Digital signage is everywhere you look in the public arena nowadays. Digital displays fill kiosks and stands at the mall, and can be spotted inside airports and retail businesses. Our world has been undergoing a digital revolution, but digital signage isn’t just trendy – it’s highly effective. According to marketing data gathered by Visix, 80% of shoppers reported they have chosen to enter a store because a digital sign caught their attention.
Additional data show that customers recall marketing messages 55% of the time when they have been displayed digitally. Those are impressive stats. Digital ads are everywhere, which has made them a preferred way to reach consumers. Creative marketing reaches people on a deeper level, so here’s how marketers are achieving that effect through digital signage.
1. Encouraging upsells by digital menus
Fast food restaurants are using digital signage to upsell customers on seasonal and promotional menu items. For example, pumpkin spice-flavored drinks and food are regularly advertised as add-ons during the fall, and warm drinks (like hot chocolate) are promoted during the winter.
Has your favorite fast food restaurant switched to digital signage? Many familiar companies already have done it, including McDonald’s. In 2018, McDonald’s started spending a $6 billion budget to transform its menus into digital displays. Both the dine-in restaurant and drive-thru menus have been upgraded in this fashion.
According to Steve Easterbrook, the company’s CEO, going digital leverages technology to improve how the company connects with its customers. For instance, digital signage software makes it possible to display menus that vary based on the time of day, and to rotate promotional items according to the season.
Now, instead of hearing an employee ask “would you like fries with that?”, customers will be presented with deals and promotions right on the menu.
2. Digital wayfinding
Advertisers won’t pass up a good advertising platform. What better way to get ads in front of people than to set up a wayfinding kiosk? With digital wayfinding, people can tap the screen to receive specific instructions on how to locate their destination. Some wayfinding machines walk people through their path virtually.
While the person is getting directions, ads are displayed in the margins of the screen. They aren’t just displayed; they’re often clickable. Interactive ads on a touch screen wayfinding kiosk is a stroke of pure genius. There’s no better way to capture someone’s attention than to involve them physically in your marketing strategy.
3. Interactive, digital help desks
Digital help desks are similar to wayfinding kiosks. Although either can be used to provide directions, digital help desks can offer extensive information and knowledge to consumers. For example, a customer inside an electronics store might need to know how to connect a laptop to an external monitor. By selecting a few options, the person can find out which HDMI adapter he or she will need.
While the customer is learning about various HDMI adapter configurations, the help desk can recommend a specific product. Combined with advanced digital signage software, the customer can have a staff member bring the item to the checkout counter and skip having to browse the aisles.
4. In-store advertising
In-store advertising on digital signage is common in electronics stores, but it’s gained traction in department stores as well. Many price scanners have a digital screen that displays ads until the scanner is used.
Getting creative with digital ads is easy. Some marketers create interactive digital ads that speak to customers, and ask them to tap the screen. Once a person engages, they’re taken on a journey designed to close a sale.
Some stores use digital in-store signage to help visitors customize products like cars, furniture, or T-shirts. Rather than display third-party ads, the invitation to customize a product is the advertisement.
5. Collecting email signups
Collecting email addresses is a key marketing strategy for every business, but it doesn’t have to happen only online. Marketers collect email addresses from a variety of sources, including digital signage. This works best when it’s interactive, in other words, when it requires the use of touch screen displays. These displays make it possible to entice consumers to sign up for an email list.
For instance, in-store digital signage can offer customers a discount for signing up before they check out. These offers work best when placed near high-ticket items so people have an incentive to sign up. Imagine finding an expensive electronics item and noticing a digital sign that offers a 10% discount for submitting your email address. Chances are, you’ll sign up right there.
If you own a business, digital signage will help you grow.
Do you run a business that still has room to grow? Do you need more leads or customers? Digital signage might be the solution you’re looking for. Although standard marketing channels are worthwhile, digital displays could be a great investment in your long-term success.
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This content is brought to you by Larry Alton.
This post is republished on Agents of Change on Medium.
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Photo credit: Shutterstock