Have you got your theme, decorations, questions, and venue all picked out for your very first trivia night event? Then it’s time to prepare the invitations! Game night invitations are necessary at any trivia event, be it a virtual trivia night, a pub quiz, a fun trivia birthday party, a unique costume party, a trivia-themed baby shower, or a quiet family game night. How else are you going to let all the players know what to expect?
Designing a game night invitation is your opportunity to share any last details with the players, remind them about the date and time of the event, and simply show off your design skills! Much like a theme and decor, you can live without invitations, but they make everything so much more fun.
If you want to be professional and take your game night to the next level (and we have a whole guide for how you can do that!), you should invest some time in creating invitations. Fortunately, it is not nearly as hard as you think. You can use Canva to design your own invitations completely free of charge. What’s even better is that you can work with ready templates and change them up slightly or just input your pertinent information. We’ve prepared some free templates for you to use to invite your friends and family to your trivia night. Keep reading to learn all about them!
Trivia Night Templates
Template 1
This template is simple and classy. This is something you can use for almost any event. The color scheme looks quite sophisticated with black and gold tones. The dark background makes the invitation stand out and the words easier to read.
Of course, you can change the colors, even though these are great for any occasion. The imagery suggests that the template was originally used for a sports game night. Don’t let that stop you from adjusting this template to suit your needs!
Template 2
This variant is a bit more exciting and colorful than the previous. The teal and white polka dots are fun and playful, and the pink creates an interesting contrast. Regardless, the overall template is not overwhelming. Obviously, you are invited to input your own event title, date and time, and address, but you can get inspired by the template text. This template suggests writing the ticket price on the invitation too.
Template 3
This is another simple trivia-themed template. The theme of this particular template is science. The background that looks like a blue sky with stars attests to that. This invitation is pretty self-explanatory; the simple elements and beautiful colors speak for themselves. The teal and pink, in particular, create an interesting contrast.
This template features a short tagline, “Are you ready to get your mind blown?” You can follow the template and input a little phrase of your own! There is also some information about the prize, which might be valuable to players.
Template 4
Here we have another template with simple visuals and appealing colors. This shows the importance of picking a color scheme and sticking to it. All the colors on your invitation should fit together harmoniously and not clash. Once again, the suggested theme is science. By changing the background color and elements, you can give the invitation a different theme.
Template 5
This is a slightly different format. This time, instead of icons, we have an actual image as the background. The background image is muted, and the text that is written over it is the focal point of the invitation. The visual and title suggest this is a board game night invitation. Don’t let that deter you from using this template. Just changing the title will get you far!
Though the board game visual is actually quite fitting, you can replace it with an image of your choosing. This invitation contains very little information about the event; it invites you to only outline the essentials.
Themed Template
If your trivia night has a specific theme, you can look outside of trivia night invitations. I recommend you focus on the theme and search using keywords that are relevant to your theme. For example, if you’re planning a Halloween pub quiz, search for “Halloween” or “Halloween invitations.”
This invitation was created for a Halloween party, but you can easily transform it into a trivia night invitation by changing the text. Focus on the visuals. If you find a template you like, don’t worry about the text. That’s the easiest thing to change or add.
“Not an Invitation” Template
If you haven’t found a fitting trivia night invitation, you might want to think outside the box. Search for “invitations” or “trivia” separately. You will come across templates that are not trivia night invitations per se, but can easily be made into them! This way, you have a better chance of finding something interesting.
This template, for example, is not an invitation at all, But it can be if you only use the first page and add some text boxes to it. The color scheme is very fun! Focus on the visuals rather than the text.
You can find more templates if you invest in Canva Pro. The extension is affordable and you can even sign up for a 30-day free trial. If you don’t mind spending some extra time searching for the perfect template, keep scrolling! You will find interesting options at the very bottom of the Canva page.
How to Use or Change These Invitations
All the templates available on Canva can be edited, downloaded, embedded, and used in any way you like. You can change everything, including the fonts, text sizes, colors, elements, and background. You can even start from scratch and make your own template!
When you start looking at templates, have a list of everything you need to include in your invitation. The address, starting time, date, and name of the event are the bare minimum. You’ll find that some templates include contact information, entry fee, information about the prize, and a little extra text.
Change the Text
The first thing you’re definitely going to want to change is the text. At the very least, you’re going to input your own information in the template. Because of that, I recommend focusing on the visuals and the general mood the template presents rather than the text. You can just as easily change the font and the size of the text. Keep in mind that it takes time to go through all the options and find the perfect font. There is a reason the template already has a font, so you might want to stick to it. However, if you have a better idea and/or some extra time, go ahead and change it!
Change the Elements
Next, you’re going to want to change the elements. Canva offers a wide variety of shapes, arrows, icons, and frames that you can use. Browse through them and find some that fit your aesthetic. Search through the icons using keywords that are relevant to your theme.
Use Images
Using an image can take your invitation design to the next level. Browse through the Canva library or use your own photo as the background. If you’re going to import a photo from your own collection, make sure the quality is good.
Use Audio and Video
For the very adventurous ones, Canva also offers audio and video features. Bear in mind that these are only suitable for virtual invitations. Though these features are not for beginners, Canva’s interface is very user friendly, so you can make it work! Make your invitation extra interactive and engaging.
Save the Template
When you’re done, don’t forget to proofread your text before you download the invitation or start using it. You can easily avoid silly spelling mistakes by proofreading the text just once. Then, click the three dots in the top right corner of the page and decide how you’re going to use your invitation. You can save it as a PDF file on your computer, share the link, embed it in your text, post it on Facebook, send it via Slack, and so on. Your template also automatically saves in your Canva account. The choices are endless!
Tips for Promoting Your Trivia Night
Promotion is an essential part of any event. That’s how you let people know about the event and encourage them to attend. Without promotion of any kind, your chances of drawing a crowd are slim. There are different tools you can use to advertise your trivia night and get the best turnout.
Social Media
Social media is the best promo tool of our generation. Its main advantage is that it is free. However, it also gives you the option to invest in paid ads, but more on that later. With social media, you can expand your reach and approach many people at once. Adjust your content to the platform you use and your target audience.
TikTok is one of the newest internet sensations and the way it works is quite interesting. The algorithm favors accounts that get more engagement. The more people like your video, the more people will see your video. Everyone has a fair chance to make interesting content. Instagram, on the other hand, requires you to already have a large following and use hashtags.
Social media allows you to distribute your virtual trivia flyer for free. You can choose your social media platforms depending on your audience, or try a variety of platforms. Use your company accounts, the accounts of the venue that’s hosting your trivia night (if it’s a pub), and even your personal accounts. Encourage your friends and followers to post about the event too. This way you have a better chance of reaching more people.
Paid Ads
Paid ads are present on social media platforms, in print, on the radio, and on TV. You can even rent a billboard if you’d like! It all comes down to your budget and how much you can afford to invest in marketing. Social media ads are harmless because they are relatively inexpensive and you can choose exactly who you want to target. This way you’re not throwing your money away in hopes of someone coming to your trivia night.
Print ads are effective for certain groups of people, but not for others. If your target audience reads the morning paper, putting your ad there could be beneficial. Paid ads can show up on websites and blogs too, which is another great way to target your specific audience. If you’re willing to invest some money into ads, determine your budget and target audience first. This may be more appropriate if you are a large organization or trying to promote a fundraiser.
Posters
Design a trivia night poster, print some out, and hang them around the neighborhood of the venue. People living in that neighborhood will pay attention to the posters. It would be convenient for them to attend the event, given it’s right by their house. Place some posters around the venue to direct people to the event.
Even though hanging posters might sound old-school, people do pay attention to the world around them. You’d be surprised just how effective (and cheap) this method is.
Word of Mouth
Word of mouth is the most effective promotional tool in your toolbox, and it’s free! Influencer marketing is great, and if your budget allows you to pay a celebrity to talk about your event, your sales will be through the roof. However, that’s unrealistic for most trivia nights.
Asking your friends to talk about your event is very similar, though on a much smaller scale. They can spread the information further, thus broadening your target audience. Even if you don’t get more players this time, people will know about your brand and keep you in mind for next time.
You are Cordially Invited…
…to create your very own trivia night invitation! Whether you’re having a quiz night over Zoom or in a pub, you need invitations. They will remind the players about your event and make you seem more professional. Sometimes, that’s exactly the push someone needs to sign up for a trivia night.
It’s lucky that invitations are actually not that hard to make. Follow the tips above, play around with Canva, and get inspired by the template designs presented in this article. Make each invitation your own! And for more DIY projects, try your hand at making your very own trivia game, too!
Do you have any tips for creating your own free trivia night invitations? Share your experience in the comments!
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