Basic Ticketing Strategies
At first, event ticketing seems like a simple undertaking. Surely all you need to do is create your event, add some tickets, click publish and then the sales will start rolling in?...
Unfortunately not. In the modern day there’s a lot more to it, and by knowing how best to approach your ticketing strategy little changes can make a big impact on your sales.
Multiple Tiers
Offer at least three ticket tiers to incentivise early purchases. Many customers are price-sensitive, so early bird tickets should be attractive enough to secure commitments. Once you reach a critical number of attendees, the fear of missing out will make the ticket price less important.
Consider tickets with different entry times, pricing them cheaper for early entry.
Offer pairs and group tickets, with a minimum order of 3-4, priced 20% cheaper than individual tickets.
For more expensive tickets, consider a platform that offers payment plans, where customers can secure a ticket with a small deposit. This is especially suitable for festivals.
Maximise Loyalty
Start selling tickets the day after your last event. Capitalise on the excitement and positive emotions of your customers to boost loyalty and early bird ticket sales.
Throughout the campaign, offer loyalty tickets to your most devoted fans. This could involve providing them with access to the most affordable tickets before the presale, or offering them multiple chances to purchase discounted tickets via a hidden link. These loyal fans could include those who have attended one or more previous events, or those who are part of a close-knit community, such as a Whatsapp group.
Registration
Consider opening registration for your event to boost ticket sales. When sales start to slow down, you might stop selling tickets and then open another registration. Some event organisers require attendees to sign up for each ticket release. This strategy can create scarcity and hype, and if executed well, it can lead to higher ticket sales. Additionally, having a registration process allows you to own all customer data. In contrast, ticket platforms may only provide you with customer data for marketing opt-in, depending on your region.
Consistent Communication
Maintain consistency and subtlety when communicating about your ticket sales. Remember the following key points for what we term as "Hard Ticketing Messaging". Use your marketing channels to make major announcements about each of these points, whilst ensuring a balance with other content.
For every hard ticket message, consider posting at least four other posts. Additionally, attach the current ticket messaging to the bottom of each post, ad, or mailer throughout your campaign. Be consistent with your messaging and actual ticket sales. If you communicate that a ticket release is about to sell out, and a week later it’s still on sale, it will erode your audience's trust. Some examples of Hard Ticket Messaging:
Presale sold out
1st / 2nd / 3rd release sold out
Group tickets now on sale
Final release about to sell out
Announce as Sold Out
If your event has strong momentum with steady ticket sales, you might want to mark it as sold out early and then create a waiting list for final tickets. This approach creates a sense of scarcity and allows you to gather more data before the event. If you utilise a built-in waiting list from your ticket platform, registered individuals typically receive a push notification when tickets become available again. However, avoid a long gap between declaring the event as sold out and announcing the final tickets. Otherwise, those on the waiting list might find another event to attend.
Resale Functionality
Make sure your ticket platform supports resale and that this feature is enabled for your event. Any resold tickets should automatically return to the latest pricing tier. This not only generates additional revenue from resold tickets but also minimises the effort of addressing inquiries from users looking to resell their tickets.
Ticket Naming
Ensure all your ticket names are clear and specific. Clearly list any terms for each ticket next to its name. Here's an example of ticket tiers you could use.
Loyalty ticket (anytime entry)
Early bird (anytime entry)
1st release (anytime entry)
2nd release (anytime entry)
3rd release (anytime entry)
Final release (anytime entry)
Pairs - admits 2, arrive together (anytime entry)
Group tickets - admits 4, arrive together (Entry before 23:00)
Early bird (Entry before 23:00)
1st release (Entry before 23:00)
2nd release (Entry before 23:00)
3rd release (Entry before 23:00)
Final release (Entry before 23:00)
Pairs - admits 2, arrive together (Entry before 23:00)
Group tickets - admits 4, arrive together (Entry before 23:00)
Flash Sales
If your event is losing momentum, consider running a flash sale on tickets. This strategy tends to be particularly effective during payday weekends when a hefty discount is offered. However, avoid doing this frequently as your audience may start to anticipate these sales, which could potentially impact full price ticket sales.
Sales Closing Time
A common mistake made by new promoters is ending ticket sales when the event starts. It's beneficial to keep ticket sales available online for as long as possible, as last-minute purchases are quite common. If tickets are being sold at the door, make sure to mention this in your event listings and in the captions of any posts on social media on the day of the event.
Ticket Pricing
To price your tickets, divide your total expected event costs by your anticipated attendance. If you're unsure, assume 60% of capacity. This calculation will give you the average ticket price. Use this average as the baseline price for your event, offering discounts for early birds and raising the price for later ticket releases. For example, if your event costs £12,000 to produce and you expect 600 attendees, then you will need an average ticket price of £20 to cover your costs.
The table below displays revenue from an event with a 1000-person capacity. The break-even point is reached when 600 tickets have been sold, resulting in £12,000 in revenue.
Upsells
Upselling through your ticket page: Depending on your event, you could consider offering several upsells along with your event tickets. These might include options like queue jumps, VIP upgrades, shuttle bus services, locker/cloakroom facilities, and backstage passes.
When To Go On Sale
Based on experience, the optimal time to start selling tickets for an event is within the two weeks following payday, except for December and January when ticket sales typically slow down. Ideally, hold a presale on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday at 12:00, followed by a general sale at either 14:00 or 17:00. Keep in mind that most people have less disposable incoming towards the end of the month.