Quick Fixes For Online Invitation Management Fails

Sending out your invitations online is much easier than to set up and manage paper invites, but many event planners are reluctant to go that route.

Here are some concerns planners have, and solutions that show that, with some quick fixes, they aren’t really issues at all:

Your Online Invitation Gets Deleted

Whether the guest doesn’t realize it’s an invitation or they gloss over it, sometimes your invitation gets deleted before it’s even read. The key? Make sure your subject line is clear and engaging. “You’re Invited” is classic and effective. Then add a few details to give an overall sense of your event without crowding the heading too much. If there’s space, toss in a bit of urgency, especially if you have a quick turn-around for your RSVP. An enticing phrase like “Don’t miss out!” will pique their interest and get them to open the email for the rest of the information about your event.

Your Online Invitation Looks Generic

In our increasingly visual marketing world, it’s crucial not to bore your guests with a simple, interchangeable appearance for your invitation. Make it stand out with a thoughtful design, which is easier to do now more than ever with options that do all of the work for you. Just like you would take great care with creating a standard paper invite, have your online invitation reflect your event’s occasion, theme, or color palette. It will help make the event still feel special and genuine.

Your Online Invitation Doesn’t Have a Call to Action

Have your guests get engaged with your event from the moment they get the invitation. The easiest call-to-action of courseis to ask for an RSVP. But if you don’t necessarily need one, there are other ways for your guests to engage. Encourage them to share the event on social media, or develop a campaign for the event that starts with pre-event social media task to build excitement and buzz. Link to websites or blog posts that are related to your event to add even more value to your invitation.

Your Online Invitation is Overwhelmed With Branding or Ads

Just like with the design of the invitation, one of the things that make people hesitant about online invitations is that it feels more like an impersonal sales tactic, largely because they can be littered with ads from their email program. Choose an online invitation management system that allows you to create invites that blend seamlessly with the rest of your event.

Your Online Invitation is Easy to Lose Track Of

What about fails that affect the event planner instead of the guest? Your inbox is probably overflowing, and trying to track down every invitation you sent out to see whether or not it has been responded to can leave guests unaccounted for and, therefore, unprepared for. An easy fix is to send out invitations with a system that automatically tracks everything for you. No more digging through your emails and carrying information over to a whole separate file!

Your Online Invitation Doesn't Reach Your Guests

All the efforts described above are meaningless if your online invitation doesn't reach your prospects. Make sure you work with an RSVP provider who allows you to verify your domain name. It is a simple and painless one-off task to ensure deliverability of your invitation campaigns by telling recipients that you've authorized this provider to send emails on your behalf. Without this change, your email has a higher chance of being marked a spam.There’s no reason why using online invitations has to affect your event’s image, your guest list, or the success of your outreach.