Investing in digital signage is no longer unheard of in the world of marketing strategy for businesses. In fact, for many companies, building a comprehensive digital signage content strategy is crucial to their marketing mix. Companies across all industries, from retail to healthcare to financial institutions, are turning to digital signage to increase engagement, deliver innovation, and remain top-of-mind with customers, partners, and employees. But many teams fail to focus on an essential aspect of digital signage programs: content. Building out your digital signage marketing strategy before you invest in the technology can help save time and money while optimizing results.
Why Digital Signage Matters
Digital signage is transforming the way businesses share information and content with visitors. From the inside of a lobby to the walls of conference rooms to the middle of a retail store, digital signage represents the next wave of innovation. So why is digital signage so popular? Let’s look at some benefits of digital signage:
Real-Time Updates
It allows for real-time content updates. In traditional campaigns, brands had to decide on messaging, review creative, spend time and money to print displays, and then manually hang signs in a display space. With digital signage, brands can instantly update the digital screens’ content, change messaging, and display personalized content based on specific needs.
Low Wait Times
It allows for real-time content updates. In traditional campaigns, brands had to decide on messaging, review creative, spend time and money to print displays, and then manually hang signs in a display space. With digital signage, brands can instantly update content, change messaging, and display personalized messages based on specific content needs, straight to digital signage screens connected to the network.
Enhances Customer Engagement
It’s interactive. Many digital signs are kiosks or touch-screen-enabled displays that encourage consumer interaction. Audiences can tap through slideshows, view a brand’s social media pages, use a wayfinding app, shop for specific products, and even design custom merchandise from a digital display.
Keeps Stakeholders Happy
It can help close deals. In retail environments, digital signage can act as an extra ‘man on the floor’ and serve as a point-of-sale if other sales reps are busy. At the very least, display screens can highlight product features and help guide customers to a buying decision.
Improves Brand Awareness
It brings a definite wow factor to customer experiences. When prospective customers or partners enter your lobby, you want to wow their socks off. A digital signage display delivers this punch-in-the-face without sacrificing brand voice or message.
Extra Revenue Provider
It can even bring in extra revenue. Depending on your industry, digital signage can be used to display sponsor logos and advertisements between your brand messages. This innovative offering to your partners can bring in revenue for your brand.
Optimizing Your Digital Signage Strategy
So why is content so important when it comes to digital signage? Understanding what your goals are – and what type of content you will be displaying – should help inform the layout and design of your digital signs, not the other way around. It’s harder to fit your content to an existing digital layout than to design a layout around your content strategy. Before you jump straight into content creation, think about strategies for delivering your message.
Brands should start by thinking about what they’re trying to achieve with their digital signage. Do you want to add interactive elements? Will there be video or animations involved, or just graphics? Does our content speak to potential customer demographics or personas? Are you going to dedicate banners or corners for advertisers? How high will you go with the design if you’re adding display technologies in-store or to your lobby? Starting your digital signage marketing strategy by thinking about these content questions will allow your brand to be more innovative and nimble.
Another reason starting with content is so important is because your digital signage technology, no matter how cutting edge or innovative, can look outdated and sad without great content. Simply putting a hodge-podge group of graphics on a LED screen in your lobby isn’t optimizing your strategy. Instead, brands should focus on how the audience will engage and interact with the projected images and videos. As you’re building out your digital signage content strategy, don’t forget to keep your target audience top of mind.
Now that you have a solid foundation, contact us to learn more about our digital signage solutions and to discuss how we can help you with your content management and signage network needs.
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