Are you considering upgrading to a digital signage system but want to make sure you get maximum return on investment? Have you already had your new digital signage installed and need help getting the most from it? Or are you simply looking for ways to up your digital signage game?
If so, we’re here to help! Here we share our advice on designing and managing a truly effective digital signage system. From planning your solution to creating your content, there are simple things you can do at every stage to boost audience engagement.
Tip #1: Know your audience
At the most basic level, digital signage is just another channel for your marketing and public information messaging. As such, to be effective, digital signage needs to be designed to suit your target audience. So, before you start planning your system and content, spend some time thinking about exactly who you’re talking to.
As part of this, consider the demographics of your target customer or community member. Also explore what their interests are, what their connection to your organisation is, and the content they most respond to. This will help you plan messaging that will resonate with them and should lead to higher rates of engagement.
Tip #2: Clarify your communication goals
To be effective, digital signage needs to be designed with a clear purpose in mind. In fact, how you plan to use your digital signage should inform everything from its placement to the content displayed. As such, it is important to have a good grasp on what you’re trying to achieve before you begin planning.
To help with this, think about how you want your target viewer to respond to the displayed content. For example, are you trying to get them to buy something, be aware of something, or behave differently? And how quickly should this happen – do you want them to respond immediately or take time to consider the messaging?
Tip #3: Have a clear call to action
Building on the previous point, if there’s something specific you want the viewer to do, spell it out for them. For example, if you want them to buy something, your content should direct them to where it’s available. Or, if you want them to think about something, provide a link (web address, QR code, etc.) to more information.
A good call to action should also have a sense of urgency, particularly if you want an immediate response. This can be created through the use of strong verbs and set timeframes (“now”, “today”, etc.).
Tip #4: Think like a viewer
Once you know exactly what you want to say and achieve, you can basically reverse engineer your content. To do this, put yourself in your target audience’s shoes, and ask yourself what you’d need to take the desired action. What key information would you have to be aware of and what other details would you benefit from knowing?
Putting yourself in the viewer’s position is also a great way to test how effective your digital signage will be. When reviewing your draft content, take note of what elements you notice first and consider what messages you would remember. If these do not reflect your goals or plans, then your content is clearly not hitting the mark.
Tip #5: Embrace colour and movement
Thinking more tactically, your use of colour can have a significant impact on how effective your digital signage will be. While there are some general rules here – bright colours grab attention, darker shades set the mood – there’s no foolproof formula. As such, the ideal colour palette really depends on your brand, your message, and the preferences of your target audience.
Effective digital signage also takes full advantage of the dynamic nature of the display through the use of movement. Whether you choose to use video footage, animation, or simple scrolling, this should add to the content’s visual impact. It should also help make your content more engaging and, if used well, even easier to understand.
Tip #6: Select font styles carefully
While it may seem like a small detail, font choices can also have a big impact. As a general rule, you should avoid using more than two different font types on one screen of content. It’s also best to stick to standard, widely used fonts, as these are easiest for viewers to recognise and read.
We recommend avoiding italics, as they tend to be harder to read, especially from a distance. Conversely, bolding text can make it easier to read and is a good way to highlight key words. And, unless you’re trying to match a specific brand typeface, we suggest opting for fonts that are sans serif (like Arial).
Tip #7: Don’t compromise on legibility
While adding detail, colour, and movement can make content more visually interesting, you don’t want to obscure your messaging. Having good contrast between your background and foreground colours is the key to this, helping highlight your messaging. White space is also important, giving the viewer’s eye a place to rest and helping minimise visual clutter.
Most professional designers also strongly suggest following the 3 x 5 rule. This states that you should have a maximum of 3 lines of text and five words per line, or vice versa. This should help focus your messaging and further minimise the visual clutter.
Tip #8: Use engaging imagery
Accompanying visuals are generally one of the most powerful tools for boosting the effectiveness of your digital signage. Choosing imagery that resonates with your target audience can help increase both viewer engagement and key message recall. This is particularly true when the pictures or video you use help reinforce the key concepts of your content.
That said, while content needs to be relevant and evocative, it also needs to work well with the planned text. This means having a colour scheme that creates the all important contrast (as previously mentioned). It also means generally complimenting the messaging, rather than distracting from it.
Tip #9: Consider interactivity
Another unique benefit of digital signage is that it can be set up to support active audience engagement. This could be through touchscreen, gesture recognition, or voice control functionality – or a combination of all three. Whichever option you choose, the interactivity should help make your display more memorable and boost information retention.
Depending on your target audience, it could also be worth connecting your digital signage and social media presence. For example, you could create displays that encourage sharing or direct viewers to your social channels for discounts or promotions. In addition to strengthening your audience engagement, this can help create online content, and extend the reach of your messaging.
Tip #10: Get creative!
The real key to making your digital signage more effective is creativity. As more and more organisations use digital displays, it becomes harder and harder to stand out from the crowd. Now it takes an innovative use of the technology, creating a unique experience, or simply having astounding visuals.
As such, you shouldn’t be afraid to think a little differently when planning your digital signage approach and content. Something that feels fun and has a bit of a sense of humour will almost always be well received.
Want to discuss this further?
If you’re after more advice and information on running an effective digital signage system, Amped Digital can help. As experts in digital signage design and installation, we know how to set a system up to deliver optimal performance. Contact us today to discuss how you could get more out of your digital signage system.
