Where Can You Install Digital Signage in a School? | Video

For any kind of mass communication, location is key to reaching your audience. The same goes for daily communications on digital signage in a school.

Here are the top 5 places to install digital signage in a school:

1. School Cafeteria

A school’s cafeteria is a great place for digital signage. Digital menu boards showing the day’s menu will help speed up the queue (because students can browse their options while queueing) and they’ll help students make healthier food choices.

The digital menu boards should display:

• Nutrition content of each entrée being served
• Healthy alternatives to common choices (apple chips instead of fries, for example)
• Brief primers on carbohydrates, proteins, and fats—complete with visual aids that help students understand the role these nutrients play in our bodies

2. Library

Digital signage in school libraries can be used to:

• Display library hours
• List availability of private study rooms or conference rooms
• Detail waitlists for materials
• Highlight informational resources, such as the location of computers or reference catalogs
• Showcase librarian photos and make it easy for students to recognize trusted staff

It’s better to err on the side of caution and not overdo digital signage here since libraries should be areas of quiet study where students can escape the pull of the digital world. Schools should work with their library staff to discuss which content will work best in their library, and work to make the messaging as clear, direct, and unobtrusive as possible.

3. School Bookstore

For K-12 schools and universities with a bookstore, digital signage is an effective tool for communicating with customers. Staff can display updates about popular books, upcoming releases, and trending topics that may be of interest to students.

In addition to that, this is one area where schools can leverage digital signage to drive revenues. They can sell ad space to third-party vendors and partners, and display content that encourages visitors to shop:

• Raise awareness about back-to-school sales and promotions, and upcoming events
• Highlight specific textbooks recommended by the college or department heads
• Push high-margin products, such as college clothing, spirit gear, or souvenirs for parents

Aside from being an effective marketing tool, this type of digital messaging is something that college students have come to expect.

4. Entrances and Lobbies

Installing digital signage at the school’s entrance, lobby, or reception area will provide critical information to visitors right when they arrive.

Digital signage can display interactive wayfinding maps, directories, floorplans, and other details to help guests navigate more easily. This is particularly helpful for larger school campuses. When visitors can find their way around the school easily, it reduces frustration and improves the visitor experience.

For example, imagine a school hosting a championship basketball game. An event like this could easily draw several hundred visitors. On game day, the school can end up with huge swaths of people standing around, queuing, and slowly milling towards the right gym. As you can imagine, this can get hectic but with digital signage, the logistics get a little easier:

• Display a map of the school grounds, including the location of the correct gym
• Show parking options around the school grounds
• List game details, player highlights, and start times
• Suggest seating locations, and note locations of handicap-accessible seating
• List locations of fire exits or escape routes in case of an emergency

And best of all, schools can save these content templates and deploy them whenever there is an event.

5. Common Areas

Common areas get a lot of foot traffic from students, teachers, visitors, and staff. Messages on digital signs in common areas will be seen by plenty of people, making it an ideal location for certain types of messaging:

• Schedules for school events, conferences, rallies, or exams
• Cut-off dates for class enrollment
• Local weather alerts that may impact school closings, traffic, or parking
• Dates/locations of regularly scheduled building maintenance
• Spotlights on high-performing students in academics, athletics, or art
• Emergency alerts to improve safety in the school

Get creative, here. There’s no limit on what type of content could be included on these signs, and forward-thinking administrators can put the technology to work in plenty of great ways.

Digital Signage in a School

Schools willing to explore the benefits of digital signage never look back. Compared to old-fashioned systems of messaging (which involve lots of paper, tape, and Blu Tack), digital signage is just better. Implementing digital signage in a school provides faster deployment than static signage and is easier to adjust, making it the ideal communication tool for educational environments.