A Guest Post by Jian Hui Hoh
Digital transformation is important for business. The world is progressing at a pace so fast that consumer behaviors are always changing. It is crucial for businesses or organizations to keep up by adopting digital technologies. One of the most used tools in today’s world is digital signage.
Digital signages are everywhere. You can always find them at places such as retail stores, airports, hospitals, building lobbies, and restaurants. Digital signage is used to deliver messages to the targeted audience. It is a digital display that can support various digital playback formats such as videos, graphics, and animations.
It is true that digital signage has been gaining popularity for the past few years. However, many business and organization owners are still having doubts about using digital signages. Whether you are reaching your employees or the public, communication plays an important role in fostering relationships between you and your audience. Great relationships will then help you to achieve your business goals effectively.
Digital signage is an effective communication tool for business because it can serve four main purposes – information sharing, merchandising, advertising and engagement. Let’s take a look at these purposes that will help you in considering the effectiveness of digital signage as a business tool.
Information Sharing
One of the main purposes of digital signage is to share information with the audience. But wait, why can’t I use a poster or any traditional display tool to share information?
It is very hard to capture people’s attention nowadays with static and boring printed materials. Humans are more attracted to movement. Digital signage can display moving and dynamic videos. In addition, the bright screen with a better resolution and a sharper image tends to grab eyeballs easily.
Digital signage is also a more effective information-sharing tool due to its ability to deliver real-time information. Real-time information delivers messages about what is happening now. It is extremely useful in transportation hubs such as train stations and airports. Digital signage is used to share accurate arrival and departure information with travelers. Besides, digital signage can also be used to display live information of weather and road traffic.
Another advantage of using digital signage is you can update information instantly. You do not need to spend time and money printing your content anymore. Digital signage software helps users to make instant updates anytime from a remote location. Your audience can stay informed and able to make necessary arrangements as soon as possible.
Digital directory is another great example that shows why digital signage is a great communication tool. Digital directory provides navigation. Digital directories are commonly used in buildings where they help to guide visitors in finding their ways. The communication is fast, intuitive, and effective.
Merchandising
Visual merchandising is practiced by retailers and store owners to attract customer attention. Today, visual merchandising is more than using lighting, colors, and displays. Digital technology is a new element that needs to be included in the practice of merchandising. This is because customers are more digital-driven in this new era of technology.
Digital signages are commonly used by retailers or store owners in promoting their products and services. When digital signage is used in a store, it is more than displaying product information. Sure, product information can help customers in making purchase decisions. However, customers are more emotional than rational.
To turn your digital signage into an effective communication tool that can ultimately maximize sales opportunities, you need to focus on delivering memorable visual information. Humans are visual creatures. Customers are more attracted to dynamic images with vibrant colors.
Memorable visual cues can help your customers to remember you, and thus indirectly prompt them to revisit your stores or make purchases.
Besides, digital signage is good at delivering promotional messages in the store. Digital signage is a highly flexible digital display. Digital content can be updated quickly and can be displayed in various formats. Store owners can unleash their creativity in customizing their messages to reach their target audiences effectively.
Advertising
In addition to first-party business usage, digital signage is also used as an advertising platform by third-party advertising companies in generating revenues. These companies usually install digital signages at public spaces with high footfall traffic, such as retail malls, bus terminals, and petrol stations.
Businesses that do not possess their own communication display tools can seek assistance from advertising companies to reach their target audiences. Digital signage is very good in capturing attention and driving brand awareness.
Some biggest advantages of using digital signage in advertising are its higher flexibility in content rotating and its ability in delivering non-static images. Unlike traditional signage which shows an advertisement 24/7 hours, a buyer can choose to display his advertisement during a specific time period when using digital signage. Advertising companies can now sell ad spaces with different time slots to different buyers that have different target strategies.
Engagement
Whether you are using digital signage to target your customers, employees, or the public, the ultimate goal you want to achieve is to enhance audience engagement. In fact, engagement is the most critical purpose of using digital signage in my opinion.
An engagement is enhanced when a relationship is formed between a brand and its audience. To drive engagement, brand interaction is needed. But how could digital signage drive interaction? The answer is simple – user or customer experience.
When you are able to find your way to your desired store in a retail mall using a digital directory, you will feel satisfied with the service provided by the mall. As a visitor, you will have a good impression of the mall and probably revisit the mall in the future. This is a good customer experience.
In-store digital signage is used to provide a product demonstration to a walk-in customer. The content is so attractive that the customer decides to seek more information from the store assistant. Then, he makes a purchase and even recommends his friends to visit the store. This is the power of customer engagement.
Conclusion
In addition to the four main purposes that digital signage can serve, it can also be used in various other applications. Digital signage can be used as a digital menu board in a restaurant to reduce waiting time. It can be used to deliver entertaining content too.
Digital signage is a very effective communication tool for business. The application of digital signage is not limited to business alone. It can be used in healthcare facilities, education hubs, and public spaces. It is an effective tool to engage the audience and share information on a timely basis. There are endless possibilities in using digital signages in your business or organization.
Jian Hui is a digital marketer and content writer at Big Screen Media. He loves to share insight and tips on LED displays and digital signages.
