Have you ever seen digital signage monitors that aren't working, or are completely ineffective? With more than 19 years of experience in the installation of digital signage solutions, we have seen many situations that have often led to screens being turned off. We have therefore decided to show you, in this article, some of the mistakes to avoid if you plan on using this technological tool.
It is very important to keep your audience in mind during your content planning. An in-depth analysis of your target audience must be undertaken to ensure your screens will have the desired impact. Whether your audience is clients, suppliers, or employees, you must know their information needs and interests in order to grab their attention. For instance, for a company that is mostly made up of men, it would be a good idea to display some news about the Montreal Canadiens to encourage workers to look at the monitors.
We live in an instant gratification world where everything needs to be known very quickly. Why not automate the data displayed on your screens? Every company nowadays has a many data systems that are often scattered over many programs. Why not centralize this data and broadcast it in real time on your screens? Maintaining your display system must require as little effort as possible from your communications team. Thus, with the technology now available, make sure the data displayed on your screens, such as performance indicators, is automated for better efficiency.
At what height must the monitors be installed? Where? Is it a sunny room? All of those small details can make a big difference and must therefore be considered when analyzing the placement of screens. By placing monitors in an area that's too bright, the screen's visibility will inevitably suffer. Screens therefore need to be used accordingly. Moreover, the duration and quantity of content to be broadcast will be influenced by the time your audience spends in front of the screens. To reach your communication goals, the placement of your monitors is crucial.
During your planning, it is important to analyze the content and type of information that you want to broadcast. After putting down all the messages on paper, they need to be organized. First, they need to be grouped by category and then to be prioritized. You do not want to broadcast all your messages at once. It if preferably to show less messages in order for them to be better understood. At ITESMEDIA, we have developed 4 great categories that define the different broadcasting axes to help our clients with their content strategy: " Health and safety at work (HSW) , productivity, training and internal communication".
After categorizing content, it is easier to position messages properly in our display template.
Most digital display solutions require very few manipulations to ensure their proper functioning. Nevertheless, some operations are necessary depending on the type of content you publish. For instance, if you would like to wish an employee a happy birthday, you must know how to operate the display management software. This is why you need to make sure that your digital display provider offers a complete training program at the beginning of the contract. Moreover, good customer service is often important to help you use your equipment properly.
In conclusion, installing a digital signage system is more complicated than simply choosing the size and model of your monitors. It is therefore absolutely necessary to plan properly to ensure that your investment yields the expected benefits. Ensure that you are surrounded by experts in the field that will know how to help you develop a strategy that will fulfil your objectives.