Digital signage is essential for enhancing advertising and increasing customer satisfaction for many businesses. Compared to traditional print advertising, digital signage is more engaging. It uses vibrant colors and contrasts to make advertisements pop. Additionally, digital signage is a cost-effective way to change displays, so messaging is always relevant.
When you understand the best way to use digital signage, you maximize these benefits and more. Discover digital signage best practices from DSA Signage.
What Is Digital Signage?
Digital signage refers to digital displays for communicating with customers or guests. This can be advertising new products or discounts, announcing upcoming events, or helping people locate services and amenities.
Traditional displays can do the same, but a key difference is digital signage gives more control over advertising and messaging. Teams can manage digital signage using software, creating and implementing new content as marketing needs change. In other words, digital signage enables real-time advertising and messaging.
Investing in digital signage may also help a business maintain its competitive advantage. Research indicates how much companies already rely on digital signage, with investment expected to increase in the coming years. According to one report, the global digital signage market was valued at $18.7 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $26.1 billion by 2028, representing a 6.9% CAGR. So, businesses can’t afford to ignore the impact digital signage may have on marketing and the bottom line.
Examples of Digital Signage
You’ve likely seen digital signage at the mall, movie theater, airport, or doctor’s office. Digital signage is a versatile solution that many industries use to meet advertising goals and deliver a better customer experience. The following are some ways different businesses use digital signage:
- Retail stores: Digital screens display promotional offers and highlight products and brands in department and specialty stores.
- Restaurants: Digital menu boards enable interactive ordering and dynamic pricing and inform customers of daily specials.
- Corporate offices: Digital signage in corporate settings helps display company news, highlight employee achievements, and share event announcements.
- Transportation hubs: Arrival and departure boards at airports and train stations provide real-time travel information.
- Healthcare facilities: Hospitals and doctor’s offices use digital signage for waiting room displays and appointment reminders, plus wayfinding throughout facilities.
- Entertainment venues: At stadiums or other attractions, use digital signage for live event updates, sponsor advertisements, and concession stand menus.
- Educational institutions: Digital bulletin boards increase the visibility of campus announcements, and classroom displays can enhance presentations. Interactive maps assist with navigation.
- Banks and financial institutions: Digital signage provides financial news updates and promotional offers. It can also help with queue management.
- Outdoor advertising: On highways and in urban areas, digital signage enables rotating ads and public service announcements.
- Hotels: Digital concierge screens provide information about weather forecasts, nearby attractions, and hotel amenities.
How to Use Digital Signage
The challenge with digital signage is that incorrect usage can have the opposite effect. That’s why implementing digital signage best practices is vital to maximizing this technology. Consider the following when using digital signage at your company:
1) Understanding Audience and Content
Since one of the main goals of digital signage is boosting customer engagement, you must know your audience. What are your target audience’s pain points and needs? Does your target audience change at different times of the day, week, or season? For example, how does the customer change on weekdays versus weekends and evenings? Knowing your target audience ensures marketing content is engaging and relevant.
2) Content Creation and Design
Digital signage is only effective if customers can see and read messages. As such, businesses want to use visual elements effectively. This also strengthens brand consistency, which helps build trust among your target audience. Factors to keep in mind include:
- Text size: Choose a text size that’s large enough for customers to perceive from a distance. Experiment with different sizes and distances to choose correctly.
- Font: Stick to two or three fonts, as many fonts can make content harder to read.
- Contrast: There should be enough contrast to increase visibility. Light colors on a dark background, or the opposite, create the ideal contrast.
- Colors: Bright, vibrant colors are eye-catching. Avoid too many colors, which can be overwhelming.
- Animated visuals: If incorporating animation or motion, keep it simple. Too much animation can be jarring. For example, simple transitions between rotating messages signify a new advertisement without being distracting.
3) Technology and Hardware Considerations
Digital signage consists of more than just a display. Businesses also need to consider hardware for deployment. There are multiple options for content management. Digital signage may have an internal, built-in media player that connects to a remote. Others connect via local networks, and still others use cloud software. Companies should research these options to choose the best for their needs.
Since businesses typically use various technologies, they want to ensure digital signage and hardware/software are compatible with the existing infrastructure. They may explore remote management and monitoring solutions as well.
4) Accessibility and Compliance
Businesses want all customers to benefit from digital signage. This means increasing the accessibility of displays for those with disabilities. Besides providing a better experience for all customers, accessibility is a requirement of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Visit the official government website to learn more about regulations and design standards.
5) Maintenance and Support
Like any technology, digital signage requires routine maintenance to ensure the longevity of your investment. This includes monitoring performance, checking the connectivity of cables on display screens, updating software, and dusting and wiping screens. Consider establishing a regular maintenance schedule to stay on track.
Find a Reliable Digital Signage Partner in DSA Signage
Want digital signage to boost your marketing efforts? Implementing best practices increases the value of these displays for advertising and messaging. If you’ve yet to invest in digital signage, consider partnering with DSA Signage. To learn more about our digital signage products, request a quote.
