Exploring the science behind the modern attendee psyche while outlining ways to improve attendee engagement during live events is discussed in “Leveraging phone addictions to increase ROI,” a whitepaper by Doubledutch, which provides mobile applications to maximize event ROI.
Mobile technology presents a challenge to event marketers and organizers. For instance, attendees could be gathered in a one-room event and surrounded by content, but this doesn’t ensure attendees are focused on the content being pushed. Chances are attendees are distracted by their mobile devices. Rather than banning cellphones and other mobile devices, Doubledutch suggested leveraging them at events to engage attendees.
In the whitepaper, modern-day event attendees are described as avid smartphone users who work on the go as well as follow, friend and connect on social media with new people they meet. Google polled more than 5,000 smartphone users and reported that 86 percent multi-task their media on their phone. While watching TV or on their computer, people look at their phone simultaneously, and when the modern attendee is sitting in a meeting, 86 percent likely check their phones, according to Google.
A Stanford University professor, BJ Fogg, explained that people need three things to take action, and Doubledutch applied his principles within a live event setting:
- Trigger: In order to encourage the modern attendee to act, they must have a trigger, which can be push notifications on mobile devices. These notifications encourage users to open an app.
- Ability: Attendees need the capability or ease of use to take action, meaning their phone must be accessible, have service and be battery powered. Conferences equipped with Wi-Fi and charging stations address this need.
- Motivation: The trigger needs to be compelling so that attendees have the motivation to take action. On Facebook, a notification indicating a person is tagged in a photo always motivates individuals to click it; people want to make sure they look good in the photo.
To achieve successful live events, Doubledutch suggested several approaches using Fogg’s principles:
- Acknowledgement: Event marketers and organizers need to acknowledge that attendees have phone addictions and then take advantage of it.
- Push notifications: At a conference, event marketers can send push notifications to all users from the CEO during the keynote. The push notification could motivate each attendee to answer a poll in real time that is related to the keynote.
- Make triggers accessible: The modern attendee is motivated to learn more about the event topic, which is why they attend. Setting triggers and giving attendees the ability and motivation to participate through mobile, something they know and love, leads to success.
If marketers provide triggers on a mobile app, they can increase event engagement, and when attendees feel engaged, it contributes to overall event ROI, according to Doubledutch.
To view the entire Doubledutch whitepaper, visit http://info.doubledutch.me/leveraging-phone-additions-increase-ROI.html.
