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Don’t Just Market Your Mobile Abstract App, “Sell” It

Published May 2, 2017 in Leadership

Every great abstracts conference has a mobile abstract app. In fact, the mobile abstract app is one of the simplest tools to use when you want to engage attendees and get them excited for your event. However, this doesn’t mean ever attendee will actually use the mobile app just because it’s available.

Instead, you must sell the app.

Selling the app doesn’t mean shoving it down your attendees’ throats either. There are many simple strategies you can turn to instead that will help you encourage its use without seeming pushy or annoying in the process.

So, how can you do so? We have three strategies below to help with the process.

Encourage Users to Download the App Before the Conference

The issue some conferences face with their mobile apps is that attendees are unaware it exists before they get to the conference. And, while they can certainly download it on-site, they won’t be familiar with it like they would be if they were able to download and view it before the event.

Encourage users to download the app in an email campaign that clarifies the value of doing so. You can’t just tell users to do it – give them a reason why and many will.

Know the Limitations of the App

Every mobile app has limitations, even if many are quite versatile and feature-heavy. If users aren’t aware of these limitations before your conference, they’re likely to run into some unwelcome surprises if the app doesn’t perform as it should.

When you send out emails marketing the app and what it can do, emphasize the most useful features. Most importantly, make sure there are no glaring limitations in the app that severely compromise functionality. Doing so will help protect attendee expectations while selling the underlying value of the app.

Make Everything Simple

It’s easy to sell an app when it’s simple to download and use. If you’re having to explain everything twice before people understand a feature, it’s best to work out the bugs before going to your audience.

Selling an app on simplicity makes your job as a conference manager easy as well. After all, there are going to be people in your audience with different levels of skill and you need to appeal to the lowest common denominator to be successful in your “sales” efforts.

How Will You Sell Your App?

Your app is going to define the success of your conference, but only if you’re able to sell it. When you do “sell” it to your audience, focus on the early downloads, emphasizing the best, most useful features, and the simplicity of it all.

These three characteristics will make it simple to sell, and, make your conference the success it should be.

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