How to 10x your event sign-ups 🍰

You only need to change 1 word in the copy to attract quality attendees

Welcome to MarketingIdeas.com! Thank you for being here. If you’ve found your way over by some miracle but are not yet subscribed, let me help you with that:

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Instead of simply letting people sign up for your event or webinar, invite them to apply.

This powerful one-word switch (“Apply” instead of “Sign Up”) creates excitement, boosts registration rates, and increases the quality of attendees.

Here’s why:

1. Your audience feels special for being selected, and they gain confidence in the event’s quality (assuming you curate attendees). In general - people love the idea of only being among like-minded individuals. Those who apply are also more likely to attend, having invested their time (and ego) into getting accepted. It’s a sunk-cost mentality.

2. You, on the other hand, can now collect much more data about your audience. You can swap the standard registration form for an ‘application’ that requires relevant details beyond name and email (roles, experience, LinkedIn profile, etc).

❌ Drawback: Yes, an application process can scare some people off. But those who apply and get in are the attendees you want: engaged, interested, and valuable. It’s about attracting the right people, not just more people.

You can still accept every application. The secret? Don’t tell. This maintains the exclusive feel while keeping your event open.

🎮 The “Play to Attend” Model

We’ve covered an ‘Apply to Attend’ model. But what if we go the extra mile, and try a ‘Play to Attend’ model? Here’s what it means… 👇

Design a puzzle-based challenge with a hidden registration page as the reward. Last year, JupiterOne published this landing page with a cybersecurity puzzle:

Only people who solved it correctly could register for the event, with a secret registration page.

JupiterOne even went the extra mile and created follow-up riddles that take place in the event itself, with around 90 people attending (out of 110 people who solved the first puzzle). Forbes even covered it. Huge success.

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✅ Bottom Line: By including an ‘application’ format or ‘play to attend’ challenge, you can significantly improve your event registrations and attract a more engaged audience. Try it for your next event :)

See you next week ✌️

Tom