Events Part V: Using Text Messaging for Real-time Voting and Live Ratings

Reprinted from Resdida.com

Drum roll please….. And the winner is?!?! Yes, you can let people use their cell phones for live voting and get real-time results anywhere there is an Internet connection, even on a smart phone.

There are a couple of ways to collect real-time information from the audience using MOBILIZE. Ask yourself: "Do I need just a vote or a numeric score, like a rating from one to ten?" In either case, setup is fast and straight-forward.

Live Voting

If it’s just voting for one thing versus the other, you can achieve this simply by creating short keyword identifiers for each item. For example, fast-pitch sessions are all the rage. The goal is to have small groups of entrepreneurs stand up and deliver an elevator pitch while the audience listens and then votes for the best. Let’s look at how something like this is designed and setup in MOBILIZE. Here are the steps involved:

Step 1: Get a list of entrepreneurs/companies presenting

Step 2: Create a short abbreviated name for each organization

Step 3: Enter the companies and abbreviations into the Keywords tab of MOBILIZE

Step 4: Test each abbreviation once by sending it in a text message to 80474

Here is a sample table of five entrepreneurs, try testing these for yourself by texting the keyword to 80474:

By sending each once in testing, you have confirmed that each is working and have leveled the playing field by giving each organization one vote. All is good! You are ready to have this work live at your event, from a technical standpoint anyway.

For participation, you will need to educate the audience a bit to get them interested in participating and doing the right things at the right time.  Part II discusses the intricacies of preparing the audience, but a few points are worth reviewing. To be successful, you will need to do the following things:

• Provide voting information verbally at registration

• Provide written instructions in the program

• Explain the text voting at the start of the session and ask folks to take out their phones and be ready

• Include abbreviations and written instructions in presentation slides

During the pitch session, the organizations will present their elevator pitches. At the end of each batch, the instructions/abbreviations slide will be displayed and the moderator will request that everyone take out their phones and text the organization abbreviation to 80474. Staff can then monitor MOBILIZE to determine the winner. Applause and happiness for everyone!

Live Rating

Maybe it’s not just “one thing versus the other” but more of “a scale from one to ten” that you need. That’s no problem either in MOBILIZE. In fact, we once had a client set up mobile ratings for 30 films in five minutes after five minutes of training.

A great use of mobile rating scales is for session ratings. Let’s say you have a one day conference with four 1.5 hour sessions that you would like to have participants rate from 1 to 10 via mobile. Here are the steps involved:

Step 1: List the conference sessions

Step 2: Create a short abbreviated name for each session to use as a key term

Step 3: Enter the sessions, abbreviations, and rating field into the Field Data Form tab of MOBILIZE

Step 4: Test rating each session once by sending a rating for each in a text message to 80474

Here is a sample table of four sessions, try testing these for yourself by texting example text rating to 80474.

By sending each once in testing, you have confirmed that each is working and have leveled the playing field by giving each organization one vote, and a good rating as well. Everything is set for live voting.

Now for participation, just as with the keywords, you will need to educate the audience a bit to get them interested in participating and doing the right things at the right time. Please see Part II for a detailed discussion of preparing the audience. To be successful, you will need to do the following things:

• Provide voting information verbally at conference registration

• Provide written instructions in the program

• Explain the text session ratings at the end of each presentation and ask folks to take out their phones and be ready

• Include abbreviations and written instructions in final presentation slides

At the end of each session, the presenters will explain the ratings and display the instructions slide. Participants will take out their cell phones and send ratings to MOBILIZE. Conference staff will then monitor MOBILIZE and analyze the session ratings. Mission accomplished and no paperwork to collect or process!

In Summary

Mobile should be facilitating your event activities, enabling greater efficiencies and preventing unnecessary paperwork. The keywords and field data functions discussed here are excellent ways to add flair and excitement as well. Implementing is affordable and easy as well but is not something that you need to tackle alone. Resdida is there to lend expertise every step of the way.