Seven Tips for Creating Strategic Digital Signage Content

Jim Kueneke
February 8, 2010 | COMMENTS

It's been said over and over again, a successful digital signage program consists of more than playing broadcast TV in the waiting area, and yet, it is common to fall into this mode of operation when adopting a digital signage program. Content becomes stale and stunted — much like old print promotions — when management of your digital program stalls out.

When developing a digital network system, buyers tend to get swept up in the hardware and infrastructure semantics. What screens should I buy? How will they be set up? Often, it is only after the screens have been bought and installed, does the question of their purpose hit home: how am I going to make them sell?

Consider these strategies to creating more dynamic digital content that helps your staff engage customers in conversation and cross sell.

Brand all messaging. The branch environment is where your brand takes center stage. Digital content helps brand the customer experience within the branch. Templates should reflect the look and feel of your brand. Your logo and brand image artwork should be incorporated into your content. All content should keep an eye toward expressing your mission and values. Conveying your brand through digital content helps maintain a consistency among your entire branch network.

Reflect marketing campaigns. Digital content should be thought of as an extension of your marketing campaign. Any promotions or advertising campaigns running in print, broadcast, web or mobile format, should also be running on your screens. One of the benefits of digital signage is how quickly promotions and marketing campaigns can be changed on the screens.

Speak directly to target audience through lifestyle issues. The best approach to reaching customers is focusing on, and speaking to the customer's different life stages. Customized lifestyle marketing excels in the digital format. Messaging can be targeted to your specific market base and the specific life events of your customers. Use the ability to be target specific with your messaging as an opportunity to guide the customer experience. It's also important to remember that the same digital content does not have to be playing on all of your screens within the branch. A screen in your investment center or home loan area should not play the same messages as the screens behind your teller area.

Integrate community news, events, and sponsorships. Financial institutions can set themselves apart in the marketplace by promoting their local connection to the community. If you can demonstrate that you know the community because you are an active member of the community, a more personal bond can be created with the customer.

Incorporate news feeds instead of TV programming. Rather than parking CNN on your digital screen for the day, have news feeds playing. These briefs can provide coverage on national, international, sports, science and weather news. They help entertain customers and keep content fresh. A running ticker displaying stocks, indexes, commodities or currencies can also grab the customer's attention.

Use professional graphics. Quality is key when it comes to graphics for your digital screens. You are creating an overall image of the financial institution and what your organization is about. Amateur or standard catalog visuals will give the impression of a non-professional organization. Use brand image artwork and graphics that speak to the lifestyle of your target audiences. Give customers a true representation of your financial institution.

Keep content active. Digital signage should always be working to animate the space. Graphics need to be active to capture and hold onto the customer's attention. You've got to draw your customers in. Static graphics age the digital content. Movement on the screens moves the customer forward in the messaging you're trying to convey.

Jim Kueneke is executive vice president of retail at NewGround, a provider of growth solutions for financial institutions. Contact him at 636-898-8140 or jkueneke@newground.com.