How nice is it to get a handwritten thank you note? The sender not only took the time to express their gratitude, but also put pen to paper (and added postage) to prove it.<\/p>\n
Research points to <\/a>the idea that sending a thank you note boosts well-being for senders and recipients. Saying thank you after a successful event can help you strengthen relationships with attendees<\/a> and increase the odds they\u2019ll come back for more. Plus, thank you notes are (almost) free.<\/p>\n But a personally inked approach often isn\u2019t realistic , especially after a large event. So, if you\u2019re looking to thank members of your community for attending your event, it\u2019s time to take a deep dive on crafting the perfect post-event thank you email.<\/p>\n Now, look no further than your own email inbox to understand the challenges associated with getting recipients to even open your thank you notes \u2013\u2013 nevermind read them. After all, it\u2019s estimated that 306.2 billion emails<\/a> will be sent and received in 2022.<\/p>\n To make sure your post-event thank you email is the one your community members open, you\u2019ll have to nail the approach. Follow this step-by-step tutorial for post-event email success.\u200d<\/p>\n The average office worker receives more than 120 emails a day.<\/a> So, the success of your thank you email starts and ends with your subject line. It\u2019s what prompts a recipient to notice and open your email versus letting it sit in the proverbial forest that is their inbox.<\/p>\n You need a strong, attention-grabbing subject line that speaks to your demographic. After all, 47% of emails<\/a> are opened based on subject line alone. Focus on these tips to ensure you drive up open rates.<\/p>\n Keep subject lines short and sweet to catch the eye of each recipient, get your message across, and ensure readability on all devices. Six- to seven-word subject lines will typically yield the highest average open rates<\/a>. If it\u2019s appropriate and fits with your tone, consider adding a little extra visual appeal with an emoji.<\/p>\n If you want to get a sense of what your subject line will look like in real terms, run it through this free tool<\/a>. Draft a complementary preheader that connects to and flows naturally from the subject line. Plug in that preheader text as well as the sender’s name to get the full effect. Or, try Omnisend\u2019s subject line tester<\/a> to have your subject line scored based on character count, scannability, and word usage.<\/p>\n Personalization is the name of the game. Creating content that feels tailor-made for an individual recipient will prompt opens and create a greater sense of connection. Research shows 91% of consumers are more likely to buy<\/a> from companies that send personalized emails.<\/p>\n A personal touch, such as adding a first name in the subject line or greeting, can go a long way. But when adding names to emails, be sure to create a default for attendees who didn\u2019t share their name. Otherwise you might accidentally send out emails with the greeting: \u201cHi [name],\u201d or worse, call an attendee by the wrong name.<\/p>\n Sometimes you have a subject line in mind that you know will make your email irresistible to the point where recipients just have to open it. If not (or if you just want to learn more about what works), consider A\/B testing subject lines so you can see what resonates with your audience and optimize for future success.<\/p>\n Now, move on to the body copy of your email. Let attendees know that you appreciate them and are grateful for the time they took out of their day to attend your event. After all, what would an event be without an audience?<\/p>\n Avoid serving up lengthy walls of text in your body copy \u2013\u2013 it will only deter the reader and lead many recipients to just glance at your message or skip it altogether.<\/p>\n Post-event thank you email recipients will be familiar with your event brand, so use those visual cues to your advantage. Incorporate them into the body of the email to make it more recognizable and inviting.<\/p>\n As a word of caution, going overboard with imagery can make your email look spammy. Certain images or HTML can even cause your email to be marked as \u201cpromotional\u201d in programs like Gmail. If that happens, your email could risk going straight to junk folders. When using visuals, send out some test emails first to ensure they\u2019re landing in inboxes and look appealing on any device.<\/p>\n Think about your brand tone of voice<\/a> and how that translated to your event. Ensure the same tone is reflected in your thank you email. Was it formal or casual? Playful or professional?<\/p>\n Maintaining an element of professionalism is important, but be wary of being too curt, coming across as cold, or being overly friendly. For example, using too many exclamation points or emojis can look disingenuous or juvenile.<\/p>\n Try to find a balance. Part of being personal is being genuine and authentic. Read your email copy out loud before sending it to help you determine how your tone might come across to a reader.<\/p>\n Follow this simple structure to make your email easy to digest:<\/p>\n 1. Say thank you for attending! Don\u2019t bury the lede. Show your gratitude up front. Let the attendee know you\u2019re grateful they took the time to view or participate in your event.<\/p>\n 2. Give a short recap of the event\u2019s content and provide information on how they can watch sessions on demand. Consider encouraging the reader to share event content on social media.<\/p>\n 3. Provide a clear call to action (CTA). Prompt readers to learn more about how they can stay engaged as a member of your event community or outline another logical action for them to take. Be sure to keep this CTA \u201cabove the fold\u201d or high enough in the email so a reader wouldn\u2019t need to scroll too far to see it.<\/p>\n Your CTA should inspire attendees and motivate them to act. Make the intended action clear and avoid offering too many CTAs otherwise you\u2019ll risk inciting decision paralysis.<\/p>\n The purpose of your CTA should be to keep your audience engaged with your brand and business after the event and instill excitement for upcoming events.<\/p>\n An enticing CTA provides added value to the reader. They\u2019ll be much more likely to click if they feel like they\u2019re getting something out of it \u2014 whether it\u2019s additional content or another beneficial opportunity.<\/p>\n When writing a CTA, consider what the most important next step is for your audience. A well-crafted CTA is short and uses powerful, action-oriented language. It can be link-based, but if you have the ability, use a clickable button, as CTA buttons can increase click-through rate by up to 28%<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here are some examples of actions you can suggest to your audience:<\/p>\n Use the following template as a guide to bring all the elements of your email together:<\/p>\n Hi {{attendee name}},<\/p>\n Thank you for attending {{event name}}! We hope you enjoyed {{popular session or speaker or experience}}. To relive the magic, check it out on demand whenever you\u2019d like.<\/p>\n If you are interested in joining more events like this one, you can pre-register here for {{future event name or webinar name and date}}.<\/p>\n CTA button: Pre-Register Today<\/p>\n Sign up for our newsletter {{hyperlink to a newsletter sign up}} to keep up on all things {{area of interest}}.<\/p>\n Thank you for being a part of our community,<\/p>\n {{your Name}},<\/p>\n {{social & email buttons}} | {{website address\/landing page}}<\/p>\n {{opt-out information and company mailing address}}<\/p>\n The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires companies to have a certain framework in place to protect personal data. Review all the basic requirements <\/a>to make sure your company is compliant.<\/p>\n Part of upholding security means never sharing data. For example, you can\u2019t publicly copy folks on an email, but you can blind copy, which hides addresses. To send a post-event thank you email, you\u2019ll need email addresses and opt-in permission from everyone you plan to contact.<\/p>\n Some event organizers will place opt-in boxes on their event landing pages, in pre-event communications, or in their event platform<\/a> to help gather permission.<\/p>\n Note that GDPR has shifting regulations that vary based on data, region, country, and more. Certain locations may require a double opt-in, whereas others allow emails to be sent to retrieve opt-in permission.<\/p>\n Review the GDPR checklist<\/a> before sending any communications.<\/p>\n We all know it takes a village to put on a stellar event and create a valuable experience. Be sure to reach out to sponsors<\/a>, speakers, your event team, and any other key players who made it all possible.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll likely want them to consider partnering with you for more events in the future, so let them know you appreciate their contributions to the experience at hand.<\/p>\n Tailor each thank you note to the specific audience. If it\u2019s your team, let them know what they bring to the table and how crucial they were to the event\u2019s success.<\/p>\n If it\u2019s a sponsor, let them know how their contribution enabled you to bring your event to life. You might also consider sending a token of appreciation with your thank you notes \u2014 everyone appreciates a gift or some swag.<\/p>\n Sending a well-crafted post-event thank you email unlocks ongoing engagement and helps build your community.<\/p>\n Event technology provides you with seamless ways to show this appreciation. Easily bring event attendees back for more and expand your reach \u2013\u2013 all while reaping the emotional benefits of expressing gratitude.<\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re putting on a webinar<\/a>, hosting a virtual, hybrid, or in-person event, or just sharing event recordings, our team of experts can help. Tap into RingCentral Events\u2019s event tech to make planning, producing, reliving, and reporting on event experiences a cinch.<\/p>\n1. Nail your subject line<\/h2>\n
Be compelling, clear, and concise<\/h3>\n
Give it a personal touch<\/h3>\n
Test it out<\/h3>\n
2. Express your gratitude<\/h2>\n
Stick to the point<\/h3>\n
Employ event branding<\/h3>\n
Consider your tone of voice<\/h3>\n
Keep it simple<\/h3>\n
3. Insert a clear CTA<\/h2>\n
Extend extra value<\/h3>\n
Draft your CTA<\/h3>\n
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4. Put it all together<\/h2>\n
5. Check yourself on regulatory compliance<\/h2>\n
6. Don\u2019t forget your sponsors and speakers<\/h2>\n
Use event technology to power up\u00a0 post-event thank you emails<\/h2>\n