Of the many changes we’ve all adapted to over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant one was the rise in virtual events. Many organizations were forced to rethink their entire event strategy as the world was forced to social distance or stay at home. And while some pandemic restrictions are easing, it’s fair to say that virtual events aren’t going away anytime soon. Virtual events come with some challenges but with the magic of technology, it is possible to host a successful virtual event. However, just like in-person events, promotion is key to success. One critical tool that marketers can leverage is an event app. Whether it’s boosting attendance, fostering engagement, or creating buzz, an event app can help your next virtual event be a success – and keep attendees coming back for more.
Keep reading as we explore the ways in which an app can take your event to the next level and what to include for an effective app.
Stand out from the crowd with an event app
There are hundreds of events (both online and in-person) taking place almost every day, so it can be hard to cut through the noise and grab your audience’s attention. Competition is fierce, and to get your event noticed you’ll have to make sure it stands out from the rest. Leveraging a powerful virtual event app allows you to craft an immersive experience that engages attendees every step of the way.
A well-developed app can help you fully immerse your attendees into your event, create networking opportunities, foster connections with sponsors, and exhibitors, and even have some fun through surveys, games, and breakout sessions. If you’re looking for an easy way to drive attendee engagement pre-event, you can also leverage a platform like InGo to help create connections before your event even begins!
What features should a good app include?
If you haven’t leveraged an event app before, it can be intimidating to know what it should include. But fortunately, most apps today can be easily designed to ensure they’re engaging, easy-to-use, and chock full of great features. And the best part is, an event app cannot only help your attendees engage with your content, but also make your job as an event planner easier.
Here are a few things to think about when building a great app:
- Registration. A successful event means lots of attendees so you’ll want to make it as easy as possible for folks to register for your event. You’ll also want to easily capture attendee data and seamlessly flow that data into your virtual event platform. You can partner your app with InGo’s platform by empowering attendees to direct their connections to your app to boost registrations. You can also consider personalizing the registration process by asking attendees questions and exploring their preferences to help you craft compelling content and experiences.
- Opportunities for engagement. Even though an event is virtual, you can still create ways for your audience to connect and engage with each other. Consider offering the opportunity to create profiles so attendees can learn more about each other. You could also include features such as direct and group messaging, meeting scheduling, and video rooms to encourage networking and foster engagement.
- Highlight sponsors. It’s important to ensure you have space for your sponsors to show off their products and services. At an in-person event they would be able to hang banners and posters in an exhibit hall or pass out swag during a breakout session, so be sure to find ways for them to do this in a different way. Consider features such as sponsored push notifications and banners, video rooms, and virtual booths to give your sponsors an opportunity to shine.
Conclusion
Virtual events became a necessity during the pandemic and there are many reasons why they’re here to stay. But they do require different ways of thinking and planning to ensure they’re successful. Leveraging an app can be one critical way to rev up your next event and help you cut through the noise of the online world. By including registration, opportunities to highlight sponsors, offering networking opportunities, and more, you can make sure your app not only boosts attendance, but helps you organize it even better.
If you’re looking to organize more virtual events for your business, be sure to reach out to InGo. We’re the #1 tool for community referral marketing and can help you solve your biggest event marketing challenges and drive more attendees and engagement.
