Where are your screens?

So you have done your homework and know that you have the right number of screens. Yet, still it doesn’t seem like you are getting the engagement level that you expected from your campaigns. The next question to ask yourself is, “Where are your screens?”

If only one screen is placed in your location, and it’s positioned in a low traffic area, you might want to reconsider its placement. Positioning a screen in common areas provides for more viewers and as this number increases, the opportunity for audience engagement goes up as well. Just like supermarkets place their weekly specials at endcaps of aisles, placing a screen by the cash registers, or near an elevator entrance will lead to much higher levels of engagement with your audience.

Retail businesses have mastered the art of product positioning to a point where they can predict sales levels of a product just by knowing where in the store it is placed. High traffic areas yield more exposure and therefore, more purchases. This same theory can be applied to digital signage and engagement levels it can generate with your audience.

Another way to get your screens to work for you is by placing products you want to sell close to the screens. Remember, the goal of your screens is to get audience engagement. If you are running content that the audience wants to see, it’s the perfect opportunity to move some product at the same time. Place your specials or brochures near the displays and it will simplify the decision making process for your customers. Studies have shown that three out of four purchase decisions are made while in the store, and what better way to make these decisions easier than by strategic positioning of your displays?

It’s crucial to place a screen in an area where people will notice it and be willing to engage. For example, by the cash registers or in areas where people tend to congregate for longer periods of time, the screen can add the highest value. People have time to spare and it gives your business a great opportunity to engage with your patrons; whether it’s providing them with headline news, weather conditions, a social media stream, live TV, or your weekly specials, placing your screens in high traffic areas will lead to more engagement.

You’ve decided on the right number of screens and strategically positioned them; now comes the last step. What content will be displayed on your screens? You can have the most screens and best placement, but if you are running content people don’t care about, your entire investment could go to waste. In the next edition of the blog, we will discuss how content can push your digital signage network to the next level.