How to sell tickets for an event: 13 proven tactics (with case studies)

Behind every successful event, football game, conference or trade show, someone was working hard to sell tickets to said event. And since you’re reading this blog post, you must be the “someone” responsible for selling tickets for your own company’s upcoming event.

Ticket sales are the first step to ensuring the success of any event. And the tricky thing about selling tickets is you only get one shot—once the event is over, it’s done. You can’t sell any more tickets after.

More than 40% of salespeople say prospecting is the most challenging part of the sales process. Well, selling event tickets has one useful advantage built in: a sense of urgency. Every day that your event date creeps closer is a little more urgency that you can use when selling tickets to prospects . But just in case you wanted a few more tips, we’ll explore 13 proven tactics to boost your event ticket sales and maximize attendance below.

When to start selling tickets online

The short answer: ASAP.

Research indicates that 19% of buyers prefer to connect with an event brand immediately upon learning about it. So, it’s crucial to start selling tickets online as soon as your event is announced or promoted.

By giving attendees the opportunity to secure their spot early, you can create a sense of urgency and excitement around your event. (More on that later.)

13 Tactics to increase event ticket sales

Below you’ll find proven tips to sell as many event tickets as possible, sorted into three buckets:

• Readying your sales reps

• The promotion itself

• Your event landing page or website

Make sure your sales team is ready

1. Having speaking points ready

You can have the most information-packed event landing page imaginable, but potential attendees may still have questions.

Or, they may simply prefer to get their information from a human first-hand.

… Or they don’t feel comfortable sharing their payment information online, and prefer to speak to a sales rep.

This is especially if you’re running luxury experiences or other events where customers might want more information before spending thousands of dollars on a ticket.

No matter what the circumstance, you need to make sure your sales team is ramped up and ready-to-go to answer any and all ticket-related questions. Otherwise, you risk losing ticket sales.

Besides making your memberships or ticket sales team memorize sales training materials, your call center software or phone system can give reps a hand. For example, Dialpad Ai Contact Center comes with AI-powered agent assist cards to pop up answers to any question automatically—and in real time—when it detects specific words in your conversation:

This is a feature the team at Five Iron Golf never had before—but now that they do, they can’t go without it:

For instance, If someone calls for the New York location and asks about getting there from midtown, the word “midtown” triggers an RTA card directing them to Herald Square. That way, the agent can provide clear and precise instructions to the customer without needing to even be in New York, much less have all the streets memorized. Plus, they can provide agents with helpful reminders about the latest special deals that Five Iron Golf has to offer.

2. Integrate your communications platform with your other apps

By integrating your business phone system with your email platform and CRM, your sales reps will be able to instantly access information about whichever customers they’re speaking to while on a call.

That’s exactly what Austin FC did—they use Dialpad for their business communications and integrated it with Microsoft 365 and Salesforce, helping them not only with ticket sales, but also customer outreach (e.g. for reaching out to past attendees for testimonials), and other sales-related purposes:

3. Provide real-time coaching

Dialpad’s AI-powered platform can also help coach new sales reps more easily by recognizing keywords, customer sentiment, and rep performance in real-time:

Dialpad also uses natural language processing to transcribe calls in real-time, which is great for taking notes on every call, checking points brought up in conversations, and even as an accountability tool:

Cricket Australia can attest to this—their sales team uses Dialpad to sell tickets from anywhere in the world:

The transcription applies to voicemail as well as calls, which makes it easy for the team to check their messages at a glance:

Promote the tickets

4. Sell on mobile

Optimize your ticketing platform for mobile devices to cater to the growing number of users who prefer to purchase tickets through their smartphones. A mobile-friendly interface will provide a seamless experience and increase the likelihood of conversions.

5. Reach out to last year’s attendees

Tap into the power of your existing attendee base by reaching out to those who attended your previous events. Offer them exclusive discounts or early access to ticket sales as a token of appreciation. Their positive experiences will encourage them to spread the word and attract new attendees.

6. Create scarcity

Implement scarcity tactics to create a sense of urgency among potential buyers. Limited-time offers, early bird discounts, or limited availability of VIP passes can motivate attendees to purchase tickets sooner rather than later.

7. Start a referral program

Encourage your existing attendees to become ambassadors for your event by offering incentives for referring friends or colleagues. Word-of-mouth recommendations carry significant weight, and a referral program can amplify your ticket sales through the power of personal networks.

8. Share on social

Leverage the influence of social media platforms to promote your event tickets. Create engaging and shareable content, run targeted ad campaigns, and encourage attendees to share their excitement about the event with their networks.

For example…

• Create an event page on LinkedIn: Leverage LinkedIn’s professional network by creating an event page where you can reach a relevant audience. Here you can share content related to the event and engage with potential attendees ahead of time.

• Use LinkedIn ads: Amplify your event's visibility by running targeted ads on LinkedIn. With its precise targeting options based on industry, job title, and interests, LinkedIn ads can help you connect with professionals who are more likely to be interested in attending your event.

• Use Facebook ads: Harness the power of Facebook's vast user base by running targeted ads to promote your event tickets. You can use Facebook's detailed audience targeting options to reach specific demographics, interests, and behaviors relevant to your event.

Have a really good event page

9. Feature video content

Video content is an incredibly powerful tool to promote your event and generate excitement among potential attendees. For example, you could create a short, attention-grabbing video that highlights the key features, atmosphere, and unique experiences attendees can expect at your event. Think visually captivating footage, engaging narration, and energetic music working together to create a sense of anticipation.

10. Showcase speakers

The quality of your event speakers can significantly impact ticket sales and overall event attendance. To maximize interest and attract more attendees, consider showcasing speakers who have a strong reputation and are recognized within your industry.

You could even offer exclusive meet-and-greet sessions or VIP access to your headline speakers. This creates a unique selling point and adds value for attendees who are eager to interact with industry experts. Plus, by limiting the availability for these opportunities, you can further drive ticket sales (going back to our scarcity tactic).

11. Share testimonials from last year’s event

Testimonials from previous event attendees are a powerful tool to build trust, showcase the value of your event, and generate interest among potential attendees. They act as social proof to validate the value of your event, reassuring potential attendees and ultimately influencing their decision to purchase tickets.

Reach out to attendees from your previous events and ask them to provide written testimonials about their experience. Ask them to share specific details about what they gained from attending, the impact it had on their professional or personal lives, and any standout moments or insights they remember.

12. Don’t forget organic SEO

While promoting your event through various marketing channels is important, organic search engine optimization (SEO) can significantly boost your event's visibility and attract relevant organic traffic. Here are some key tips to optimize your event page for organic search:

• Keyword research: Identify relevant keywords and phrases that potential attendees are likely to use when searching for events in your industry. Incorporate these keywords naturally into your event page's content, including the title, headings, event description, speaker bios, and testimonials.

• Optimize meta tags: Craft compelling and keyword-rich meta titles and descriptions for your event page. Meta tags provide search engines with a concise summary of your event and entice the people searching to click through, so make sure they’re accurate—and interesting.

• High-quality content: Create informative and engaging content around your event. This can include blog posts, articles, or resources that provide valuable insights related to your event's theme or industry. Optimize this content with relevant keywords to attract organic traffic and establish your event's authority.

• Link building: Build high-quality backlinks from reputable websites within your industry. Seek opportunities for collaborations, guest blogging, or partnerships with influencers or industry publications. Quality backlinks signal to search engines that your event page is trustworthy and relevant.

• User experience: Make sure your event page is user-friendly, easy to navigate, and loads quickly. Optimize images, minimize redirects, and ensure that your website is mobile-responsive. User-friendly websites tend to rank higher in search results.

• Local SEO: If your event has a physical location, optimize your event page for local search by including location-specific keywords and incorporating your city or region in the content. This can help attract local attendees who are more likely to convert into ticket sales.

13. Offer different pricing tiers

Offering different pricing tiers for your event can cater to a broader range of attendees and maximize ticket sales. Here are some examples of different pricing options you can implement:

• Early bird pricing: Offer discounted tickets for a limited time. This incentivizes attendees to secure their tickets early, ensuring a strong initial wave of ticket sales.

• Regular pricing: After the early bird pricing period ends, transition to regular pricing for subsequent ticket sales. Communicate the benefits of attending at the regular price to justify the investment for potential attendees.

• VIP pricing: Consider offering a VIP or premium ticket tier with additional perks or exclusive access. This could include reserved seating, meet-and-greet sessions with speakers, access to networking events, or extra educational materials.

• Group discounts: Encourage group registrations by offering discounted prices for attendees who register as a group. Group discounts can attract companies, organizations, or colleagues attending together, boosting your ticket sales volume.

Sell more tickets for your next event

Selling event tickets is a critical aspect of event planning, serving as the foundation for a successful event. By implementing these 13 proven tactics, you can significantly increase your event ticket sales and generate excitement and interest in your next event.