A fool-proof recipe for the successful delivery of e-invites

The success of your event is only as good as your attendance rate. (We’ve written about the pivotal importance of maximum attendance here and here. In order to facilitate attendance rates that garner ROI, you’ll need a fool-proof plan to ensure that your e-invites are delivered. This may seem like a rudimental task, but as corporates clamp down on their employees’ internet access in order to safeguard against viruses and spam, this is becoming increasingly harder to do.

If you’re struggling to boost delivery rates that are average at best, have a read through our recipe for the successful delivery of e-invites.

Step 1: Never embed an image

The majority of email programs don’t display embedded images, sending the email in question straight to the spam folder. No matter how impressive your corporate branding is, embedding it in your e-invite will only result in an invitation that will never be seen.

Step 2: Get the ratio of copy to images right

Large files are immediately flagged, and more often than not, end up blocked by the server or in a spam folder. While the aesthetics of your e-invites are important (we’ll get to that in a bit), it’s more important to make sure that your email invitation gets past the gatekeepers of corporate intranets. Your copy should convey the essential details of an event, while any images you include should merely enhance the text.

Step 3: Personalise your subject lines

Using a generic subject line in your email invitations won’t encourage your guests to open an email. In fact, this will put them right off – with your invitation ending up in the trash folder. If you want to make sure that your invitations are read, always address your guest by name. Remember that a subject line needs to be as enticing as possible, so make sure you’ve put just as much thought into its creation as you did the e-invite.

Step 4: Make use of a program that certifies your domain name

We use one of the top cloud based, transactional email management companies in the world, called “SendGrid” – which approves our email address as legitimate in order to avoid our invitations being labelled as spam. Reputable event management companies should be using something similar – if you aren’t, we suggest outsourcing your e-invites to a professional event management company to ensure your e-invites are delivered.

Step 5: Make sure your e-invites work across all devices

There’s no use sending someone an e-invite that they’re unable to view. If you design your invitation on a Mac, make sure it’s compatible with a PC. E-invites with the highest delivery rate are viewable across all devices, including PC, Mac, iPhone and Android. Incorporate the use of responsive design – this will ensure that every single guest is able to view your invitation. This is absolutely crucial, so much so that we test emails across 56 platforms.

Step 6: Always use a web-appropriate font

E-invites that make use of an elaborate, custom font won’t be able to be read – so make sure that whichever font you choose is commonly used.  Choosing a universally used font is a safe bet.

Step 7: Use a professional copywriter

Coming up with copy that’s simple yet eloquent sounds easy enough. In reality, this is a difficult task for someone who isn’t a professional wordsmith.  Including copy that’s been written by a skilled writer insures against guests deleting your invitation based on the thinking that they’ve received yet another bulk email. In addition, copy that’s been crafted by an expert will bolster your acceptance rates, and your brand’s reputation to boot.

Step 8:  Send out a test e-invite

Failing to spot glaring spelling mistakes or grammatical errors is incredibly unprofessional. Avoid this faux pas by sending your e-invites on a test run. You’ll also be able to check that your invitation is formatted correctly, and that the display doesn’t get distorted when viewed on an operating system other than yours.

Step 9: Get your timing right

Be smart when it comes to the time you send out your e-invites. Most guests will receive their invitations via their work email– which means that a 5pm delivery time is unlikely to result in an invite that’s read. Optimal sending times differ according to your guests, but a general guideline is to send your e-invites earlier rather than later in the day.

Image Credit: HD Wall Img