The pandemic has led to a constantly changing world. Taking things online has become a norm rather than just an additional resource for people doing business. Online events are no different. Hosting events virtually has opened up countless business opportunities, from reaching out to different audiences to cutting down expenses.

However, business owners and marketers who want to thrive in these circumstances must discover the best ways to attract a wider audience. Whether you are thinking about planning a webinar, online course, or web conference, there are various factors to think through.

How can you communicate your event’s value proposition? What makes it stand out from the ones held by your competitors? Which is the best marketing channel to drive engagement without breaking the bank or wasting valuable time? Well, the last one is easy to answer: email marketing.

Why email marketing?

Many marketers fall into the trap of thinking email marketing is outdated. Prospects’ inboxes are packed, and cutting through the noise is challenging. Numbers show they couldn’t be more wrong. With an impressive return on investment (ROI) of $42 for each dollar spent, email marketing is still as effective as always.

Email marketing has proven to be a very powerful tool for acquiring and retaining prospects for online events too.

What’s great about this channel is that when people give you their email addresses and consent to receive your email material, it shows they are already interested. That means you get to keep in touch with warm leads and directly contact them when you have something important. Unlike other forms of promotion, emails help you reach the right people from the start instead of getting your message out there and hoping someone will find it relevant.

That left aside, dispatching emails to your subscribers offers numerous benefits such as:

• Increasing brand awareness
• Engaging with new and existing leads
• Understanding your target audience
• Building customer loyalty
• Driving conversions
• Showcasing niche expertise

Creating a recipient database might sound intimidating. But most email marketing platforms offer list-building capabilities that do the heavy lifting for you. So what’s left for you is to decide on your email marketing strategy and which components are essential for getting your message across.

What constitutes an effective email?

The elements that you choose to include in your email are the ones that will determine whether your recipients will notice it and interact with its content. Let’s look at the essential components of an email to bring higher open rates and enhanced engagement:

• Compelling subject lines
• Attractive visuals like videos or infographics
• Carefully crafted email copy centered around your value proposition
• Bold, straightforward, and strategically placed CTAs
• Clear and modern design that serves the email purpose
• Personalization elements to better address each recipient’s needs
• A clear and visible unsubscribe option
• Lead magnets such as guides, downloadable material, or free trials

4 email marketing examples to use in your upcoming campaigns

After crafting the email campaigns that better fit your email marketing objectives, it’s time to start dispatching them to the people most likely to act on their content. To help you through that process, we have compiled a list of the best email marketing examples that you simply can’t ignore if you want your virtual event to drive results.

Registration confirmation email

This type of email serves as a summary of your event’s details and confirms you have saved the attendee a spot in it. It marks the start of the exciting journey your brand is about to offer them. Make sure to allow recipients to ask questions or leave comments and encourage them to contact you in case they need further assistance.

Such an email is not only used to confirm the attendee’s registration but also to get them on board. Now is the perfect time to show them they made the right choice by signing up. Share valuable information regarding what registrants should expect and some tips on how they can get the most out of your proposition. If your event features industry experts, make sure to highlight it to demonstrate your expertise.

Add a prominent CTA that indicates the next step to let readers know what is expected from them. Don’t fall into the mistake of writing long paragraphs and dense texts that advertise your brand and make your content sound sales. Remember that this type of email is leveraged to capitalize on their next action — or just their attendance. And whatever you do, never neglect to send this email immediately after they register. After all, they will be waiting for it.

Follow-up email

Once a webinar, online course, or video conference is over, hosts tend to rest on their laurels. Let us reassure you they are just leaving money on the table. Instead, you need to reach out to attendees and think of ways to engage them further with your unique selling proposition. This is where a follow-up email can be of great value to your marketing objectives.

Whether you want people starting on a free trial or watching your next video conference, make sure the content of your follow-up email includes a clear CTA indicating that action. Segmenting your recipients based on their attendance is equally important and then tweak the email copy accordingly. Of course, your email should include a recording for them to watch at their convenience, especially if they didn’t make it to the live event.

If you want to engage them while your event is still fresh on their mind, send the follow-up email after your event comes to an end. A follow-up message is also a fantastic opportunity for attendees to spread the word about your brand. So, encourage them to share their experience on their social media. Also, ask them to leave a review so that you have a better understanding of what needs to be improved. But more on that is coming right up.

Feedback request email

You could include your review request in your follow-up email, but our advice would be to do so in a separate email that is focused on that action. Start by thanking them for watching your online event and use your email copy to make them feel special. What they should get by reading this type of email is that their opinion matters.

The importance of gathering valuable feedback from the people participating in your event can’t be stressed enough. You get to see where there’s room for improvement and decide on your future strategy based on that information. On top of that, positive reviews enable you to collect social proof to convince potential customers who are still reluctant to buy your product.

You can create a fun experience for users who choose to submit their feedback by incorporating a poll or a survey in your email. Just ensure you dispatch it shortly after they have completed your program. That is when their memory is still fresh on its benefits, and they can submit a proper review.

Incentive email

Even if your event has been as lucrative as you hoped it would be, there’s always room for more conversions, right? So before going after the sale, try to remind them of the helpful resources you have available to them. Remind your registrants you know all the tricks by offering material such as informative blog posts, educational videos, or downloadable e-books.

Those incentives are great for email recipients since they bring out what’s in it for them. They offer functionality and the feeling that your brand doesn’t care only about selling. Everybody loves getting things for free, and this type of initiative proves to your attendees that your brand genuinely cares about their needs.

To successfully leverage this type of email, don’t forget to benefit from list segmentation³ so that incentives are personalized according to the program your leads were interested in — or actually participated in. Such an initiative shows you’ve done your homework and is used to create customer loyalty.

Final thoughts

Dispatching some — or all — of the email examples shared in this article enables you to foster engagement, promote your unique selling proposition, show expertise, and collect helpful feedback. But even more importantly, the aforementioned email campaigns help prospects trust you, forging long-lasting relationships.

You may wish prospective customers to attend your next web conference, watch your future webinars, or sign up for one of your new online courses. No matter the objective, these email marketing campaigns can turn the intimidating task of organizing and hosting online events into an unforgettable experience for you and your valued customers.