Hosting an event or a webinar can be a great way to showcase your expertise, build your brand awareness, and generate leads for your business. But how do you get people to sign up and show up for your online or offline event?

One of the most effective ways to promote your events and webinars is by using bulk SMS marketing. In this blog post, we will explain what bulk SMS marketing is, why it works so well for event promotion, and how you can use it to boost your attendance rate.

What is bulk SMS marketing?

Bulk SMS marketing is a form of mobile communication that allows you to send mass text messages to your target audience. You can use it for various purposes, such as:

  • Informing your customers about new products, offers, discounts, etc.
  • Sending reminders, confirmations, thank-you notes, feedback requests, etc.
  • Engaging your customers with surveys, polls, quizzes, contests, etc.
  • Educate your customers about industry trends, best practices, tips, etc.

But one of the most powerful ways you can use bulk SMS marketing is to promote your events and webinars.

Why use bulk SMS marketing for event promotion?

Bulk SMS marketing has many advantages over other channels regarding event promotion. 

Here are a few of them:

  • High open rates: According to research, bulk SMS messages have an open rate of 98%, compared to 20% for email. This means that almost everyone who receives your text message will read it within minutes.
  • Fast response: On average, it takes 90 seconds for someone to respond to a text message, compared to 90 minutes for an email. This means that you can get instant feedback and engagement from your prospects.
  • Low cost: Bulk SMS marketing is affordable and cost-effective, especially when using a reliable and trusted Bulk SMS service provider like Celcom Africa. You can send thousands of messages for a fraction of the cost of other methods.
  • Personalization: Bulk SMS marketing allows you to customize your messages according to your audience’s preferences, location, behaviour, and interests. You can also use dynamic fields like name, date, time, etc., to make your messages more relevant and appealing.

How to use bulk SMS marketing for event promotion?

Now that you know what bulk SMS marketing is and why it works so well for event promotion let’s see how you can use it effectively. Here are some tips:

  • Start early: Don’t wait until the last minute to send out your invitations. Start sending them at least a few weeks before the event or webinar date. This will give you enough time to build awareness and interest among your audience.
  • Segment your list: Don’t send the same message to everyone on your list. Segment your list based on different criteria, such as demographics, past behaviour, interests, etc. This will help you tailor your messages according to each group’s needs and expectations.
  • Create urgency: Use words like “limited seats”, “last chance”, “register now”, etc. to create a sense of urgency and scarcity among your audience. This will motivate them to take action quickly and avoid missing out on your offer.
  • Include a clear call-to-action: Make sure that every message you send has a clear and specific call-to-action that tells your audience what they need to do next. For example, “Click here”, “Call this number”, “Reply with YES”, etc. Make it easy for them to register or sign up for your event or webinar.
  • Follow up: Don’t stop after sending one message. Follow up with more messages until the event or webinar date. You can send reminders, confirmations, thank-you notes, and feedback requests.

This will help you build rapport and trust with your audience and increase their attendance rate.

That said,

If you want to take advantage of bulk SMS marketing for your events and webinars, you don’t have to do it alone. Celcom Africa is here to help you with bulk SMS marketing services

From bulk text messages to email marketing to Shortcodes and two-way messaging, Celcom Africa has everything you need to create and send engaging and personalized messages that will boost your business and achieve your goals.

Reach out today and learn how you can leverage Celcom Africa’s bulk SMS services to boost your events and webinars!