As an event producer, you can create a subscription program that gives your fans ongoing access to your events while helping your business gain recurring revenue.
A successful event subscription requires careful planning and continuous attention to engage subscribers and make sure you’re offering perks or rewards that are valuable to your fans. There are several common mistakes that subscription-based businesses make when they’re first starting out. These errors can hurt your business and damage your reputation.
Here are nine do’s and don’ts to follow to help your subscription produce great results for your events.
DO: Make your subscribers feel special
Subscribers have the potential to be your most passionate fans and advocates. Make them truly feel like “insiders”. Provide some kind of special perks such as early access to new products or VIP events, discounts, or anything else you can think of. Get creative! For in-person events, you might include a dedicated entrance for subscribers or a VIP subscriber-only area with preferred seating. Virtual or live-stream events can offer a subscriber-only pre-show or meet-and-greet with performers.
Insider access will help subscribers see the value of their monthly payments.
DO: Create bundles that give your fans the flexibility to choose how they want to support you
Subscriptions can be for virtual access, in-person admission, or both! Some events choose to have tiered subscriptions, with higher levels offering more perks or access. For example, you could offer a virtual-access-only tier, an in-person + virtual, and a package that includes admission plus a merchandise item such as a t-shirt or tumbler with each event. If you host multiple events each month, you could offer tiers based on the number of events subscribers want to attend: one tier with single-event access, one that includes access to three events, and one with unlimited access. This gives subscribers the flexibility to choose how much they want to commit, and the opportunity to upgrade in the future.
DO: Acknowledge subscribers during your event
It’s amazing how far a simple “thank you” will go. If you’re hosting a virtual (live-stream) event, use the chat feature on your livestream to thank your supporters. You could even put up a “thank you” screen during short breaks in your show or thank them by name on camera (if you have many subscribers, randomly select just a few to call out during each event). For in-person events, ask your front-line team to say “thank you for being a subscriber (or member)” when a guest presents their subscriber card. Subscribers are more likely to support you in the future if they feel appreciated and acknowledged.
Need Help?
If you need some guidance when setting up your event subscription, we’re here for you. Schedule an onboarding call with our support team. We’ll do all the heavy lifting for you!
DO: Keep in touch with subscribers
Your fan relationship needs to be nurtured, and subscribers need to hear from you regularly to keep your event at the top of their minds. Set up a regular email campaign to keep in touch with subscribers: send surveys to find out what they think, what new perks they’d like to see; share interviews with performers for your upcoming shows; post-behind-the-scenes photos of your team setting up for the latest event; or share your thoughts as an industry expert on topics that are relevant to your audience. Subscriber content should be entertaining and informative, and above all…
DON’T: Spam subscribers with sales emails
When you’re building your email campaign, be sure that you include more than sales & marketing messages. You can occasionally promote a new product offering or inform subscribers about an upgrade that’s available, but that shouldn’t be the only message. Mix in some human interest content and information that your subscribers will find interesting & useful. It’s not just about selling t-shirts & laptop stickers; it’s about building a loyal customer base so you can enjoy consistent revenue for years to come.
DON’T: Mess up the pricing
This is one of the trickiest questions event producers face when starting a new subscription: “how much should I charge?” The answer is…it depends. There are so many factors that go into accurately pricing a new event subscription.
On the one hand, you may want to consider pricing subscriptions slightly below (or at least equal to) your normal ticket price. If fans see that they’re gaining access to events for, say $12 per month instead of $15 for a general admission ticket, they may see a greater value in subscribing rather than purchasing tickets a la carte. And you get consistent revenue from them each month!
On the other hand, if your subscription package includes special perks, merch, or VIP access, a higher price point might actually be right for you.
Check out our guide to virtual event pricing for some tips to help you find the sweet spot for your subscription model.
DON’T: Get lazy
Recurring revenue is nice. It can be tempting to just sit back and watch the money role in. But ignoring your subscribers or failing to continuously offer exciting perks would be a mistake. When you’re setting up your subscription, make a plan for how you intend to keep in touch with subscribers and set goals for a quarterly review of your subscription. During those reviews, take a look at your numbers, any feedback or survey results you’ve received, and think about how you can continuously improve your subscribers’ experiences. Remember that you need to nurture those relationships in order to build loyal fans and enthusiastic advocates.
DON’T: Make fans feel guilty if they cannot subscribe
Thanking subscribers is a must-do. But don’t pressure non-subscribers into joining. Attending one event or sending a donation might be their way of showing support.
DON’T: Be afraid to ask for support
Your fans want to support you, but sometimes they aren’t sure how. Let them know that subscriptions help you plan better events on a more consistent basis. Include a call-to-action in your emails and ask fans for support during your events, too.
Need Help?
If you need some guidance when setting up your event subscription, we’re here for you. Schedule an onboarding call with our support team. We’ll do all the heavy lifting for you!
