An invitation message serves an important purpose – it’s often the first impression your event makes. A good invitation gets guests excited to attend, provides all the key details, and represents your brand. Writing an effective invitation may seem daunting, but it’s achievable by following some simple tips. Here’s how to craft invitation messages that make a great first impression.
Keep It Short and Simple
Long, wordy invitations often get ignored. Keep your main invitation content short, sweet, and to the point. You want guests to easily glean the key details – what, when and where. Busy recipients want to quickly understand whether or not they can or want to attend. Avoid unnecessary words and get right to the critical event specifics.
Highlight the Benefits
Don’t just list the event details – explain why attendees should care. Share the benefits, experiences and takeaways they can expect. Build excitement by focusing on the positives. For example, “Join us for an evening of top-tier networking, insightful speakers and gourmet appetizers” sounds much more appealing than “You’re invited to a professional development event on March 15th”.
Mind the Details
Provide accurate, comprehensive event information upfront so guests have all the details they need to make plans. This includes the exact location name and address, start and end times, dress code, RSVP deadline and contact information. Don’t make people hunt down basic details or make assumptions. Include everything they need right in the invitation.
Make Clear Calls to Action
Guide recipients toward the desired response by making your calls to action obvious. Tell guests exactly what you want them to do, whether it’s RSVP, purchase tickets or simply save the date. Phrases like “RSVP by March 10th to Jane Smith at 123-456-7890” or “Tickets available at www.ourevent.com” make it easy for them to take the next steps.
Highlight Exclusivity
If your event is exclusive, limited or members-only, explain this upfront. People are often drawn to experiences that feel special or hard to come by. For example, “Space is limited – RSVP early to secure your spot” or “This private press event is for journalists and bloggers only”. Just be sure exclusivity claims are accurate.
Use Brand Colors and Logos
Incorporate your brand’s colors, logos, taglines and other identifiers to tie the invitation to your company or organization. This builds brand awareness and makes your event feel official. But keep branding classy and avoid going overboard. You don’t want it to distract from important details.
Include Images and Graphics
Images and graphics make invitations more visually appealing. Include photos from previous events, illustrations or pictures of venues, speakers or products. Just be sure any images align with your brand and don’t appear too generic. Attractive visuals can increase engagement.
Use Proper Spelling and Grammar
Typos, grammar mistakes and inaccurate details undermine professionalism and make events seem disorganized. Carefully proofread all invitation copy several times, have others review it, and double check critical information like locations and URLs. Sloppiness suggests lack of effort.
Test Contact Information
Nothing’s worse than incorrect contact information on an invitation. Triple check that phone numbers, emails, websites and other contact details are totally accurate and up-to-date. Also test any response mechanisms like RSVP forms or voicemail boxes. You want to ensure smooth communication.
Personalize When Possible
Personalized invitations address the recipient by name, increasing engagement. Merge guest names into messages and salutations if sending digital invitations. For print invites, hand addressing envelopes is best. Personalization shows extra effort.
Match the Invitation Method to the Event
Consider your audience demographics and event type when choosing print, digital, video or social media invitations. For example, a Facebook event works well for a casual, millennial-focused party. Formal galas warrant classic printed invites. Choose mediums suited to your guests.
Make the Deadline Clear
Prominently display your RSVP deadline on both print and online invitations. Also explain response methods – for example, RSVP via email, submit the online form, or call 123-456-7890. Make very clear how and when guests should respond so you can plan accordingly.
Allow Time for Responses
Send invitations at least several weeks before events to give guests time to respond. For complicated events like destination weddings, send save the dates 6-12 months out. The more coordination required, the earlier you should contact guests. Just don’t send invitations too early or guests may forget.
Follow Up
Politely follow up if you haven’t received an RSVP response by the deadline. Email or call guests with a friendly reminder about the invitation and a request to confirm their plans. This helps secure responses. Just avoid pestering guests who have already declined.
Say Thank You
Always send prompt thank you notes or emails to guests who accept invitations. Express how delighted you are they can attend and share how much you look forward to seeing them there. Sincere thanks go a long way toward making guests feel welcomed.
Reduce Uncertainties and Questions
Head off common questions by addressing things like parking, attire, dietary options and guest accommodations in initial invitations. This reduces back and forth communication. Offer an FAQ section or contact information for any questions. Make it easy for guests.
Convey the Right Tone
Match the invitation’s tone and formality to the event type and brand. A startup’s casual open house invitation can adopt a fun, conversational tone. But a charity gala invite should use polished, refined language that aligns with the organization’s formal image.
Review and Refine
After creating your first invitation draft, set it aside for a day or two. With fresh eyes, carefully review all the wording, details and design elements. Refine things like tone, clarity and organization so the finalized invitation makes a fantastic impression.
Conclusion
An excellent invitation message piques interest, provides key details and motivates recipients to RSVP or purchase tickets. To craft successful invites, be clear and concise, highlight attendee benefits, mind critical information, convey exclusivity and incorporate visual appeal. With planning and refinement, your invitations can kick off events in the best possible way.
| Invitation Element | Guidelines |
|---|---|
| Length | Keep invites short, sweet and scannable |
| Details | Include who, what, when, where and why event details |
| Call to Action | Specify how to RSVP or purchase tickets |
| Branding | Incorporate colors, logos and other brand identifiers |
| Images | Use relevant, high-quality photographs and graphics |
| Grammar | Thoroughly proofread and spell check all copy |
| Contact Info | Verify all details are 100% correct |
| Personalization | Address guests personally when possible |
| Method | Match invitation method to event type and audience |
| Deadline | Prominently display RSVP cutoff date |
| Timing | Send invites several weeks before event dates |
Writing and sending outstanding event invitations is an art form. Follow these tips and best practices to make incredible first impressions, create buzz and excitement, and set your events up for success. With a well-crafted invitation message, you can kick things off smoothly and get guests eagerly awaiting your event.
