How to Create Add to Calendar Links for HubSpot Emails how-to

It seems like now, more than ever, schedules and calendars have become impossible to manage. And, if you’ve ever organized (or tried to organize) an event, you know getting on your attendee’s calendars makes all the difference.

AddEvent’s Add to Calendar links for HubSpot solves this problem by allowing you to easily share events via your website, landing page, social, email, or SMS. Providing a seamless way for your customers, clients, followers, or whomever, to add your future events to their personal calendars.

Whether you’re promoting an event through email, social media, or other channels, Add to Calendar links ensures people can save important event details with ease. It’s an excellent addition to your marketing strategy, improving both user experience and participation.

What Are Add to Calendar Links?

Add to Calendar links allow recipients to quickly save event details directly to their calendars with just one click, eliminating the need for manual entry. This not only boosts engagement but also increases attendance. We’ve previously shared all the details on how Add to Calendar links work on our blog.

Check out our full explanation here: Add to Calendar Links

Why Use Add to Calendar Links in Emails?

When sending event invitations through email marketing, simplicity is key. Instead of counting on recipients to manually add event details in their calendars, Add to Calendar links remove friction from the process. This smooth experience allows users to add your event directly onto their personal calendar with the click of a button. Research has shown that people are more likely to attend events they’ve already added to their calendars, so let’s get those events on their calendars! By removing the possibility of user error and making it effortless to reserve the date directly from the email, you increase the chances of securing participants, which is especially important for event managers seeking to increase attendance rates.

How to Create Add to Calendar Links for HubSpot Emails

If you are a HubSpot user, creating Add to Calendar links for HubSpot email campaigns is simple and requires no coding. Here’s how you can do it:

1. First, create or log in to your AddEvent account

Sign up for an AddEvent account if you don’t already have one. Choose from our free Hobby plan or one of our paid plans, which have many additional features. Learn more about our plans on our plans and pricing page.

2. Now, it’s time to create your event in AddEvent

Welcome to your AddEvent dashboard! Click the Create button and select Event.

Enter your event details, including the event name, time, date, location, time zone, description, etc.

On the right, you can select RSVP on to enable RSVP collection for this event. You’ll see the RSVP Settings tab next to the Event Details tab. 

You can use the Standard RSVP form, create a new custom RSVP form, or use a previously saved form in the RSVP Form tab. 

3. Copy the code in AddEvent

Then, head back to your Event Detail page in the AddEvent dashboard. 

Once there, scroll down to Share your event and find the Add to calendar links section. 

Once you’ve saved the configuration you want to use for your add to calendar links, you need to copy the HTML code via the Copy button at the top of the box or the <> button at the bottom.

4. Head to HubSpot

In your HubSpot marketing email campaign, you can either add a button block, or an HTML block to later add your add to calendar links.

AddEvent Pro Tip: if you use a button block, then you will need to send your customers to the AddEvent landing page. If you would like to instead automatically allow them to save it to their calendars, use the HTML – Email module.

Delete the example HTML code from the HTML block, and paste the add to calendar link code you just copied into the HTML – Email module.

And that’s it! You now have a simple, effective way to add event-saving links to your HubSpot emails.

How to Add Add to Calendar links to Non-HubSpot Emails

If you’re not using HubSpot, don’t worry, we got you covered. You can still integrate Add to Calendar links into your email campaigns, whether you use platforms like Mailchimp, Marketo, and Salesforce Marketing Cloud, or a custom solution. The process is straightforward and doesn’t require advanced technical knowledge.

Our step-by-step guide will walk you through everything you need to generate your Add to Calendar link and insert it into your email campaigns.

Check out our full guide here: How to Create an Add to Calendar Link for Your Emails

Best Practices for Add to Calendar Links in HubSpot Emails

To maximize the impact of your Add to Calendar links, consider optimizing their placement and presentation. Here are some strategies that can help:

1. Make It Stand Out:
   • Make your Add to Calendar links or buttons easy to find by using bold colors, buttons, or text that draws attention. The more prominent it is, the higher the likelihood recipients will use it.
2. Provide Multiple Calendar Options:
   • Since people use different calendar platforms, offering compatibility with Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar, and others will ensure your event is accessible to everyone. (Hint: AddEvent already does this!)
3. Send Reminder Emails:
   • Adding an Add to Calendar link is a great first step, but follow-up emails can increase attendance. Consider sending:
     • A reminder email a few days before the event.
     • A final reminder on the event day.
     • Tip: If you use AddEvent, saving the event as an RSVP event means you can use our landing page as an RSVP website to collect submissions, and we will automatically send reminder emails on your behalf!
4. Use Personalization:
   • Personalized emails have higher engagement rates. If possible, customize your emails based on user preferences, past interactions, or demographics. Tailoring event invitations based on a recipient’s role or interests will make the message more compelling and likely to drive higher participation. At the very least, make sure you include their name in the email so they feel seen.
5. Track Engagement:
   • Monitoring how many people click your Add to Calendar links provides valuable insights into engagement. Understanding how different channels impact attendee behavior can help refine your communication strategy over time.

The Impact of Add to Calendar Links on Successful Events

Incorporating Add to Calendar links in HubSpot email marketing campaigns isn’t just a convenience—it’s a game-changer for event marketing. These links lead to higher attendance rates, improve user experience, and create a seamless interaction between your brand and your audience. Whether you’re promoting a virtual webinar, an in-person seminar, or a product demo, making it easy for potential attendees to save the date is key to a successful event. AddEvent customers have seen up to a 100% increase in attendance rates since implementing Add to Calendar links.

Sharing an Event Calendar in HubSpot Emails

If you’re hosting more than one event, a series of events, or have an ongoing event schedule, sharing one-off events might not be the best solution for you! If you’re looking for a way to get all your events on their calendars via email, check out subscription calendar links, which allow users to subscribe to your calendar with 1-click.

Want to simplify your event planning? Try AddEvent today and streamline your add to calendar experience!

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