In the modern world where everything is turning digital, digital signage has become a crucial means of communication for companies in different sectors. Used in retail shops, restaurants, offices, hospitals, and many other facilities, digital signage is an effective means of passing information to customers, employees, and other stakeholders. But the success of digital signage is in the content that is displayed on the screen. Digital signage content creation is not just about presenting information; it is about designing effective, informative, and attractive content that will attract people’s attention and compel them to act. In this blog, we will explore the strategies to develop effective digital signage content that makes the most of the audience and meets your business objectives.
Understanding the Purpose of Digital Signage Content
It is important to know why you are creating content for the digital signage before getting into the actual process. Ask yourself: What do you wish to accomplish with your digital displays? The answer to this question will help you in your content marketing plan. The primary objectives of digital signage content usually fall into one or more of the following categories:
• Informing: For instance, to guide people around the premises, to give details of events that are happening or to relay important information such as emergencies.
• Engaging: Using attention grabbers such as pictures, videos, or attractive and moving texts, or buttons.
• Promoting: Promoting goods and services, sales, particular deals or events to increase their sales or turnout.
• Entertaining: Presenting content that is entertaining to the customers, for instance, videos, quizzes, or live social media feeds to improve the customers’ experience.
Now that you know the primary goal, you can start creating content that supports your aim and will be interesting to your audience.
Best Practices for Creating Effective Digital Signage Content
1. Keep It Simple and Focused
The first and probably the most important guideline when it comes to digital signage content is that it has to be simple. Digital screens are placed in areas where there are other things that can attract people’s attention; therefore, the message displayed on the screen should be easy to understand. Ensure that you use brief statements or even lists to pass important information in a brief manner. It is recommended to keep the number of messages or CTAs per slide or frame minimal to avoid cluttering the audience’s vision.
• Use Large, Legible Fonts: It is also important to select fonts that are legible from a distance. Do not use the fancy fonts that are hard to read. Use only simple fonts; do not use fancy fonts; instead, use only Arial, Helvetica, or Roboto.
• Contrast and Color: Contrast between text and background colors is good since it makes it easy to read. Choose colors that are related to your brand, but make sure that they will stand out and capture the readers’ attention.
2. Prioritize Visuals Over Text
Digital signage is a visual tool, so it is advisable to use more pictures, videos and graphics rather than using large texts. Visuals are more effective and capture the attention of the viewers and are easily processed by the brain.
• Use High-Quality Images and Videos: Make sure that all the images used are of high quality and well taken by a professional. Poor quality pictures or videos may mar the aesthetic value of your signs and may also affect your brand negatively.
• Incorporate Animations and Motion Graphics: Since people are easily drawn towards movement, using animations or even simple motion graphics is a great way of getting people’s attention. However, use of motion should not be overdone so as to distract or annoy the viewers in any way.
3. Craft Compelling Headlines and CTAs
Your headline is the first thing that viewers are going to read, and it’s the first thing that they are going to see. Create headlines that are short, compelling and that will interest the target group. Make sure your headline is followed by a strong CTA that will guide the viewers on what you expect them to do next.
• Use Action-Oriented Language: Some of the words that can be used to call for an action include Discover, Save, Join or Explore.
• Keep CTAs Clear and Direct: Ensure that your CTA is clear and well visible to the eye of the beholder.
4. Optimize Content compelling,for Screen Size and Viewing Distance
Digital signage can be of different types and sizes ranging from small tablets to large outdoor billboards. Check that all the content is easily readable on the screen and at the distance at which the content is being viewed.
• Adjust Font Sizes Accordingly: For instance, open spaces may need larger texts on the screen while small spaces may need small texts.
• Test Visibility from Different Angles and Distances: It is always recommended that you should always test your content in the actual environment where it will be used. Make sure that it is easily distinguishable and readable from any angle and from a certain distance.
5. Leverage Dynamic Content for Greater Engagement
It is a revolution in the digital signage industry that has brought a lot of changes in the way content is displayed. Static content, on the other hand, can be refreshed and changed to display new information in real time, for instance, weather, news, social media feeds, or user actions.
• Use Data-Driven Content: Show content that is related to the current location of your audience, the time of day or any event happening in the area. For instance, a coffee shop can put up offers for hot drinks when it is cold or iced drinks when it is hot.
• Incorporate live feeds: Ensure that the content is regularly updated by using feeds from social media networks, news channels, or even the company’s internal feeds.
6. Plan for Regular Content Updates
One of the major mistakes in digital signage is to keep the content stale. It is therefore important to post often in order to keep the viewers interested and to come back for more.
• Create a Content Calendar: Create a content update calendar depending on the promotion, events or the season. This way you can be sure your signage is always up to date and fresh to the public’s eye.
• Automate Content Management: Some of the features that may help you include the use of digital signage content management system (CMS) that will enable you to manage updates, set a time for changing the content and even manage the displays remotely.
7. Incorporate Branding Consistency
Brand consistency is crucial in the sense that it helps to strengthen your brand and gain your audience’s trust. Make sure that the content displayed on your digital signage is in line with your branding; this includes color, font, logos and even the way you communicate.
• Use Branded Templates: Create templates that are in line with the brand standards that you have set. This helps in ensuring that all the content that is displayed on the digital signage is in harmony.
• Highlight Core Brand Messages: Ensure that your brand’s USPs or core messages are well communicated and repeated in all the content pieces.
8. Utilize Interactive Elements
This is because interactive digital signage presents a chance to engage the target audience in a more effective manner. Utilize the touch screen, QR codes or motion sensors to come up with an activity that will involve the participants.
• Add Interactive Menus or Catalogs: For retail or restaurant applications, you may use a menu or catalog where the customer can choose the items he or she wants to order.
• Incorporate Gamification Elements: Entertain and engage viewers with games, quizzes or contests and you may also be able to direct traffic to your website or social media pages.
9. Analyze and Optimize Performance
It is therefore crucial to evaluate the performance of your digital signage content to ascertain if it is delivering the intended purpose.
• Use Analytics Tools: Some of the digital signage systems have analytics tools integrated into them to help in tracking the engagement parameters such as the number of impressions, time spent or even interaction.
• Conduct A/B Testing: Experiment with the content, the design or the message to find out which one fits best with the audience. Apply the following data to improve your content marketing plan as you go along.
Conclusion
Developing effective content for digital signage is a process that can be described as more of a science than an art. Knowing your audience, using simple and attractive images, and ensuring frequent content change are some of the ways to optimize your digital signage and meet business objectives. It is important to note that digital signage is not a one-off activity but rather a continuous process of refining and enhancing. Following these guidelines will help you develop content that will grab viewers’ attention, make them interact with the content, and take the actions you want them to take.
