You’ve wrapped up your event — congrats! The hard part is over… but now the real fun begins.
We’re talking about sending thoughtful post-event surveys, keeping the conversation going with personalized follow-ups, and using your post-event marketing strategy to reach your attendees and their networks.
At Eventbrite, we believe in going big at every stage, from outlining your event goals to posting event highlights on your Instagram story after the event wraps up. What happens after the event is just as important as what happens during it.
In this article, we’ll share our top tips for boosting post-event engagement and help you build a strategy that keeps your audience coming back.
Skip to the best post-event follow-up activities
1. Send a personalized “thank you” follow-up email
2. Create post-event surveys to gather feedback
3. Host post-event social media contests to prolong the impact of your event
4. Offer special discounts and offers for future events
5. Introduce a loyalty program
6. Share FOMO-inducing highlight reels with user-generated content
7. Create exclusive post-event merch and products to increase customer interactions
8. Use retargeting to keep your attendees on the hook
Post-event engagement strategies to keep the conversation going
Post-event marketing is powerful for building long-term relationships and connections with attendees. In fact, 75% of marketers [1] believe personalized experiences drive sales and repeat business.
Here are some effective post-event engagement strategies.
1. Send a personalized “thank you” follow-up email
Use the first 24 hours after your event as an opportunity to keep the conversation going by sending a genuine “thank you” follow-up email that acknowledges attendees’ participation and investment.
How to write an excellent thank you follow-up email:
- Address your attendees by their first name: Begin with “Hi [first name]” to make the email feel more direct and personal.
- Start with a strong hook: Make the first 1-2 lines of your email attention-grabbing by writing an “emotional” hook, like “we’re so grateful you were part of such a memorable evening with us!”
- Include specific details about the event: Reference specific experiences. For example, Affordable Art Fair NYC could say, “It was great seeing at the contemporary art booth and chatting with the featured artist about their live painting demonstration.”
- Offer an exclusive discount: Entice attendees to return by offering a limited-time discount for future events. For instance, Amgine Entertainment offers unique pricing tiers and add-ons for early-bird or VIP attendees.
- Craft a personalized sign-off: End with a warm sign-off, such as “we can’t wait for our next adventure together.”
💡Pro tip: Email marketing software for events, such as Eventbrite, can help you segment your audience so you can analyze and see important data from your post-event email campaign.
Here’s how Eventbrite can help:
- No Contact Limits: You’re free to manage and reach out to as many contacts as you want — and with an Eventbrite Pro account you get unlimited daily email sends. This means you can expand your reach and engage a larger audience without any restrictions.
- MailChimp Integration: Eventbrite’s integration with MailChimp allows you to sync your event attendee lists directly into your MailChimp account. This helps you easily create targeted email campaigns, automate follow-ups, and track engagement metrics like open rates and click-through rates.
- Auto-Fill Templates: The auto-fill feature streamlines your event registration process by automatically populating standard fields based on previous events or templates. This ensures consistency and saves you time when setting up new events.
- Data Analytics and Targeting: Eventbrite provides detailed analytics on attendee behavior, such as ticket sales trends, demographic data, and engagement levels. You can use these insights to refine your marketing strategies, identify your most engaged segments, and optimize your event for better results.
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2. Create post-event surveys to gather feedback
Our advice for post-event surveys is to keep them short and sweet — aim for 7–10 questions and craft each question strategically to gather valuable input without overwhelming your audience.
Examples of good and bad post-event survey questions:
✅Good example: What was the most memorable part of the event for you?
❌Bad example: Was the event good?
✅Good example: How satisfied were you with the venue’s location and accessibility
❌Bad example: Did you like the venue?
✅Good example: How likely are you, on a scale of 1–10, to recommend this event to a friend?
❌Bad example: Any feedback?
If you don’t have time to design a survey from scratch, use the pre-designed template we created with SurveyMonkey.
Here’s how it works: you send your audience your post-event survey through the Eventbrite platform. They complete it right from their email, and SurveyMonkey automatically compiles and tracks the results for you.
Once the survey is complete, you can use the results to see attendee satisfaction rates regarding specific aspects of your event, such as the drinks menu, venue location, or the overall “vibe.”
3. Host post-event social media contests to prolong the impact of your event
Social media contests are a fun way to maintain excitement around your event.
Take Nonsense Atlanta’s “bingo card” contest, for instance, where attendees can “cross off” events they’ve been to on an electronic bingo sheet.
Not only does this contest idea encourage participants to share their experiences on their social media channels, but it also motivates regulars to keep coming back for a chance to win the grand prize.
Here are some more contest ideas:
- “Drop the best part” photo contest: Ask attendees to share their favorite moments from your event to be entered to win a prize. Set a hard cut-off date for submissions and reveal the winner using a name randomizer, like Wheel of Names.
🏆Prize idea: Offer exclusive VIP ticket passes to your next event.
- “Up for grabs” caption contest: Ask participants to pick the caption that will be featured on your exclusive merchandise for the event.
🏆Prize idea: Give the person who comes up with the most hilarious caption the featured merchandise as a prize.
💡Pro tip: Use Eventbrite to track your social media engagement rates and see what language, contest ideas, and prizes get the most attention from your audience.
4. Offer special discounts and offers for future events
Even after audiences buy tickets and attend your event, you still want them to see you as a “brand for the people” — aka, one that genuinely cares about its audience. One of the best ways to prove this is by offering special deals and discounts.
Exclusive offer ideas:
- Early bird discounts: Offer 20% off tickets bought within the first month of your next event’s launch.
- Bundle package deals: Give attendees access to an exclusive “mates rates” ticket bundle, such as “buy three, get one free.”
- VIP access upgrades: Offer your post-event attendees VIP perks at a discounted rate. For example, Rum and Music Events could offer access to their exclusive lounges and meet-and-greets with performers for 50% of the regular price.
When you offer these discounts, make sure to use inclusive language like “we” and “our.” It helps create a feeling of partnership between your brand and the customer, making the offer feel more personal and engaging.
Use the following scripts as a starting point:
- Email script: “Hey [name], because you were such an awesome part of our last event, we’re giving you an exclusive discount to join us again — just our way of saying thanks for being amazing!”
- Social media script: “To everyone who brought the energy last night — we’re giving you an exclusive 15% off our next event. We don’t do this often, so don’t miss out!”
By offering these exclusive discounts, you not only reward your attendees but also build lasting connections, encouraging loyalty and return attendance.
5. Introduce a loyalty program
Loyalty programs are making waves in the event world by driving customer engagement and spending. In fact, a McKinsey study showed 62% of customers [2] with paid loyalty programs are more likely to spend on the brands they’re loyal to.
A standout example is PublicWork’s Local 161 community, a free SMS-based loyalty program.
Why “Local 161 Community” works so well:
- Offer exclusive insights: Members are the first to hear about special events and exclusive opportunities, making them feel in the loop and valued.
- Include special perks: Members enjoy benefits like ticket discounts, free drinks, and chances to win exclusive meet-and-greets with artists, which keeps them engaged and excited about upcoming events.
- Make members feel their opinion matters: Attendees feel valued as they have the chance to be “the voice of the people” and contribute ideas for future events.
Now you have a handle on post-event engagement, let’s explore some ideas for the equally important aspect of post-event marketing.
Expert tips for building a post-event marketing strategy for recurring sales
Like experiential marketing, post-event engagement is great for keeping the attendees who came to your event excited, but what about the ones who missed out? How do you hook them?
That’s exactly the question we’re going to answer below.
6. Share FOMO-inducing highlight reels with user-generated content
Fear-of-missing-out is talked about a lot in marketing, so much so that it’s almost become a cliché.
But here’s the thing: when it comes to events, the idea of missing out isn’t a marketing angle; it’s a genuine emotional trigger — especially among younger event-goers like Gen Zers, who are constantly comparing themselves to their peers on social media and getting FOMO from the experiences they see others enjoying.
To use this to your advantage, get on the “ground” of your event, capture the most exciting moments and then turn them into a compelling highlight reel.
Here’s how you do it:
- Use a distinct visual style: Pick a signature look that matches your event’s vibe. For example, if you hosted an 80’s throwback event, use a vintage-blue editing filter and a retro font, like “super furry.”
- Get close to the action: Don’t rely on wide shots, really make an effort to include footage that zooms in on high-energy moments and the excitement on attendees’ faces.
- Conduct “street interviews” with attendees: Use your smartphone, and interview attendees as they leave the event. Capture their genuine responses and then edit them into a TikTok-street-interview-style format with upbeat music and quick cuts.
💡Pro tip: Take a look at how Britteny Flyod-Mayo from Trap Yoga Bae created a unique brand by using experimental marketing tactics.
“I’m a guerilla marketer. I chose a color — now known as Trap Yoga Bae blue — dyed my hair and never changed it. When you see that color, you’ll think of me. People send me pictures of cars and shirts in that color. Now, if I’ve got branding and my name isn’t on it, people should still feel my energy. Own a feeling, a color or a mood.”
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7. Create exclusive post-event merch and products to increase customer interactions
Picture this scenario: an attendee buys a stylish jumper from your website. Because they love you and their jumper so much, they share a photo of themselves in it on Insta.
Now, that jumper isn’t just a piece of clothing — it’s a marketing tool that works for you. Every time they wear it or talk about it, they’re helping you spread the word about your event brand to new audiences.
New Global Adventures nails this post-event marketing strategy with the items they sell on their online merch store. Their merch not only looks great and is useful for a running event, but it also serves as a constant reminder of the fun and excitement they experienced.
Ideas for paid post-event merch:
- Limited edition t-shirts or hoodies
- Highlights photo albums
- Event posters
Stay Silent’s LUV YOU BETTER playlist is a prime example of post-event engagement done right. By offering a curated Spotify playlist of the event’s best tracks for free, they encourage attendees to listen to it in their own time and think back to the “good times” they had at their event.
Ideas for free post-event products:
- Exclusive content
- Post-event swag bag
- Access to post-event webinars or virtual event meet-and-greets
This post-event marketing strategy not only extends the life of your event but also lays the groundwork for future interactions.
8. Use retargeting to keep your attendees on the hook
Retargeting is like giving your past attendees a gentle nudge to stay engaged with your brand after your event. The easiest way to set this up is by using Eventbrite’s unique tracking pixels.
Here’s how you do it:
1. Log in to your Eventbrite account
2. Go to the “Tracking Pixels” section in the event settings, which can be found under the “Marketing” or “Advanced Settings” tab
3. Click on “Add Tracking Pixel” and wait for Eventbrite to generate a unique pixel code for you
4. Copy the pixel code and paste the pixel code into the header of your event or website pages where you want to track user activity
💡Pro tip: Check out DuckClub’s “staff pick” idea for inspiration on how to re-engage your audience with relevant content tailored to their interests and previous interactions.
Don’t underestimate the power of post-event engagement
Post-event engagement is like the after-party of event marketing. Your goal? Make sure the “after-party” is worth staying for.
The best way to do this is by using a genuine, authentic voice in your post-event communication and building strategic follow-up marketing by timing your thank-you emails perfectly.
Another way to boost your post-event engagement is by using Eventbrite.
We make it easy to send follow-up communications, track how well your marketing campaigns are doing, and build a solid email list of your attendees so that you can share exclusive deals, and get them pumped for your next event.
1. The State of Marketing, Hubspot.
2. Coping with the big switch: How paid loyalty programs can help bring consumers back to your brand, McKinsey & Company.
