Advantages of Digital Signage in Business and Communications

Traditional digital signage, sometimes called electronic signage, dates back to the 1990s. It refers to digital display technologies such as video walls, wayfinding kiosks, restaurant menus, and LCD monitors that vividly display content.

With smart digital signage from Poppulo, businesses can now update displays remotely, either via their computers or mobile phones. And with Poppulo’s smart signage platform, you can even update content automatically. These updates happen based on various data points and triggers. Understanding how digital signage works is crucial; choosing the right hardware significantly impacts the effectiveness and visual quality of the content displayed.

Statistics show that the global digital signage market will reach $35.94 billion by 2026. That’s almost double the $19.78 billion market value in 2018.

What is Digital Signage?

Definition of Digital Signage

Digital signage refers to the use of electronic displays, such as LED, LCD, or projection screens, to show information, messages, or advertisements in public spaces, retail environments, or other locations. These digital signage solutions are designed to communicate with customers, employees, or visitors, making them an effective way to engage, inform, and persuade audiences. Whether it’s a bustling airport, a busy retail store, or a corporate office, digital signage can transform the way information is presented and consumed.

Types of Digital Signage Solutions

There are several types of digital signage solutions available, each catering to different needs and environments, and while many of the names people call digital signage may differ by industry, they all refer to the same types of things.

• Digital Posters: In retail environments, the electronic displays that show static or dynamic content are often called digital posters, and are normally used to promote products or services with eye-catching visuals.
• Digital Signs: This is an umbrella term that applies to many different applications across multiple industries, including airports, train stations, and shopping malls. They provide essential information, messages, or advertisements to a wide audience.
• Interactive Elements: Depending on the application type, interactive elements, also known as touch screen kiosks, can enable users to learn more about whatever is being displayed. Often, this pertains to wayfinding kiosks, but can also be used to describe virtual concierge systems, game finding stations, donor boards, and more.
• High-Quality Displays: Utilizing high-quality displays, such as 4K or LED screens, these solutions ensure that the content is shown in stunning high-definition. This is particularly important for dynamic content like videos and animations.

By understanding what constitutes “digital signage”, businesses can choose the one that best fits their needs and objectives.

Importance of Digital Signage in Business

Digital signage is an important tool for businesses, offering numerous benefits:

• Enhance the Customer Experience: Digital signage can provide information, entertainment, or interactive elements that engage and inform customers. This can lead to a more enjoyable and memorable customer experience.
• Increase Sales: By promoting products or services and encouraging customers to make purchases, digital signage can directly impact a business’s bottom line.
• Improve Communication: Digital signage provides a platform for businesses to communicate with customers, employees, or visitors effectively. Whether it’s announcing a new product or sharing important information, digital signage ensures the message is seen.
• Build Brand Awareness: Showcasing a company’s brand, products, or services in a public space helps build brand recognition and awareness. Over time, customers will start associating the digital displays with the brand, enhancing its visibility and reputation.
• Reach Employees More Effectively: Digital signage isn’t just great for public-facing applications. Many businesses use digital signage to reach frontline workers and back-of-house employees, as well as in-office employees.

8 Benefits of Smart Digital Signage in Business and Communications

Many businesses are turning to smart digital signage solutions, like the platform Poppulo provides.

Let’s look at some of the most significant benefits of smart digital signage in business and communications. While there are many different digital signage applications businesses can leverage, a smart digital signage solution takes into account which digital signage player is best fit for each application.

1. Stand out in a large pool of advertisements

No matter where you live, it’s almost impossible not to encounter numerous billboards and advertisements as you go about your day. As a business owner, it can be hard to stand out amid all the noise, but this is where smart digital signage can help.

Smart digital signage is an excellent way to grab the attention of customers. After all, humans are visual creatures with short attention spans. Bright screens playing HD or 4K graphics will always have a much higher impact than a conventional print-based advertisement. In fact, according to Intel, smart digital signage displays capture 400% more views than static displays. Utilizing digital signage best practices is crucial to maximize effectiveness and retention of information.

2. Automated updates

One of the most appealing features of smart digital signage is how it allows for automated scheduling. The option of scheduling sign changes in advance can save you time and greatly simplify updating screens.

With smart digital signage, it’s easy to schedule content to play at specific times of the day. For example, a restaurant may have a breakfast menu to display in the morning and a dinner menu for later in the day. Preparing your screen material also eliminates stress around busy seasons such as the holidays when planning numerous promotions and sales.

3. Improved internal communications

Digital signage is good for more than commercial displays. It doesn’t just impact how businesses communicate with their customers but with their employees too. Investing and installing digital signage in your workplace will ensure that information can flow freely from management to other departments within your office.

This way, digital signage can be a great addition to traditional workplace communication, such as emails or Slack. Good employee communication has many benefits for both employers and their employees. It improves collaboration, engagement, alignment, and even the bottom line.

Examples of how digital signage can be used in the workplace:

● KPI Performance Dashboards

● Workplace Safety

● Training

● Compliance

● Workplace Navigation

● Staff Messaging

● Motivation and Community

● Corporate Branding

4. Increased customer and employee engagement

No matter what industry you’re in, interactive digital signage can make a difference. Digital signage is also a fun and valuable medium to keep employees connected and engaged. Colorful text, engaging images, and messages on digital signage can give the workplace a positive and exciting atmosphere. It can help employees stay in the loop by displaying important information regarding training, scheduling, or new opportunities.

5. Improved digital presence

With digital signage, your company can also create an in-store digital presence. You can use your smart digital screens to show anything from tweets, websites, YouTube videos, or even aggregate and moderated social media content. Don’t leave your physical store trailing behind your digital one. Give them both a digital presence.

6. Gain more sales

Another great benefit of digital signage is its ability to increase sales. Digital signage can direct customers to specific products, upsell items, promote sale items, and attract customers to your store. Digital signage also lets you educate your customers on what products will suit their needs, making them feel more confident about purchasing.

7. Cost-effective

While there is an upfront cost to implementing digital signage, the financial benefits of digital displays cannot be overstated.

Once you’ve fully ramped up your digital display strategy, overhead costs are minimal due to the elimination of printed materials. It’s also a major bonus for the environment.

8. Brand recognition

As customers become increasingly familiar with using interactive digital displays, it helps enhance brand awareness and recognition. If their experience with your signage has been a good one, it will help improve their perception of the business or products, making it more likely they would be willing to return or purchase again.

Choosing the Right Digital Signage Solution

Factors to Consider

When choosing a digital signage solution, several factors should be taken into account to ensure it meets your business needs:

• Content Management System: A robust content management system (CMS) is essential for creating, managing, and scheduling content. It should be user-friendly and offer all the tools needed to keep your digital signage content fresh and relevant.
• Digital Displays: The type and quality of the display are crucial. Options include LED and LCD, each offering different levels of brightness, resolution, and durability.
• Interactive Elements: Consider whether you need interactive elements. This can significantly enhance user engagement and provide a more immersive experience.
• Dynamic Content: The ability to show dynamic content, such as automated, data-driven information, can make your digital signage more engaging and effective.
• Best Practices: Adhering to best practices, such as using clear and concise messaging, high-quality visuals, and regular updates, ensures the effectiveness of your digital signage solution.
• A Comprehensive Solution: Ensure that you have all the necessary tools, including software, hardware, and technical support, to create, manage, and schedule your content.

By carefully considering these factors, businesses can choose a digital signage solution that not only meets their needs but also enhances their overall communication strategy and customer experience.

Key Takeaways

Digital signage is an electronic display platform used to advertise, build brand awareness, and deliver vital information within a business via high-quality graphics and videos. A digital sign can be more effective in attracting and engaging viewers compared to traditional communication methods by tailoring content to specific demographics and changing it based on context. A smart digital signage solution is an excellent addition to the marketing strategy of many companies, regardless of what they do or sell.

Smart digital signage allows businesses to communicate dynamically and innovatively with their audience and employees. Smart digital signage offers many benefits to businesses, including helping them stand out from the crowd, engaging audiences, improving internal communications, boosting brand recognition, and much more.