Are your digital displays giving you the results you hoped for? Many businesses invest in screens, only to see them fade into the background. But it doesn’t have to be that way! With the right approach, your displays can become a major marketing asset.
We’ll show you how to turn those screens into customer magnets. Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Strategies to make people stop and stare
- How to create content that sticks in the mind
- Finding the perfect audience for your message
- Design tricks that boost engagement
- The metrics that tell you what’s working
- Tools that make managing displays a breeze
- How to make your displays a seamless part of your marketing mix
Ready to get those screens working for you? Let’s get started!
1. Captivate Your Audience: Strategies to Make Your Digital Displays Irresistible
Digital displays are all around us, vying for a slice of our attention. How do you cut through the noise and make sure your message is the one that gets noticed? Let’s dive into some tried-and-true strategies to turn your displays into attention magnets.
- Harness the Power of Motion: The human eye is naturally drawn to movement. Static images are easy to ignore, but animation? It commands attention. Use video, GIFs, or even simple transitions to add a dynamic element to your screen content.
- Bold Design Choices: Don’t be afraid of high-contrast colors, large fonts, and striking visuals. Your goal is to stand out from the visual clutter. A bold design gives people a reason to look twice.
- Keep it Concise: People passing by your displays won’t have time to read a novel. Keep your messages short, snappy, and focused on a single key point. Get your message across in a glance!
- Make it Relevant: Who are you trying to reach? What matters to them? Tailor your display content to the interests and needs of your target audience. A personalized message is far more likely to be noticed.
- Location, Location, Location: Where you place your displays is crucial. High-traffic areas, natural eye lines, and even near points of decision (like checkout lines) all boost the chance of your display getting seen.
2. Make It Memorable: Crafting Digital Display Content That Sticks
We’ve covered how to grab someone’s attention. But how do you ensure your message lingers long after they’ve walked away? Here’s how to create content that makes a genuine impact.
Tell a Story
Even on a digital display, storytelling techniques are incredibly potent. This doesn’t mean a full-blown narrative, but consider these elements:
- The Hook: Open with something surprising – a statistic, a question, a relatable pain point. Think of it as the digital display version of a catchy news headline.
- The Problem/Solution: Outline a challenge your viewer likely faces, then position your product/service as the answer. This classic structure is effective for a reason!
- Visuals as Storytellers: Images and videos can tell a story all on their own. Consider a quick before-and-after transformation or footage showing your product in use for a visual narrative boost.
Evoke Emotion
Going for an emotional reaction is powerful, but it needs to be strategic. Here’s how to hit the mark:
- Know Your Audience: What makes your ideal customer laugh, feel inspired, or even a little bit frustrated? Tailor your emotional approach accordingly.
- Less is More: Overly sentimental or shocking visuals can backfire. Aim for a subtle emotional nudge rather than a full-blown emotional assault.
- Statistics Can Be Emotional: A surprising percentage or a hard-hitting fact can evoke a response just as powerfully as an image.
Make it Interactive
The technology behind interactive displays is constantly improving. Here’s what to consider:
- Level of Interaction: Will it be simple touches to choose content paths or something more complex like a gesture-controlled interface?
- Integration: Interactive elements can feed data into your analytics, providing valuable customer insights.
- Accessibility: Ensure the interaction is intuitive for all users, regardless of tech-savviness.
Offer True Value
People are bombarded with ads. Rise above the noise by being genuinely helpful:
- Timeliness is Key: What’s relevant to the viewer right now? Think weather updates, local event listings, or timely industry news.
- Exclusive Content: Offer a sneak peek, a behind-the-scenes look, or even a small discount available through the display only.
- Problem-solving focus: How can your display address a common hassle or question your customers face? Provide the answer!
3. Target with Precision: Finding the Right Eyes for Your Digital Displays
Getting your message noticed is only half the battle. The real impact comes when you reach the right people. Let’s break down how to ensure your carefully crafted content lands in front of your ideal audience. First, ask yourself who benefits the most from what you have to offer. Are you targeting a specific demographic, people with particular interests, or customers at a certain stage in their buying journey? The more specific your picture of your target audience, the better you can tailor your display content.
Consider the location of your displays. Is it a high-traffic area with a diverse crowd or a place where a more specific audience congregates? A gym display, for example, gives you a chance to focus on health and fitness messaging. Timing has a major role to play too. What time of day, day of the week, or even time of year will your message resonate the most? Can you tie your displays into seasonal events, local happenings, or specific times when your target audience might need your solution the most?
With digital displays, you can often get surprisingly granular with targeting. Some platforms allow you to switch up content based on time of day, audience demographics gathered through analytics, or even use triggers based on real-time data like the weather outside!
4. Design for Impact: Visual Tricks to Elevate Your Displays
Eye-catching visuals are crucial for engaging with an audience used to constant distractions. Let’s explore some design tricks that boost engagement and leave a lasting impression.
The Power of Color
Color choices aren’t just about aesthetics. Different colors trigger subconscious associations in viewers. Reds and oranges can create urgency or excitement, while blues and greens often feel calming and trustworthy. Consider your brand identity – are your brand colors bold and energetic, or more understated? You’ll want to maintain that consistency on your displays.
Be mindful of accessibility, too. Ensure your color scheme has sufficient contrast for those with color blindness or impaired vision. There are many tools online that can help you test your color combinations for accessibility.
Typography Matters
Font choice sets the whole tone for your content. A classic serif font feels authoritative and established, while a modern sans-serif might feel clean and tech-savvy. Playful, handwritten-style fonts can add a personal touch, but use them with caution – they can be difficult to read at a glance.
Size matters just as much as typeface! Use a clear hierarchy, with larger text for headlines and smaller sizes for subheadings and body text. This guides the viewer through your content in a logical way.
Negative Space is Your Friend
Resist the urge to cram every inch of your display with compelling content. Negative space (also called white space) allows your core elements to stand out and prevents the design from feeling overwhelming.
It gives the viewer’s eyes a place to rest, which actually makes your message easier to process. Negative space doesn’t have to be literally white. Use subtle textures, patterns, or a gradient background to add visual interest without sacrificing that sense of openness.
Visuals Tell Your Story
A well-chosen image can be worth a thousand words. Opt for visuals that are both eye-catching and relevant to your message. If possible, avoid generic stock photos and go for original images that highlight your unique product or brand personality.
Animation and video can be incredibly powerful when used strategically. But be mindful of length – people passing by have short attention spans. Short, looping videos or simple animations can add a dynamic element without overstaying their welcome.
5. Measure Success: Metrics That Reveal Your Display’s Impact
You’ve put in the effort to create engaging digital display content – but how do you know if it’s hitting the mark? Tracking the right metrics gives you the data you need to make informed improvements. Here’s a breakdown of what to watch:
Engagement Metrics
These metrics tell you if people are paying attention to your electronic displays and interacting with them in any way:
- Dwell Time: How long do people linger in front of your display? This can be measured through sensors or through analysis of security footage. Longer dwell time indicates your content is holding their interest.
- Click-Throughs and Interactions: If you have interactive elements, track how often people engage with them. This could mean touches, QR code scans, or any other measurable interaction.
- Social Media Buzz: If your display encourages social sharing, track any mentions, hashtags, or shares related to your display campaign. This gives you a sense of whether your content resonated enough to spark online engagement.
Viewer Insights
Some display platforms offer analytics, allowing you to gather data on your audience:
- Demographics: Depending on location and the platform you use, you may get insights into the general age range, gender, or even interests of people who viewed your display. This helps you refine your targeting further.
- Peak Viewing Times: When is your display getting the most eyes? Adjust your content strategy for prime time, and perhaps scale back content updates during less-viewed hours.
- Heatmaps: These tools track exactly where on your display people’s eyes tend to land. This helps you learn if your main message is being seen or if your design is leading the eye away from key content.
Conversion Tracking
Ultimately, you want your display to contribute to your business goals. This is where conversion tracking comes in:
- Traffic Patterns: Do you see an increase in foot traffic to your store after a display campaign? Compare this data to your regular footfall averages.
- Lead Generation: Is your display prompting people to sign up for a mailing list, download a resource, or make contact? Track those numbers!
- Sales Lift: If possible, tie display campaigns to specific sales data. Can you see an uptick in sales for products or services you featured on your displays? This is the ultimate measure of success.
6. Streamline Your Display Strategy: Powerful Tools to Simplify Management
Managing a network of digital displays might seem daunting. But the right tools make all the difference! Let’s explore some options to help you create, schedule, and monitor your display content with ease.
Content Creation Tools
- Canva: This user-friendly graphic design platform offers a vast library of templates, including ones specifically tailored for electronic signage. Easily create eye-catching visuals, even if you don’t have design experience.
- Adobe Creative Suite: For professionals needing advanced design capabilities, Adobe offers Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects. These tools give you the power to create highly customized graphics, animations, and videos.
- Video Editing Software: From simple tools like iMovie to professional-grade software like Final Cut Pro, video editing tools are essential for crafting compelling display content. Consider incorporating user-generated content into your displays. This could be testimonials, product reviews, or even customer-submitted photos and videos that enhance the visual appeal of your signage.
As your digital signage strategy evolves, don’t overlook the power of touch-screen technology. Interactive features can boost engagement and make the experience more memorable, leading to a stronger conclusion about your brand.
Digital Signage Platforms
Forget those clunky, overly complex digital signage platforms. CrownTV is designed to make your life easier while maximizing the impact of your display network. Here’s why CrownTV is the only partner you need to unleash the full power of your digital displays:
Your Command Center: The CrownTV Dashboard
The CrownTV dashboard is where the magic happens. It’s more than just a place to upload content – it’s your mission control center. Intuitive and packed with powerful features, this digital signage software allows you to:
- Manage displays from anywhere: Whether you have a single screen or a nationwide network, control it all from one centralized location.
- Effortless content scheduling: Set your dynamic digital displays to update your schedule – daily, hourly, even down to the minute.
- Target content with precision: Deliver the right message to the right screens based on location, time of day, or audience data.
- Uncover insights with analytics: See which digital signage content resonates, when people are paying attention, and get powerful insights to improve your strategy.
The Powerhouse Behind Your Screens: The CrownTV Player
Our tiny but mighty CrownTV player is the unsung hero of your display success. This compact device connects your screens to the CrownTV platform, delivering consistently smooth and reliable content updates. It’s packed with features you’ll love:
- Plug-and-play simplicity: No complex setups here. The CrownTV player is designed to work out of the box so that you can get your displays up and running in no time.
- Rock-solid reliability: Count on your content playing without glitches or downtime.
- Secure by design: Your data and your displays are protected by enterprise-grade security.
Limitless Possibilities: The CrownTV App World
CrownTV isn’t just about displaying your own content. Our apps and integrations unlock a whole new level of functionality for your screens:
- Pull in real-time data: Display weather updates, social media feeds, news tickers, and more.
- Engage your audience: Add polls, quizzes, interactive maps, or simple games to boost interaction.
- Streamline operations: Connect internal dashboards, task lists, and other tools to keep your team informed.
CrownTV is your all-in-one digital signage solution. Experience the difference of a platform designed with both power and simplicity in mind – try CrownTV today!
Scheduling and Automation
- Hootsuite: Primarily known as a social media tool, Hootsuite also allows the scheduling of content across various platforms – and that can include supported digital signage solutions.
- Zapier: This powerful automation tool lets you connect various apps and platforms. Use Zapier to trigger display updates based on things like social media posts, new product listings, or even changes in the weather.
Analytic and Reporting Tools
- Google Analytics: Integrate Google Analytics with your displays to track traffic patterns, page views, and other metrics related to your display content. This helps you understand what’s working and what’s not.
- Dashboards: Many digital signage platforms include a built-in dashboard where you can view key metrics like impressions, engagement, and audience demographics. These dashboards give you a bird’s-eye view of your display network’s performance.
7. Integrate & Elevate: Making Displays an Essential Part of Your Marketing Strategy
Your digital displays shouldn’t operate in a silo. To maximize their impact, it’s vital to integrate them seamlessly into your broader marketing efforts. Start by considering the overall customer journey. Where do interactive kiosks fit into the path people take toward making a purchase or engaging with your brand? Can your display reinforce a message from a social media ad campaign or prompt someone to visit your website?
Align your display content with your other marketing materials. Use a consistent visual style, brand voice, and key messaging across all channels. Your displays become a natural extension of your brand, rather than feeling disjointed. Don’t be afraid to get creative! Cross-promote your displays through other channels. Run a contest related to something featured on your screen, or offer QR codes that link to exclusive content. Tie your displays into events or promotions to build a sense of buzz.
Measure and refine your strategy like you would any other marketing campaign. Track how your displays influence website traffic, lead generation, or even in-store sales. Use this data to make informed adjustments and optimize your display signage content for maximum impact.
Wrapping Up: Your Keys to Digital Display Success
You’ve covered a lot of ground in this exploration of maximizing your digital displays! From eye-catching design to targeted messaging, you now have the tools to transform your digital screens into a marketing force to be reckoned with.
Here’s a quick recap of what you’ve learned:
- How to create content that stops people in their tracks
- Strategies to deliver the right message to the right audience
- Design tips for digital signage displays that truly stand out
- The essential metrics to monitor your display success
- Tools to streamline your display management
- How to integrate displays into your overall marketing strategy
With these strategies in your toolbox, your dynamic displays are primed to become a powerful asset in today’s fast-paced world. They’ll inform, engage, and persuade your audience in ways that static signs simply can’t.
Need help transforming your digital display vision into a reality? CrownTV’s White Glove Experience offers robust tools, rock-solid reliability, and expert support to put your marketing strategy on full display.