Join the Virtual Event Revolution!
Let our crew of creative tech wizards cast an online engagement spell to mesmerize your audiences into a virtual frenzy!
Event planners stare at the empty follow-up email, dreading the seemingly boring task of soliciting post-event feedback.
But hidden in bland survey questions lies a goldmine of actionable data to skyrocket registration, spot pain points, fuel referrals, and elevate experiences.
This untapped potential compelled me to unlock the art of irresistible post-event emails that attendees eagerly complete.
In the following guide, you’ll discover hard-won secrets to surveys that convert at shocking 60-70% rates.
At the end, we’ll reveal seven proven templates for sizzling subject lines, strategic recipient segmentation, visually magnetic design, and irresistible calls to action.
You’ll even get swipeable samples of my most clicked survey emails for instant inspiration.
If you seek the insider tricks to post-event survey response riches, you’ve come to the right place.
Let’s get started transforming your event follow ups from boring to booming.
Defining Your Goals
Before drafting survey questions or content, clearly define your objectives. Common goals include:
- Measuring overall event satisfaction
- Gauging interest for future events
- Identifying favorite and least favorite aspects
- Soliciting testimonials and referrals
- Capturing demographic data
With explicit goals guiding survey development, you can craft customized questions that extract the insights you need for enhancement.
Perfecting Subject Lines
Even the most well-crafted survey risks getting lost in crowded inboxes. That’s why an urgent, benefit-focused subject line is essential. Consider using:
- Personalization: “{First Name}, your feedback on the 2023 Annual Conference”
- Deadlines: “Closes in 48 hours: 2023 Annual Conference Survey”
- Benefits: “Enter to win a free ticket for sharing your conference feedback!”
Structuring the Email Body
The body of your message should quickly establish value for the recipient.
- Communicate the direct benefits of completing your survey in the first paragraph.
- Next, include a note of thanks for attending and reinforce that reader input helps elevate future events.
- Finally, include a call-to-action with the survey link.
Bullet points detailing question topics provide transparency into what’s asked without demanding heavy reading.
Choosing Recipients Wisely
Only send surveys to recent event attendees, rather than your entire contact database.
This allows you to segment data and analyze satisfaction more accurately across unique experiences.
If possible, customize the message for various attendee types, like speakers, sponsors or VIP guests.
Their behind-the-scenes involvement may warrant more role-specific inquiries.
Additional Tips for Post-Event Survey Emails
- Send quickly within 1-3 days while the experience is fresh
- Limit to 5-7 questions to respect recipients’ time
- Make mobile optimized for on-the-go ease
- Offer deadline reminders if needed
- Provide both multiple choice and open response options
Now that we’ve covered best practices, let’s explore real-world templates as helpful references.
Sample Email for Post-Event Survey
The following post-event survey email examples demonstrate best practices for compelling and conversion-focused messages. Use them as guidelines when crafting your own surveys.
Example 1: Multiple Choice Focus
Subject: Thanks for Attending – Your Conference Feedback, Please!
Dear [First Name],
Thank you for attending the 2024 Small Business Summit earlier this month!
We had record attendance and hope you made valuable connections. We want to make next year’s event even more meaningful, but need your help.
Please take a few minutes to complete this 5-question survey on your conference experience: [survey link]
Your responses will:
- Help us understand what you enjoyed most for future programming
- Identify any dissatisfactions we can improve
- Qualify you to win a free 2025 Summit ticket!
Survey Topics:
- Overall event satisfaction
- Speaker/content quality
- Networking experience
- Venue feedback
- Suggestions for 2025
Thanks again for joining us this year. We can’t wait to connect next year too!
Best Wishes,
[Your name][Company name]
This template demonstrates an effective mix of personalization, urgency via deadline, and communicated benefits for completing the survey.
Multiple choice questions allow for easier analysis across attendees at scale.
Now let’s explore an example that incorporates more open-ended responses.
Example 2: Hybrid Question Focus
Subject: Jones Corp Conference: Please Share Your Experience!
Dear Executive Summit Attendee,
We sincerely hope you found this year’s Executive Summit valuable.
As committed partners to your leadership journey, it’s our responsibility to ensure each year’s programming prepares executives like yourself to thrive.
Please take 5-7 minutes to complete the attached post-event survey.
Your open and honest input is invaluable to inform our 2024 planning:
[survey link]
Survey Highlights:
- Scales for event satisfaction and attendee experience areas
- Commentary boxes for favorite/least favorite content
- Open suggestions on speakers, venue, topics, etc.
Help us build the high-impact event top executives deserve by investing just a few minutes now.
Please submit your completed survey within the next 7 days.
With Gratitude,
[Your name]
Executive Summit Lead Organizer Jones Corporation
This example uses prestige and exclusivity to compel responses from influential attendees.
Open commentary questions allow qualitative feedback for better decision making.
Let’s continue exploring best practices and tips for perfect post-event survey emails.
As a preferred production partner with top virtual event platforms, we get exclusive discounts and pass the savings along to our clients.
7 Tips for Following Up After Events
Beyond well-crafted survey questions, the little details in your follow up emails dramatically impact response rates.
Consider these tips when contacting event attendees post-event:
1. Send Quickly
Strike while the iron’s hot by distributing surveys within 1-3 days after event conclusion when it’s top of mind.
This also allows immediate identification of any major grievances needing swift redress.
2. Segment Your List
Categorize attendees when possible, like sponsors vs. speakers vs. influencers.
This allows tailored questions and better insights on specific groups.
Basic segmentation options:
By Registration Type
- General admission
- VIP/Ultra VIP
- Speakers
- Sponsors
- Press
By Event Activity
- Downloaded resources
- Visited certain sponsor booths
- Added info to lead gen forms
- Interacted on event app
By Firmographics
- Role/title
- Industry
- Company size
3. Limit the Length
Post surveys with 5-7 questions respect attendees’ time while still gathering crucial insights.
This yields higher response rates than overlong counterparts.
4. Make it Mobile-Friendly
Today’s consumers are on the go.
Ensure seamless mobile survey completion without frustrating formatting or functionality fails.
5. Set the Right Tone
Thank attendees warmly for joining and reinforce surveys help elevate future events. This supportive tone eases any “survey fatigue.”
6. Add Visual Interest
Photos from the event, graphs on attendance spikes, or other visual elements boost engagement as they complete questions.
7. Send Reminders
If needed, follow up mid-week before your ideal close date, politely reminding about the chance to share feedback for event improvements.
Driving Response Rates Through Effective Follow-Up
You crafted a stellar post-event survey and pressed send. But low open and response rates quickly sink your hopes for actionable event insights.
Driving increased engagement with your survey comes down to masterful follow-up strategy.
Here are 5 techniques to skyrocket completed responses:
1. Send Timely Reminders
We covered this previously, but gentle nudges make all the difference.
Set calendar reminders to shoot brief follow-ups mid-week before your desired survey close date.
Your tone should remain helpful and positive.
Express thanks to those who have completed it and kindly ask outstanding attendees to take just a few minutes to provide their valuable perspectives.
2. Make it Visually Appealing
An email blast linking a basic Google Form or SurveyMonkey questionnaire seems efficient…until low motivation kills completion rates.
Instead, use creative visuals like:
⛳ Event recap images and quotes
🏆 Infographics on attendance growth
👨💻 GIFs of your team collaborating on event improvements based on data
This engages recipients on an emotional level, sparking survey enthusiasm.
3. Offer Increased Incentives
Consider boosting motivation with added perks, like:
- 2nd chance sweepstakes entries
- Larger discounts on future events
- Extended access to gated content from the event
The key is making incentives exclusive to survey participants, fueling FOMO for those who haven’t yet completed it.
4. Send from Leadership
Mass emails directly from event organizers often blend into the background.
But a customized nudge from company leadership adds legitimacy and importance.
The CEO herself asking for a few minutes of feedback holds significantly more weight, driving additional survey completions.
5. Spotlight Peer Participation
Peer pressure works wonders, even in professional contexts!
Sending progress indicators on total survey completes taps into our innate desire for social proof and inclusion:
“155 of your executive peers have already completed the survey. Make your voice heard too! Today is the last day to submit.”
Now that we’ve covered actionable best practices for post-event survey emails, let’s connect them to broader goals.
Easy starting packages • Advanced options • Proven results
How Post-Event Surveys Elevate Events & Achieve Business Goals
Crafting on-brand, professional surveys is the first step, but how do you actually use the insights gleaned to accomplish key business objectives long-term?
Here are 5 common event-related goals well-designed post-event surveys can directly support:
1. Increase Lead Generation
Post-event surveys present a golden, yet underutilized chance for lead gen.
Simply asking attendees if they’d like more info on related products/services or upcoming webinars can skyrocket viable leads.
You can also offer a discount or exclusive asset for survey completion.
This captures double information – their responses plus a new sales contact.
Recommended Questions:
1. Would you be interested in a personalized demo or consultation based on what you learned at our event? [Yes/No]
2. Please check each item you’d like more information on:
- Product A [ ]
- Product B [ ]
- Our upcoming webinar schedule [ ]
2. Boost Brand Authority
Positive post-event surveys where attendees praise programming, expertise, or networking not only validate internal teams. They also act as influential social proof and reputational lift if publicly shared.
Proactively ask for testimonials along with structured feedback:
- “On a scale of 1-10, how likely are you to recommend our events to colleagues and contacts? [Scale of 1-10]”
- “We’d love a testimonial on your experience to share publicly. If you feel inclined, please share your testimonial here:
[Comment box]”
3. Uncover Event Issues
While praise feeds egos, critical feedback fuels growth. Survey commentary on event complaints gives you maximum lead time before next year’s event to improve and exceed expectations.
Leave ample open-ended comment space for critiques and identify improvement areas revealed.
4. Segment Future Events
Post-surveys indicating huge demand for additional content types, formats, or specific themes are goldmines for better segmentation.
Use high-potential findings to spin off niche events, products, or services with built-in buyer desire confirmed.
5. Retarget Event Marketing
Every event follow up email gives you another tagged contact for future remarketing. But explicitly asking about communication preferences doubles exposure.
Add opt-in questions to directly receive further event promotions and stay top of mind all year.
“How would you like us to keep you updated on future events and exclusive offers? Please select all that apply:
[ ] Email updates [ ] Phone calls [ ] Text alerts [ ] Mailers”
The opportunities post-event surveys unlock for lead gen, branding lift, event improvements, and future marketing are immense with the right systems in place to capitalize on data.
Now that we’ve connected surveys to business growth, let’s wrap up with templates you can reference.
Putting It All Together: Post-Event Survey Templates
Well-designed surveys not only gather data, but propel business goals like increased registrations, referrals, loyalty and more.
Implement these customizable post-event survey templates for actionable attendee insights with marketing muscle:
Template 1 – The Quick Gratitude Survey
Perfect For: No-frills feedback on small events or gatherings
Subject Line: Thanks for Coming!
Hi [First Name],
Thank you for attending [Event Name] earlier this month! We sincerely hope you had a positive experience connecting with fellow [professionals, enthusiasts, etc].
Please take just 1-2 minutes to respond to this ultra-short survey so we can improve future gatherings:
[survey link]Survey Questions:
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied were you with the overall event experience? [Scaled responses]
- What did you enjoy most about the event? [Open response]
- How could we improve future events? [Open response]
Thanks again for joining us! Please check this box if you’d like to receive announcements on upcoming events! [Opt-in checkbox]
Feel free to reach out with any other questions or feedback. Wishing you continued success!
Best Regards,
[Your name]
Template 2 – The Sales-Focused Survey
Perfect For: Lead generation and sales prospecting
Subject: Your Insights = More Tailored Offerings!
Dear Executives,
We hope you discovered meaningful takeaways on leadership innovation at yesterday’s Future of Work Summit.
As the landscape evolves faster than ever, we aim to keep executives like yourself on the cutting edge with timely content. Please invest 5 quick minutes in our post-event survey today:
[survey link]Your responses will:
- Guide our speaker selection, topics, and formats to ensure maximum ROI on your conference time.
- Identify opportunities for niche workshops, online courses, or events centered on your leadership priorities for the coming year.
- Enter you to win VIP passes to our 2024 Future of Work Summit.
Interested in a personalized demo or consultation for leadership development based on summit learnings? Simply reply YES to this email and our team will be in touch!
We value executives and brands who lead change. Let’s continue driving progress together.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Director of Leadership Events [Company Name]
The sales-savvy survey uses compelling benefits, scarcity, and personalization to increase lead conversion from high-value event attendees.
Template 3 – The Giveaway Survey
Perfect For: Driving responses with sweepstakes entry
Subject Line: Feedback Entry for $100 Amazon Gift Card!
Hi Attendee,
Thanks for being part of our 2023 Industry Conference! We’re so glad you joined us.
As a special thank you for providing your candid event feedback, you’ll be entered to win a $100 Amazon gift card!
Please take a few minutes to share your experience here to enter:
[Survey Link]
Your responses will:
- Help select topics and venues for next year’s conference based on your interests
- Identify any frustrations so we can improve in 2024
- Automatically enter you for a chance to win the gift card!
Appreciate you taking the time – can’t wait to connect again next year!
Best,
[Your name]Conference Director
Template 4 – The Network-Focused Survey
Perfect For: Relationship-building and lead nurturing
Subject: John, Let’s Connect Post-Conference!
Dear John,
I sincerely enjoyed meeting you at last week’s Small Business Conference and learning more about Acme Consulting.
I wanted to quickly follow up to get your candid thoughts on the event and speaker content through this 2-minute survey:
[Survey Link]
Additionally, if you’d be open to discussing how we might collaborate to better serve emerging entrepreneurs, reply YES and I’ll follow up!
Thanks again for the great conversation. Looking forward to crossing paths at a future event!
Best,
[Your name]
SVP Partnerships XYZ Company
The personalized outreach strengthens professional relationships while seamlessly gathering event feedback.
Template 5 – The Video Follow-Up
Perfect For: Adding personal touch and interactivity
Subject: Thanks for Coming! Can We Get Your Quick Video Feedback?
Hi Attendees,
Sincere thanks for attending our 3-day Design Thinking Conference! We hope you found immense value.
As we plan for 2024, would you take just 90 seconds to record a quick video with your raw, honest reactions? We want unfiltered feedback!
Click here to launch the recorder and guide you through a few quick questions:
[Video Feedback Link]
Your responses will:
- Give our team an authentic window into your experience
- Identify frustrating pain points video brings to life
- Enter you to win free admission next year!
We know your time is limited so we genuinely appreciate you prioritizing this for us. Can’t wait to implement your ideas!
Gratefully,
[Your name]Creative Director
Template 6 – The Benchmark Survey
Perfect For: Industry research and competitive analysis
Subject: Where Do We Stack Up? Event Benchmarking Survey
Industry Leaders,
Thanks to all who attended our Cybersecurity Summit!
As we plan 2024 programming, please help us benchmark our event against others in the space with this quick survey:
[survey link]Your responses around competing conferences will help identify:
- Content gaps to elevate our expertise
- Speaker and format preferences
- Logistical/experience frustrations we can improve
As industry pacesetters ourselves, we aim to lead on all fronts – including events! Please submit within 5 days.
Kindly,
[Your name]Cybersecurity Director
Template 7 – The Giveback Survey
Perfect For: CSR and community engagement
Subject: Thanks for Attending! Please Take Our 2-Minute Survey to Give Back
Attendees,
We sincerely hope you discovered meaningful connections and insights at the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Conference.
Please spend just 2 minutes on our post-event survey so we can elevate future gatherings:
[survey link]As a bonus, for every completed survey, we’ll donate $5 to a local nonprofit advancing DE&I initiatives!
Your responses will:
- Guide programming and content to drive progress
- Identify frustrations so we can improve
- Give back to organizations enabling inclusion
Appreciate you taking the time to complete the survey and give back!
Gratefully,
[Your name]DE&I Council President
Template 8 – The Referral Survey
Perfect For: Promotions and referrals
Subject: John, Who Else Would Benefit from Our Digital Summit?
John,
I hoped you discovered immense ROI on time at our Digital Transformation Summit.
As we plan next year’s event, please share your key takeaways and frustrations in our quick post-event survey:
[survey link]Additionally, please reply with 1-2 contacts who would also benefit from attending our 2024 summit. We’re happy to reach out with a special referral invite if you make an intro!
Thanks again for joining us – your insights help shape future gatherings.
Appreciatively,
[Your name]
Digital Events Director
Leveraging surveys for broader outreach and social responsibility allows for deeper community engagement long-term.
You now wield insider secrets to post-event survey success, but extraordinarily engaging virtual events take more sorcery.
It requires the rare fusion of strategic brilliance and technical innovation perfected by our wizards at We & Goliath.
For over 20 years, we’ve mesmerized global audiences into an online frenzy with show-stopping hybrid conferences and virtual summits.
Our spellbinding productions have smashed records with results like 7X higher attendance, 5X more email signups, and even 300% revenue jumps.
Let our crew of creative conjurers work their magic to make your next event the viral, buzzworthy smash hit people rave about for ages.
The phenomenal is possible when you have the world’s top virtual event magicians on your side!