Multiple studies have found that when people are asked to give a recommended donation at an event, roughly 80% of people will pay that amount without hesitation. A certain percentage of generous individuals will pay even more (especially if you ask them to—more on that later). That figure isn’t static across events though.
Events such as fundraisers for non-profits often see much higher donation rates than for-profit events (like concerts). The percentage of happy donors also varies based on the amount of your suggested donation. The more you ask for, the fewer will pay.
The key to hitting that “sweet spot” in which the money flows freely is to accurately assess the value of your gathering. To do that, you must distance yourself as the host or promoter and take a hard look at what your event means to attendees. Is it something your guests really want to get in to, such as a beer or wine tasting? They may be willing to pay more if they feel they will get more out of it. Is it something they come to out of obligation, like a fundraiser for their child or grandchild’s school? In this case donations may be lower.
Regardless of what type of event you’re promoting (or to whom you’re promoting it), there are certain things you can do to increase that perceived value and boost the donations you receive.
How to Upsell Attendees with Ticket Types
and Brand Messaging
Ticketstripe offers you the ability to create unlimited ticket types for your event. This allows you a ton of creative freedom to use your tickets as marketing tools. Not only can you create multiple donation tiers with various ticket values, but you can also craft individual marketing messages on those ticket descriptions themselves.
That ticket description is often your only opportunity to upsell your potential guests. It’s also your chance to promote the value of your higher-tier tickets. To do that, it helps to attach a real-world monetary value to your ticket to show a potential attendee just how much they’ll be getting by giving more.
- Depending on your specific event there are multiple ways to do this: Share the exact impact each donation will have on your organization (or the people it helps).
i.e. $5 Buy 1 net for a child under 5 to help prevent malaria
i.e. $10 Buy Jonas lunch
i.e. $25 Give 200 meals to families in need - Describe the upgraded schwag the attendee will get by buying a higher-priced ticket.
- Equate your asking price with a fee they’re already comfortable paying (2 cups of coffee at the local java house, for example).
And never forget that your tickets should call out your brand. That means more than slapping your logo on the corner. Take a look at the phrasing you use when writing those descriptions. Is your brand strait-laced? Tongue-in-cheek? A bit rebellious? Use those descriptions to really stimulate your core customer base and show newcomers who you are and what the tone of the event will be like. This helps you generate a sense of community around your event or organization and will help attendees feel good about giving the suggested donation.
Keep testing. Keep records. Improve your offering every time.
How to Sell to Last Minute Prospects
Your ticket description is an excellent way to sell more tickets to a very lucrative market—last-minute ticket buyers.
Ticketstripe consumer data shows that people purchase tickets to online events closer to the event date than in-person events. In fact, online event tickets sell at twice the rate of in-person events within 24 hours of those digital doors opening. Craft your ticket descriptions to sell and convince some of those fence-sitters to click that buy button.
Every little push in the right direction can make a huge difference in overall attendance, profitability, and success!
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