Two mistakes that should NOT be made with digital signage content

The power of digital signage is proven to improve a brand image but there are times when digital signage deployment might actually be harmful. If the existing LED displays are already not showing returns, a firm should not deploy more displays. There are two main ways in which digital signage content can be harmful: too unclear or too loud.

Too unclear

When a customer looks at a digital display for more than five seconds and cannot get a proper understanding of what the sign is trying to say, that customer will most likely ignore the screen. Therefore, deploying more displays that are ambiguous before correcting the existing displays will only annoy the customers even more.

There are a few reasons why a message might seem unclear to a viewer:

• Lacking a clear call-to-action.
• Too much clutter with different content types.
• Content is not refreshed regularly (looks more like a static billboard).
• Content not formatted as per the resolution of the display.

In order to avoid customers ignoring the digital sign, it is critical to have a precise content strategy for every display in the network and it is also necessary for every message to have a clear call-to-action that is easy to notice.

Too loud

Gaming centers, for example, have loud games blaring at customers from all parts of the store. Every game or attraction is advertised with flashing light and sound. In this kind of atmosphere, digital signage is not very helpful because customers are so overwhelmed with all the light and sound, they can hardly remember what other meaningful digital displays had to say.

Digital signage is a tool used for communication. Hence when the message is lost amidst the noise, it eventually just adds to the noise and results in a waste of time.

There are a few ways in which firms can ensure their LED signs stand out above all the noise:

• Use colors that are contrasting with the rest of the environment to make sure the display stands out.
• Install signage in areas that are away from noise; e.g. electronic stores and crowded aisles.
• Make sure the volume of the LED sign is at a moderate level.
• Conduct surveys to find out if customers notice the displays.

When a firm notices that the message is not getting through to the audience, adding more messaging tools are not always the solution. Sometimes, the only thing a firm must do is to fix the existing tools – in this case, the digital displays.