13 Elements in Effective Event Marketing Copy
Great event descriptions are magical incantations. Bad event descriptions create doubt, uncertainty, and set up your guests for disappointment. Good event descriptions create clarity, unity, and set up your guests to be curious participants.
Some participants will read your event description a hundred times on their journey, some participants will never read it, and some participants will have a hard time reading it. (Most American adults read at the 7th or 8th grade level.)
13 Elements of an Effective Event Description
Set the scene - what kind of environment will this take place in?
Hint at the who - what types of people will be participating? Leave long bios for the extra information section, don’t waste time here with long credentials.
What will take place - what kinds of activities are expected? Does participating require previous experience? Are meals included?
What you’ll leave with - what is the take-away or transformation expected by participating.
Time & Date - use the date & time conventions of the region that you are in. Add the day of the week if possible.
Location - street address + Google maps link. Very brief parking or public transit hints here so the participant has some idea how easy it is to get to your event.
Accessibility - For differently abled participants (24% of adults have a disability) you MUST note the accessibility features of your location here. Also provide contact information so participants can ask accessibility questions.
Ticket/Registration Link
Testimonials from past participants and/or press quotes about your event
Longer bios and descriptions of what will take place
In-depth travel, parking, and transit directions
Other frequently asked questions
Who to contact with questions
Style & Grammar Tips
Remember your potential attendee is probably trying to eat their lunch while a co-worker bugs them AND read this event description at the SAME TIME. That means you need to make this simple, easy to read, and laid out clearly so she can find all the details she needs to make a decision.
Match the style of your event description to the attendee you want to attract. Use her language, her flow, and her favorite methods of communication (visual, written, meme, video, etc.).
Use the lowest level of English possible to communicate your message clearly. I like the free Hemingway Writing tool to mark where we can improve our writing for clarity.
Whenever possible simplify and shorten your sentences.
BONUS Tips on Overnight Event & Retreat Descriptions
Getting a participant to travel and devote an entire weekend or week to something is a different sell than an evening shindig. Here are some additional considerations for selling overnight events.
Use lots of pictures throughout so participants can see what they’re getting. Pictures should highlight the features of the event, the venue, and the types of people expected at your event.
If you’re selling lodging, make the features of each space clear. Note if they’ll be sharing a room and if they can request a specific roommate. Remember you’ve got to give participants all the information they need to decide to come AND decide which room to book. The less options, the better honestly.
Give attention to how you describe the food for the event and what diets can be accommodated. Over 10% of adults have food allergies. You’ll find many participants have special needs that if they can’t have them gracefully met then they won’t come to the event.
Establish whether any previous experience is necessary for the event and add a newbies orientation to the schedule so that new people are setup to succeed from the start.
If you can, don’t reveal the pricing of the event until after you’ve captured their email address. This event may be too expensive for them today but you want to continue marketing to people who were interested. You can also run a contest to collect email addresses from people who’d like to attend but can’t afford it.
What’s your experience with writing event descriptions? Add your questions and comments below and I’ll follow up with you.
