How to Create an Event Email Marketing Strategy

There are many ways to invite an audience to an event. Email marketing is one of the longest-tenured digital marketing methods still effective today. In this guide, we will dive deep into event email marketing strategy - sharing vital statistics, key advantages, essential steps, and helpful tips. 

What is email event marketing?

Email event marketing is the process of sending emails to promote an event. Email campaigns span before, during, and after the event. Prior to the event, marketing emails can deliver announcements, create a buzz, facilitate registration, and send reminders. During the event, marketing emails share updates and last-minute offers like invitations to ongoing hybrid or virtual experiences. After the event, marketing emails are a powerful tool to cultivate leads, thank attendees, solicit feedback, and leverage the momentum for the next event. 

Why is email event marketing unique?

Did you know that email marketing is over 40 years old? It is one of the oldest forms of digital marketing and remains a powerful tool today. Despite the prevalence of a growing number of social media platforms, the amount of email users continues to increase around the world, showing that email is an integral part of daily life. In 2025, the number of email users worldwide is predicted to reach nearly 4.6 million people, up from just over 4 million users in 2020. As of April 2023, the United States had the highest quantity of emails sent daily, reaching almost 10 billion. 

Advantages of Email Event Marketing

Email marketing is powerful because it allows brands to connect directly with audience members who have opted to receive content. It is cost-effective, allows for highly personalized messaging, and opens up a direct line of communication between the brand and the audience. For many marketers, the return on investment (ROI) rate for email marketing campaigns continues to grow. Email marketing can raise attendance and boost brand awareness when applied to events. 

How to Create an Email Event Marketing Strategy

Email event marketing strategies include the following seven steps: 

1. Set S.M.A.R.T. goals to clearly define your event, ensuring all team members are on the same page. 
2. Determine and segment your audience to understand who the event is for and what attendees will respond to positively. 
3. Write a compelling message that communicates the specifics of the event and entices the recipient to attend. Be sure to personalize the message with the recipient’s name and title (if applicable). Consider extending the personalization to other aspects of the message, like customizing the content based on their job title or relationship to your brand. 
4. Create an appealing design that expresses the style and energy of your event without giving too much away. 
5. Automate the send to make the marketing campaign more efficient. 
6. Reply to responses promptly and professionally. 
7. Collect and evaluate data on the effectiveness of the event email marketing campaign. 

Tips for Email Event Marketing

To create a successful email event marketing campaign, follow these tips: 

• Keep the Content Short and Sweet – Be clear and concise and focus on one point per email. Leverage design elements and visual content to ensure your readers can quickly understand the call to action. 
• Write a Stellar Subject Line – Entice recipients with a subject line that piques their interest and creates an excellent first impression. Be clever and stay true to your brand. 
• Personalize the Message – A 2023 survey of email marketers showed the leading priority is to expand the use of personalization. You must leverage data from a lead capture tool to craft messages relevant to each individual. 
• Send on Tuesday or Wednesday – According to a survey conducted in November 2022, the best days of the week to send marketing emails are Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Sending on these days raises the likelihood that recipients will see, open, and read the email. 
• Partner With an Experiential Event Marketing Agency 

When you partner with an experienced agency, you gain access to resources, skills, tools, and insight to help you run successful email marketing campaigns and much more. Hamilton is here to help. We are a full-service event marketing agency with a 75-year legacy creating immersive brand experiences for companies throughout North America and worldwide. We design, produce, and execute integrated experiences – events, exhibits, environments, and digital solutions – that drive meaningful connections between your brand and your audience.

To create a successful email marketing campaign for your next event, contact Hamilton today!