Enhancing Customer Engagement with Digital Signage Advertising

Digital signage advertising involves using electronic displays that showcase dynamic content through images, videos, text and interactive elements. Compared to traditional advertising tools like radio or print, digital signage is so easy and quick to update with the latest content, without spending a fortune on redesigns and campaigns. 

You will find these displays placed in high-traffic or busy areas such as airports, retail stores and corporate lobbies. They are designed to capture the attention and influence consumer behaviour. But digital signage is more than just pretty pictures.

The global digital signage market size was estimated at USD 1,659.5 million in 2021 and is expected to reach around USD 3,548.10 million by 2030. It is a powerful tool that can transform how you connect with customers and grow your business in 2024. 

Why Digital Signage Matters in 2024

We are bombarded with so much information and distractions everyday. For businesses, the demand for quick satisfaction, relevance and constant connectedness makes it difficult to maintain the audience’s attention. The key to better engagement is digital signage. However, digital signage itself has evolved from those neon signs and road signs to high-definition displays. Here’s why it’s essential for modern marketers:

• Enhanced Customer Engagement: Captivating visuals and interactive elements like touchscreens and augmented reality (AR) draw viewers in. 8 out of 10 customers claim to have entered a store because the digital signage caught their interest. 
• Increased Brand Awareness: Eye-catching displays create a mood and reinforce your brand identity. They provide extraordinary experience to customers, leaving a lasting impression. According to a study, digital signage can increase brand awareness by up to 47.7%, leading to increased foot traffic and customer loyalty. 
• Targeted Messaging: Using real-time data and audience analytics, markers can tailor personalized content based on location, demographics and behaviour. It ensures your message not only reaches the right audience at the right time but resonates as well. 
• Improved Sales: Digital signage can boost sales by creating visually appealing promotions, deals and targeted offers that influence buying decisions and drive impulse purchases. Customers can quickly be updated with the latest deals. As per a study, 80% of brands that implemented digital signage experienced a significant increase in sales, up to 33%. 
• Data-Driven Insights: To keep your digital signage content ahead, make sure you don’t avoid data-driven insights. They provide you valuable data on what your audience is liking, engaging and where you need to up your marketing strategies. 
• Cost-Effective: Cost effective solutions are crucial in the current economy. One of the major benefits of digital signage is it eliminates the printing and distribution costs associated with traditional advertising. Moreover, it brings the benefits of creating effective content with quick and easy updates without the need for costly reprints.

Creating Content That Converts

How to write content that converts? How to get people to take action, convert them or earn their loyalty? Below are some of the important points to consider to generate content that captivates and convert: 

• Know Your Audience: Examine the priorities, demographics and pain points of your target audience. Then, use this data to create message tailored to their needs and preferences. 
• Tell a Story: The key to better engagement, trust and to earn credibility is crafting narratives that evoke emotions and create captivating experiences that make consumers stick around for longer. For example, in a book called Actual Minds, Possible World, it is stated that “the human mind is about 22 times more likely to remember facts if those facts are part of the story.”
• Keep it Simple: To bring in or engage a larger audience provide snackable content. It should be to the point and use simple, clear and concise language and the high-quality visuals to convey your message effectively. 
• Use High-Quality Visuals: Once you produce engaging content, ensure your visuals are stunning and appealing. So, invest in professional photography and videography. High-resolution images and videos will hold your audience attention for longer. 
• Incorporate Calls to Action: Get your viewers to take specific actions. Make them visit your website or make a purchase. Clear calls to action can significantly increase engagement and conversions.
• Refresh Regularly: Keep your content fresh and updated this will make your viewer return for more. Use dynamic content scheduling to display different messages based on your audience’s behaviour and preferences.

Digital Signage in Your Marketing Mix

Want to bring that “wow” factor to keep your customers coming back? Or want your space that extra edge? Digital signage is a powerful solution. You can integrate digital signage solutions  into your broader marketing strategy to get better results. 

• In-Store Marketing: Present your stores in a new light with digital displays. Captivate your visitors with captivating visuals, dynamic content and smooth animation. These displays can be used to guide your customers, showcase latest products and flash sales. Overall, indoor digital advertising lets you create a dynamic shopping experience. 
• Corporate Communications: Effective communication is the key to driving employee productivity and retention. Digital signage addition to your workplace can make it a more engaging, connected, informed and motivated place. You can use it to share important announcements, company news and employee recognition messages. Moreover, it is eco-friendly and cost-effective,making it a sustainable choice.  
• Public Spaces: Using digital signage in public spaces helps in delivering relevant information timely and attention-grabbing content in high footfall waiting areas, including hospital waiting rooms, retail malls, transportation hubs, police stations etc. Plus, they are really effective for digital wayfinding and making important information available to all in one go. 
• Event Marketing: Digital signage can take your branding into a whole new different level by engaging and involving visitors and exhibitors. It gives you a great opportunity to showcase your brand to a variety of audiences in a space where they can fully know about your brand. 
• Education: According to a study, digital displays easily capture 400% more views than the static displays. Moreover, it has higher information retention with 83% recall rate. Leverage digital signage to boost learning environments by increasing engagement, participation and student awareness. It also plays a vital role in improving campus safety. Overall, digital signage meets the diverse needs of educational institutions. 

Real-World Examples of Digital Signage Success

Digital signage has helped various industries to drive conversions. Some of the major brands that transformed their advertising game are: 

• Adidas: This was the 1st brand that launched never-seen-before digital signage in 2011. Its virtual footwear wall concept left customers thrilled with its fascinating, virtual product experience. This interactive touch digital display wall allowed customers to view over 4000 shoes in a 360-degree model. They could easily  inspect them inside out, zoom in and check every little detail. 
• MAC: This cosmetic brand used digital signage technology to create a brilliant engaging experience for its customers. Deployed AI-based screen, allowing customers to get a virtual makeover before purchasing it. MAC makeup stimulator leads to a 200% boost in customer engagement. The reason behind it was it catered to customers’ desire to try so many products before buying and cut down retailers’ cost for free product trials.  
• McDonalds: In 2019, McDonalds installed digital menus or digital signage kiosks and saw 3.5 % increase in sales and 12% reduction in customer complaints. Their digital menus were user-friendly and showcased immersive images of menu items with nutritional details. These enabled customers to place the orders digitally, customize their foods and make smooth payments without traditional cashiers. It improved their order accuracy, expedited service, enhanced customer experience and led to higher revenue and profitability. 

Conclusion

Digital signage is truly a game changer for businesses of all sizes, improving customer engagement, sharing real time updates, promoting products and streamlining operations. Many brands are capitalizing on digital signage strategies to connect with the audience. By embracing technology, creativity and data-driven insights, you can create experiences that promote customer engagement, improve sales and drive business growth. 

Take your digital signage strategy to the next level with Mapsted cutting-edge indoor digital wayfinding or navigation technology. Book a free demo with us to get a life-saving boost in customer engagement. Don’t forget to check out our insightful articles on Indoor-Outdoor Navigation: Challenges and Best Solutions for 2024 and Mapsted location technology solutions to know more.