Great digital signage content is the #1 factor that guarantees target viewer engagement. Why?
Because if people don’t care about your message, they won’t stare at your screen. You already know you’ve got to make sure you’re offering viewers valuable, exclusive and inclusive content. But once you’ve nailed the basics, you need to take it to the next level. And it’s easy as can be.
Great digital signage content has to be hot off the press
You’ve got lots to tell your customers, right? And it changes often, because your business, school or foundation is dynamic and ever-evolving. So don’t forget to keep your digital signage up to date. Because if you don’t, you’ll bleed viewers.
How come? The answer’s simple. This is the age of instant gratification. From connectivity to shipping times and even dating, people expect things immediately. In fact, you’ve got about 2 seconds to deliver before people lose their patience. And you’ll lose your customers.
Because your target viewers won’t wait around for your brand-new content to pop up in the middle of a playlist. When they glance up at your screen, they want to see new stuff. Immediately. New sales, new discounts, new events. Great digital signage content is fresh, updated and of course valuable.
So update your playlists, docs and layouts. ALL of them. All the time. Create captivating sales signage to keep info about deals, events and promotions up-to-the-minute. Guess what happens when people realize that every time they glance at your digital signage screen, fresh content is there and waiting for them? They’ll keep turning to your screens for content of value. And you’ll have won yourself a loyal viewer.
Reruns don’t belong on your digital signage screens. Ever. Keeping content new and in-the-moment means you’re offering great digital signage content.
Content must be short and to the point
Great digital signage content is short, snappy and gets down to brass tacks. Although storytelling works great with digital signage, you’re not writing an essay here. Or the next great American novel. Your target viewer simply won’t get a chance to marvel at your awesome writing. Or absorb multiple messages at once. Why? Because digital signage content is only up on your screens for a few seconds. And when people look up, they’ve got to get the idea pronto.
So tell them the bare-bones of what they need to know. Running a huge sale? Tell them when, where and how much. Offering a promo code? Give it to them along with the expiration date. Planning a live music event you know your regulars will love? The general gist will do. After all, if they want to know more, they know where to find you.
And of course you’ve got lots to say about that concert or sale. That’s what a series of slides is for. But keep those brief too. Don’t forget some people will only catch those follow-up screens as they walk by. And they too need to get the 411. So be smart and include the need-to-know along with all the extras.
Pro tip: Don’t overdo the info
Remember how your middle school English teacher always harped on sticking to the main idea? Same thing applies if you want great digital signage content. Stick to what’s important, what you NEED them to know now. Digital signage dwell time is limited. Don’t tell them about two sales at once. Or all the live gigs you’re hosting the next few weeks. It’s just info overload, with two important messages butting heads. And your target viewers won’t absorb any of it.
After all, people tend to remember only what they expect will be important to them. Using digital signage for events to inform your clients about next month’s schedule when they don’t even know if they’ll be free is a waste of potential.
What’s important has to be immediately obvious, not buried in a jumble of other equally important info. Because your target viewer doesn’t have the time to remember it all. Or pick out what’s really valuable to them. And it’ll all get lost in the shuffle. That means it’s your bottom line that’ll suffer the most.
Great digital signage content makes the headlines
Not all information is created equal. That’s why eye-catching headlines are what most of us see first. And if you want to offer great digital signage content, that’s what you’ve got to plan for.
So put what you most want your target viewer to see first and foremost. Whether it’s a sale, new merchandise or a great promo code, you’ve got to make that your headline. It doesn’t mean you can’t have news tickers or the weather on your screen. You just have to make sure that the message that’s most vital to your business fills the digital signage equivalent of the front page.
How? Turn the spotlight on it by making that content your key zone when you design your layout. Make it easy to read quickly. Or put it first and last in a playlist. Don’t forget people remember the first and last thing they see the best. Say your most important message is a new degree program you’re offering. Put that first in the playlist, and end with it as well. What’s even better is if you include a call to action. Tell them who to contact, if there’s an info session they can attend or a website to visit. You’ve got to spur target viewer action if you want to reap the benefits of great digital signage content.
Text & images make the perfect couple
A picture is worth a thousand words. That’s what they say, right? And it’s true. But it’s really more about text and images being best buddies.
Once you’ve narrowed down your message, written it briefly and clearly and chosen the perfect digital signage font, pick the right image. What’s the perfect image? The one that makes the main idea in your text pop. Text and images have to work hand in hand. Don’t have one overshadow the other. Say you want to advertise your brand-new menu. Take a photo of your star dish and use that to complement your text.
Everyone loves images and they grab people’s attention immediately. Use them to highlight the message in your text.
Great digital signage content is easy to achieve
You need target viewers to see, absorb and act on your message. And for that, you need great digital signage content that’s up-to-the-minute new, easy to spot, easy to read and easy to understand and remember. Give your target viewers exactly what they need to know now and they’ll turn into loyal customers.