What Every Marketing Director Needs to Know About Digital Signage

The way that brick and mortar businesses reach consumers is changing, from the type of advertising that they use to bring the consumer to their shops to the way that they influence the customer's buying decisions once they are there. Printed materials, especially in signage, have been the preferred way to market for so many years that it is easy to get caught up in that rut. Digital signage is the wave of the future and has many benefits over static printed signs, including price, engagement and flexibility.

Engaging The Customer Through Digital Signage

One of the best ways to use digital signage is with a captive audience, such as in a cafe, at the checkout or even at the gas pump. This is the time to use digital signage to your advantage through engaging content. Just displaying rotating ads is not enough to keep their attention, as no one is interested in watching a 15-20 minutes worth of commercials. However, by adding tidbits of local or interesting information along with marketing messages, you can keep the customers attention and use this time to gain exposure for products and services they may be interested in. Some ideas for interesting content could include:

-      News and weather clips

-      How-to tips on business related topics

-      Local events

Digital Has A Flexibility Advantage Over Print

The problem with printed signage is that when a promotion is over, the signage is useless and must be replaced. Digital has the advantage of flexibility, with the ability to change the marketing messages in an instant. Although the content still must be changed, it can be changed faster and replaced at a moments notice. For example, if there is an ad running digitally promoting a certain item and the store runs out, the ad can be quickly pulled and replaced with other content.

Another advantage that digital signage has is the flexibility to change the message to influence buying decisions based on what the current needs are. Whether a storm is coming in and a manager wants to change the digital loop to include an ad promoting their supply of batteries or there is an over abundance of perishable items that need to be sold today, the digital signage can be changed to meet the immediate needs of both the business and the consumer.

Digital Signage Is Cost Efficient

Although the start up costs of adding digital signage may seem higher than print, in the long run it can be more affordable. The cost of continuously replacing printed signs can add up quick. In addition, many businesses sell digital advertising to other local or even national companies, helping recover the costs of the digital signage.

Too often marketing directors may overlook digital signage as an option due to the initial costs of adding it to their business. However, the long term benefits of digital can have a large positive affect on how a business communicates with their customers and can even have a cost savings over time. It is worth taking the time to consider the advantages of upgrading to digital signage for any business with a captive audience.