SMS marketing for events, festivals, and conferences

SMS for events, festivals and concerts

So, you probably already know that SMS marketing is one of the most effective ways to communicate with your audience. SMS messages are opened more often than emails and within just a few minutes of being sent. And because your audience always has their mobile phones in their hands, they’ll always be kept in the loop.

Using SMS marketing for successful events

That’s super effective return on investment (ROI) for anyone organizing an event, festival or conference. Technology trends come and go, but keeping in touch with your audience will always be en vogue. Speaking of fashion, one big festival which hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons recently was the Fyre Festival which was to take place in Exuma in The Bahamas. The festival, which promised to be attended by fashionistas, models, actors, musicians, and influencers, was expected to take place over two weekends in April and May.

It’s described on its Facebook page as: “Two unforgettable weekends of mystery and music, Fyre Festival is for those with uncompromising taste and a burning desire for adventure. Set against the surreal island backdrop of the Exumas where ordinary rules don’t apply, Fyre ignites the best in music, cuisine, innovation, and hospitality.”

Well, the rules of event organization seemingly did not apply to its organizers. Attendees arrived at the venue to find disaster relief tents, portable toilets and processed cheese sandwiches in styrofoam containers. Only one musical act took the stage and attendees were left stranded as flights leaving the island were canceled. No message has as yet, two months later, been added to its Facebook page and the website appears to be down. This festival could be used in coming years as an example of what not to do when it comes to event organization and communication.

So, how could the event organizers have better communicated with attendees? They could have used SMS to timeously alert them of the event being postponed as soon as possible. This could possibly have prevented many of the attendees from flying across the world to attend the party. There are many different ways that the organizers could have used SMS marketing. If you’re an event organizer, here are some examples.

Remind your guests and confirm details

As a legitimate event organizer, it’s likely that your event was planned months ago. The venue was booked, all of the vendors organized, and tickets bought by your attendees. But all of that happened so long ago, they might have forgotten some of the details. It’s useful to remind them of the times, location and even some hints of what they can expect. A simple text message can remind them of everything they need to know. This’ll raise excitement levels and get people talking.

Change your schedule

It’s every event organizer’s worst nightmare. A sudden venue change or extreme weather could spell disaster for your event. Your attendees might already be on the way. But a quick SMS letting everyone know what’s happening could remedy the situation quickly.

Ask for feedback

If you have two-way SMS enabled, and you should, you could open up the lines of communication further by asking for feedback. This could allow you to better plan your next big event. And it’ll make your attendees feel valued, guaranteeing they buy a ticket to your next time around.

If you’re an event, festival or conference organizer and your interest is piqued in the benefits of SMS marketing, have a look at our bulk SMS Platform. It allows you to communicate your way, allowing you to SMS-enable any application, website or system and facilitate international two-way messaging. And when you’re communicating with an audience who’s always holding their mobile phones, that’s exactly the kind of communication you need to ensure your next event goes off without a hitch. That type of communication is a technology trend worth subscribing to.