invitation-wording

No matter what type of corporate event you’re tasked with planning, one thing they all have in common is their reliance on the right invitation wording. If you can’t convince your guests that your function is one worth attending, you’re off to a dismal start. Regardless of whether the event in question is a gala dinner, an internal golf day or an annual bash, your invitation copy can make-or-break your event.

While all event managers know that first impressions last, not all are aware of how crucial invitation wording actually is. We’ve put together a couple of insider tips that we’ve learnt from our years of crafting invites that make the best possible impact.

Craft copy that echoes the essence of the event.

If you’re organising a team-building treasure hunt, you’ll want to adopt a tone that’s amicable and enthusiastic. Colloquial language and slang can be used – but aim to keep this to a minimum. If you’re planning a gala dinner with VIPs, your wording should be courteous and formal. Avoid sounding casual – your wording should denote an air of exclusivity and sophistication. The copy you use paints a picture of what guests can expect, so don’t be afraid of using adjectives to elevate generic invitation wording into something that’ll intrigue. There’s a vast difference between an invite that says: “Dear Ms. Brown, you’re invited to attend our annual fundraiser” and “Dear Ms. Brown, we’d be honoured if you joined us for an evening of good will and celebration at our annual fundraiser”

An invite that doesn’t refer to your guest by name is as an unforgivable offense.

We can’t stress this point enough. An invite that reads: “Dear guest, you’re invited…” should never, ever be sent. By addressing your guests by name, your communication becomes personal, as opposed to merely generic correspondence. If you’re missing the names of several guests, make sure that you don’t end up sending them an invite that says: “Dear Name…” If this is a concern, rather compose your invite as follows: “Hello there” – this is vastly better to the awkward alternative.

Give careful consideration to your subject line.

This is the most important part of your invitation as it’s the first thing a guest reads upon receiving your invite. It determines whether someone chooses to open your invite, or send it straight to their trash folder. Always include your guests’ name, and aim to make your copy as enticing as possible. It’s unlikely that anyone will open an invitation with the subject line: “Anne Brown, you’re invited to our fundraiser”. Changing your wording slightly to “Anne, ABC Attorneys would like to celebrate with you at this year’s fundraiser.”

Always send your invitations from an individual your guests are familiar with.

Invitation wording that contains the name of a broker, sales person or manager who’s met or worked with a guest has a substantially higher click-through rate than invites sent on behalf of a company or department. By acknowledging the fact that your guest has some sort of relationship with an individual from your brand, you’re cultivating a sense of familiarity. This goes a long way in positioning an event as one that your guests will want to be a part of.

Make your invitation wording the star of your invite.

Your copy should form the majority of any invitation you send, for two reasons. One, spam folders are much more likely to block image-riddled emails, and two, your copy needs to contain all the necessary details pertaining to the event. Simply having your company’s logo and “You’re invited to our Christmas party” won’t cut it. Keeping images to a minimum ensures your invite lands in the intended inbox, and quickly conveys the fundamentals of your function.

Event planners who approach their invitation wording as one of the most crucial elements of an event enjoy the satisfaction of a one that’s well attended. Putting as much thought into your invitation wording as you would into the choice of venue or catering is a fail-safe way to guarantee that any event is nothing short of a roaring success.

Image Credit: Ask a Vocal Coach 

So, you’ve designed a brand new, beautiful online invitation for your next event, but have you considered just how important your invitation wording is? The way you word any invitation is the first point of contact your guests have with your event, which means it’s essential that your copy paints an accurate, and more importantly, appealing picture.

Just like any other online marketing strategy, the success of an online invitation boils down to the quality of the content.

Think about how you’d like your guests to view your event.

Is it a business-like conference for professionals? Or a time-out for employees in the form of a fun-filled day of teambuilding? Or is it a star-studded, celebrity-soaked awards ceremony? Regardless of the type of event you’re hosting, your invitation wording must make your event sound enticing, or it might put guests off attending entirely. Instead of using a generic phrase like “Annual Awards”, get creative and make the event sound like something your guests will want to be a part of.  For example: “The X Awards– a night of celebrating our industry stars”, is a lot more appealing.

Your invitation wording should convey the benefits of attending.

Your aim is to make your guests feel important. For example, the word “exclusive” appeals to our intrinsic need to belong, whereas merely saying: “You’re invited to our annual golf day” doesn’t convey any sense of exclusivity or privilege.  Try these: “You’re personally invited to a private soiree at The Table Bay” or “Join industry heavy-weight Elon Musk for his personal insights into entrepreneurship”. More often than not you need to get your RSVP’s back as soon as possible.  An example of your wording could be: “Seating is extremely limited at this sought-after presentation so RSVP soonest to avoid disappointment”

Make it personal.

Ensure your invitation wording demonstrates that you know your guest and always ensure their name is spelt correctly. Depending on the event, you can word your invites differently to suit the segments of your guest list. For example, if you’re inviting existing customers as well as those who’ve shown an interest in your product to a seminar, your invitation wording should differ. Existing customers could receive an invite that says: “We’re honoured that we’re your brand of choice. We’d like to show our appreciation by inviting you to….”, and for those who haven’t yet purchased anything, you could say: “We’re excited that you’ve shown an interest in our brand, so we’d like to take this opportunity to invite you to our latest seminar as a thank you.”

The tone of your invitation wording is the difference between a full and empty guest list.

Address your guests as an equal – no one wants to be patronised, or made to feel inferior. Use copy that’ll position them as unique, valuable assets instead of merely a number on a list. Make sure your tone is in line with the type of event you’re holding. If it’s a serious conference, don’t use slang or colloquial expressions. If it’s an office Christmas party however, you can let your imagination run wild and use a conversational tone.

Pay attention to your subject line.

Since this is the first thing your guests will see, ensure that your subject line identifies you (the sender) and the event. Make it stand out from the many other e-vites people receive: instead of the generic “Invite – Brand Y Annual Conference”, say something like “Brand Y is excited to see you at our Annual Conference”

Keep it simple.

Above all, strive to keep your copy simple and to the point. No one wants to wade through reams of text merely to deduce that they’ve been invited to a business breakfast. Aim to convey all of your information in as few words as possible.

Image Credit: Online Learning Tips