6 Steps To Writing A Sell-Out Event Listing

Successful event listings work for a reason and there's no shame in gaining inspiration from companies, individuals or accounts you admire. Take the time to see what other people do and how they denote certain key elements like location, timing and what to prep beforehand, so you can replicate these with your own flair.

By looking at the successful techniques of others, you can use that understanding to enhance your reach.

By alerting your audience or community to the finite nature of your event you will see an increase in RSVPs. Make it clear when deadlines hit and clarify any caps on capacity, this will generate FOMO which helps to raise the number of attendees on future events as well as current ones.

When it comes to comms with your audience base it's fundamental you establish your tone of voice. This will be one of the key identifiers that not only cultivate interest but also ensure people come back for more. If you have spent some time with your audience already this will be easier. However, if you are just starting out, refer back to doing your research and spend time studying up.

The tone of voice you opt for should be reflective of your values, area of expertise and should be curated to help you establish connections with your audience base. If your style is (or you intend it to be) more chatty and advice oriented during your sessions then replicate that in the words you use in your listing for example.

It is easy to breeze over your event header but be mindful this can often act as someones very first impression of you. In headlines try to indicate with clarity what the event will be about, if this isn't attention-grabbing, however, it is very unlikely that people will read on, even if everything else is perfect.

Always bear in mind the headline is your value proposition, or effectively your promise, so make sure you afford it the same amount of time and consideration as everything else.

Quickfire tools: employ alliteration, be abreast of current affairs and culture to apply where possible, don’t go for more than 10 words maximum and always bring your USP to the fore.

Event bios are not the place for endless word counts. Keep it short and sweet with the mindset that every word serves a purpose and if it doesn't, take it out. However, it is important to paint a picture of what the event will be like to pique interest - just maintain focus on keeping it tight.

Also, pay close attention to ticking off the major boxes, explain what your offering is and detail how this event will be of interest both to your existing audience base and those new to you. Skimability is important, if you can put key elements in bold or break up the text so each section offers key information you will notice a positive result.

Try opening with a question, for example, “Do you want to take your productivity to the next level?” and follow on by clarifying how your event is going to achieve that goal.

Before publishing your event listing to the world, pause to think about concerns your audience or those new to you may have ahead of time. For example, if you have an international audience and your event is taking place both digitally and IRL, make that explicitly clear at the top or in your headline so as to not isolate any potential attendees. Or consider fears surrounding turning up alone by encouraging your community to get familiar with one another via Slack or Whatsapp.

This also applies to more specific issues like dietary requirements or parking options and if there is any prep or equipment people should bring with them ahead of time. This will ensure people have a better time at the event itself as they are prepared and will therefore most likely return to the next one.