How to build a presale list for a station event

Every year the morning show's golf tournament sells out, often within days. The people who most want a spot are the listeners who hear about it on air, but on the day registration opens they're at work, driving, or simply didn't hear that hour's mention. The station knows who should get the link first and has no way to reach them.

A keyword fixes that. Months before the on-sale, the host says "Text GOLF to 33777 to get first access when registration opens." Listeners text from the car, reply with their email, and they're on the presale list, tagged for the tournament. When registration opens, the station emails them the link before anyone else.

Why on-air announcements miss people

• Listeners can't click. A web address or "visit our website" asks them to remember it until they're somewhere they can type.
• QR codes don't work on radio. There's nothing to scan.
• One announcement reaches one hour's audience. The on-sale mention competes with traffic, weather, and the next song.
• Forms are hard for some listeners. Typing a name, address, and email on a small screen is a chore, especially for older listeners, and one text is easier.

How it works

1. Pick the keyword for the event. GOLF, CONCERT, FEST. One word that's easy to hear and spell.
2. Write a short flow. Ask for the email, and maybe the first name. Confirm they're on the list: "You're in. We'll email you the registration link before it goes public."
3. Tag the list. A "Tag the contact" step adds the event, and the contact goes to Mailchimp, Kit, or ActiveCampaign with that tag. Drip, Constant Contact, and other tools connect through Zapier.
4. Say it on air, often. In the morning show, in promos, in the event spots: "Text GOLF to 33777." Say the keyword and the number twice.
5. Add the QR code everywhere people can see. The station's website, social posts, and signs at other station events. QR codes are free and unlimited.
6. Email the link when it opens. The presale list gets the registration link first, from the station's own email tool.

Count the response

The Reports page shows text-ins, contacts, new contacts, and completion for each keyword, so the station can see how many listeners signed up and when. A different keyword for a second event, or for the same event on a sister station, shows which one pulled; "Compare two keywords" shows the overlap.

A list for sponsors

The same approach works for the event's sponsors. A sponsor of the golf tournament can run its own keyword for its own offer, so listeners know whose list they're joining, and the sponsor leaves with a list of interested listeners as well as a logo on the banner. See text-in radio ads.

Before and after

	An on-air announcement on the day	A presale list by keyword
Who hears about the on-sale	That hour's listeners	Everyone who signed up over months
What the listener does	Remembers a URL until they can type it	Texts one word from the car
Who gets in first	Whoever is fastest	The station's most interested listeners
What the station keeps	Nothing	An email list, tagged by event
Measuring interest before on-sale	Not possible	Sign-ups per keyword

Who this is for, and who should skip it

This fits US radio stations and shows with events that sell out or need a head start: golf tournaments, concerts, festivals, charity events, and station-hosted trips. It works best when the station already sends email from Mailchimp, Kit, ActiveCampaign, or another tool.

It's not the tool for a station that wants two-way texting with listeners on its studio line, text contests run from an inbox, or texts sent to the whole list later. Textiful collects the email and hands it to your email tool. It also won't reach listeners outside the US, since the short codes work with US carriers only.

Try it before your next event → Start a free trial