with email marketing. You can connect them with services like Promoter to send targeted emails to your attendees. This makes it easy to keep in touch, send reminders, and even promote future events.
- Community-driven sales: Remember how we talked about community-driven sales? Well, with the Community add-on, you can take that idea and run with it. This tool lets your community members create and sell tickets under your umbrella. It’s a great way to grow your event offerings and build a stronger community around your brand.
Let’s not forget about online events. With the world going increasingly digital, The Events Calendar Pro has got you covered. It supports both in-person and online events, so you can sell tickets no matter what type of event you’re hosting. The best part? You don’t need to be a computer expert to use these tools. They’re designed to be user-friendly, so you can focus on what really matters — creating great events and selling more tickets.
Real-life success with Whisk Cooking Classes
Whisk Cooking Classes exemplifies how The Events Calendar and Event Tickets Plus can transform event management and boost ticket sales. By implementing these tools on their WordPress site, Whisk created a seamless, user-friendly experience for their customers.
Their class schedule, presented in a visually appealing, customized calendar view, had a very intuitive layout that allowed potential students to easily browse and select cooking classes that fit their interests and schedules.
Event Tickets Plus enabled Whisk to create a detailed registration process. They used custom fields to gather specific information from attendees, such as dietary restrictions or cooking experience levels. This personalized approach enhanced the overall customer experience and helped Whisk tailor their classes to participants’ needs.
The streamlined booking process had a significant impact on Whisk’s ticket sales. By simplifying the purchasing journey, they reduced potential barriers to sign-ups. This is crucial, considering that complicated checkout processes can lead to a 22% cart abandonment rate in ecommerce.
Take action and sell more tickets for your next event
Now that you’ve got these 13 proven tactics under your belt, it’s time to put them into action. Selling more tickets isn’t just about filling seats — it’s about creating buzz, covering costs, and ensuring your attendees have a great time.
Start by picking a few strategies that fit your event best. Maybe you’ll focus on creating an amazing event page, or perhaps you’ll dive into email marketing. Whatever you choose, the key is to start now. The sooner you begin, the more tickets you’re likely to sell.
Don’t forget the power of tools like The Events Calendar and Event Tickets. These plugins can make your life easier and your events more successful. They handle the technical stuff, so you can focus on creating an awesome experience for your attendees.
So, what are you waiting for? Your next successful, sold-out event is just around the corner. Get The Events Calendar and start implementing these tactics today!
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