Organizing an event can be time-consuming and even overwhelming. The process requires you to put together a guest list, create and send out invitations, send reminder emails, organize vendors and, of course, market the event. Consider creating a mobile event app. This kind of application makes it easy to keep all of the event marketing and planning within a single, central platform. Before you start developing the app, keep these considerations in mind.
Before you create a mobile event app, know what its purpose will be. If it’s not solving an issue that your target audience has, it might not be worth your time. In addition, Associations Now recommends that you have an idea of how large your audience is and how valuable your app will be.
This is a big decision that will depend on your answers to several questions: Will users need to access the app at the event, and if so, will an internet connection be available at the event location? If you can, consider designing for both; this way, you have the power of search engines, but the convenient offline access of native apps.
Social media is a big deal when it comes to event marketing. You need an app that easily pushes notifications to various social networks, giving you great exposure before and during your event. You want to make it easy for others to share, like or comment on posts about the upcoming occasion and during it. Also, don’t forget to create a hashtag before you start marketing via social media.
Those using your mobile event app won’t necessarily have Internet at all times–keep that in mind during the development stage. The apps that do not need Internet can appeal to the broadest audience, because they work just about anywhere.
Mashable warns you to consider the development budget before designing the features of your mobile event app. If your budget is rather modest, a complex design and a lot of functionality might not be wise. Talk to the developer about how long it will take to implement the features you want for your app, because this will usually dictate the cost and could affect how you use it during your event.
Creating your own app means you get exactly what you need, but it can be time-consuming to build it from scratch and you might not have the personnel. This is especially true if you don’t already have the knowledge and equipment necessary to create an app. Some businesses use white label apps built by third parties. According to Techopedia, these can be purchased and customized for each brand, so developers often sell them to more than one business.
It’s nice to know how many people use the app and how exactly they use it. If you like keeping track of metrics, make sure your mobile event app features the analytics you’re interested in.
You’ll get the most for your efforts when you create an app that you can use for several events. So, if you plan to host more than one event, BizBash suggests that your app accommodate everything you need to share for all your special occasions. This should make event marketing easier for you.
As some apps take a day or two to create, while others can take months. Make sure you carefully estimate how long development will take. Otherwise, you could end up with a mobile event app that isn’t ready until your event is over.
Your app might be more successful and popular than you planned. Consider scaling the app to fit the needs of a larger user base in case of unexpected growth.