Yoo…, I am ready with my newly installed digital signage screen in my retail shop. I am looking forward to increase foot falls and increased sales as well, but hey… am I passing right message to my audience? Is my content on digital signage is welcoming enough?
One thing we must understand here, every communication medium is different and content should be aligned to the strength of that medium. e.g. Television is an audio video medium and consumers spend good amount of time in front of it, radio is an audio medium and most of the time consumers are indulging in other activities while listening to it, web and mobile are view only medium and so on.
Digital Signage as a medium has few strengths – it is a video medium, it is large in size, it brings the most relevant content in front in retail, playing to its strengths will yield most benefit. Fortunately, one need not be a super designer and can follow few simple guidelines to make an attractive and engaging content that works for digital signage.
Identify your audience
This is the first and foremost step of creating a good and relevant content. Be sure, who you would like to attract using this content? Who do you want to marketing message to go to? What are their possible likes and dislikes? What are their points of emotional connect?
Give a single message at a time
This is basic of any marketing. Keep a simple and single message. Do not clutter your screens and make viewer wonder on what message you are trying to convey. e.g. We provide BEST quality food, get 25% off on all the items, and so on.
Short Message
Can an average viewer read your message within 3 second? That’s the litmus test of the text that you should have. Ideally, an image that conveys the message would work well. The message should be clearly visible from distance.
Retract from monotony
Do not keep the same image / message coming very frequently, add enough content that the viewer will not experience monotony. If you do not have many product, at least over a period you should keep changing the the representation. Generally, people have tendency to find whats new today? If apart from routine offerings, if the content is around whats today’s offering it will work better as a content.
Magic of FREE word
FREE, is a powerful word. “Taste our cookie for FREE” relieves people of a social obligation to buy. This gives them comfort to visit and try enhancing the chances of purchase. Use FREE word in write context and make it clearly visible.
Font 60
If you plan to run slides on your signage. Follow rule of 60. Make sure that the size of smallest font that you use on the slide is 60 pt. This will do two things for you. First, it will make any text that you write on the slide clearly visible and second, it will occupy more space on the slide and will force you to remove unnecessary stuff from your slide, making your message crisp and to the point.
Be entertaining
Although, it is important to be relevant, one can keep message entertaining as well. The message that brings current events in the world and brings them in the context of the application has a touch of freshness. The best examples would be would Amul Butter adverts, their advertisements are in context with their product as well as the world events.
