Having digital signage installed is pointless if you don’t have the right Content to bring it to life. But, what is the right Content?
The type of Content you implement can be almost anything depending on your needs. From simple digital signage used to replace posters, through to high-end animations, custom interactive applications, educational & sales tools, digital menu boards, augmented reality, projection – the possibilities are endless.
So, to help you determine the right Content required for your digital signage, we’ve put together our top three tips.
1. Purpose
Understanding what you want your customers to see is the first step in getting your Content right. If you could choose one single message you wanted to deliver on your screen what would it be? Depending on the location of your screen, you could have as little as one second to capture attention and inform your audience. One way to think about this message is if you were going to put it on a billboard next to a freeway, what would you say? Without a purpose in mind, you will end up displaying any content you can get your hands on which will reduce the impact and success of your investment. Just because it is easy to put lots of content on the screen, doesn’t necessarily mean you should.
Once you have your primary message, you can then add secondary messages around it, schedule based on time of day, and start coming up with more detailed strategies to ensure the content you are displaying is relevant.
2. Budget
Have an indicative budget in mind that you know you can afford. It is important to understand that digital signage is a long-term investment and you should allocate funds to allow updates throughout the year. It isn’t enough to put some content on when it is first installed and leave it for three years. Think about how much effort goes into television stations and making new movies. A good indication for how often you should update your content, is based on how often you update your current posters, campaigns, advertising, menu boards and so on. But not only that, think about how often you would LIKE to update them if it was easier and instant. Because with digital signage, it is that easy.
3. Type
Once you know the purpose and your budget, it will be a lot easier to determine the type of content you need. Content can be anything you want to display from images, videos, animation, motion graphics, websites, dashboards, news and RSS feeds, and so on.
It is important to ensure you get the most out of your messages by determining the correct mix of cost-effective static images with higher and lower quality animations. Frequency and ease of updates is another consideration. If you need to update an animation daily you will need to have in-house designers, or a specialist Digital Signage & Design Agency on retainer, or it may be easier to use an image or template which can be updated by your staff.
It is important to note that using motion graphics and animations in digital signage will almost always result in a better, more engaging, outcome for your audience.
If you’d like to learn more about Content and what we can create for you, get in touch at contact@prendi.com.au
