Platform Guide: Step by step

Video guides and step by step instructions for the wider CrowdComms platforms.

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Introduction

Introduction

The CrowdComms platform has a wide feature set allowing admins to create on brand platforms that meet a variety of project requirements. This includes single page webinars, follow the sun (events covering different time zones) virtual conferences, multi day in person or hybrid congress's with complex personalisation for different groups, through to 12 month community platforms. 

This guide provides a step by step process for a typical setup. Platform training, managed services and live chat are available to help you understand how to best utilise the platform to meet your own goals. We're here to help! 

Note: The steps outlined show the latest version of the CrowdComms CMS (Admin dashboard) which you can access here. We recommend switching the toggle to the top right to access the latest version and the associated benefits. 

Don't have access yet? Speak to your allocated account manager, support manger or contact us here. 

CMS Toggle.png

Native app

If you have opted for a native app, a member of our native submission team will contact you to request the required information to allow us to submit your app. You can request an update on this from the live chat team contactable from the CMS. 

If you have opted for a web based platform and want to upgrade to a native app, please discuss options with your Account Manager. 

Important: You will need to setup your own app store account and the submission review can take three (3) weeks to be approved after we have submitted your app. 

Full overview of native apps and the process can be found here. 

Managing your timeline

Attached is a template project planner that you can use to track the progress of your project and agree responsibilities and timelines with all involved with the platform build. 

Project plan.xlsx

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Step two: Choose and customise your home screen

You will have access to a wide range of templates to showcase your brand and ensure a seamless user experience regardless of the device they choose to access from.

Important: Consider what the purpose of platform is and what the key success metrics are. This might be watching sessions live, ROI for your partners, pre and post event engagement or facilitating networking. The aim is to make it as easy as possible for your users to access and get involved with the key areas.

The home screen gives you the opportunity to do that. Choosing the best template for you specific goals is an important step. 

In the 'Modules' section, select 'Create new module'. 

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You will see the full list of modules to choose from. Each module serves a different purpose and can be renamed to be relevant to your use case, as well as targeted to be visible to specific groups only. 

Select 'Page Builder' from the available list. 

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Re-name the module to be relevant. In this scenario, 'Home' is the go to. Change the icon or upload a custom icon to personalise further. 

When you later create additional modules for your wider content, you will have these same options. 

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Choose from the available templates. Toggle between home page, info page and miscellaneous templates to find the optimal template for your specific needs. 

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The intuitive template builder makes it easy for you to upload your logo, background image, change colours, rename widgets (call to actions linked to modules) and make real time edits so that relevant content is linked to the home screen at the right time. You may choose to showcase different content during the initial promotion, compared with what content is profiled during an event or post event.

Here is the Design Service Level Agreement which includes guidance on the homepage design. 

The template design options can be found here.

Make sure to save the template before exiting. Simply hit the 'Save template' button to the bottom right.

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At any time, you can check your progress by launching the platform from the dashboard. 

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Step three: Modules, plan your content

There are 20 modules to choose from and each module has a different purpose. Some are focused on showcasing content and videos, others are used to deliver events, increase engagement, facilitate networking and capture feedback. 

Each module is intuitive to setup however we recommend joining a training session or watching one of our training videos before proceeding further to ensure you utilise the platform in the most efficient way for your requirements. 

Important: Keep it simple! Whilst there are 20 modules to choose from and you can create unlimited modules, the highest levels of uptake and positive user feedback are often linked to platforms that have limited modules and are focused on what is the most important actions you need users to complete. 

In the 'Modules' section, select 'Create new module'. 

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You will see the full list of modules to choose from. Each module serves a different purpose and can be renamed to be relevant to your use case, as well as targeted to be visible to specific groups only. 

Following the same process as the home screen. Choose from the available modules to build the framework for your event. Rename and change the icon to personalise to your requirements. 

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Abstracts module: Showcase medical abstracts, catalogue content, job specifications for internal comms.

Activity feed module: Private social media feed locked down to your platform, white boards, photo wall.

Agenda module: Show the event schedule. Features include filters, personalised schedules and session capacities to manage simple to highly complex agendas. 

Company Display module: Showcase sponsors and exhibitors. Often repurposed as help desk or to profile new services or products being promoted within the platform.

Direct Link module: Powerful module to improve user experience. Direct link to any area of the platform including other modules, sessions, companies, people, live polls, surveys, Q&A feature or external pages. Simple one click for users to get where they need to be. 

Documents module: Share powerpoints and other useful documents with approved groups. Supports pdf, ppt, word, excl and image files for your users to view and download. Link these documents to other areas of the platform such as sessions, people and company profiles. 

Game Display module: Create challenges with points associated to drive platform, event and sponsor engagement. Live leaderboard shows how users are tracking. Include prizes and build a comms plan to get the best uptake.  

iFrame module: Allows you to have your website and other supported sites to load within the platform. Stops users leaving the platform when you link external content.

Info pages module: Legacy module to showcase content. Replaced by the Info pages templates in page builder with improved user experience for admins and platform users.

Live Polls module: Create live polls and link these to sessions to generate real time engagement with your speakers. Users vote on questions and see the results appear in platform or on a branded live display at the venue display(s). 

Live streams module: Legacy module to showcase live streamed content. We recommend creating live streams in the library section and linking to your agenda sessions for the best output and user experience.  

Maps module: Upload Google maps and multiple floor plans with pin drop locations to link from sessions and companies. 

Page Builder module: Powerful feature to build home pages, information pages and image galleries. Can be repurposed for multiple use cases. 

People Display module: Showcase people lists such as speakers, attendees and VIPs. Upload your people to the Libraries section first, and link relevant groups to this module. Create multiple where needed. Networking features including 1-2-1 chat, business card exchange, video calls and request a meeting linked to profiles. 

Portal module: Perfect for clients who organise multiple events. A portal acts a hub for all your events. All approved users download the same app 'Client A Events' and have a list of events they've been given access to. Controls to set permissions around what events are visible based on who has registered for each event. 

Q&A Display module: Build as many Q&A areas as needed in the libraries section and link them here for quick access when you have Q&A taking place in different sessions. These can also be linked to the session. 

Social Media module: Link Twitter, Facebook, Linked, Youtube and more for easy access to all platform users. 

Surveys module: Build as many surveys as you need. Session specific surveys linked to sessions, abstract surveys linked to abstracts, multi choice quiz's and event surveys. 

Video Library module: Showcase on on demand content. Create categories to differentiate topics, pre event videos, on demand sessions and more.

Step five: Libraries

Introduction

This video gives a short intro to the role libraries play, after which you can access our guides for specific libraries using the hyperlinks below.


People: The people library will play a role in every event as the repository for user profile information and controlling access.

Companies: Create visually engaging booths which can display a host of content about your sponsors or exhibitors.

Locations: Manage and view any location labels you have created


Live Streams: View and edit your Live Streams and get info such as stream key, or live viewing figures.

Zoom Meetings & Webinars: Import and manage events from your Zoom account using our integration.


Breakouts: Manage your breakout rooms which can then be linked to agenda sessions.

 

Videos: Upload and manage your on demand videos for display within an agenda session or our dedicated "Video Library" module.
 
Documents: Upload and manage your documents ready for linking to a relevant module.

Images: View and download images uploaded elsewhere in the platform, or upload new images in bulk, ready to be linked through to your modules.


Live Polls: Here you can create and setup your poll questions and then run them during the session, with the ability to cue questions and preview the results live.

 

Surveys: Create and edit surveys using a variety of question types, and export your results.

Q&A: Create and set up container for user submitted questions during your live event.

Smart Sessions: Setup and manage room access, timings branding and more for your smart sessions.

Step six: Platform comms

The comms section allows you to send out notifications to your audience before, during and after an event. It is a great way to keep your attendees up to date with your event and drive engagement for live sessions, capturing feedback or promoting sponsors and networking opportunities.


 

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Example alerts:

This feature has now been re-designed to be even more flexible. There are now three different types of in-app alerts, all with native push notification support, so delegates will never miss another message. You can opt for large pop-ups with or without embedded surveys, flash notifications or a persistent notification with a call-to-action.

This re-design includes the ability to embed surveys from the survey library into the large pop-up alert notification, enabling event surveys to be collected more swiftly and effectively. 

To avoid bombarding your delegates with 'in-your-face' alerts, the more subtle flash notifications can be used, which will appear on the top right-hand corner of the Event App screen for five seconds. Alternatively, the persistent notification can be used, which is a similar design but continues to be displayed until the user dismisses it or performs the call-to-action.


Preparing alerts

  1. Firstly, you will need to log into your CrowdComms Content Management System (CMS) Dashboard and input your details. 
  2. Upon successful login, select the Event App in which you would like to use the alerts.
  3. Then click on the ‘Alerts’ tab from the left-hand menu, and you will then see the Alerts page.
  4. To add an alert, click on the ‘+’ icon at the top of the page.
  5. On this page, you will see three different types of alerts to choose from. To pick the type of alert notification you wish to use, click on one of the top options. The options are:

a.    Full-Screen Modal Notification – Rich media format alerts that must be acknowledged by the user
b.    Fading Notification – Small, text-only notifications that disappear after five seconds without user interaction
c.    Persistent Notification – Small, text-only notifications that remain until the user takes an action 

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Full-Screen Modal Notifications

  1. For this type of alert notification, you can also embed a survey within the notification for your delegates to complete. You can also make the completion mandatory if you wish. 
  2. To set up your alert notification, there are several fields that you will need to populate. 
  3. You first need to add the title for your alert in the Content section. You are allowed 128 characters in this field.
  4. Next, you can add the message or content for your alert in the rich-text editor’s field. This field will enable you to style your alert notification message including adding bold, italic, bullet points etc. 
  5. In this field, you can also embed a video which you have uploaded to the CMS Dashboard Video Library.
  6. Next, is the Embed section where you can embed a survey which you have already created in your Survey Library. Click here to find out how to create a survey.
  7. You can also make this survey compulsory, just check on the ‘Mandatory completion’ checkbox to enable this function. Please note that if you check this box, this means your delegates will not be able to navigate away from the alert notification pop-up until they have completed the survey. Therefore, it may be a good idea to inform your delegates about this in the alert’s text. 
  8. In the next section, Time, you can decide when you would like the alert notification to appear on your Event App for your delegate to see.
  9. If you would like the alert notification to be sent immediately, check on the ‘Send now’ check box.
  10. If you want to send it in the future, select the date and time when you would like the alert notification to be sent out. 
  11. This next section is the Recipients to whom you want the alert notification to go to. If it’s a targeted alert that you are sending, use the relevant group(s) you wish to target. Select the 'Everyone' group if you want everyone on your Event App to see the alert notification.
  12. The final section is other Delivery methods which you can include on top of the in-app notification that you’re sending. 
  13. Check on the ‘Send email notification’ check box if you want the email version of the alert to be sent to your delegate’s inbox. 
  14. Check on the ‘Send native notification’ check box if you want your delegate to receive a Push Notification on their mobile device.
  15. If you opt for the native notification option, you will see the Push Notification section where you can add a notification message and embed a deep link to direct your delegates to a specific part of your Event App.
  16. Once you’re happy with your alert notification set up, either click ‘Send’ if you have checked ‘Send now’ or click ‘Save’ to schedule it to go out on the date and time set. 

Alerts pop-up.png

Fading & Persistent Alert Notifications

  1. The Fading and Persistent alert notifications are very similar in design. Both are small, text-only notifications which will appear on the top right-hand corner of your screen. 
  2. The two differences are that for Persistent alert notifications, you can add a Call-to-Action button to direct the user to a specific page within your Event App. The message will also remain until the user takes an action. When Fading alert notifications are used, the message will disappear after 5 seconds. 
  3. To set up both types of notifications, you will need to add the Alert title and message. You have up to 128 characters in both fields.
  4. For the Persistent alert notification Call-to-Action button, you can personalise your text with up to 30 characters in this field. 
  5. You can then add a deep link to your Call-to-Action button by selecting an action from the dropdown option. For example, if you select ‘Session’ you will then be prompted by another dropdown where you can select the specific Session you want to guide your delegates to. Please note that if you choose not to add a deep link, the Call-to-Action button will take your delegate to the Alerts page of the App.
  6. In the next section, you can decide when you would like the alert notification to appear on your Event App for your delegate to see.
  7. If you would like the alert notification to be sent immediately, click on the ‘Send now’ check box.
  8. If you want to send it in the future, select the date and time when you would like the alert notification to be sent out. 
  9. This next section is the Recipients to whom you want the alert notification to go to.
  10. If it’s a targeted alert that you are sending, use the relevant group(s) you wish to target. Select the' Everyone' group if you want everyone on your Event App to see the alert notification.
  11. The final section is other Delivery methods which you can include on top of the in-app notification that you’re sending. 
  12. Check on the ‘Send email notification’ check box if you want the email version of the alert to be sent to your delegate’s inbox. 
  13. Check on the ‘Send native notification’ check box if you want your delegates to receive Push Notifications on their mobile device.
  14. If you opt for the native notification option, you will see the Push Notification section where you can add a notification message and embed a deep link to direct your delegates to a specific part of your Event App.
  15. Please note, that when creating a persistent alert notification, the Push Notification deep link will be bound to the same action as the alert Call-to-Action button.
  16. Once you’re happy with your alert notification set up, either click ‘Send’ if you have checked ‘Send now’ or click ‘Save’ to schedule it to go out on the date and time set. 

Alerts flash and presistent.png




Step seven: Platform Quality Check

Whilst you can make real time changes once the platform is live, it's imperative to the project success to get everything right before launch.

With this in mind, a thorough quality check of the setup is needed so that you have confidence everything is working as intended, and to ensure your invited audience have a great experience from the get go. 

Important: Help is available 
Highlights: 
Detailed step by step QC

The below QC test involves a full check of the platform build on both desktop and mobile, ensuring completion of all modules, full functionality testing, GDPR/Security compliance checks and testing for Live Stream production if required.

General Checklist

Platform Setup Checklist

Specific Feature Checks (if applicable)

Alerts Checklist 

Live Streaming (if applicable) Checklist

Platform Modules Checklist


Step eight: Promotion Guide

The platform promotion is an essential step to ensure project success. The promotion plan should vary depending on the type of event, content and audience. For internal events and webinars with a straight forward format, a simple one time email invite followed up by a reminder email might be the way to go. For a global congress with pre event engagement, schedule planning and more, this format warrants a multi stage promotion plan. 

Important
Before you start

Consider who you're audience is, why they are attending and the value the platform provides to them. Promoting the benefits of downloading an app or logging into a web based platform, will drive up adoption rates. 

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Essential information

How to access the platform is the single most important information. If you have native and web, we recommend providing both options to allow your audience to access via their preferred method. This will help to increase adoption. 

Web based platform: Hyperlink the custom url

Access our event platform across any device with a modern browser. Simply click the link or type www.crowdcomms.com/virtual

CrowdComms Container App: Hyperlink the app and highlight the event code to access your event. 

Download the container app here: Apple App Store / Google Play Store. Or search 'CrowdComms app' in Apple or Google Play Store. Once you have installed the app enter event code 'virtual' to access our event

Standalone Native App: As above, hyperlink your custom app available in the app stores and highlight the app name to search.

Download the container app here: Apple App Store / Google Play Store. Or search 'YOUR APP NAME' in Apple or Google Play Store. Once you have installed the app enter event code 'virtual' to access our event

Portal Native App: As above, hyperlink your custom portal app available in the app stores and highlight the app name to search. If there are multiple events listed in the portal, you need to highlight the event that attendees should 

Download the container app here: Apple App Store / Google Play Store. Or search 'YOUR APP NAME' in Apple or Google Play Store. Once you have installed the app enter event code 'virtual' to access our event

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Elevate your platform promotion

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Example Email
Essential Final Step

Step nine: Analytics

Introduction

Welcome to the Analytics Dashboard and Reporting feature! This formidable tool within the CMS empowers you to effortlessly acquire high-level insights into your events. From monitoring adoption rates to pinpointing the most-viewed modules and beyond, this feature provides a comprehensive overview to enhance your understanding of event dynamics.

For those seeking more in-depth analysis, the capability to export reports into a spreadsheet is readily available. These detailed reports, conveniently sent directly to your email, offer a closer examination of crucial metrics. Moreover, you will have the flexibility to analyse and seamlessly integrate these spreadsheets into your preferred reporting visualisation tools, ensuring a tailored and insightful approach to event analytics. Immerse yourself in the capabilities of our Analytics Dashboard and Reporting feature, unlocking a new level of precision and control for your event management.

When you log in to your CMS Dashboard, the latest addition awaits you – the Analytics tab! This tab opens up a world of insights, featuring both the Dashboard and the Exports functionalities.

Starting with the Dashboard, your default view includes data from your event date. However, flexibility is at your fingertips – you have the power to adjust the date range. Whether you wish to broaden or narrow the timeframe, this feature allows for a tailored analysis of your event data.

It's worth noting that although you may only intend to review a single day's worth of data, it is recommended to select a date range spanning 24 hours. This ensures comprehensive coverage and accuracy in your analytics. All of the data that you see on the Dashboard and the Reports is representative of the date parameter.

So, let's dive into the Analytics tab and explore how to leverage these features to gain valuable insights into your events!

Dashboard

Now, let's explore the key measures available on the Dashboard:

  1. Viewing Stats:
    -    The stats encompass total page views, highest daily views, and average session time.
  2. Adoption Breakdown and Ratio:
    -    This breakdown details the total logged-in users, users yet to log in, and the corresponding percentage.
    -    The percentage is derived by dividing the total number of logged-in users by the overall count of users granted access to the event app.
  3. Page views over time:
    -    A line graph illustrating the cumulative number of page views across the selected date parameter in the report.
  4. Popular Devices Breakdown:
    -    A breakdown showcasing the percentage of users accessing the platform via various devices during your event.
  5. Top Modules Views:
    -    A bar chart displaying the total number of times modules within the app have been viewed.
  6. Activity Feed Stats:
    -    Stats displaying the total number of posts and comments captured in the Activity Feed Module.
  7. Agenda Stats:
    -    Stats showcasing the total number of sessions created, along with the count of times they've been favourited and added to users' schedules.
  8. Live Polls Stats:
    -    Stats reveal the total number of users completing live polls and the overall number of responses to live poll questions.
  9. Q&A Stats:
    -    Stats indicating the total number of users posing questions and the aggregate likes or vote-ups received.
  10. Survey Stats:
    -    Stats revealing the total number of users completing surveys and the overall number of survey questions responded to.
  11. Documents:
    -    Stats reflecting the total number of documents uploaded to the platform.
  12. People Views:
    -    A bar chart showcasing the top 10 most popular users on the platform and the number of times their profiles have been viewed by other users.
  13. Company Views:
    -    A bar chart highlighting the top 10 most popular companies on the platform and the number of times their profiles have been viewed by other users.

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Reporting Exports

In the Analytics tab, navigate to the secondary tab to explore the Reporting Exports feature, providing comprehensive insights into your event. For detailed information, simply click the "Email Report" button, and the report will be promptly sent to your email.

Exporting data from Surveys, Polls and Q&A's

User responses to surveys, live polls and Q&A's can all be downloaded from the 'Libraries' tab in the left hand menu, under the 'Engagement' section . 

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Simply click the Export button in relevant section to download your report, at which point, if applicable, there will be checkbox options to include names in the data and to include custom fields. This allows you to keep the report anonymous or not as desired:

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Bonus: Tips, Tricks and Guides

Would you like a new video to be added? Request one here!

Embedding Videos on the CC Platform

🔗  directly accessible with this link



Custom Ordering of Items in a Display Module

🔗  directly accessible with this link