You can plan every detail of your event and still miss an opportunity to delight the guests by overlooking the importance of the event invitation itself. How you announce and entice guests to attend often starts with this first-impression element. Whether you’re sending snail mail, professionally printed invitations, or digital event announcements, these are the elements to include. You can make sure your event invitation is magical, informative, and results-driven when you tap into these design and strategy insights.
1. Choosing Invitation Types and Channels
Before you draft a single phrase, you have some decisions to make. Choose an invitation design that suits your event. This may include exclusive or a combination of written invitations, printed invitations, or electronic invitations. From there, you can then determine which delivery methods you’ll use to send the invitations. You’ll outline, too, any invitation follow-up strategies that might include email, text, call, or E-vite reminders.
2. Get All the Details Right
Start with the basics. You’ll need to make sure the first thing your guests recognize is the event announcement. Then be clear and concise about listing the official details, including date, time, theme, and purpose. Once the recipients recognize what it is they’re reading, you can then get creative about enticing them with other elements. But not getting the details right and predominantly opening with those basics, you’ll risk losing the recipient’s interest altogether.
3. Catchy and Fun Phrases Engage Best
Use catchy and fun phrases wherever you can with your event invitation. Rhyming lines and creatively descriptive text will help set the mood for your event. Make it fun, exciting, and, yes, inviting. Title phrases, headings, and final calls to action should bring a smile to your recipient’s face.
4. Designs Have to Align with Your Event
This may seem like a no-brainer, but you’ll need to design the layout and format of your event invitation in line with your New York event’s theme. Baby shower invitations might have storks or pastel hues. Charity golf outings will have golf-related design elements. And holiday parties might look festive with traditional holiday images. But there’s more to invitation designs, too. If you’re planning an event that focuses on sustainability, your invitations should include eco-friendly elements. If you’re hosting a red-carpet event, your invitation should be equally upscale and posh in design.
5. Eye-Catching Headings and Attendee Benefits
Your event invitations should outline what’s in it for them. Highlight the benefits of attending, either in the formatting or as eye-catching headings. Describe briefly what your event guests will miss out on should they not attend. That FOMO element will be far more enticing than drab event details alone.
6. Brand Consistency Matters
Pay attention to your client’s brand image and reputation. Any event they hire you to help plan will essentially be an extension of their brand. It also means your planning efforts should align with their brand voice and style. The conference or event theme should feel like it’s coming from your client, right down to the language you use on the invitations. Recipients should be able to recognize the brand behind the invite immediately. So, be sure you’re using colors, typefaces, and language that resonates with and supports the client’s brand.
7. Clear CTAs
Once your recipient has read your event invitation, do they know what to do next? Be sure to include clear steps for them to take, including meal selection and RSVP instructions. Share deadlines to respond and use language that creates a sense of urgency and excitement. Provide more than one way to RSVP, too, including digital and traditional mail options. Just don’t leave them hanging without describing precisely what to do next.
Spend some quality time with your event invitations and consider these insights to make them magical and results-driven every time! And speaking of results, get all the insights you need to improve every aspect of your event planning business by attending The Event Planner Expo 2023 in October! Be sure you’re on the waitlist now, so you don’t miss a single announcement.
