Not long ago, when someone wanted to attend an event, they needed to pick up the phone or go to a box office. Online ticketing and registration made it easier, allowing consumers to purchase from your website anytime they pleased. But the next evolution in ticketing and registration will invite consumers to purchase the moment they find out about your event — without ever going to your site.

It’s called distributed commerce. And according to Shawna Suckow, CMP, it’s about to change the way you sell tickets and registrations.

“The traditional shopping cart experience, where people have to go to your website and make a conscious decision to purchase something, is fading away,” Suckow says. “With distributed commerce, they can buy wherever they are online — like their Facebook newsfeed.”

In a recent webinar, she discussed how this consumer behaviour should be on your radar. Check out the highlights for answers to your most burning questions about distributed commerce.

Is distributed commerce the future of event marketing?

In the retail world, distributed commerce is in full force. Amazon “Buy” buttons are all over the web — not just on Amazon’s site but on lots of other websites, across social media and in Google ads.

“A prime example of this is Pinterest,” says Suckow. “Let’s say someone is looking at their friend’s board and sees a pair of boots they’d like to purchase. They don’t have to find out who’s selling them and where. They can buy the boots right in Pinterest.”

This frictionless purchase process is already available for event creators. But is it right for you?

Who should take advantage of distributed commerce?

“Imagine you have a brand new event and don’t have an email list of attendees to market to,” she says. “Distributed commerce can help you find potential attendees organically.”

Consider Goldstar, an event discovery app focused on concerts, comedy, theatre, and nightlife. Ninety-one percent of Goldstar’s 7 million members say they were unaware of an event or were not planning to attend before buying a ticket on Goldstar.

But you don’t have to be the new kid on the block to take advantage. Suckow says established events also stand to gain from this evolution in purchase behaviour. “Existing events that encourage attendees to RSVP on Facebook can reach their friend’s and family’s News Feeds. If your ticketing or registration provider allows them to purchase within Facebook, they’re 10% more likely to purchase a ticket or register.”

Not convinced? We found events that sell tickets directly on Facebook get 2x more sales than events that redirect to ticketing or registration pages.

Do I still need an event website?

For now, yes. “The traditional website will still exist,” she says. “Some people will want to learn more. And your past attendees know your website exists.”

But make no mistake: distributed commerce is the future of event marketing.

“Today’s audiences want conversations and experiences,” Suckow says. “With distributed commerce, your event can join relevant discussions, wherever they are, and organically build awareness for your event brand.”

Take the next step

As digital advertising became more accessible and affordable, event creators — like so many other professionals — transformed into masters of event promotion. The same will happen with distributed commerce.

To learn more, watch the full webinar here.