August 28, 2022
Real-time engagement event marketing, with live polling and gamification, for example, keeps people’s attention. Think of turning passive viewer-type people into active participants and connectors.
You might be interested in how this works. The answer is straightforward: when people feel that what they’ve got to say matters, that’s when they feel appreciated and valued. They are more likely to stay and chat, and will tell others about your event.
Think about the effect of a timed interactive element: a Q&A session in real time, or live feedback polling. As people share their opinions and experiences, you’re fostering community and buzz on the spot. Your event becomes a live experience with a deeper, lasting impact.
Interactive marketing plans must consider objectives, audience and channels because those elements are critical for inclusiveness.
First, decide what you want to accomplish with your interactive marketing – for example, drive up attendance, increase sharing on social media sites, capture new leads, or boost brand awareness.
State your goals using terms as specific and measurable as possible. Instead of ‘increase attendance’, try: ‘increase attendance by 20 per cent’. This way you can track your tactics, and if it’s not working, simply adjust the formula.
Know your audience: find out what kinds of things they are already reading and watching, their preferences and, most importantly, gather information on their online habits: what time of day are they most active, what are their online interests, and what content works best for them. The more you can learn about your audience from surveys and analysis, the better placed you are to create content for them.
Think age, location and profession: what demographics can you find for your audience? This could make all the difference between writing a serious-sounding missive or informal holiday wishes. But think beyond demographics and consider your audience’s likes and tastes. What content format might they enjoy, and tone that’s most appropriate for them?
Follow channels your audience is engaging in. Create and share visual footage on Instagram or YouTube if they are visual learners. Focus on LinkedIn if it’s for professional networks. Network offline by stepping out to events and meeting with your target group.
Even consider variations such as videos or interactive polls, or modular exhibition stands, like the ones from Showplace. These stands can create a visually engaging space for your brand to represent itself to your audience.
Find a platform and a style that fits your objectives and learns users’ habits and preferences, and, in essence, if you engage them, their attention will follow.
In the modern and mobile world, being able to bring live audiences from the fringes to the heart of an event requires highly interactive and immersive content. This content would include live audience polling, contests, event badges and gamification features to increase the participants’ engagement.
Real time polling and surveys using handheld devices, such as iPads, are crucial in keeping your audience alive and involved. As a presenter, you can ask questions related to the event’s theme and get immediate answers in return in the form of live votes.
Not only does this allow you to verify that your message was understood as envisioned, it also lets you adapt the course of your event to the input you receive from your audience in real time.
This can be a poll created easily via dynamical tools such as Slido, Mentimeter or Poll Everywhere. However, be disciplined in keeping questions short and powerful yet relevant.
You can increase engagement and make the occasion more fun and competitive for attendees by hosting contests and giveaways, and you might offer some sort of prize that is congruent with your event and what your brand stands for. You can use contests like a challenge on social media or a quiz.
Just be clear about the rules and rewards in the lead-up, and let Rafflecopter or Gleam (two of many entry-contest services) run the entry process, so a winner can be plucked randomly without any stress for you or them.
Gamification, on the other hand, is the process of adding some aspects of games to your event, such as leaderboards, points-scoring systems or collecting badges for completing activities, to create competition or a sense of personal achievement.
Set up tools such as Kahoot! or EventMobi so that several activities throughout your event take gamification form – so long as they are fun and relevant to your event content, you will find participants more engaged and eager to participate.
These interactive tools will help transform your event from being a passive space into an active space.
Live features bring the energy specific to interactive formats and turn your viewers into participants, making them feel more engaged with your event and more inclined to contribute. Here’s a round-up of the seven must-haves to leverage real time interaction.
A Live Q&A Session allows your audience to engage in a discussion with panellists or a guest speaker by asking questions or sharing their thoughts and feedback right away.
Live Tweeting and Streaming will attract more viewers and give those who weren’t able to attend a chance to keep up. They will spread a lot of real time updates and give a FOMO (fear of missing out) feeling.
Using interactive marketing in your events will increase audience engagement and create memorable experiences. By turning passive spectators into active participants through live polling, gamification and social media interactions you’ll create a sense of community and excitement.
