Do you need some positive online reviews of your event? Are you looking for ideas for future event planning? Post-event evaluations are both an important part of your future event planning and a way to generate positive PR and reach new audiences. After an event, it’s important to get feedback and reviews from all your attendees.
There are two goals for implementing an event review process:
- For future event planning its vital that you know what your attendees thought about the event:
- Did it meet their expectations?
- Was it a good value?
- Do they have any suggestions or ideas for future events?
- Online reviews and feedback are used by both people and search engines:
- People read online reviews by their peers and friends to find new events they might be interested in.
- Online review sites like Yelp or Facebook use reviews to share information with their users.
- Search engines like Google use reviews from online review sites or their own review site such as Google My Business Reviews to provide helpful information to their users.
Post-event emails and texts are a good way to generate positive online reviews and valuable information from your attendees.
How To Simplify Your Post-Event Review Emails
- Plan your event follow-up strategy before the event
Post-event emails, text, surveys and other follow-ups should be planned and written before your event occurs, as part of your event planning and marketing strategy. You may want one event follow-up for people who did attend your event and a different post-event email for people who did not attend your event.
- Personalize your follow-up emails
Include your attendees’ name, the event name and date and other important details in your post-event email. Your attendee tracking tool – whether it’s a spreadsheet or an event management tool – will allow you to track this information on your mailing list, which you can use to customize and personalize contacts with your mailing list.
- Thank and explain why you need the review
Always start with a thank you to your attendees for attending and supporting your event. Tell them why their review is important to you, such as to help improve future events or to let the public know about your program.
If you’re sending a follow-up to people who did not attend your event, ask why they chose not to attend and if they have suggestions that would make them more likely to attend future events.
- Send timely follow-up emails
Schedule your post-event email to arrive shortly after the event occurs, such as the next morning or within 48 hours, while the attendee’s memories and positive vibes from your event are fresh.
- Automate your post-event review followups
Most event scheduling tools such as Eventbrite, CRMs and email service providers like Mailchimp allow you to preschedule emails and texts and surveys to go out at your preferred time and date. Automated event follow-up emails that you designed and scheduled in advance reduce your workload and stress after the event is over.
Sample Post-Event Email Requesting Feedback and/or A Review
Dear Manda,
Thank you for attending our MW annual fundraiser dinner dance last night! To help us continue to create fun events that raise money for our community, we invite you to leave an online review:
We look forward to seeing you again next year. If you have any questions about our event or ideas for future events, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Amanda, MW Event Planner
