What is In-App Chat!
Virtual Events are like people, they come in all shapes and sizes, and they need different levels of care. That said, like every person, there are a few basics that apply to everyone. For people it is food, water, and shelter; for virtual events, it’s in-app chat.
This is a combination of multiple features in one that can help virtual events succeed. As the name suggests, in-app chat is the chat feature that’s found in apps as well as online platforms. What makes in-app chat so special is that even though messaging is often associated with texting, that’s not where it ends.
Along with the full-panel texting, there are also voice and video calling additions that can be a part of in-app chat, making it an essential for any virtual event that wants to offer top-of-the-game networking options.
During virtual events, the focus has to be on being user-centric and that’s where this one-stop-shop feature comes in. In-app messaging brings the best of communication technology and puts it all under one bar so that users can really communicate and express themselves to the fullest during their events.
Why It’s useful for Virtual Event Platform
The versatility that’s required of Virtual Event Platforms to carefully form and create the experience intended by the hosts of the events is the most difficult task at hand. To successfully do so would result in the direct success of the company.
Because of the experiential nature of these events, the tools that are employed by virtual event platforms could be the make or break of the events held. In-app chat can be used in multiple ways and most virtual event platforms that use this feature to allow people to network with each other.
Take HeySummit for example. They use CometChat’s Chat API that offers a wide variety of features to make their virtual summits more interactive. Read all about it here. These features include media and file sharing, text chat, voice and video calling, and so much more!
Given that there are so many ways to use in-app chat, we have compiled 10 reasons why every virtual event company needs in-app chat:
1. Keeping it Global
The advantage that a virtual event offers is that people can attend the events from anywhere. As virtual events are held globally, language should never be a barrier that doesn’t allow users to access your platform. Real-time message translation can help build strong communication between participants and boost engagement during events.
That is why the real-time translation of messages on the chat box is important. With real-time translated in-app chat, you can ask the users to freely type in the chat box without having to copy-paste what they want to say in a translator. This is just one of many great features that help any virtual event stand out.
Check out this Ultimate Guide to Running a Virtual Event to see how you can improve the way your virtual event is run.
2. Catch Every Reaction
In-app Chat Reactions - CometChat
Texting is so widely used and yet it is one of the most common sources of miscommunication, and that’s because vocal inflection and tones do not get expressed very well by just using alphanumeric characters.
Most modern texting applications use emojis and GIFs to allow users to better express themselves. While these two are important for a messaging experience, they still lack a bit of pizzazz.
To go a step beyond, CometChat offers message reactions that allow users to react to the message of their choice using emojis. This can help set the tone of the message easily and reduce miscommunication in virtual spaces.
As texting gets more expressive, GIFs, emojis, and reactions are becoming a staple for any good communication space. With virtual event platforms becoming more commonplace, the features that an accessible chat box offers are a great way to show that you care.
3. Sharing is Caring
On the topic of a good and accessible chat box, we just cannot forget media sharing options. Being able to share files right over chat is an invaluable tool that could be at your disposal. This feature is especially relevant in groups that are made for networking.
Not only does it allow people to share information about themselves, but it also enables them to share workshop worksheets, resumes, a good meme, or even files that are relevant to the event – like a schedule. All of this in the same platform makes sure that the information is reaching on time without going into the dreaded spam folder.
4. All they’re looking for is… You!
With the ever-increasing number of apps, websites, and communication channels, it seems that users are just moving between the screens on their phones. They end up losing track of the information and this creates a bad experience for the user.
All that the users want is an integrated space for their conversations to be stored that they can anytime, and the ability to access other folks from the event without having to share personal information like email-ids and phone numbers. Not to mention international calling rates and security concerns that go along with it.
6. Texting Shouldn’t be Paranormal
When you hold a virtual event, networking is as important as the workshops themselves. Networking is also one of the main reasons that your users would choose your platform, and during virtual networking, a chatroom with multiple people would be an ideal place for your users to make those connections.
But what happens when only a few people want to participate? Imagine trying to talk to someone and not knowing if they’ve heard you. Texting can feel like that a lot of the time. In fact, this is such a big phenomenon in texting that the slang for this is called ‘Ghosting’.
The chatroom can seem like a lot of people are ghosting, but there are also times when people are just busy and will decide to read and reply to the message later. Read receipts can help in these situations.
Just a simple piece of information, that can convey to the users if their messages have been sent and received successfully, and have been read by the intended person can make a huge difference in the conversation.
This way your users can see who’s an active member on the chat and if they require help, they can approach the right person to solve their query or make the connection they’ve been pining for since the beginning of the event.
6. Networking on the Net
With the onset of the pandemic and career events transforming into online virtual events, several event hosts believe that networking needs to go on the backburner. The seminar-style events can feel somewhat distant and detached without the people actually interacting.
If you want to get ahead as a virtual event firm, you can bring networking to the front and help bring the people characteristic back into the events by deploying in-app chat.
In-app messaging will allow you to create chatrooms where people can interact with each other while still using your platform to make the important connections.
Once you have the in-app chat set-up, you can divide people into large groups and allow them to communicate with each other on their own time.
A major concern with this form of interaction is that several people, behind the wall of anonymity feel like they can get away with using inappropriate language in official environments. And that is where features like CometChat’s profanity filter can help.
You can integrate in-app chat on your platform within minutes and the profanity filter is just one button away. Virtual event platforms can bring people together with the help of in-app chat.
7. An Accessory to Gain
When virtual event companies include in-app chat for their events, a plethora of options open up. One of them is allowing the hosts of virtual events to partner with their sponsors better. Catering to the requirements of event hosts is, for evident reasons, a priority.
If the virtual event is a sponsored one, the hosts should not be limited to just showcasing their sponsors as transition slides. Imagine if the chatrooms introduced were labeled with the sponsor name.
This way every time the attendees of the virtual event want to connect with other people, or even the hosts, the sponsor’s name and information is shown to them more frequently.
This is a great advantage to virtual event hosts and is made possible through the customizability of in-app chat. In events that took place in-person, for example music festivals, the stages that people performed on where labeled after the sponsors.
In virtual events, the chatrooms can be labeled after the sponsors and this freedom to use in-app chat to introduce attendees to sponsors is sure to get virtual event companies more business. In-app chat allows you to open these doors for your customers.
8. Making the Network Secure
All users worry about their virtual privacy, and with that the security of their messages. When offering folks the option to communicate with other attendees of the event and allowing them to use in-app chat, making sure that each and every message is treated with the best security in the market is not a selling point, it’s a necessity.
This is why getting a good Chat API service that is compliant with all the security protocols is important. For example, it is important for the in-app chat system to be GDPR compliant for all the attendees from the EU.
Depending on the event, an in-app chat system that is complaint with the top security protocols will give you an edge over your competitors.
9. Video and Voice Calling
In-App Voice & Video Calling - CometChat
In this new era of quarantining and work from home, “Nice to e-meet you!” has become a common greeting sent over text. Although texting is a great way to talk to other people, it does not hold a candle to face-to-face interaction. With the technology available today, texting is not the only option people have. Video and voice calling are two features that boosts the in-app chat experience. During virtual events, to recreate the experience of meeting people in person, video calling can come in handy.
To add to that, texting might not be enough to convey a message properly and people may prefer to give a voice call to make sure everyone’s on the same page. These features help bring virtual events as close as possible to an in-person meeting and that makes them absolute necessities.
Conclusion
All the features talked about in this blog are essential to any virtual event company. Now you might be thinking that this is a tall order and could take months to work on. But, that’s not true at all! All these features are available in CometChat and you can deploy them within minutes. It’s available for all widely used coding platforms and you can find a step-by-step tutorial along with in-depth documentation for your benefit.
If you want to learn more about how CometChat can help your virtual event platform, click here to speak with our experts and learn about how CometChat can help your virtual event company grow, even during the pandemic!
About the Author
Pronoy Roy is a technology enthusiast and especially passionate about the future of technology. He enjoys writing about modern technical applications that help solve real-world problems.
Pronoy Roy
CometChat
