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How To Run The Perfect Presale

How To Run The Perfect Presale

If you're planning to organise an event and considering running a presale campaign, there are several factors to consider. In this article, we will guide you through the key aspects of running a successful presale campaign.

Should You Run a Presale?

The decision to run a presale campaign depends on various factors such as the size of your event, early demand, and the industry or region where people are accustomed to registering for tickets. Evaluate these factors to determine if a presale is necessary for your event.

Important Factors to Consider

Presale Length

The optimal length for a presale campaign is between 4 to 7 days, with a maximum duration of 14 days. If the presale is too short, marketing platforms may not have enough time to optimize ads, resulting in rushed budget spending. On the other hand, if the presale is too long, early registrants may forget about the on-sale date or opt for alternative events.

Budget Allocation

For many presales, if the demand is strong enough, you can expect around 30% of your tickets to be sold during the presale period. Allocate 30% of your budget to gathering registrations. Monitor the demand and adjust the budget accordingly. If the demand is high and registrations are coming in at a sustainable rate, consider increasing the budget. Conversely, if the demand is lower than expected, reduce the budget and save it for later stages of the campaign.

Timing of Announcement

For smaller events, announce your event at least 8-12 weeks before it is scheduled to begin. This allows time to list your event on various platforms and enables early commitment from attendees. For larger events, such as yearly festivals, it is common to announce 6-9 months in advance. Many organizers also do a soft launch shortly after their previous event to upsell loyalty tickets to committed fans.

Data Collection

Collecting email addresses is the simplest method, but if you aim for higher conversion rates, consider collecting phone numbers as well. Sending a text message when tickets become available has shown to result in higher conversions. If you want to further segment and customise emails in the future, consider collecting names and cities of registrants.

Registration Platform

Evntree is a comprehensive link-in-bio tool that we have designed specifically for event organisers. It provides all the necessary functionalities to run successful presales, including landing pages, integration with Mailchimp and Brevo, pixel tracking for Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat, advanced analytics, full customization, and more. See our guide on How to create a landing page with Evntree for more information. Alternatively, there are free and paid solutions available, such as Mailchimp landing pages, Meta lead generation ads, Hubspot form builder, rspvify, and Cvent.

Audience Targeting

Utilise a variety of content, including artwork, promotional videos, photos, and videos from previous events, and content featuring guests, speakers, or musicians. Engage audiences across multiple platforms, including your mailing list, social media followers, and engagement-based audiences. Create audiences based on relevant interests and lookalike audiences based on previous attendees or engagement data. Allocate small budgets to each audience to measure their effectiveness. For those using Evntree, you will be able to track conversions effectively across Meta (Purchase + CompleteRegistration), Tiktok (Website Conversion + CompleteRegistration) and Snapchat (Conversion + SIGN_UP) so you can adjust your budgets effectively.

Email & SMS Schedule

During your presale campaign, ensure you send the following communications:

  • Announcement email and SMS: If you have a pre-existing email and SMS list, announce the event to them, providing key information such as the date, a brief description, presale, and on-sale dates.

  • Thank you for registering email: Set up an autoresponder to welcome new registrations, share key information, upsell other events, and provide clear calls-to-action.

  • Follow-up email: A few days later, send another email with more information about the event.

  • Reminder email and SMS: A day before the presale, send a reminder that tickets will go on sale soon.

  • Presale launch email and SMS: Minutes before the presale, send an email and SMS notifying subscribers that tickets are now available.

  • Final push email and SMS: If the presale or ticket allocation is close to selling out, follow up within 5-24 hours after the presale with a final push.

             

Conclusion

By considering these factors and following the best practices outlined in this article, you can run a successful presale campaign for your event. Make use of the recommended platforms and strategies to maximise your reach and conversions. Good luck with your presale!