What’s black and white and read all over at your next meeting? Your event app, of course.

(We knew you weren’t going to say “the program.” Really.)

Thanks to the advent of the meeting app, you as an event planner or marketer can now package handouts, schedules and content in one convenient, paperless resource. But just because you build an app does not mean your attendees will use it. If the interface feels too confusing or the content doesn’t align with their interests, you might find yourself with an expensive tool no one bothers to open.

So how can you know exactly what to put in that app for maximum adoption and appeal? That’s where analytics come in.

Gathering in-app analytics is a great way to fine-tune your event’s most powerful digital resource. Once you capture and analyze data on how your users interact with the app, you can tweak its content and design to match their needs. Which basically means attendees will feel like you’re reading their minds.

If you’re new to analytics, here are four basic kinds of data you can gather from your next meeting app to supercharge its success: 

ANALYTIC #1: ADOPTION NUMBERS

There’s one basic rule of event app success: even the best-designed, most informative app cannot improve your attendees’ experience if they never download it all. Adoption is the first and most important goal of your app. It’s also something you should track.

Get the hype (and app adoption) started early with clear calls to action and prominent download links on all your website and email reminders. Create a QR code to post on your most prominent marketing materials. Or, budget for a postcard advertisement you then mail to all confirmed attendees.

Once you have launched your app, stay on top of download stats all the way from pre-registration through the last day of your event. Checking adoption numbers is a fast and easy way to see how wide of an audience you reach. It can also be compelling proof for sponsors that their message is actually being heard. 

ANALYTIC #2: NOTIFICATION RESPONSE

Creating a successfully-adopted app is just the beginning; creating a useful app means knowing exactly how and when people use it. Phone notifications (think Facebook or ESPN updates) are a great way to test who’s really interacting with content before, during and after the event.

For example, many attendees begin interacting heavily with your app when they board the plane to your event, or check in. Others peruse it days in advance. Some open the app frequently during the meeting; others may check it once per day. You can know exactly how many fall into different categories of usage when you track clicks, swipes and likes on the notifications you push.

Push notifications are a valuable tool, but use them sparingly to send information and updates. Too many irrelevant alerts, and your users might opt out or even delete your app. Wisely used, however, push notifications can be paired with in-app analytics to monitor which messages generate response. 

ANALYTIC #3: STRATEGIC CONNECTIONS

Content and bonuses are great to include in your app. But one of the primary reasons attendees still come to live events is to network with others. With technology such as iBeacon in your meeting app, you can empower attendees to find and connect with others on site, while also gathering valuable data on whom they connect with.

iBeacon technology works like a series of digital lighthouses, positioned throughout your event. Attendees also wear the technology inside their badges, and it’s synced with their meeting app—where they’ve fill out a brief survey of the kind of colleagues they want to meet. When your attendee walks by a good match, their badges trigger the lighthouse. The attendee receives a phone notification with a photo and summary of the colleague nearby, plus a nudge to go say “hello.” Think of this as Tinder for business: attendees not only get matched and meet up, but walk away with automatic contact info, too.

Post-show, with iBeacon, you will be able to download extensive analytics on who how people described themselves, how many connections they made and with whom. You can use this data to pre-engineer great connections at the next meeting—meaning attendees can know for sure that at your event, they actually meet the right people. 

ANALYTIC #4: PRESENTER RANKING

When you get right down to it, events are a name game. Did you know the majority of attendees create a “must-see” list of speakers before they ever set foot on site? Let your app deliver those preferences right to your door.

Which names are generating the most buzz? Which topics are getting attention? Create a section of your app that allows attendees to develop their must-see list. App analytics then provide you an easy way to track your attendees’ interests and tweak your content or further promote speakers whose sessions are trending in advance.

And don’t stop gathering data just because everyone has arrived on site. Try comparing speakers’ order of importance on attendee lists with actual attendance numbers at their talks or sessions. Or, try measuring speakers’ order of appearance on pre-lists against the social media chatter their sessions generate.

With analytics, the sky’s the limit for improving your event’s most important digital tool. All you have to do is plan ahead and gather data with these smart strategies.

So what’ll be black and white and read all over at your next meeting?

Not just your app, but your attendees’ minds, as well. 

At LSAV POWERHOUSE, we are industry leaders in digital and interactive live-event technology solutions. We believe every event and audience is different—and that every event app should be too. Peruse our portfolio to see the dedication and creativity we put into every event we plan. Then let us help you create an integrated event app that not only wows your attendees, but helps you know exactly what they want.