I recently came across this article from Eventsforce, 9 Reasons Why Your Attendees Did NOT Use Your Event App. It looked at nine different reasons that attendee usage of the conference app may not be as high as the organizers would like. Here’s a few tie-ins between the mobile app and the show daily to consider as you plan your next event.
The topic of attendee awareness about the conference mobile app is something I often bring up with clients.
- Publish an article on the app in the first issue of their show daily. Include a FAQ section and highlight new features.
- Is there a mobile app leaderboard? Include daily updates and promote the prizes available – attendees love to win things.
Use the mobile app to increase advertising revenue by identifying potential tie-ins with other communications vehicles.
- Two years ago, we introduced a New Product Showcase section (paid advertising) to a client’s show daily. After our initial success, we are going to enhance the showcase by incorporating it into the mobile app. Company name, product name/photo and booth number will appear in the mobile app section, with users directed to the show daily for more information. I’ll write about the outcome next summer.
Mobile app usage may also be due to having the same information in too many places. Rather than having a program book with session descriptions and exhibitor information, move it to the mobile app. It will often need to be updated after the program has been completed, so having it only in the mobile app allows you to update it as often as necessary.
- Publish daily schedules, the exhibitor list and conference information (typically found in the front of the program) in the show daily, along with conference news and photos. Making the show daily your go-to conference resource will also increase show daily advertising revenue.
The article mentions “too many advertisements” as a reason users may shy away from the app.
- Think about packaging mobile app banner ads with either show daily print ads or banner ads in the daily emails promoting the show daily. Creating a limited number of exclusive opportunities would help you increase the price-points to make up for cutting back on the number of ads you accept in your mobile app.