Your event description is often the first (and only) chance you get to grab a potential attendee’s attention online. And thanks to modern consumer behaviour, you have only 5.59 seconds to do it before they abandon your webpage and move on to the next thing.
So how can you make the most of those five seconds you have to spark readers’ attention and turn them into attendees? Here are our top tips for writing event descriptions that drive attendance.
What is an event description?
An event description is the basic building block for anything you’ll ever write about your online or socially-distanced event. In essence, it’s a short summary that captures what your event is about and the value it offers for attendees, as well as important details such as date, time, lineup, ticket price, and location (or link if hosted online).
Once you have a solid event description to build from, you can then write effective promotional copy across all your marketing channels. Having one on hand also helps make sure that anything anyone on your team writes about your event stays true to your brand.
Event Description Tip #1: Be mindful where it’s displayed
Crafting an event description for your website requires a different approach than building one for event discovery sites or even your social media profile, so it’s important to know where your copy will live online, and tailor your description accordingly.
Here’s an overview of five places where you might display your event description:
Event website or listing
Whether you have an event website or prefer to promote your event with a listing, having a home base is key to helping you rank in results on search engines like Google.
To be noticed in an event-goer’s noisy inbox, your emails need to stand out. And while there are many email strategies you can use, your copy always needs to be engaging.
Social media and event discovery sites
Most event creators use discovery sites and social media to promote their event, and it’s easy to see why – they’re free to use.
Display or search ads
Sometimes, in addition to Facebook ads, you’ll want to promote your event through display ads or search ads to reach a wider audience.
Sponsorship proposal
Last, but not least, use your event description to write a winning event sponsorship proposal, so you can win sponsorship money for your budget.
Event Description Tip #2: Tap into event-goers’ emotions
Documenting your event’s voice makes it easier to connect with readers on an emotional level. And that, according to Michael Meyer, Head of Copywriting at Eventbrite, is the secret sauce to taking your event description from good to great.
“A good event description tells the reader everything they need to know about your event,” says Meyer. “A great event description makes them feel like they have to attend. Strive to do both with a compelling description that connects with your audience on an emotional level and makes it as clear and easy as possible to attend your event.”
Pro tip: Unsure how to do this? Start with why you decided to create your event in the first place – it’s probably the same reason why someone would want to attend your event, too.
3 questions to help you find your voice and tone
- How do you want people to feel when they discover your event?
- Which voices (playful, formal, expert, etc.) resonate best with your audience?
- If your event brand was a person, how would they talk?
Example: Voice and tone for an online yoga class
What kind of voice would you use for an online yoga class? If it was designed as a power workout, perhaps your tone would be positive, fun, and uplifting. But if your event was looking to help people de-stress, the tone would switch to be gentle and comforting. Here’s an example of voice for each.
Yoga class description #1
Get your om on at our live yoga class on July 1 at 10 a.m. We’ll be working up a sweat with a one-hour Vinyasa sequence to leave you feeling energised, centred, and ready to namaste your way through the day. Our experienced teacher, Sarah, will be offering pose variations for both novices and seasoned yogis, making this class perfect for anyone looking for a fun at-home workout.
Yoga class description #2
Soothe both body and mind at our live yoga class on July 1 at 10 a.m. In this one-hour restorative class, our experienced teacher, Sarah, will be focusing on breathing techniques and gentle stretches to help you relieve tension. Experience the calming magic of a nidra sound bath and allow your worries to melt away.
Get a blueprint for successful event descriptions
When an event-goer stumbles upon your event online, they should find an engaging story that inspires them to buy tickets right then and there. Discover how to take your event description from meh to amazing with How to Write a Compelling Event Description in 9 Steps.
