Best Audience Response Systems

An audience response system is a technology that allows event attendees to respond to questions and connect with one another during an event. Learn more about how you can use this software for your organization's events.

Do you want to engage your audience and increase their participation during events or lectures? Audience response systems (ARS) provide a cost-effective way to use technology that helps both the presenter and attendees. ARS enable speakers or facilitators to track audience engagement in real-time, while allowing participants to ask questions, give feedback and share their thoughts within a safe space. We’ll discuss the top five best audience response systems on the market and why each of them is advantageous for engaging large groups with minimal effort.

Who Should Use Audience Response System?

Audience response systems are especially useful for large corporate events, professional conferences, or university lectures. To maximize their effectiveness, they need to be used with a data-driven approach. If you’re looking to increase engagement and participation during an event and collect valuable audience insights, then ARS is the perfect solution for you.

Benefits of Using an ARS

Wondering if an audience response system is right for you or your company? Check out the following benefits:

  • Real-time engagement - When used correctly, an ARS provides a way to track audience engagement in real-time. This immediate feedback can help presenters adjust their presentations as they go, keeping the audience interested and engaged.

  • Improved communication - By giving participants the ability to ask questions and give feedback within a safe space, ARS promotes better communication between presenters and attendees.

  • More informed decisions - The ability to capture data in real-time not only helps with gauging audience engagement but can also provide insights that help inform future decisions made by businesses or organizations.

  • Enhanced learning experience - Capturing data on how audiences interact with content allows for a more detailed analysis which can then be used to improve future presentations or learning materials.

  • Increased participation - In some cases, using an ARS has been shown to increase audience participation by up to 25%.

Top Five Best Audience Response Systems

  1. Poll Everywhere: This cloud-based system uses text messaging to allow participants to answer questions via SMS, web, or mobile device. It’s also easy to set up and can be used for both large and small groups. Poll Everywhere has a free plan option as well as paid memberships.

  2. iClicker Cloud: iClicker Cloud is a popular remote-learning platform that enables educators and speakers to engage students with slides, polls, and quizzes in real-time. iClicker Cloud has paid memberships starting at $16 for 6 months, but they also offer a 14-day free trial for students.

  3. Vevox: Vevox is great for virtual meetings as it allows users to conduct interactive Q&As, polls and surveys using their voice or text messages on any device. Vevox is free, with paid memberships also available.

  4. Mentimeter: With its attractive design, Mentimeter makes it easy to create engaging presentations in minutes. Mentimeter offers both free and paid plans, starting at $22 per month.

  5. Alchemer: Alchemer is a versatile survey tool that can be used to create polls, surveys and quizzes. Alchemer has a free plan option as well as paid memberships starting at $25 per month. Plus, they offer a 7-day free trial for anyone who would like to try it out before committing.

Overall, audience response systems provide an efficient way to engage audiences of all sizes. They give presenters insight into how their content is being received in real-time, while also giving participants the space to ask questions and share their opinions without fear of judgment or criticism. From Poll Everywhere to Alchemer, these five ARS will help you make your events or lectures more engaging and effective.