Did you know that well placed digital signs can increase brand awareness by as much as 47%? I have witnessed firsthand how transformative digital signage can be. My team concentrates on content and marketing, and we understand that expertly executed digital displays can significantly enhance brand recognition. I have also observed the opposite: poorly planned content yielding poor results. Therefore, I developed this guide to assist you in mastering digital signage content creation.
Before we explore the ‘how’, let us examine the ‘why’. These days, attention spans are shorter than ever. To genuinely connect with your audience, you have to distinguish yourself. Static signs frequently become lost in the shuffle. However, dynamic and engaging digital signage breaks through the noise.
There exist several strong reasons to invest in digital signage content creation:
- Increased Engagement: Dynamic content, such as videos, animations and interactive elements, captures and maintains attention. Engagement can increase dramatically when transitioning from static to dynamic displays.
- Improved Brand Awareness: Consistent and high quality signage design reinforces your brand identity and helps customers remember you. Consider it an extension of your online presence in the physical realm.
- Efficient Communication: Digital signage enables you to communicate essential information rapidly and efficiently. Whether announcing promotions, displaying safety guidelines or providing directions, digital signs deliver the message.
- Data Driven Optimization: Several digital signage platforms provide analytics to track content performance. This data assists you in fine tuning your content strategy and improving results.
Similar to any successful content marketing effort, effective digital signage content creation starts with a solid understanding of your goals and target audience. What do you intend to achieve with your digital signs? Who do you want to reach?
Ask yourself these vital questions:
- What is the main purpose of your digital signage? Is it to increase sales, improve customer experience or strengthen brand recognition?
- Who comprises your target audience? What are their demographics, interests and needs?
- Where will your digital signs be located? Will they be indoors or outdoors? In a high traffic area or a quieter setting?
- What tone should your content convey? Should it be informative, entertaining or a combination of both?
After you have a clear understanding of your objectives and audience, you can develop a content strategy that connects with them. To illustrate, a coffee shop seeking to increase pastry sales might use a digital sign to display tempting images of baked goods alongside customer testimonials. A hospital could use digital signage to assist people in navigating the building and provide important health information.
Now that you considered your goals and audience, it is time to brainstorm specific content ideas. Creativity remains essential! Develop content that proves both engaging and relevant.
Below are some ideas to get you going:
- Special Offers: Promote limited time offers, discounts and special promotions. This can drive sales for restaurants and retailers.
- Product Spotlights: Highlight your newest products or services with high quality visuals and compelling descriptions.
- Customer Success Stories: Share positive reviews and testimonials from satisfied customers. Social proof is powerful.
- User Generated Content: Encourage customers to share photos and videos of themselves using your products or services. This builds community and generates excitement.
- Informative Content: Share valuable information related to your industry or your products. This could include tips, tutorials, frequently asked questions or industry news.
- Entertainment: Display entertaining content, such as funny videos, trivia or interactive games. Make certain the entertainment fits your brand.
- Event Promotion: Promote upcoming events, concerts or festivals.
- Social Media Feeds: Display your latest social media posts to promote your online and offline presence.
- Weather Updates: Provide current weather information, which is especially useful for outdoor locations.
- Emergency Alerts: Display emergency alerts, such as weather warnings or safety guidelines.
Keep your content updated and varied to hold viewer interest. Repetition can result in boredom. I suggest creating a content calendar to plan your content in advance.
With a list of content ideas available, you can start designing your content. Your signage design skills will prove useful here. If you lack a design background, do not worry! Several user friendly design tools exist to help you create professional looking content.
Remember these essential design principles:
- Keep it Simple: Less proves more. Avoid cluttering your screen with excessive text or too many images.
- Use High Quality Visuals: Use clear and sharp images and videos. Blurry or pixelated images will deter viewers.
- Choose Readable Fonts: Select fonts that are easy to read from a distance. Avoid overly decorative or stylized fonts.
- Use High Contrast Colors: Use colors that provide good contrast to make your text and images stand out.
- Consider Viewing Distance: Design your content so it can be viewed easily from the anticipated viewing location. A sign that appears good up close might be unreadable across a room.
- Maintain Brand Consistency: Use your brand colors, fonts and logo consistently throughout your content.
When evaluating design tools, consider these options:
- Canva: A popular online design tool with several templates and design elements. It is user friendly and ideal for beginners.
- Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects): Industry standard design software offering advanced features. A good choice for those with design experience or seeking highly customized content.
- Google Slides/PowerPoint: Surprisingly effective for simple signage. I have observed very creative digital signage created using these tools.
While static images work, motion graphics and video are even better. Dynamic content proves more engaging and likely to capture attention. You do not require a large budget or complex design to create video content. Simple animations, short clips and looping backgrounds can prove highly effective.
Below are some tips for creating engaging motion graphics and video:
- Keep it Concise: People have limited attention spans, so aim for videos that last 15 to 30 seconds.
- Grab Attention Quickly: Capture attention immediately with a strong opening.
- Use Appealing Visuals: Use visually appealing and high quality visuals.
- Tell a Compelling Story: Create videos that tell a story or convey a message.
- Add Music and Sound Effects: Music and sound effects can enhance the viewing experience.
- Use Text Sparingly: Add text to emphasize key information.
Adobe After Effects works excellently for creating professional motion graphics. Simpler tools like Biteable and Animoto are easier for beginners. Even adding simple transitions to your slides can improve engagement.
After your content is designed, you have to schedule it for deployment to your digital signs. This is typically managed through a digital signage content management system (CMS). A good CMS enables you to:
- Schedule Content: Plan your content calendar and schedule content to play at specific times and dates.
- Target Content: Display different content on different screens based on location or audience.
- Monitor Screens Remotely: Check screen status and troubleshoot any issues.
- Track Performance: Track content performance and make adjustments as needed.
Numerous digital signage CMS platforms exist. Popular choices include:
- BrightSign: A hardware and software solution known for its reliability and performance.
- ScreenCloud: A cloud based CMS that is user friendly and offers several features.
- Yodeck: A cost effective CMS that is popular among small businesses.
- TelemetryTV: Another cloud based option that emphasizes integrations.
When scheduling content, consider the time of day and the audience viewing the screen. You might want to show different content during lunchtime compared to the evening. Regularly update your content to keep it updated and engaging.
The last step in digital signage content creation involves monitoring and analyzing content performance. This will help you identify what performs well and what does not. Adjust and refine your strategy to improve results.
Monitor these essential metrics:
- Viewership: How many people view your content?
- Engagement: Are people interacting with your content (for example, scanning QR codes or using interactive screens)?
- Sales: Does your content drive sales?
- Brand Awareness: Does your content improve brand awareness?
Several digital signage CMS platforms include built in analytics tools to track these metrics. You can also use external tools, such as Google Analytics, to track website traffic and conversions originating from your digital signage.
By monitoring and analyzing performance, you can refine your content strategy and maximize the benefits of your digital signage content.
Remember these best practices when creating digital signage content:
- Understand Your Audience: Tailor your content to the interests and needs of your audience. The more you understand them, the more impactful your content will be.
- Be Concise: People are busy and have short attention spans, so be direct and avoid unnecessary details.
- Use Strong Calls to Action: Tell people what you want them to do. Use clear calls to action, such as “Visit our website,” “Call us today” or “Scan the QR code.”
- Optimize for Mobile: Ensure your content is optimized for mobile devices, as several people will view it on smartphones or tablets.
- Test Thoroughly: Before deploying content, test it on various screens and devices to ensure it looks good and functions properly.
- Keep Content Updated: Keep your content updated and relevant by updating it frequently. Outdated content quickly becomes ineffective.
- Prioritize Accessibility: Ensure your content is accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. Use captions for videos, provide alternative text for images and use high contrast colors.
The Future of Digital Signage Content Creation
The field of digital signage content creation constantly evolves, with new technologies introducing exciting possibilities. Keep an eye on these trends:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI can personalize content, automate content creation and improve content performance. Expect AI to gain importance.
- Interactive Experiences: Interactive screens are becoming more common, allowing customers to engage with content in new ways. This includes touch screens, gesture recognition and voice control.
- Augmented Reality (AR): AR overlays digital content onto the real world, creating immersive experiences. Imagine pointing your phone at a digital sign and seeing a 3D model of the product.
- Data Integration: Digital signage is being integrated increasingly with data sources, including CRM systems, social media and weather application programming interfaces. This enables more personalized and relevant content.
As these trends advance, digital signage content creation will become even more sophisticated and effective. By staying informed about the latest trends, you can ensure your digital signage remains at the forefront of customer engagement.
So what is the key takeaway? Digital signage content creation proves a powerful tool for engaging your audience, strengthening brand awareness and driving sales. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can create engaging content that delivers results. Prioritize your audience, embrace creativity and continuously monitor and refine your content. The world of digital signage remains dynamic, but with a solid strategy, you can capture attention and achieve your business objectives.