It’s time to address the elephant in the room: event hosts and planners for meetings, conferences, or educational seminars are not ensuring real, active engagement from their audience, which is unacceptable. We have already reached future-like technological advances, and this challenge can be solved with the adoption of proper audience response software. Let’s explore this smooth path to an engaged audience.
“The success of your presentation will be judged not by the knowledge you send but by what the listener receives.”
– Lilly Walters.
Many companies and events already found their success by using platforms to create dynamic and memorable events. For example, TED Talks are well-known for their presentations and discussions.
Audience response software has recently been integrated into TED events to enable real-time interaction between speakers and attendees. This strategy allows audience members to ask questions, provide feedback, and participate in polls during presentations.
Fortunately, there are a couple of outstanding prospects on the market capable of meeting the needs of every company or event. Below, we will tell you a little more about this type of software and list the best options for you to start implementing it in your following events.
LEARN ABOUT: Audience Engagement Tools
What is an Audience Response Software?
Audience response software is a tool a company or institution uses to increase audience engagement and interaction during live presentations online and in person. It is suitable for anyone with an audience of any size.
An appropriate audience Response Software will manage to successfully connect an audience to one or more speakers involved in an online or face-to-face event such as conferences and exhibitions. Success is often achieved through the use of interactive polls, Q&A, and quizzes that constantly keep the audience engaged and entertained, making the event more enjoyable and meaningful.
But how do you choose between the options available? Don’t worry. We did some research for you, and the results were fantastic. Let’s discuss what to look for in an ideal software and explore the top 10 best systems in 2024.
| Key Element | Description | What to Look For |
|---|---|---|
| Interactivity | Offers features such as polls, quizzes, surveys, and live Q&A sessions to engage the audience. | Software that supports multiple operating systems and browsers. |
| Compatibility | Compatible with devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops for audience participation. | An intuitive interface allows easy navigation for presenters and audience members. |
| Usability | Intuitive interface allows easy navigation for presenters and audience members. | Platform features a simple and user-friendly interface. |
| Real-time Feedback | Provides instant feedback and results during sessions to enhance engagement. | Features real-time polling and response tracking. |
| Customization | Flexible options for branding, including logos, colors, and themes. | Offers customizable branding options to match organizational identity. |
| Data Analytics | Analytics tools offer insights into audience responses and engagement levels. | Provides comprehensive analytics for assessing audience engagement. |
| Integration | Effortless integration with other platforms for enhanced functionality. | Compatible with existing and arising software and systems. |
| Security | Advanced security measures protect sensitive data and ensure privacy. | Robust security features, including encryption and compliance with standards. |
| Audience Interaction | Tools such as live polls and virtual hand-raising encourage participation and community building. | Features interactive tools to foster audience interaction. |
| Scalability | Solutions accommodate both small-scale events and large conferences. | Offers scalability to meet varying event sizes. |
Top 10 Best Audience Response Software
Here is a list of the best audience response software on the market; you can see their strengths and weaknesses to choose the most appropriate for your needs. Making informed decisions is crucial.
Top 1.- QuestionPro’s LivePolls
LivePolls is the best audience response software in 2024. It is an all-terrain tool that allows you to interact and engage your audience through polls, quizzes, and custom trivia games in real-time without the need to download or install anything.
With a simple link or QR code that can be distributed in any medium (physical or digital), your audience will be able to participate in your dynamics quickly thanks to its intuitive interface.
LivePolls has a series of features that will allow you to easily create quizzes or polls and start using them in seconds. It provides strong analytics and actionable insights to improve or develop optimal audience engagement strategies.
One of the main strengths is the cost-benefit ratio. You can use this tool at no cost for now. What’s the catch? None. Not only is it free, but it far exceeds the free and paid versions of other audience response software.
Considerations: User-friendly interface, real-time polling, customizable options, easy integration, rich analytics.
You can create an account free of charge and start using it here: LivePolls
Top 2.- Kahoot!
Kahoot! is a recognized audience response platform that gamifies learning and engagement through interactive quizzes and games. With its library of pre-made quizzes and customizable options, Kahoot! is popular among teachers for its ability to create learning experiences. However, limited customization options and occasional technical glitches are drawbacks to consider.
Considerations: Limited customization options, occasional technical glitches, and internet connectivity are required. Some teachers report that their students focus too much on the games, which can harm the learning goals.
- We recommend reading: Best Kahoot! Alternatives
Top 3.- DialogLoop
DialogLoop offers a comprehensive audience engagement platform that combines interactive polling, live Q&A, and presentation-sharing capabilities. Integration with PowerPoint and other presentation tools enables presenters to interact with their audience in real time and gather valuable insights. However, the platform has a higher learning curve and limited free version access.
Considerations: Higher learning curve, limited free version access, and occasional compatibility issues.
Top 4.- VoxVote
VoxVote is a simple yet powerful audience response system that facilitates live polls and surveys for events, meetings, and conferences. VoxVote helps presenters engage their audience and gather valuable insights by offering customizable options and real-time feedback. However, limited advanced features and occasional technical issues are notable drawbacks.
Considerations: Limited advanced features, occasional technical issues.
Top 5.- Vevox
Vevox is an interactive polling and Q&A platform designed for live events, meetings, and webinars. It integrates with presentation tools and features real-time engagement, enabling interactive experiences for its audience. Despite its features, Vevox has a higher learning curve and limited customization options.
Considerations: Higher learning curve, limited customization options, higher pricing.
Top 6.- Pollfish
Pollfish is a mobile survey platform that offers advanced targeting options and real-time analytics to gather insights from diverse audiences. While Pollfish provides global reach and cost-effective solutions, it may not be suitable for live events due to limited engagement features and internet connectivity requirements.
Considerations: Limited engagement features and internet connectivity requirements may not be suitable for live events.
Top 7.- Slido
Slido is an audience interaction platform that facilitates live polls, Q&A sessions, and quizzes for events and presentations. Its integration with presentation tools and mobile-friendly interface enhances audience engagement and participation. However, limited customization options and pricing may deter some users.
Considerations: Limited customization options, pricing may be prohibitive, and occasional technical issues.
- We recommend reading: Slido Alternatives
Top 8.- Glisser
Glisser is a presentation software that incorporates audience engagement features such as live polling and interactive slide sharing. Has integration with presentation tools and robust analytics, Glisser enhances audience engagement and provides valuable insights. However, the platform has a higher learning curve and limited customization options.
Considerations: Higher learning curve, limited customization options, pricing may be prohibitive.
Top 9.- Poll Everywhere
Poll Everywhere is a cloud-based audience response system that allows presenters to create live polls, quizzes, and word clouds for their audience. Despite offering a wide range of response options and real-time feedback, Poll Everywhere has limited free version access and occasional technical issues.
Considerations: Limited free version access, occasional technical issues, higher pricing.
Top 10.- myQuiz
myQuiz is an interactive quiz platform that promotes live quizzes, polls, and trivia games for audience engagement. With a fun interface and real-time scoring, myQuiz offers a learning experience. However, the platform may lack advanced features and customization options.
Considerations: Limited advanced features and customization options may not be suitable for corporate events.
Benefits of using an Audience Response Software
Now that we examined the best options, let’s analyze the benefits of using this type of software.
There is nothing worse than a boring event or class; that’s why implementing platforms such as audience response software is a great option to make things more fun and allow your audience to have a pleasant time.
The main of conducting this, according to our research, are:
- Memorable event: Without a doubt, making your audience have a great time by attending your events or conferences will make them want to attend the next edition.
- Word of Mouth Amplification: There is no better advertising than people’s opinions. If you complement the use of these dynamics with memorable prizes, you will make people not only have a great time and want to return but also invite more people to attend other events organized by you or your company.
- Fun: Quizzes are a great opportunity to include fun questions that will make more than one laugh and perceive your event as fun and interesting.
- Value interactions: Good audience response software will also allow you to manage your audience’s questions and answers to carry out a dynamic Q&A session.
- Data: Many audience response software can be used as a survey for conferences or something similar, so you can collect data and analyze it later to find areas for improvement.
We hope that all this information will help you implement this type of technology in your meetings and events and distinguish yourself from others. As we mentioned earlier, this can bring you great benefits.
If you are interested in using Audience Response Software, we invite you to try LivePolls. It is free of charge, and we will support you with any questions at any time. You can use all our features to keep your audience interacting with your event in an original way.
