Despite what you hear online about how important automation is for event marketing and ticket sales, it’s not the magic success pill that many event organizers would like you to think. The reality is that automation is just one tool in your toolbox, and just like a builder can’t build a solid structure using just one tool, you can’t build a successful event using a single tool. It would be great if you could, but unfortunately, it takes more than just automation to build successful events.

Now, I know you’re wondering, “What are you talking about, Gary? What do you mean automation isn’t enough?” Let me give you some examples to explain what I’m talking about and how it affects you and your events.

Example 1

You’ve invested in an online ticketing software because the salesperson convinced you your event would fail if you didn’t connect your Facebook Page to your ticketing platform and add the Facebook pixel to your ticket sales page. “Facebook is the most important place for you to promote your event,” he said, “so you have to have access to this feature in your online ticketing software!”

You listened to him and used his platform to ticket your event, but ticket sales didn’t come rolling in. You placed some Facebook ads and integrated your Facebook and ticketing software accounts correctly! What went wrong?

I’ll tell you what went wrong – you relied on automation alone.

Example 2

An event marketing agency tells you they’ll help you with your email advertising, so that you can promote your event to the right audiences. You pay the agency and see new emails written and a landing page designed. However, you’re not getting a boost in your ticket sales. What went wrong?

Again, you relied on automation alone.

THE SOLUTION IS A BLEND OF AUTOMATION AND HUMAN TOUCH

Automation alone won’t make your event a success. Instead, you need a blend of automation and human touch to reap the rewards that automation offers. Think of it this way – if you hand someone a complex tool they’ve never used before and tell them it’s great because it will make their job easier and faster, they’ll love it. However, if they don’t understand how to fully use that tool, they’ll be paying for something that won’t deliver the results they want and need.

The difference between events that sell out and events that don’t is the effective combination of automation with people who know how to use and optimize the tools available to them.

Ultimately, people will make your event successful – not tools, not software, and not automation.

This applies to your online ticketing software, too. An online ticketing platform alone won’t make your event a success. For example, Eventbrite won’t make your event successful. They’ll give you tools that you can use to be successful just like any other online ticketing provider does. However, signing up for Eventbrite won’t make you successful. It’s up to you to use the tools to make your event successful.

That’s where the big gap exists. Nine out of ten event organizers aren’t marketers, and most have other full-time jobs! It’s unrealistic to expect most event organizers to understand how to use the tools available them, particularly the tools and features provided by their online ticketing platform.