Being on top of your event attendance is key when you’re trying to get the attention you want and need. Have you ever gone to a tradeshow and you don’t know what’s going on? How about walking into a corporate event and there’s no one there? If you’re in charge of these activities, it won’t go over well with your management team. Knowing how to be proactive in attracting and getting your audience to your event takes a number of components all working together to reach your goal. One of the most useful tools that is engaging and effective is mobile messaging.

What is mobile messaging?

Mobile messaging transmits messages via SMS or MMS to smart devices and phones to keep your audience informed, engaged and updated. With mobile messaging, your audience will be able to communicate with your team before, during and after the event.

Mobile Messaging – Smart Marketing

Marketing is elevated to another level with mobile messaging. As of October, 2014, over 64% of Americans owned a smartphone, and as of January, 2014 over 90% of American adults owned a cell phone. That’s just adults – now add in the K-12 demographic and your numbers significantly increase!

What does this mean for marketers?

Marketers have a new target market to utilize when planning and conducting events. Promoters, advertisers and sponsors can all benefit from the use of mobile messaging because the client base multitasks with their devices. Smartphones are used as GPS systems, for information from the web, as a social media hub, a camera and communications method. With this platform, the opportunities for engaging your audience are endless. Here are a few strategies to integrate mobile messaging into your event:

Start from the Beginning

Having a list of mobile subscribers on hand to generate pre-event excitement can add insight and preliminary metrics on your anticipated attendance. Use this opportunity to send messages that highlight any guest speakers or appearances to create hype and get people on board. MMS messaging can be an effective strategy for sending videos and pictures for your intended audience.

Keep Attendees in the Loop

Event attendees like to know what’s going on. To avoid any surprises, keeping them updated via SMS messaging when there are changes or discrepancies will assist in keeping your brand intact and your audience in good spirits. No one likes to find out the day of the event that the headliner is a no-show. Any venue changes or changes in time should be immediately disseminated to your attendees and mailing list subscribers.

Creating an Engaging Experience

This is a good way to keep your audience engaged. By encouraging attendee participation through sharing their photos and using social media hashtags, you will open up your event to a wider audience. Additional incentives can include discounts or event perks to those individuals who share footage from the event on their social networks. For multiday events that include walk-up registration per day, this is a great way to increase the awareness of your event, which could bring you additional attendees. This is also a good way to find out if there are any problems going on throughout your event that may deter attendance. By staying on top of your mobile messaging, you will be able to address any issues or disgruntled customers.

After the Fun

You can use mobile messaging to send your attendees a survey where they can either respond right then, or direct them to a link. Allowing your audience to share feedback via SMS is quick and efficient. Knowing where and how you can improve your event experience while your attendees are still on the premises, or right after they depart can provide insight that will be beneficial before you pack up your team to leave.

Mobile messaging is one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience for your upcoming events. By implementing a strategy to utilize a technology that almost everyone uses, you will reach not only your target audience, but a wider span of individuals who may become interested in your cause. Using these tips when formulating your tactics and plan of action will save you time and money while increasing the productivity and efficiency of your team.

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