How to Sell Event Tickets: 24 Proven Tactics

Imagine that you’ve set up your event, invited all the guest speakers, and you even have a sponsors list ready. Now there’s only one thing left to do: sell tickets. You will need to amp up the promotion and event marketing strategies to start the ball rolling and increase interest around your event.

We cover 24 practical tactics for selling event tickets

First Step: Choose Your Ticketing Software

You can’t overlook this first step as it’ll determine your entire event ticketing experience. Spend some time doing research and finding a ticketing software that suits your needs.

There are many event ticketing solutions out there that offer features that allow you to manage multiple workflows and get detailed event reporting. 

Some of the first few things to look out for would be seamless and secure payment options, an easy-to-use interface, and event marketing features. You should also look for customizable landing page builders, dynamic registration form templates, attendee data management, etc. Invest in a solution that is scalable and can be customized according to your needs.

Give yourself a head start by reading this detailed guide on how to choose the best ticketing platform.

How to Increase Ticket Sales of Your Event 

Now, let’s dive into the tactics that can help you sell more tickets – and fast! For easier management, let’s divide how to sell tickets for an event into three main goals:

  1. Getting more users to visit your website.
  2. Converting website visitors to customers.
  3. Creating a buzz about your event.

Now that we have these three goals in mind, we can talk about everything you can do to achieve them separately.

Goal 1: Getting More Website Users

Building a steady flow of traffic to your website is one of the key challenges when it comes to selling event tickets online. The more people see your content and visit your website, the higher your chances of converting into paying customers. 

There are many ways to increase traffic to your website if you want to learn how to sell event tickets online, here are some of them:

1. Lean on Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO can be one of the strongest weapons you have in your arsenal. Optimizing your website for better SERP positions is ideal to attract more users to your website. 

You can write blogs that focus on specific keywords, leverage guest posts, generate backlinks, and add value to your user experience. However, SEO and organic search may take time, but the results are almost always worth it.

2. Use Social Media Marketing 

social media marketing

Social media is a great source of entertainment and knowledge for many users globally. And depending on your target audience and goals, it can also be a fantastic way to get exposure for your website. 

You can repost your website’s blogs or registration links for your event on various social media platforms and redirect those users to your website. Social media marketing also includes running paid ads, and if you have the budget for them, they are a great way to get more eyes on your content.

Live streaming on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube is a strategic way to increase traffic to your event website, enhancing ticket sales. Hosting live sessions gives potential attendees an interactive sneak peek, allowing you to showcase what’s in store while building anticipation.

During these live streams, you can include direct links to your event website, encouraging viewers to visit and explore ticket options. Answering questions in real-time and providing an engaging experience helps to establish trust and drive conversion by guiding interested viewers toward purchasing tickets.

3. Focus on Content Marketing

The more value you create for your users, the more likely they are to keep visiting your website. So, lean on content marketing and create valuable content that gives information and creates awareness. Diversify your content into various types such as long-form pieces, blogs, videos, press releases, etc.

Once you have a steady flow of content, you need to focus on its distribution. There are multiple avenues you can use to get more eyes on your content such as a website blog, an email newsletter, social media posts, etc. Ideally, you should know which platform resonates most with your audience and distribute your content accordingly.

4. Get on an Event Listing Website

 

Free event listing websites are a great place to spread the word about your upcoming event. These websites are a go-to for event enthusiasts looking for events they’re most interested in. Featuring your event on such websites helps bring your event in front of the right audience, boost your website traffic, and improve the chances of ticket sales.

A mobile-friendly event website can be a powerful tool for boosting ticket sales. By optimizing the site for mobile users, potential attendees can seamlessly browse event details and make purchases from their smartphones, removing barriers to conversion.

Since convenience is key, ensuring an easy, mobile-friendly browsing and checkout process helps make ticket purchasing more appealing. 

Features like simplified navigation, quick-loading pages, and responsive design improve the user experience, encouraging more visitors to complete their transactions and increasing overall ticket sales.

Goal 2: Boosting Website Conversions

If you’re exploring how to sell tickets to an event effectively, creating a dedicated ticketing website can be a game-changer. A well-optimized website isn’t just a place to process ticket sales; it’s also a tool to engage potential attendees and make purchasing easy. Using websites to sell tickets online allows you to customize user experiences and guide visitors toward taking action, whether buying a ticket or filling out a form. Here are some effective tactics to try:

1. Design a Stunning Landing Page

So, you’ve brought users to your website, but what will make them stay? For starters, a great landing page design! You should ensure that it has all the necessary information a first-time user will be looking for about your event. 

Add a clear agenda, mention the reasons they should attend the event, and highlight sponsors and speakers. Customize the design to make it as sleek as you can, there should be no clutter. Moreover, you can also add dynamic banners and use your brand’s color theme to truly leave an impact.

2. Create a Dynamic Registration Form

dynamic registration form builder

One of the most important aspects of your website after the landing page design is your registration form. Users who go ahead and open the form should see it as a convenient step and not a burden to fill up. 

So, that means you need to only add fields that are most important at this early registration step.

Moreover, make sure you customize the form to meet your events’ needs. Add tiered packages, various payment options, support for multiple languages, ensure mobile friendliness, etc. You can also save user information for later and allow group registrations and promo codes for an enhanced user experience.

3. Add Social Proof

Testimonials from past attendees can also be a great addition to your website. Social proof is a proven way to earn the trust of your potential customers. So, if you have any words of praise from past attendees about your previous events, make sure to add a section of those on your landing page. 

However, you don’t want to put them on the top of the page because that can seem too forward and salesy. And you also don’t want to add too many testimonials as they can also make customers wary of their worth.

4. Offer Special Discounts

Offers, promo codes, and discounts can be a great way to push the people who are on the fence about buying a ticket. 

Exit-intent pop-ups can reel these customers in by offering a special discount on tickets. Apply this tactic to users who visited a few pages on your website but didn’t buy. These may be small tweaks but they are extremely effective.

5. Keep an Eye on Analytics

Live Attendee Stats dashboard

Studying user behavior and understanding your audience can be beneficial for event organizers and marketers like you. Dig deeper into your website’s analytics and find what’s working and what isn’t. 

Keep an eye out for the biggest sources of your audience, how they behave on your event website, and how long they’re spending on it. Website analytics can be the most accurate way to know which of your website’s pages are converting the most visitors.

6. Leverage Email Marketing

gif showing event marketing strategy linkedin poll results

You can also use email marketing to increase your website’s conversion rates. You can set up a form on your website for potential customers who want more information about your event. Then, use this email list to create a specialized email marketing campaign for them. 

You can give them more information about your event, highlight key speakers presenting at your event, and also offer discounts through the email chain. This can be a different approach but might prove to be more effective and engaging for your customers.

Goal 3: Promoting Your Event Like a Pro

Event marketing and promotions are a big undertaking. To be successful, you need to invest in the right tools, gather the ideal team, and implement the most effective strategies. Apart from the aforementioned marketing strategies like social media, email, and content creation, there is a lot more that you can do to sell event tickets. Here are some innovative tactics:

1.Host a Virtual Pre-Event Experience

Instead of just a Q&A session, create a virtual pre-event experience that includes a mix of live Q&A, sneak peeks of the event content, and mini-workshops or demos. 

This multi-faceted approach not only builds anticipation but also provides a taste of what attendees can expect, making them more likely to commit to buying tickets.

2. Look into Marketing through Partners

Your event will most likely have sponsors and guest speakers. You can get into content partnerships and market your event through them. 

It could be an awareness post about your event or just announcing them as a sponsor or guest speaker. If they post it through their accounts as well, it can double the reach for you. Posts can get more traction and you can get more eyes on your event page.

3. Run Contests & Giveaways

Everyone likes freebies and there’s no denying that. Run contests on your social media pages and offer giveaways to winners. You can ask your audience trivia questions and set prizes for winners like a discount code or an all-access free pass. Even if they don’t win, it will pique their interest just enough to learn more about your event. Your post will also get in front of people in their network expanding reach organically. Trivia posts are great for generating engagement and hype around your event.

4. Use Event Promo Videos

Teasers and promo videos for your event can also be a great way to boost engagement with your online event page. You can create videos that showcase past events, increase awareness, or give out more information about the event agenda. 

The key is to stay consistent with your posts and add value to your audience’s experience. If they feel like your content is not worth their time, they are probably never going to buy an event ticket.

5. Run Ads Online

This might be the costliest of all options, but if you have the budget, nothing can help you market your event better than online ads! They are one of the most effective ways to sell event tickets online but there are a few things you need to keep in mind. 

Make sure that your artwork is sleek and your copywriting hits all the right nerves for your audiences. Ads that address pain points and help attendees see why they should attend your event are more likely to end up in a conversion. 

6. Offer Early Bird Discounts

It might sound like an obvious method, but it is one of the most effective as well. Early bird discounts can ignite a sense of urgency and FOMO among your audiences. The idea that if you register now, you save on a big percentage of your ticket fee, is enticing indeed. 

So, the users that are already interested in your event, won’t think twice before they avail the early registration discount. The quicker you can get the first few registrations in, the better it is for your event marketing efforts.

7.  Collaborate with Influencers

Wondering how to sell more tickets for an event and make it a trend? 

Collaborate with influencers whose niche resonates with your target audience. These individuals can amplify your ticket marketing efforts by promoting your event to their followers, thus broadening your reach. 

When selling tickets to an event, choosing influencers who align with your brand is crucial for authenticity and credibility. By offering them exclusive promo codes or early access tickets for events, you can create a buzz that drives ticket sales. 

This approach not only enhances ticketing sales but also builds a stronger connection with your potential attendees. You can offer special discount codes to each influencer’s audience. This way, when someone registers with a specific code, you’ll know the source of that conversion too. 

It’s a win-win situation! 

8. Guest Blogging

Guest blogging is an interesting approach to reforming your ticket marketing strategy. Guest blogs that share event details can significantly boost your event’s visibility. By contributing insightful articles to popular blogs within your industry, you can reach new audiences and generate interest in your event. 

When selling tickets to an event, it’s essential to include links to your ticketing page within these guest posts, making it easier for readers to take the next step. 

This tactic not only increases traffic to your event page but also positions you as an authority in your field, which can positively impact ticketing sales.

9. Host a Pre-Event Webinar

Hosting a pre-event webinar is a strategic way to generate excitement and interest in your upcoming event. This approach offers potential attendees a sneak peek into the content or speakers they can expect, helping to build anticipation. 

When thinking about how to sell event tickets, a well-executed webinar can serve as an effective ticket marketing tool, especially if you offer exclusive discounts or early access to tickets for events during the session. 

This method enhances engagement, fosters trust, and can lead to a significant increase in ticketing sales as attendees feel more connected to the event.

10. Utilize Local Press

Leveraging local press is an excellent way to enhance ticketing sales for your event. Securing coverage in local newspapers, radio stations, or online news outlets can boost your event’s visibility within the community. 

When considering how to sell event tickets effectively, a feature in the local press can lend credibility and attract attendees who might not be reached through digital channels alone. 

By integrating local press into your ticket marketing strategy, you ensure a wider audience learns about your event, thus increasing the likelihood of selling tickets to an event successfully.

Sell Event Tickets by Choosing the Right Ticketing Solution

We’ve covered some of the best ways to sell tickets for an event. While implementing promotional tactics is crucial, make sure you set a realistic price for your event tickets. Check what other event organizers in your industry are charging and match the market sentiment. 

With the right pricing and promotion combination in place, you’ll be all set to reach achieve your registration goals. 

As for the execution of your strategies, choose a reliable event ticketing software. With vFairs, you can create a landing page, add a customized registration form, multiple payment methods, attendee and registration data management, and marketing tools to help promote your event. Book a demo now to get more information.  

FAQs

How to Increase Event Ticket Sales?

To increase ticket sales for an event, start by focusing on strategic marketing and a streamlined buying experience. Using social media effectively is one of the best ways to sell tickets to an event, as it broadens visibility and engages potential attendees with engaging content like sneak peeks and countdowns. Leveraging email marketing can keep your event top of mind, while offering early bird or limited-time discounts creates a sense of urgency, encouraging people to buy tickets to your event sooner.

How Do You Price Event Tickets?

Pricing event tickets strategically is key to ensuring both sales success and profit. Start by assessing your event’s costs, including venue, speaker fees, marketing, and logistics. Factor in the target audience’s budget and the event's perceived value to determine a ticket price that aligns with attendees' expectations. For larger audiences, lower prices may lead to more sales, while exclusive events can justify a higher price point.

What Are the Best Marketing Strategies for Selling Event Tickets?

To successfully sell event tickets, focus on a combination of digital marketing tactics that maximize reach and engagement. Social media is one of the best ways to sell tickets, allowing you to create buzz with event teasers, countdowns, and interactive posts. Paid ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Google can further target specific demographics, increasing ticket sales for your event.

How to Sell Event Tickets: 24 Proven Tactics

Syeda Hamna Hassan

Hamna is a Senior Content Marketer at vFairs. She has over 6 years of experience writing content for SaaS, IT, and telecommunications industries. She is a storyteller, content marketing expert, and loves to write about the changing trends in the events industry. When not writing, she's over analyzing every FC Barcelona game.

Host Your Virtual, Hybrid & In-person Event

Our responsive project managers provide end-to-end event support to help you host incredible experiences for your audience.