Are your event registrations lagging behind your expectations?
Here are some event marketing tips to quickly improve your sign up rate … without spending a dime.
Before jumping into spending more on promotion, these strategies will help you figure out why people aren’t signing up and improve your conversion rate, so every dollar you do spend goes much further.
Build Trust and Enthusiasm with Video Testimonials
Video testimonials communicate so much more than written ones by carrying emotion, enthusiasm, through tone and body language, etc. They truly are the best way to build trust and credibility.
How to collect video testimonials
- Get videos from your past event participants – Ask people from previous events if they’d be willing to record a video testimonial. Ideally, get these from both performers/presenters and participants.
- videoask.com by Typeform makes this very easy and is free for up to 20 responses / mo
- Record video testimonials in-person during your events. This is not only the easiest time to ask people, but you’ll get responses that reflect the energy and enthusiasm of your attendees.
Share your video testimonials
- Embed the best of them in your site. Ideally, edited down into a single video with short clips from many people.
- Email your list with a link to watch them.
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- Bonus Tip: include an animated image in the email with a clip of the videos dramatically increases email click-through-rates
- Post them on your social media profiles
The Art of Strategic Teasing (That Doesn't Feel Salesy)
We’ve all seen those cringe-worthy “DON’T MISS OUT!!” banners.
But when the Portland Poetry Slam wanted to double early registrations without paid ads, they accidentally stumbled into what I call “FOMO gardening” – cultivating anticipation through deliberate, authentic withholding that connects to core attendee motivations.
The key lies in treating your event like a serialized Netflix series rather than a product launch.
People don’t resist stories – they resist sales pitches.
This shift transforms casual browsers into invested participants slowly, like that friend who “hates spoilers” but obsessively theorizes about plot twists.
Three Underused Teasing Channels (That Actually Work)
1. Email Subject Line Roulette
Rotate 3-4 curiosity-piquing variants for the same announcement:
- “The 11:15am Slot That Nearly Caused a Committee Meltdown” (plays on loss aversion)
- “Why We’re Limiting ____ to 50 Participants” (artificial scarcity)
- “Surprise Guest Requirements Leaked” (then reveal mundane details like dress code)
This isn’t clickbait – it’s strategic information parcelling.
The Oregon Book Festival found open rates jumped 37% when using rotating subject lines that hinted at internal drama rather than direct sales messages.
2. Partial Speaker Reveals
Instead of full bios:
- Share anonymous quotes from their presentations (“I once saw a CEO cry during this talk”)
- Post extreme close-ups of presentation slides (showing only compelling data points)
- “Accidentally” leak 8-second audio clips in Instagram Stories
The trick? Leave gaps the mind compulsively tries to fill. A tech conference organizer reported 22% more speaker session sign-ups when using blurred slide images vs full disclosures.
3. RSVP-Locked Content
Gate genuinely useful (but low-effort) resources:
- Speaker-curated resource lists (“The 3 Books That Changed My Career”)
- Interactive planning templates with hidden bonus sections
- “Cheat sheets” for maximizing event value
But here’s the twist – make the locked content unexpectedly valuable. A nonprofit gala offered registrants first dibs on volunteer opportunities with presenters, creating a secondary FOMO layer.
The Psychology Hack Most Miss
Strategic teasing works because it activates information gap theory – our brains hate unresolved patterns.
The Portland team found registrations spiked when they posted a venue map with 3 “classified” rooms blurred out.
Attendees weren’t just buying tickets; they were buying the right to solve the mystery.
Implementation Notes:
- Teases must contain genuine substance – empty hype dies faster than a Snapchat story
- Align mystery elements with your audience’s professional insecurities (e.g. “The CFO Hack We Can’t Put in Writing”)
- Let 20% of teasers remain unresolved post-event to fuel future interest (“Remember the blue door? 2025’s secret…”)
This approach creates natural bridges to later sections:
- Testimonials gain context (“Now you understand why the blue door mattered”)
- Objections address teased elements organically
- UGC prompts become mystery-solving missions
The magic happens when you stop announcing and start unfolding – transforming marketing from transactional checklist to communal discovery journey.
Understand & Overcome Objections
Most websites average a 2-3% conversion rate. So if 2 in 100 people visiting your event site who get a ticket, you’ve got an average conversion rate.
Increase your conversion rate from 2 to 3 percent and you’ll be getting 50% more revenue from your existing website traffic!
If your page is better-than-average, there’s always room for improvement. If you’re doing worse than that, clearly, there must be some significant reasons people are not registering.
Your first job is to discover what exactly are the reasons why people are not signing up.
These could include questions and concerns about event times/costs, who the event is for, how it’s better than other options they’re considering, and what they’ll get out of it.
Here are some proven methods and what to do with those insights:
UNDERSTAND: 3 Ways to Discover the Top Objections Blocking Your Event's Ticket Sales
- Call and talk to a few people you know are interested but haven’t signed up yet. Ask about what makes them interested to join and what is holding them back. Record the calls if possible, or take detailed notes in their own words.
- Add a survey on the site asking the above questions
- Add a live chat widget – this allows you to understand and handle objections in real-time!
OVERCOME: Update the event page and marketing language with the answers needed to respond to people's hesitations, concerns, and doubts.
- If people have a lot of questions – consider adding a FAQ section (this could be embedded in the Live Chat widget or a section of your webpage)
- I recommend www.Tawk.to – free, full-featured live chat or Facebook Messenger – can also be added free. The main benefit is the chat continues after people leave the site!
- If price is a major concern – consider lowering your price or offering incentives
- Consider group discounts, non-profit discounts, photo or video contests, early-bird discounts, and giving a commission to referral partners.
- If people aren’t getting excited – consider adding an overview/promo video at the top of the page where you explain what the event is all about, who it’s for, what they’ll get out of it, how it’s unique and better than other options people may compare it to.
- If it’s none of the above, and people still aren’t getting excited – ask them “what would make this event more exciting to you”? Be humble and open to feedback. Maybe people would prefer a different event format, possibly something more interactive for example. Maybe they want a shorter event, or more detailed and expert-level. Unless you ask, they’ll probably never tell you.Reasons to consider an event promo video include:
- Many people prefer watching a video to reading (and just scan without really reading the details)
- If your event is unique or complex, a video gives you an important chance to clarify, explain and show your enthusiasm
- You could splice in highlights of video testimonials in the middle
Find & Fix Usability Issues
Identify usability issues
confusing navigation and form fields. Also, look for which step in your event signup process has people dropping off, and work on improving that page.
- HOW TO: Install Hotjar’s free heatmap, funnel, and user recording software.
Ensure the site is mobile-friendly
Most sites are mobile-responsive, but they also need to easy to read and navigate.
Speed up your site
Every second of extra load time and hurt conversion rates
- HOW TO: There are many free and paid WordPress plugins that can help here including Smush-it or Optimole for image compression, and WP Rocket or WP Optimize for advanced modifications like javascript minification. Run a test before and after changes at gtmetrics.com to measure the impact
Get your SSL on lock
Setup a security certificate to add the lock symbol in the browser. Even if your checkout doesn’t take place on your site itself – as is the case if you have people pay on PayPal or Eventbrite, your website visitors won’t know this in advance, and may wrongly assume you’ll be asking for a credit card on your insecure site.
- HOW TO: Most hosting companies provide free SSL now. You can easily integrate it with the WordPress plugin Really Simple SSL. It sometimes does the trick automatically. If not, it’s probably because you have hard-coded links to http:// version of your pages (instead of using “relative URLs” that start with /about-us). In this case, you may need to run a “find and replace” function to change all links from http to https.
Leverage Your Network for Organic Reach
When it comes to event marketing, one of the most underutilized yet powerful strategies is building partnerships within your community.
Collaborating with local businesses, influencers, and organizations can extend your reach exponentially without adding to your budget.
This approach not only boosts visibility but also fosters a sense of community around your event.
Why Community Partnerships Matter
Think about it: every business, influencer, or organization has its own audience.
By partnering with them, you’re essentially borrowing their trust and credibility to introduce your event to a new group of people.
This strategy is particularly effective because recommendations from trusted sources often carry more weight than traditional advertising.
Moreover, partnerships create a win-win situation.
While you gain exposure, your collaborators benefit from the association with your event, whether through increased visibility, co-branding opportunities, or direct engagement with their audience.
How to Build Meaningful Partnerships
Building effective partnerships requires intentionality and a clear understanding of mutual benefits.
Here’s how you can get started:
- Identify the Right Partners: Look for businesses or organizations that align with your event’s theme or target audience. For example, if you’re hosting a sustainability workshop, local eco-friendly stores or environmental nonprofits would be ideal partners.
- Offer Value in Return: Partnerships thrive on reciprocity. Offer something valuable in return for their support, such as free tickets to the event, opportunities to showcase their products or services, or co-marketing efforts that highlight their brand.
- Collaborate Creatively: Go beyond simple promotions. Co-create content like blog posts or videos, host joint giveaways, or even plan a pre-event activity together. For instance, a local coffee shop could host a casual meet-and-greet for attendees before the main event.
Examples of Collaborative Marketing Ideas
To make this strategy actionable, here are some specific ways to collaborate:
- Joint Giveaways: Partner with a local business to offer a giveaway where participants must sign up for your event to enter.
- Cross-Promotions: Ask partners to display flyers at their locations while you promote their offerings at your event.
- Pre-Event Content: Work with an influencer or partner organization to host a live Q&A session about the event on social media platforms.
Why This Approach Works
Community partnerships tap into existing networks and build excitement organically.
They also demonstrate that your event is supported by trusted local entities, which can help alleviate skepticism from potential attendees.
Plus, these collaborations often lead to long-term relationships that can benefit future events.
Finally, Drive More Traffic and Stay Top of Mind
Once you have the above issues addressed, you’re ready to drive more traffic with confidence.
The quickest and most scalable way is to pay for ads on Facebook or other platforms to drive more traffic to your event. But these free methods can go a long way
Remember – everyone is busy and distracted.
You can’t just send an email and make one Facebook post and assume all your people heard about your event.
Basically… you need to be a little annoying.
Email your list, not just once, but a series.
Don’t just directly sell in these emails though … provide value with tips, entertainment, and build up excitement with announcements of new performers/speakers, etc.
Direct message people on Facebook
Facebook messenger, along with text messages, get the best response rates of any marketing channel. And if you use these for real personalized invites, you’ll be surprised at how positive the response is.
Send bulk, personalized text messages
If you’ve got a list of phone numbers from past efforts, send out a single text with an event announcement.
If you’ve collected phone numbers from people expressing interest in this particular event, you can send out a series of texts that parallel your emails, with short reminders.
Many marketing automation programs integrate with CRMs (customer relationship management software) and will let you send bulk, personalized messages not only with their names, but mentioning events they’ve attended in the past, or referencing other “tags” in your CRM, such as “donor”.
Add a Facebook retargeting pixel
Here’s a common oversight we see even seasoned marketers make: skipping the Facebook retargeting pixel setup because “we’re not running ads right now.”
Let’s fix that thinking permanently.
Install that pixel before your event page goes live—even if paid campaigns aren’t part of your current strategy.
Why? Because every visitor becomes part of a warm audience you can re-engage later.
Think of it as planting seeds for next season’s harvest.
Once active, this tool builds a list of people who’ve already demonstrated interest by visiting your event details.
These aren’t cold leads; they’re individuals who’ve raised their hand saying, “Tell me more.”
Later, when promoting a similar gathering, you’ll have direct access to this group.
Retargeting ads often deliver better ROI than broad campaigns.
People who’ve previously interacted with your content convert at higher rates because they recognize your brand.
You’re not shouting into a crowded room—you’re having a follow-up conversation with someone who already glanced at your brochure.
The magic happens in the follow-through.
Custom audiences built from pixel data let you craft messages specific to how people engaged.
Did they view pricing but bail? Hit them with a limited-time discount.
Did they watch your promo video? Serve the full webinar link.
Yes, the setup takes 15 minutes. Yes, it feels like a tiny technical step. But here’s what changes: Suddenly you’re not just hoping interested folks remember your next event—you’re putting it directly in their feed.
Why let that window close? Event promotion isn’t just about filling seats this time—it’s about nurturing relationships that fill them every time. The pixel becomes your silent ally, quietly expanding your reach long after the initial RSVP deadline passes.
(Pro tip: Layer this with LinkedIn retargeting for B2B events. Suddenly you’re covering both personal and professional browsing habits.)
Post regularly on Facebook, in 5 different ways
Don’t think that just creating a Facebook event and sending a clicking the “invite” button will bring people out in droves. You need to be active with posting to get seen, build excitement, and give people content to share.
Here are the five types of posts we recommend to promote your event:
- Post on your business Page – as you probably know, these posts sadly don’t get shown much anymore unless you pay to boost them. However, you can take the same content from here and share it in the following four places to maximize your reach.
- Post on your Event page – everyone who’s clicked Interested or Going will get a notification when you add a post to your event page
- Post on your personal wall – while Facebook has greatly diminished your Page’s organic reach, your personal posts still get seen by a lot of your friends
- Post in your Facebook and Instagram Stories – these posts show up above the news feed and if people regularly watch your Stories, your posts will show up first in their list. Stories are great for less polished
- Post in relevant Facebook Groups – often overlooked, there are Facebook Groups for every city and interest group you could imagine.
Get listed on event calendars
Post your event in online event calendars and those in local newspapers.
Don’t forget good ol’ postcards and flyers.
Gotprint.com has some of the best prices and options for recycled paper. Note: glossy paper can not be recycled.
We can help with postcard design, and mailing via an uploaded list or even collect addresses from people who visit your site.
GET A FREE VIRTUAL EVENT STRATEGY SESSION
Tell us about your ideas and goals for an online summit or conference … we’ll answer any burning questions about your event planning and strategy and see if we’re a good fit to work together.
ABOUT WE & GOLIATH
You do good work in the world. We help it reach more people. With 20+ years of battle-tested digital strategies, let us be your secret weapon.
Our lead strategists, Daniel and Michelle, each have decades of experience producing and marketing hundreds of online and in-person events for grassroots organizations.
