Best Practices for Broadcasts: Your Direct Line to Participants’ Screens

Short of a bat signal (sometimes too dramatic) or megaphone (sometimes heavy), Broadcasts are the best way to get your participants’ attention.

You may say you want to keep participants motivated, informed, and excited about your Experience, but the truth is, you need to. Sure, engagement in a Goosechase may already be higher than with a traditional learning tool or icebreaker, but you’re aiming for above-average and unforgettable. Using Goosechase’s built-in messaging feature is the easiest way to help make that happen.

If you’re wondering, “What is a Broadcast?” or “How do I send messages in Goosechase?”, this explainer is for you!

Broadcasts are messages that you, as a creator, can send to participants in an Experience. You can mass-send Broadcasts to every participant in an Experience, or pick and choose individuals or teams. Think of them as your direct line to a participant’s screen.

Need to remind teams to hydrate? Want to fan the flames of competition with a leaderboard update? Or drop a hint about a tricky Mission (so sweet)? Broadcasts have got you covered.

Broadcasts are your not-so-secret weapon for:

• Boosting Motivation: Encourage activity and give kudos where it’s due by sharing leaderboard updates or congratulating participants. Share milestone updates like, “Team Flamingos just completed 10 Missions—who’s next?”
• Problem-Solving: Address common questions or reminders about your Experience or event, like: “Make sure you have your name tag on! It needs to be visible in photo submissions to count.”
• Driving Engagement: Add fun twists with messages like, “Lightning round alert: Bonus Mission unlocked! You have 3 minutes to complete this Mission.”

So how do you send a message in your Experience? Here’s a step-by-step guide with pictures for sending a Goosechase Broadcast.

1. In the Create section of your Experience, select the “Broadcasts” tab on the left-hand menu.
2. Click “Send a Broadcast”.
3. Select who you’d like to communicate with. You can choose to send the message to everyone, or select individual recipients.
4. Compose your message.
5. Choose when to send your Broadcast. Its default is to send immediately, or you can schedule them to send later on in the Experience.
6. Click Send/Schedule!

To make your Broadcasts stand out in the sea of push notifications, keep these tips in mind:

• Personalize Your Messages: Address participants directly or use team names to make them feel special.
• Time Your Messages: Strategically send updates at key moments, like halfway through the game or right before a big reveal.
• Mix Fun with Functionality: Pair leaderboard updates with a joke or drop a fun fact to keep spirits high and positive!
• A “Picture” is Worth 1000 Words: Compose your Broadcast like you’re texting a friend. Don’t shy away from using emoji! Might we suggest this gorgeous goose? 🪿

• Can participants reply to Broadcast messages? No, Broadcasts are one-way messages, ensuring you stay in control of the conversation.
• Do Broadcasts send in real time? If you want them to, absolutely! By default, they’re sent instantly to all active participants. Or, you can choose to schedule them to send later in the Experience.
• Can I resend or edit a Broadcast? While you can’t edit a Broadcast once sent, you can always send a new one to clarify or follow up.

'Course you can:

• A teacher running a classroom Goosechase might send: "⏰ 5 minutes left! Complete your final Missions before the class bell rings.”
• At a corporate event, the game organizer could say: “Top 3 teams right now: Red Hawks, Blue Jays, and Green Geckos. Which color will take home gold?!🏆”
• A student leader running an orientation week game might send a one-off message to a team: “Your frosh leader is running late - they’ll catch up to you in the soccer field!”
• A scavenger hunt for friends might include: “Jeff has been randomly chosen as the judge and will award bonus points for the funniest team photo! 😂”
• A museum docent overseeing a self-guided tour might schedule this Broadcast ten minutes in: “👀 Hint for completing the ‘Into Impressionists’ Mission…you might want to visit the gift shop!”
• An organizer at a fundraising event might send: “Last call for the silent auction happening in the lobby!”

Goosechase Broadcasts aren’t just a simple way to keep folks engaged—they’re also a fun opportunity to add personality to your Experience, sprinkle in some humor, and leave a lasting impression on your participants. After all, isn’t that the whole point?