Master the Ticketing Lifecycle
Eventbrite loves data. That’s right, we love it. We collect it, analyze it, and most importantly, learn from it on a regular basis. We dive into the data looking for insights we can share with you, the DIY artist, the producer, the creator. Over the years, we’ve learned a lot, particularly about the ticketing lifecycle and how to maximize ticket sales.
Here’s what we know: On average, the data we’ve collected at Eventbrite shows that there are naturally two spikes in the ticketing lifecycle. If an event goes on sale 6 weeks ahead of time, it’s common to see a spike when tickets first go on sale, and then again the week that the event takes place. If you’ve ever hosted an event or thrown a show before, you know this is true because people loooove to procrastinate and wait until the last minute to make their purchase.
Given that there’s a natural lull between the time that tickets go on sale and the week of the event, there are a few steps you can take to overcome the natural dip in the ticketing lifecycle.
1. Build a team. While you might feel like a one-person army, it can make a world of difference to promote the event with the help of a larger audience. If you are planning a huge show, consider building a team specifically to help host and promote. Ask each team member to commit to selling a certain number of tickets — or turn it into a race, and see who can sell X number of tickets the fastest. If you’re planning a smaller event (like a listening party or project preview) consider reaching out to community partners. Community partners are people or organizations who have a similar, but not identical reach as you do. A popular arrangement with community partners is offering a discount or free tickets for members of a group in exchange for plugging your event via email or social media. Be sure to set up tracking links (see Step 2) if you’re utilizing a team of co-hosts or community partners.
2. Use tracking links. Tracking links are by and large, the most efficient (and easiest) way to track your marketing efforts. You can set up tracking links for each channel that you’re using to promote your show in a matter of seconds. This link will walk you through how to set up tracking links. Once you’ve created your links, be sure to provide all partners or co-hosts with the appropriate links to get the word out about your show. At any point in time, you can log in to your Eventbrite account and see which link is generating the most amount of clicks, and if any of the clicks have converted into sales.
3. Carefully time your social media & email promotions. We’ve noticed that oftentimes, organizers send out an email right when tickets go on sale, and again the week before the event takes place. Same thing with social media promotions — we see a spike in tweets and posts right when tickets first go on sale, and again when sales are coming to a close. Now that you know weeks 2-5 are often pretty quiet, time your email and social media efforts to take place during that window. Planning a contest or promotion? Time your heaviest pushes when you know ticket sales are the slowest.
4. Incentivize early purchasers. Consider offering tiered ticketing prices in order to convince attendees to commit earlier. By offering ticketing at different price levels based on the time of purchase, people who might be on the fence about attending can be motivated to purchase if they know they’ll be saving money. For example, by pricing Early Bird tickets at $50, General Admission at $60, and tickets purchased the day of the event at $75, people are more likely to purchase a ticket when the cost is lower. By selling more tickets in advance, you won’t be in such a panic the week of the event, or worry that you won’t sell enough tickets.
5. Sell onsite. There’s no better time to sell tickets to your next show than at your current show. Everybody in attendance has already paid money to see you do the things you do. Make it easy to buy tickets to your next show before they leave the venue and give them every reason to do so. Make an announcement from the stage. Post someone friendly at the exit. Offer pre-sale tickets at irresistible discounts, include a free t-shirt, or give ticket-buyers exclusive access to your new single when they buy onsite. Enter buyers into a drawing for backstage passes at the next show. The more tickets you sell in advance, the less stressed out you’ll be on show day.
Have you successfully outsmarted the ticketing lifecycle? Tell us your tips in the comments below! We’re here to hear you.