Online Invitation Guide
In a world where posting things in the mail and carrier pigeons are out, online event invitations are in. In the last decade, they have grown in increasing popularity and have in many situations become the go to solution for inviting guests to your event.
Whether it’s a corporate conference, a wedding or just a casual get together with friends, online event invitations mean you can save time, money, be more accurate and of course be environmentally friendly!
Why online invitations are better than the original paper invitations:
- Cost-effective: the costs of hard copy invitations add up quickly. Online means no printing fees, no postage fees and can often even alleviate
- Eco-friendly: when we go digital we alleviate the need for countless paper in the invitation, envelope and any other included elements that just end up in the bin.
- Easier to manage RSVP: paper invitations can be hard to follow guests up, to confirm who has and has not responded. Online platforms will give you an automatic up to date tally, and give you the option to easily send follow ups and reminders to your guests to RSVP.
- Instant delivery: when you’re not sending by snail mail, there’s no concern about how long it will take for your guests to receive your invite. It’s as simple as a click and it will instantly be in their inbox.
The right platform
Of course depending on your need, like with anything these days, there is a digital solution for it all. Each one has a slightly different application, and will suit a slightly different requirements.
It’s best to do your research when you are starting the process to see which one will suit you best. Have a look at the pricing, the user interface and the options for customisation, are the main ones that we consider when picking a platform.
Compare online invitation platforms:
Paperless Post has some great designs and an easy to use interface. The invites are sent as a popup into your inbox and show an invite coming out of the envelope. These are great for private events and personal parties.
Ideal for your corporate events that are more detail oriented and less focused on the design. The platform gives you space to create your own mini event website and takes a portion of sales as payment.
This platform donate a percentage of your ticket price to charity which is amazing! Their platform is great for the bigger corporate events, but keep an eye on the payouts of this one. They only payout at the end of the event, which can be an issue for cashflow on some events.
What to include in your event invitations:
Dress code: make sure you are clear on what your guests should be wearing, use common terms like black tie, cocktail or smart casual to avoid confusion with your guests.
Contact email: always include a contact email address (particularly for events selling tickets to the public), for your guests to get in touch if they have any questions.
Clear dates and times: make this information as accessible as possible to avoid any confusion.
Dietary requirements: be sure to ask your guests if they have any dietary requirements when they register for the event, you will need to pass these onto the venue.
RSVP: include details of how to RSVP, and by what date they need to do so.
Any additional information: anything you think your guests might need to know about the event.
Sending your invites
Once your invitation is ready to go, it’s time to send it out.
- Timing – Be sure to think about the timing of your invites going out, if you go too early, your guests will forget about the event, if you go too late, your guests are likely to have prior commitments
- Follow up – it’s super important to maintain the follow up, checking in a week before the RSVP’s close, and a few days before, will ensure that those that are a little slower to commit, don’t miss out.
Final Thoughts
Once your event is over, be sure to use the gathered contact details to send a thank you to your guests. It’s important to build rapport with them, and show them you care – particularly if it’s a repeat event and you want them to come back next year.
E-vites are absolutely the way of the future, and an incredible way for event planners to reach their guests without a lot of the headache we are used to.
There’s no time like the present to transfer your team online and start using them today!
Looking for someone to handle your event so you can sit back and enjoy? Contact us today.
