Creating webinar invite emails can be a tricky task. We’ve all been there: you send out a webinar email, wait for the registrations to start rolling in, and…it’s a trickle response. Definitely not what you were expecting, so what happened? Better yet, how do you fix it before the next webinar email deploys?
Since 65% of your webinar registrations will come from email, you’ll want to pay close attention to all of its details. These details include how your webinar emails look, are structured, their content. Otherwise, you could be leaving registrations on the table and missing out on potential leads.
Let‘s take a look at the most common mistakes people make when creating webinar invite emails.
You can also read, Contentware’s Best Practices guide for webinar emails.
Webinar Invite Email’s Graphic Header Has No Value
Graphic headers are very common and appear in most HTML emails. We see graphic headers all of the time, but some are more informative and eye catching than others. An easy mistake is to incorrectly use graphic headers in your webinar invite email. For example, a graphic header shouldn’t be included to simply consume space. They also shouldn’t exist just to make your email more aesthetically pleasing.
When using a graphic image, remember that it pushes down and delays the reader from getting into your webinar email content. This can be an issue, as your content is the meat of your message. Additionally, for readers who use email preview panes, large graphic headers often consume the entire pane. Thus, it’s essential that your graphic header serves a purpose, attracts visual interest, and communicates something valuable about your webinar.
One of the best ways to add both a visual element and message value in your webinar email invite is to put your webinar “vitals.” Your webinar’s vitals include the webinar title, date, and time. All of these elements should be in your graphic header. According to scientific research, the brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than words alone, and 65% of the message is retained three days later. Additionally, if space allows, try adding a call to action button in your header to make it more impactful. Because your header and button will be a single image in HTML, link the entire header to your registration landing page for interested clickers. Along with that, be sure your email template is designed for mobile readers, too.
The Copy Promotes The Company, Not The Webinar Content
It’s tempting to write an introductory paragraph about your company and why you’re presenting a webinar on this particular topic. We advise against this. The reader is opening your email based on the message and promotion of a topic, not to read about your organization. If the reader does not perceive value within the first few sentences, your webinar email will likely be deleted. In fact, according to Digital Donut, you have only three seconds to capture an email reader’s attention, so make your introduction count!
A better approach is to open your email with a sentence or two providing context to the topic. This context can include why the topic is important, or highlight recent industry trends related to the topic. Following that, introduce your webinar topic followed by 3-4 bullets detailing what the audience can expect to hear or learn during the webinar. This format will ensure your webinar invite communicates the value of your presentation and will attract interest and set audience expectations.
Advances in technology have made it such that you don’t have to sweat the details of writing copy to promote webinars. Check out Contentware, which uses AI and your registration page to create an entire webinar marketing campaign.
The Invitation Excludes the Webinar Name, Date, and Time
It might sound silly, but we’ve seen it happen before. The webinar email gets deployed with no mention of the webinar title, date, or time in the email copy. This is likely an oversight, but a costly error nonetheless. Even if your webinar vitals are included in a graphic header, always include the webinar information in the body of your email for those who have images turned off. Plus, you want to make it as easy as possible for interested readers to register. Readers tend not to hunt for the what/where/when information, so providing it clearly is a good practice.
The Copy Has An Awkward Voice
Ever get an email, and you can’t figure out who the email is intended for? When both first and third person are used, it becomes a confusing message speaking to no one. What should you avoid?
An example of first-person copy would be something like, “We will present…” or “I will talk about…” which is fine if your email is positioned more like a personal invitation. But where it becomes awkward is when it’s mixed with third-person later in the message. Ex: “I will talk about which technologies webinar marketing managers should add to their tech stack.” So much for a personal invitation!
When you mix third and first person in your messaging, you’re EXCLUDING your reader from the conversation. Rather than positioning your webinar as a discussion or interactive session, it sounds like your webinar is a lecture or speech. The copy can also sound like you’re hoping the email recipient is the right person who might attend. A much better approach is to write in second person, so you’re speaking directly to your audience. Using words like “you” is much more inviting than mentioning titles: “I’ll talk about which technologies you should add to your tech stack.” Now I feel like I’m part of the conversation, and this webinar is for me. Bottom line: speak to the reader directly to increase your registrations.
The Copy Is A Long Wall Of Text
Studies show that most readers are scanning your email. One study revealed 35% of the time, readers are skimming your content. If your webinar invite copy is a giant blob of text, chances are they are digesting very little of it.
The takeaways:
- Focus your message and keep your copy concise. Aim for paragraphs of 60 characters or less.
- Use bolding for important sentences (such as the webinar title) to visually break up your copy.
- Use bullets so the reader can glance at your message but still understand what your webinar is about.
With proper visual formatting, you’ll boost your reader retention and response rates.
Webinar Invite Email Includes Links To Pages Other Than The Registration Page.
Sometimes multiple calls to action inadvertently creep into your emails. For example, you cite a stat in your copy and link it to a third-party website. Big mistake! You worked hard to get your audience to open your email, and now you are diverting that attention and traffic to someone else. Don’t do it!
We’ve also seen emails that promote webinar registration, along with reading a blog post, and we’ll be at this event, too. Ummm…what action would you like the reader to do again?
Lastly, another innocent yet registration killer mistake: including social media links in your webinar invites. The goal of your webinar email is not to get them to follow you on Facebook, it’s to get them to register for your webinar!
When you include multiple calls to action, whether intentionally or not, you divert the reader’s attention and distract them from taking the primary action: registering. Instead, focus your webinar emails on. what you want your reader to know, and the single action you want them to take. You’ll have a much better conversion rate when you remove the extra links!
Webinar Invite Email’s Buttons Don’t Look Like Buttons
Using a button in your webinar email can increase response rates by 28%. For a button to work optimally, it needs to look like a button.
We’ve seen some creative options. For example, buttons that look more like post-it notes. Or, buttons that could perhaps double as graphic headers, loaded with text and extra info.
Our advice: keep buttons simple and copy short. Best practice is to make the button look like a button, and text reinforces the action: “Register,” “Register Now,” “Sign Up” — you get the idea!
Email marketing is a powerful tool and an effective webinar registration driver. Plan ample time to write, create, and test your email for the best results. After all, an email is a terrible thing to waste from silly mistakes.
Want more tips on how to effectively market your webinar? Download our free guide, The Ultimate Guide to Webinar Promotions, and read our blog post, “The Ultimate Guide to Getting More Webinar Attendees with Email Marketing”.
Contentware us AI and your landing page to create an entire marketing campaign for your webinar – in minutes. All you do is build the landing page and Contentware does the rest. Want to see it in action? Sign up for a free demo!
