Your brand went through the time and expense to set up a unique event platform; Whether it’s a web-based platform or an app, you have tons of fun features, tools, and resources in the platform for your attendees. But when it’s time to host your event, attendees aren’t using the platform. What’s going on?
While you can’t force every attendee to use your event platform or app, maximizing adoption is essential to get more value out of your event. Through a platform, you can gather data, share resources, and even increase the visibility of your event sponsors.
Seventy-five percent of event app developers report adoption rates of 60% or more. Event platform adoption is pretty solid overall, but even so, you want that figure to be as close to 100% as possible.
So, how can you increase your event platform adoption rates? Try these 11 tips to persuade more attendees to try your event app.
If attendees aren’t downloading your app, it might be a sign of an issue with the app. Poll your social media followers or previous event attendees to ask why they don’t download event apps. You might discover that it’s because:
If you can’t speak directly to your users, your analytics will also tell you a lot about your app’s UX. Since 94% of event planners report having problems with their event platform setup, you certainly wouldn’t be the only one with UX issues.
There’s no other way to say it: some event apps just stink. If your app is slow, cumbersome, or not intuitive, it’s time to address those issues with your designer and developer.
Attendees won’t download your app if they don’t know about it. Don’t promote your app just on registration day — share your event app deets with attendees ASAP so more people get the memo ahead of time.
Promote your app as soon as you share the event details. Announce the app along with your event’s date and location, so attendees immediately know what they need to do. Don’t forget to promote the app via social media, email, and your website, so you reach as many attendees as possible.
If you don’t want to direct attendees to the app store, you can create a landing page just for your event platform or app. A landing page gives your event app a home base. Whenever you promote it, you can direct attendees to one landing page that answers common questions, explains the app’s benefits, and more. But be sure to make the link accessible from your website’s top-level navigation so attendees can find it.
A little bribery goes a long way to increasing event platform adoption rates. Not everyone will love the idea of downloading yet another app on their phone, but turning the app into a contest could persuade non-believers.
Enter all app users into a giveaway that offers significant discounts or juicy prize packages. If you want to boost in-app engagement even more, provide additional contest entries to attendees who:
It’s tempting to market your event app at the very bottom of an email announcement about the event itself, but how many people will see that?
You need dedicated promotions for your app before, during, and after the event. By focusing on a single call to action (CTA), you avoid muddying the waters and increase app downloads.
If people aren’t downloading your app, it’s probably because they don’t know about its cool features. If you want to increase event platform adoption rates, lean into the value your app provides.
At a minimum, your event app should include these features:
Why explain what you could show? Sometimes attendees need an engaging visual that explains all of the benefits of using your app. Not only is this a fun marketing tool, but a video also shows attendees how to navigate the app and troubleshoot common issues.
In fact, you can take this a step further and create a playlist of app FAQ videos. That will make it much easier for attendees to troubleshoot their issues without contacting your team for assistance.
We’re all for digital tools, but sometimes attendees need visual reminders about your app in the physical world. It might sound old school, but a well-placed banner can remind people to download the app.
Add printed signs near registration, session rooms, and break areas. You can simplify the signup process by dropping a QR code on all signs so attendees can point, snap, and download in a few taps.
You need some print resources, like banners, to add clarity to your event, but don’t go overboard with print. If you provide a print version of the venue map or session schedule to all attendees, they don’t have a reason to use the app, do they? If attendees don’t have print resources, there’s a much better chance they’ll turn to your app for help.
Make paper scarce at your event. You can always offer printed resources upon request, but use your app as the default for all important event-related information.
Some attendees need an extra nudge to download your event app, so make it part of your programming. Book an exciting speaker for your opening ceremony, and before you start, ask attendees to take out their phones and register.
You need the proper infrastructure in place to boost event app adoption rates. With high-speed wifi, you can give attendees a better experience. Nobody wants to use their precious mobile data on your app, so make sure you choose a venue with solid wifi. It needs to be robust enough that thousands of people can use the wifi and app simultaneously, so ensure the venue and your app have the firepower to handle that.
Humans love games because they add a dash of excitement and competition to mundane tasks. Plus, nothing is funnier than a giddy group of 45-year-old executives going on a treasure hunt in a conference hall.
If you want to increase event platform adoption rates, gamify the in-app experience. Add addictive, engaging elements to the app, such as virtual games, scavenger hunts, or trivia quizzes to encourage downloads.
You put blood, sweat, and tears into your event platform. The right approach can help you increase event platform adoption rates and create an unforgettable experience at your next event.
While these 11 tips take you far, you need a solid foundation for your next event. Our tech-first approach for in-person, virtual, and hybrid events helps brands get more mileage. See how Endless can boost your event platform adoption rates.
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