Free Tools to Help you Sell More Tickets

Free tools are crucial for event organisers because they provide an affordable way to promote and sell more tickets for an event. These tools can also help to increase the reach and visibility of the event, which can be especially important for smaller events or events that are not well-known. To convert individuals with a casual interest in your event into ticket buyers, engaging and investing them in your event, brand, products, or services is essential.

Interactive content is a powerful tool that has proven effective over time. This type of range, which can include quizzes, surveys, polls, and interactive videos, allows your audience to share their opinions, preferences, likes, and dislikes, providing practical information that can be used to refine your marketing and event offerings.

This scope can also generate buzz, leading to more ticket sales. Even if you're new to creating an interactive one, it's easier than it may seem, as your audience drives a good portion of the content. Below are the best examples of interactive content that can be used to market your event and generate buzz, leading to more ticket sales.

Email

An email is a powerful tool that can be used to help you sell more tickets for your event. Email lists are a valuable tool for reaching out to qualified individuals who have either purchased from you or expressed interest in your organisation by giving you their email. Building an email list can be accessible by using services that handle all the technical details for you. Create your email content, segment your list as desired, and schedule the delivery. Your emails can include appealing images, external links, and interactive content such as questionnaires to capture your audience's attention.

The challenge in using email lists is acquiring the email addresses first. This can be done by regularly asking your audience for their email, such as when they visit your website, make a purchase, or contact you directly. You can incentivise them to give their email by offering a small reward or discount. This minimal cost will provide you with almost unlimited access to a pre-qualified lead through their email.

Social media

Interactive content is at the core of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. Facebook, one of the pioneers of online marketing, enables the creation and sharing of various types of interactive content such as polls, questionnaires, and listicles and provides options for free content on your pages and paid advertisements to target potential ticket buyers. 

Twitter and Instagram are also great options for reaching a broad audience, while TikTok is particularly effective for engaging a younger audience. To create successful interactive content on these platforms, it is crucial to make it fun, short and decisive, and tailored to your audience's preferences and opinions. It's essential to remember that social media platforms are constantly evolving, and new features are being added all the time, so stay up-to-date on the latest tools and features that can help you promote your event and sell more tickets.

YouTube

YouTube is a robust platform that can be used to help you sell more tickets for your event. Here are a few ways you can use YouTube to promote your event and drive ticket sales:

Create a YouTube Channel: Create a YouTube channel for your event or organisation and use it to post videos related to your event, such as trailers, teasers, or behind-the-scenes footage.Live stream: Use YouTube Live to stream a preview of your event, a Q&A session, or even the whole event and generate interest in attending.Influencer marketing: Partner with influencers in your industry or niche to promote your event and drive ticket sales through sponsored videos or collaborations.Optimise your videos: Optimise your videos for search by including relevant keywords in the title, description, and tags. This will help more people find your videos when searching for related content.Engage with the audience: Engage with your audience by responding to comments, messages, and reviews on your videos. This will help increase trust and loyalty to your event.

YouTube is great for reaching a large audience and generating buzz for your event. Keep in mind that it's essential to have a consistent posting schedule and post high-quality videos that are engaging and informative to keep your audience interested in your event and increase the chances of them buying a ticket.

Quizzes

Quizzes are an effective way to engage your audience through interactive content. Similar to the popularity of quizzes on Facebook, you can create and share quizzes via your website or social media channels. By asking seemingly simple questions, you can entertain your audience and gather valuable information about their preferences, disposable income, event attendance, social media usage, favourite brands, etc. These senses can be used to improve your event marketing efforts. Additionally, quizzes allow people to share their opinions, increasing their engagement with your brand and reducing their resistance to purchasing tickets to your events.

Quizzes can be a great way to generate interest in your event and provide valuable information about your audience that you can use to improve your event and drive more ticket sales in the future. Keep in mind that it's important to make sure that your quizzes are engaging, entertaining and easy to take and share. This will help increase the chances of people completing them and sharing their results.

Questionnaires

Questionnaires are a valuable tool for gathering information about your audience. By inquiring about their preferences, you can create targeted digital content and improve your event marketing strategies. The answers you receive may even provide surprising insights that aid future event planning. However, the true benefit of questionnaires lies in the act of asking itself. People enjoy sharing their opinions and being heard; social media proves that. By allowing your audience to express themselves, you increase their engagement with your brand, reduce their resistance to purchasing tickets, and increase their likelihood of sharing your event with others.

Questionnaires can be a great way to gather valuable information about your audience, and they can also be used to generate interest in your event and drive more ticket sales. Keep in mind that it's essential to make sure that your questionnaires are easy to complete and that the information you gather is useful and actionable. And that it's also important to respect the privacy of your attendees. Make sure to have a clear privacy policy and follow it.

Companion website

Creating companion websites can be an effective way to engage your audience and promote your event indirectly. By focusing on a topic of interest to your audience, the companion website can draw their attention and periodically redirect them back to your main website, where they can purchase tickets to your event. For example, if you are hosting a beer festival, you can create a website focusing on local craft breweries and their offerings. By featuring reviews of vendors who will have booths at your celebration, you can attract people who are likely to buy tickets. You can engage your audience, spread your brand, and drive ticket sales by including hints and links to your festival.

Games

Games are an engaging form of entertainment that can capture people's attention and provide a fun distraction. To attract an audience, it is unnecessary to be a computer expert or create a high-end video game like Grand Theft Auto. In the past, simple point-and-click or text-based games were popular and could be built without programming skills. Apply this concept to your brand by creating a guessing game, trivia game, or contest and promoting it through your social media or email marketing channels. People will be playing and submitting answers in no time.

Paid ads

Paid ads can be an effective way to promote your event and help sell more tickets. Here are a few types of paid ads you can use to promote your event:

Social media ads: You can use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to target specific demographics with your ads. You can also use retargeting to show ads to people who have previously visited your event website.Google Ads: You can use Google Ads to reach people who are searching for events or event-related keywords. Google Ads can increase your visibility in search engines and drive more traffic to your event website.Display ads: You can use display ads to reach people who are browsing websites in your target audience. You can use platforms like Google AdSense to place your ads on relevant websites.Influencer marketing: You can reach a large audience by partnering with influencers in your niche and having them promote your event on their social media channels.Video ads: Video ads are an engaging and effective way to promote your event. You can use platforms like YouTube and Vimeo to reach a large audience.Retargeting: You can use retargeting to show ads to people who have previously visited your event website. This can help you reach people who are already interested in your event and increase the likelihood of them buying tickets.

Paid ads can be an effective way to promote your event and sell more tickets. It's essential to ensure that your ads are well-targeted, visually appealing, and communicate the benefits of attending your event. Also, ensure that you track your ads' performance and adjust your strategy as needed.

Partnerships

Partnerships can be a valuable way to promote your event and sell more tickets. It's essential to ensure that your partners have a similar target audience and that the partnership is mutually beneficial. Also, ensure that you have an explicit agreement and communicate regularly with your partners to ensure the partnership is successful. Collaborating with companies that are related to your niche can be an effective way to promote your event. By working with a company with a large audience, you can reach a broader range of potential attendees and sell more tickets. The key to a successful partnership is choosing a partner outside the competition with you. For instance, it would be better to partner with other food truck festivals when organising a food truck festival as both would target the same audience. However, partnering with local food pantries, which are related to the genre but cater to a different audience, would be beneficial when hosting a charity fundraiser for food insecurity.

Infographics

According to industry research, almost half of all digital marketers consider infographics the most effective visual format for engaging audiences. These graphics, which display data, statistics, and information, are so popular because they offer intriguing information in an eye-catching and unique way. The graphical representation is usually relevant to the target audience. 

For instance, an infographic created by Ken Bromley shows the most famous artists in the world by country, with a map of the world and regions overlaid with art from the most searched artists in each area.

Creating high-quality infographics can be time-consuming and requires a certain level of graphical expertise. If you lack the time or skills, consider outsourcing the task. There are numerous websites where you can find graphic designers skilled in infographics.

Listicles

Listicles or articles that use a list format to present information can effectively promote your event and help sell more tickets. Listicles are short and enjoyable web articles that are easily readable and can be addictive. They often involve clicking on a link with a title like "The Five Best Movie Theme Songs Ever" and end up spending a lot of time reading similar articles. To make listicles effective as a marketing tool for events, it's essential to customise the content to match your brand and attract the interests of your target audience.

Interactive video

Interactive video is a powerful marketing tool that has gained popularity among marketers. For instance, the real estate industry has embraced 3D Video Walkthroughs and interactive views of properties, allowing potential buyers to experience the house as if they were walking through it. Although interactive video production can be costly, it is worth it if you're promoting something visually impactful, like a rock concert. To save money, it's best to hire a production company instead of purchasing the equipment yourself. Make sure to have a clear vision for your content before filming, and keep the videos concise and straightforward.

In conclusion, there are many free tools that can be used to help promote and sell more tickets for an event. From email marketing and social media to YouTube, quizzes, questionnaires, companion websites, games, paid ads, partnerships, infographics, and listicles, these tools can help increase awareness and interest in an event and make it more likely that people will attend. Additionally, interactive videos can be a powerful tool for creating an immersive and engaging virtual event experience. To make the most of these tools, it's important to use them effectively and share them on the right platforms, such as your event website, social media, and email marketing campaigns. By utilising these free tools, event organisers can effectively market their events and increase ticket sales.