No Digital Signage? Learn What You’re Missing

If you’re weighing up the costs of advertising your product or service, you’re probably considering the cost of the available marketing mediums. Of course, you’ve probably considered a print-run of flyers and posters, and – on the surface – they probably seem the most affordable option.

However:

Maybe you haven’t considered the value of digital signage? Sure, the outlay is decidedly higher than a print run for a single media campaign. But, digital signs are infinitely more versatile. They’re also proven to catch people’s attention using high-resolution text, graphics, and video content to make passing customers stop and look.

The Chamber of Commerce reported that a single digital LCD sign offering real-time information increases sales by 30%. While research shared by TIE National identified that 40% of consumers confirm that digital displays influence their purchasing decisions. Additionally, 47% of us recall information longer (up to 30 days) after reading it from a digital sign.

And digital signs aren’t just used for building exteriors; they keep teams and customers informed and on track.

In this article, we’re going to explore some of the ways digital signs could revolutionize the way you work and what you’re missing from digital signage. We’ll examine how digital signage affects customer behaviors and attracts customers, while keeping your staff informed, productive, and on track.

Brand Awareness

There are very few companies that face little or no competition. Even brands that monopolize on their uniqueness, such as Apple, have competition from Samsung, Microsoft, and Google.

Apple’s specific difference is its brand identity – its product range and marketing voice are precisely targeted to a clearly defined customer base. And they are experts at projecting brand awareness in places that might influence customer behavior.

Of course, Apple has billions of dollars that help position its advertising content in all the premium spots. However, for retailers of all sizes, their premium spot is their shopfront – putting brand awareness in places that might influence customer behavior is the significant point here.

Project your brand on your storefront

So, whether you’re a manufacturer or a retailer (or a restaurant, a hardware store, or even a church), brand awareness is critical.

A digital sign on your shopfront helps project your brand identity. Research from TIE suggests that 47% of us can recall information from a digital sign as much as a month later; you don’t get that with printed media.

Keeping at the forefront of your customer’s minds
Use your digital signage devices to display your logo and espouse your uniqueness. Think about how brands such as Burger King have changed from static in-store menu boards to digital menus, using graphics and high-resolution video to draw your eye towards their tantalizing selection of treats.

The moving or changing image injects energy into marketing windows. And energy influences customer behavior.

Retail Stores

Traditionally, retail stores use posters stuck with sticky tape to their windows, teasing special offers and monthly deals. But, after a while, those posters start to discolor in the sun, peel away at the edges, and just look generally tired.

Another print-media tack is to get some poor someone on minimum wage to stand in the middle of the mall handing out flyers. However, passers-by inevitably try their best to avoid eye contact as they rush past.

Posters are OK, but their static nature makes them easy to miss, and they age badly. And flyers inevitably fill up the mall trash cans. Digital signs or billboards catch eyes, even using touch screen interaction to draw potential customers directly to storefronts.

Kiosks in shopping malls and airports are prime real estate as far as shopper footfall is concerned, but they’re easy to walk past. Digital screens are especially effective for smaller businesses, partly because customers least expect to see them there.

Product Information

Marketing agencies rarely run singular campaigns – they A/B test their content to find the most effective means of delivering brand- and product awareness. And this is where digital signage begins to save you money.

Say you sell vacuum cleaners, and you believe that your USP is the super-strong suction. You spend $5000 on a print run of flyers and posters and adverts in the local newspaper, marketing that single USP.

And you distribute your advertising content accordingly.

However, you discover that what people really love about your product is the length of the electrical cord. They can connect the power socket in one room, and still manage to vacuum the entire house. This suddenly becomes your new USP – but you’ve still got $1000 worth of flyers and a couple of weeks of newspaper advertising left.

A digital marketing agency would test campaigns that sell the suction of your vacuum, along with another that focuses on the length of the power cord. And they use analytics to identify which of those approaches yields the most favorable result.

Digital A/B Testing

Your digital sign is the perfect, versatile platform for A/B testing.

Your digital content is controlled by a basic PC or even a mobile smart device, so there are literally no limits to the content you can share on your digital sign.

So, next time you’re launching a special offer, don’t waste money on static printed images – use a digital sign that changes along with your campaign.

And if you discover that your existing approach isn’t working, it’s easy enough to change your digital content to try a new tact.

Employee Collaboration

The buzzword of the late 2010s and early 2020s has been “collaboration.” Indeed, during the various stay-home measures, teams have had to work at their kitchen tables while the dog chews its way through your confidential reports.

But now that people are finding their way back to the office, we have a real opportunity to bring teams back together.

In the past, you may have used email or an instant messenger like Slack or WhatsApp to communicate business essential information. But we all know the pain of trailing through a string of comments and emails.

Information in real time

Digital signs in the workplace allow real-time updates, communicating to everyone those business essential changes that affect performance.

Use a digital sign to share information and progress towards goals and project landmarks. Or keep sales teams aware of product inventory so they can target their efforts based on availability.

Unify your team by keeping pertinent information at a glance – no more glaring at monitors while rummaging through messages to find the right information.

Make Every Impression Count

Digital signage excels at grabbing the attention of a target audience.

Whether it’s digital menu boards or digital billboards, Fed Ex identified (2012) that 76% of American consumers are willing to enter a new store based entirely on the effectiveness and appeal of the store’s signs.

68% of those surveyed admitted to making a purchase because a sign caught their attention.

So, if you’re weighing up the costs of your latest marketing campaign, consider how you might actually save money over the long term with a digital display.