Most of us hit the delete button when we receive an email from an organisation we don’t recognise. Social proof is an effective way of leveraging other people’s experiences to promote your event.
So what is social proof? It’s easiest to explain by sharing an example. When you see “250 people bought this” on emails from Groupon or “Barry Norman: “My favourite film of the decade””, this is social proof.
In this post, we will suggest ways for event planners to use social proof to encourage more event sign-ups.
Collect testimonials from happy attendees.
Remember to get their name and the event they attended to add authenticity. If they’re happy to allow their image to be used, even better! Leverage word of mouth and share it on your website, social media, email footers, and videos.
Ask speakers and other participants to share their experience.
Don’t forget that the testimonial of other professionals is key. They will verify whether you can fill an event, attract the right sort of delegates (rather than the ‘bums on seats is all that matters’ approach), and that your organization is easy to work with.
Share the number of people who attended previous events.
For example: ‘150 People Enjoyed The 2015 Chocolate Festival’. This approach encourages conformity. It also gives the forthcoming event credibility – in the minds of would-be attendees, if 150 people attended last year, this year’s event is likely to be bigger and better.
Use language carefully.
If you’re selling tickets that are more expensive than the rest (perhaps a meal is included, or attendees can meet a celebrity), you might have to work a little harder to promote them. Phrases like ‘hugely popular’ or ‘our best selling package’ could help to persuade attendees who may be undecided about splashing out.
What’s your favourite approach for selling more tickets? We’d love to hear! Reach out through our contact form.
