Whether you’re organizing a New Year’s Eve celebration, an author meet-and-greet, a VIP product launch, or an educational workshop, your event’s impact depends on getting people to RSVP and actually attend.
Why SMS is Ideal for Event Invites and Communication
- Unmatched Open Rates: Over 90% of text messages are read within minutes, ensuring your event details don’t get lost in crowded email inboxes.
- Instant Delivery: SMS delivers your message in real time, making it perfect for last-minute updates or reminders.
- High Engagement: Customers are more likely to respond to a text than an email or social post, increasing your RSVP and participation rates.
- Two-Way Communication: Attendees can reply to your texts, making it easy to collect feedback, answer questions, or confirm attendance.
- Mobile-First Experience: Since most people always have their phones on hand, event text messaging ensures your communication is always within reach.
Ways to Leverage SMS For Events
SMS isn’t just a tool for announcing your event—it’s a versatile channel that can enhance every stage of the attendee journey. Beyond simply spreading the word, text messaging can help you drive attendance, foster engagement, and create a more memorable experience from the first invite to the final follow-up.
2-Way Texting Facilitates Questions and RSVPs
Don’t think of your SMS communications as a one-way street. Invite recipients to RSVP directly by text and to share important details, such as the number of guests or dietary preferences, right in the conversation. Voxie automatically captures these SMS responses, updating both individual profiles and the reporting responses for the total invite list. Having insights like the percentage of attendees who are vegetarian helps you plan more effectively.
If attendees have questions, they can simply reply to the message. Tools like Voxie’s Conversational Intelligence can deliver instant answers or connect them with a team member for personalized support.
RSVP Reminders
As the event date approaches, automated SMS reminders can prompt those who haven’t responded to RSVP and gently remind confirmed guests of the upcoming event. These timely nudges help reduce no-shows and keep your event top-of-mind.
If you host events regularly, Voxie makes it easy to compare response rates across different RSVP requests and timelines. For example, did sending a reminder one week before the event generate more responses than one sent two weeks in advance? These insights help you continually sharpen your outreach strategy and maximize guest engagement.
Pre-Event Surveys
Sending a brief survey via SMS before the event is an effective way to gather valuable insights that can shape the experience for your attendees. For instance, if you’re organizing an online webinar on bookkeeping for small businesses, you can use SMS to ask participants which topics they’re most interested in. Their responses will help you tailor your agenda and talking points, ensuring the event addresses the real needs and interests of your audience.
Last-Minute Emergency Communications
Is a fast-moving snowstorm causing you to postpone the event? Has a last-minute venue change come up? Text is the best way to notify event attendees due to the high open rate and immediacy of this channel.
Text-to-Enter Sweepstakes
Hosting a text-to-enter sweepstakes during your event is an easy and engaging way to boost participation. Attendees can enter the contest in just a few seconds by sending a simple keyword via SMS, and you can announce the winner in real time to keep the excitement high. Beyond the immediate fun, this approach also helps you expand your contact list for future event updates and marketing efforts.
Post-Event Surveys
After the event, SMS can be used to quickly collect feedback while the experience is still fresh in attendees’ minds. A short text survey makes it easy for participants to share their thoughts, helping you identify what worked well and what could be improved. This immediate feedback is invaluable for planning future events and demonstrating that you value attendee input.
Thank You Text Messages
A simple thank you text after your event goes a long way in making attendees feel appreciated. It also opens the door for continued engagement, whether you’re sharing a post-event survey, exclusive offer, or details about your next event.
Tactics to Increase Event SMS Effectiveness
Send Different Messages to Different Audience Segments
Segmenting your SMS subscribers based on different characteristics allows you to deliver messaging that feels more personalized and meaningful to each group. For instance, first-time guests may benefit from a warm welcome message that includes essential event details. Meanwhile, returning attendees could receive a “welcome back” text that acknowledges their loyalty and highlights what’s new or different for this event compared to past ones.
Segmented lists can also help you determine which SMS subscribers should receive event invites in the first place. For example, if you run a fitness center, constantly reminding childless patrons about monthly kid-friendly events is a surefire way to prompt them to unsubscribe from your marketing list.
For more tips, check out Effectively Segment SMS Lists - Tactics for Greater Engagement.
Personalize the Texts
Adding a personal touch to your event SMS can make a big difference in engagement. Start by addressing recipients by name and, if relevant, acknowledge past event attendance or specific interests they’ve shared.
Learn all about it at Personalized SMS Marketing – Maximizing its Potential in 2025.
Send from Localized Numbers
Recipients are more likely to engage with messages that come from a familiar area code, as it feels more personal and less like spam. This small detail can make a big difference in how your messages are perceived.
Consider Utilizing MMS to Further Grab Attention and Inspire
Incorporating images or GIFs into your event text messaging can significantly boost engagement. Visual content makes your message stand out, increasing the chances that recipients will notice and respond to your invitation. For instance, spotlighting a photo from your last successful event can build excitement and give potential attendees a glimpse of the experience they can expect. Imagery also makes it easy to share key details—such as event location maps or special guest announcements—ensuring your audience stays informed and inspired.
To dive deeper, read Leveraging MMS in Marketing (With Examples) - How & Why.
Measure SMS Engagement to Fine-Tune Your Strategy
Tracking key metrics like open rates, click-throughs, and response rates is essential for understanding what’s working in your event SMS campaigns. Analyze this data to identify which messages resonate most with your audience and which tactics drive the best results.
Use these insights to continually refine your approach, testing new ideas and optimizing your communication over time.
Manage Franchise SMS Event Coordination Through Voxie
Voxie is a dedicated text messaging platform designed solely for the needs for franchises. Our robust suite of features empowers brands to launch impactful SMS campaigns at scale, driving attendance and engagement for both in-store and digital events. Key capabilities include:
- Automated SMS subscriber grouping Did someone RSVP that they’re interested in your upcoming event? Voxie will automatically add them to a list to receive additional details in the future. Did someone ignore the text or decline the invite? They’ll be grouped accordingly.
- Localized messaging at scale Simultaneously coordinate texts across multiple regions, all sent from local area codes and with personalized details.
- Advanced multi-path messaging sequences - Create sophisticated, automated text flows that adapt to recipient behavior. For example, if someone hasn’t confirmed their attendance, Voxie can automatically send a timely reminder or follow-up message.
- Conversational, two-way SMS powered by AI Voxie’s Conversational Intelligence enables real-time, automated responses to common attendee questions—such as parking information, registration details, or event logistics.
- AI-processing of open-ended survey insights Easily extract and compare common themes from open-ended survey responses, giving you a clear view of attendee feedback across different campaigns and franchise locations.
- Hands-on integration solutions built for your tech stack - Our team provides individualized support to help connect Voxie with your existing systems, enabling real-time data sharing and automated text flows triggered by outside customer interactions.