Overview
Required subscription: For teams using Popl for Event Lead Capture (ELC), all plans are usage-based and built around Enrichment Credits, the currency used to capture and enrich leads. Learn more about team plans here.
This guide is built for members of a Team who are new to Popl. Whether you're scanning badges at conferences or collecting leads in the field, Popl simplifies lead capture and connects directly to your everyday workflows.
This article answers the question: "Why is my team choosing Popl, and how does it make my job easier?"
Keep in mind: Popl helps you capture more leads with less effort and fewer tools, while also making a stronger impression on the people you meet. Learn more below.
Why Popl? What is it?
Popl is your new universal lead capture tool. It replaces outdated, event-specific scanners with a single platform that you can use across all in-person events.
When used correctly, Popl streamlines lead collection and connects the data directly to your team's CRM, reducing manual work and lead loss.
Key benefits of Popl:
It's the last event lead capture tool you'll need to download, and it's easy to use.
Standardize and instantly enrich lead data, so sales and marketing can follow up faster
Make a modern, professional impression that helps you stand out
Book meetings on the spot with Calendar Booking
"Popl helps you focus on the conversation, not the data entry."
Keep in mind: Every lead you capture with Popl is complete with a standardized set of information and can be sent instantly to your CRM.
How it works: Lead Capture Methods
Popl supports multiple ways to capture a lead, so you're ready for any event setup.
Here are the four key methods for capturing a lead:
Paper business card scanner
Badge Scanner
Introducing the world's first AI-powered event badge scanner. Say goodbye to expensive badge scanning kits and clunky event apps that make you pay for leads.
Welcome to the future of conferences, trade shows, and events.
Here's how to use it:
Take a picture of the entire badge from the Popl app
Add lead qualifiers and notes to enrich the context
Let Popl's AI pull key contact details (name, email, title, company, and more)
Note: You will know enrichment is complete when you feel the phone vibrate!
Works in offline mode; syncs once you're back online. See offline mode below.
Pro tips
Since enrichment may not always find an email, especially offline, we recommend asking the lead for their email or having them enter it before saving.
If a badge shows a parent company that makes enrichment inaccurate, tap "Enrich with new company" to re-trigger enrichment with the correct company name.
When wifi is really slow, but cell service is good, turn OFF wifi and use cell service instead.
What enrichment returns: In addition to name, email, and title, Popl's AI enrichment also returns:
Personal email (on by default for new teams)
Company monthly website visitors (estimated)
Technologies used in the company's tech stack
Employee count and annual revenue estimates
Note: If a badge is scanned without a name or company, a Rescan banner will appear prompting you to try again for a better result.
Learn more about the Universal Badge Scanner:
Paper Business Card Scanner
Use the Paper Card Scanner to quickly capture information from any paper business card. When possible, after scanning a paper card, save a tree 🌳 and give that card right back to the person who gave it to you.
Here's how to use it:
Snap a photo of any business card
AI extracts contact info automatically
Fill in qualifiers and save the lead in one step
Keep in mind: In addition to taking images in real-time, you can also upload an existing image of a business card from your camera roll. Business card scans do not count toward enrichment credits.
Lead Capture Form
The Lead Capture Form is a great way to capture a lead when someone doesn't have a badge or business card to scan, or when you want new leads to submit their information without having to talk to another team member.
Share your Lead Capture Form with one step:
Show your Popl QR code to a lead and let them fill out their info directly into your lead capture form
Works without wifi and can sync later
Learn more about customizing your lead capture form here
Note: Your admin will need to turn on Lead Capture Mode for the form to appear immediately after scanning your QR code. If Lead Capture Mode is off, the lead will see your digital business card first and will need to tap "Save Contact" to reach the form.
Keep in mind: Lead capture form submissions do not count toward enrichment credits.
Learn more about Lead Capture:
QR Code Scanner
Use Popl to scan any QR code (LinkedIn, websites, digital cards)
Store the contact data in one place
Keep in mind: Always scan or collect a lead's info early in your interaction to keep things seamless.
List Enrichment
List Enrichment lets you upload a CSV of contacts and enrich them in bulk, ideal for pre-event research or post-event follow-up. It is available to all ELC teams on both legacy and new pricing.
Each enriched row costs 0.25 enrichment credits
Uploading and enriching a contact via List Enrichment, then badge-scanning the same person at an event, will use both credits (0.25 + 1 = 1.25 total)
List enrichment leads do not count as duplicates of badge scans, and vice versa
Calendar Booking
Our Calendar Booking feature lets you or your leads schedule a meeting directly from your digital card or lead capture flow, with no back-and-forth required.
Available to all ELC teams at no additional credit cost
Integrates with your calendar to offer real-time availability
Learn more at popl.co/pages/calendar-booking
Event Intelligence (Beta)
Event Intelligence gives your team a head start before the event by surfacing attendee and exhibitor data. Available to all ELC teams in beta.
Access via the "Request Exhibitor List" button inside a Campaign
Does not count toward enrichment credits during beta
If you're wondering how to set up your account, create your digital card, and share it with new leads, keep reading.
Getting set up in Popl
Getting started takes just a few minutes. Here are the steps to complete your setup:
Step 1: Log in to the Dashboard or Popl App
Keep in mind: You can manage your profile from the Popl App or Popl Dashboard. We recommend starting with the Popl App as a member.
Download the Popl App from the App Store or Google Play and log in using your provided login credentials
You will typically use the Popl App when sharing your digital card
You can make changes to your digital card using the Popl App when you can't access your dashboard on a computer (i.e., on the floor at a conference)
When ready, log in to your account on the Popl Dashboard
Use your work email to log in (or check for an invite email if provided by your admin)
Learn more about signing in:
Step 2: Customize Your Digital Card
Log in to your account on the Popl Dashboard
Click on your card to open the editing interface
Use the "About" tab to update your headline, bio, and company info
Adjust layout style (centered, left-aligned, portrait) in the Card Layout dropdown
Example: Left-aligned card
Review your design settings, including card theme, link color, and font
Click on the 'link' section to add featured links (examples below):
LinkedIn
Email
Contact Card
Calendly
Note: Team admins can create or edit templates from the dashboard and apply them across subteams. This may apply layout restrictions to your cards.
Learn more about building and editing your digital business card:
Step 3: How to Share Your Digital Card
There are several ways to share your digital business card:
Keep in mind: When sharing your card with new leads, you will likely be using your PopCode (Popl QR Code). Learn more about your PopCode and its various forms here.
Phone to Phone | Social Media | Other Ways |
QR Code (PopCode and Offline QR Code) | Card link (e.g. poplme.co/giulia) | |
Text message | ||
NameDrop | X (formerly Twitter) | |
Add QR to Lock Screen |
Sharing your digital card via the Popl App
Open the mobile Popl app and navigate to your home page
Your main digital card will be displayed first
Tap on the Cards Tab, the card, and then select which sharing method you prefer
Sharing your card with your PopCode or Offline QR code
PopCode: Share with your in-app QR code or create a QR code widget here
Offline QR Code: Select "Share Card Offline" in the share tab when you have no internet or data
Keep in mind: When you turn on Share Card Offline, this pulls up a unique QR code that shares your contact card only.
Learn more: How to Share Your Digital Business Card
Step 4: Check Your Leads and Activity
You can view your leads in the Popl Dashboard or the Popl App. At a conference, we recommend visiting the Leads Tab of the Popl app to make quick updates (e.g., add notes) to newly saved leads.
Keep in mind: As an individual user or Teams member, you are only able to view your own leads or contacts. As a Teams admin, you can view all leads made by the team.
To view and manage leads:
Access the Popl Dashboard
Click Leads on the far-left navigation panel
Use Select All to take bulk actions on leads
Access the mobile Popl App
Tap the Leads or Contacts icon on the bottom menu
Search leads by company name using the search bar
Learn more about lead management:
Common Questions
Question | Answer |
What happens if I'm offline? | You can still scan badges and business cards while offline. Popl will save your lead locally and complete enrichment once you're reconnected. |
Can I edit leads after the event? | Yes, all saved leads are editable. You can return to any lead to add notes, update information, or re-enrich with a corrected company name. |
Where do my leads go? | Leads are viewable in the Popl app and the dashboard. If an admin has integrated a CRM, leads will automatically sync. If a sync fails, you can view and troubleshoot failed exports via Sync Logs in the dashboard (available for native integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and Outlook). |
Do I need admin access to use Popl? | No. Most users will not be admins. You can use all core functionality with standard user access. |
What if enrichment doesn't find an email? | Enrichment runs in the background and attempts to find a work email and a personal email where available. If no email is found, you can manually enter one before saving the lead. Popl also automatically re-attempts failed enrichments later in the day as new data becomes available. |
How do enrichment credits work? | Each badge scan uses 1 credit. List Enrichment uses 0.25 credits per row. Business card scans and lead capture form submissions are free. If the same lead (same name and company) is enriched again within 30 days, no additional credit is charged. Learn more about pricing here or by contacting your Customer Success Manager. |
💡 Tip
Need more help? Get support from our team
Chat with us or email us at [email protected]