Three Tricks to Cut the Stress and Stabilize Ticket Sales for Your Event

Rachel Grate / June 27, 2019

Watching the ebb and flow of ticket sales can be panic-inducing.

At the beginning of your onsale, sales numbers spike thanks to your initial promotion. Next comes a lull when the novelty of the newly released tickets wears off — this is when your stress peaks. Finally, you see a boost in ticket sales a few days before the event as part of the last-minute “rush.” You just cross your fingers that this rush will be enough to hit your sales goals.

If the preceding paragraph made your eye twitch with stress, it might be time to try a different approach. Here are three ways to fuel ticket sales from the moment you publish your event to the time you open your doors.

1. Maximize your ad spend. Given how much time users spend on social media, it would be easy to assume that paid ads reach a substantial audience. Facebook users might spend about 35 minutes each day on the site, but they only click on about eight ads per month. For your event marketing to cut through the noise — and not be a waste of money — you need to focus on what works.
   One way to get the most out of your ad spend is by using a tracking pixel. A tracking pixel is a small image that’s placed in the code of your ticketing page, email, or banner ad. A tracking pixel can tell you which ads attendees viewed before registering for your event, showing you how people interact with your ads. If more of your registrants are coming from your paid Facebook ads than from paid search on Google, for instance, you might want to adjust your strategy accordingly.
   Maximize your spend even more by using A/B tests to understand which ads perform best with your target audiences. Once you have the answers to these questions, you can optimize your online ad spend.
2. Create demand with contests and promo codes. According to new research from Eventbrite and OnePoll, 56 percent of Americans push event-related decisions to the 11th hour. Don’t rely on these last-minute buyers to drive your ticket sales. Instead, expedite the decision-making process by building buzz during early on.
   For example, start a social contest that gives eventgoers special access if they buy two tickets. You could also use a promo code that rewards attendees with discounts and free parking if they purchase tickets early. This strategy encourages attendees to act fast, and the halo effect of social media can mean more ticket sales for you when attendees post about your promotion.
3. Build buzz with Instagram Stories. About 80 percent of Instagram users follow at least one business on Instagram, which can have a significant impact on your ticket sales. If your ticket sales aren’t hitting projections as your event draws near, create a sense of urgency for anyone still on the fence with Instagram Stories. This feature allows you to capture users’ attention and provide a convenient way to purchase tickets.Lure people in by posting live video or photos as you set up your event. To drive ticket sales, make it as easy as possible for Instagram users to buy tickets to your event — without being redirected to a clunky ticketing website that’s not built for their smartphones. This helps capture users’ attention and provides a convenient way to purchase tickets.

Of course, the real challenge is combining these strategies to get users into the ticket queue. Start thinking about how you can use these tricks to your advantage, and comment below with your own go-to tactics for keeping ticket sales steady.

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Rachel Grate

Rachel Grate is a writer at Eventbrite, where she regularly interviews organizers of the country's most popular events, from massive music festivals to small food and drink gatherings. She's a live music lover, a foodie, and a big fan of smiles.

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• Three Tricks to Cut the Stress and Stabilize Ticket Sales for Your Event - June 27, 2019

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