Building Smart Communities with Digital Signage for County Governments

Digital signage is growing fast. Consumers from all sorts of industries are finding value in the technology. A great example of this is how digital signage can be applied for the benefit of county governments.

Without a doubt, digital signage technology has well-documented benefits. Digital screens have proven themselves as an engaging, high-impact method of information distribution. And while most consumer reports detail these benefits in terms of profits, consumer impact, and ROI, the strategies just as applicable to the organizational side of things—information sharing and dissemination.

Let’s review just a few of the ways digital signage supports communication for complex entities like county governments, allowing them to build IoT networks and smart communities for their constituents:

Cross-promote across multiple organizations

Digital signage offers the perfect way to integrate local organizations in a community and cross-promote services, activities, or events.

For example, a local library could send advertisements for events (such as upcoming book sales or public readings by notable authors) to the city’s parks and recreation center, elementary/high schools, and more. Along the same lines, local governments can advertise upcoming community meetings or town halls within its own government offices or at auxiliary locations, such as the DMV or post office. Similarly, county governments can work with public transportation providers and display transit information so that citizens can travel easier.

Digital signage is a low-cost and effective way to increase awareness of local events that don’t have the budget for traditional advertisement, and there’s no limit to the number of organizations that can get on board.

Create a centralized system for emergency messaging

One of the most important attributes of digital signage is how it enables real-time emergency alerts and customized messaging to support community safety. Local police, fire, and medical organizations can send real-time alerts to digital signage-enabled schools, community centers, and government offices to keep the public safe:

• Police – If there’s a local threat or community alert, local police can advise communities to avoid specific areas or buildings until the issue is resolved.
• Fire – When fires occur, the fire department can deploy safety messages to those in affected buildings or those nearby to direct them to safety. As an added resource, digital screens can be updated to display locations of fire exits, escape routes, and building maps for every type of emergency.
• Medical – If a public health emergency occurs, such as a disease outbreak or air quality issue, the county government can use its digital signage to broadcast warnings to the public as well as tips to stay safe.
• Weather – Inclement weather is unavoidable, but digital signage gives county governments an easy way to reach the public and warn them of upcoming danger.

These benefits underscore a key aspect of digital signage integration: It becomes more effective as the network grows. When county governments invest in digital signage integrated throughout public agencies, schools, emergency services, and any other government-run facility, it becomes the easiest way to keep the public safe in times of crisis.

Encourage participation in community events

Digital signage is a powerful tool for community engagement, particularly for events that rely on public participation:

• City council meetings or town halls
• Upcoming elections and debates
• Public events hosted by parks and rec or private community sponsors
• Festivals and activities that support tourism and investment in the local economy
• Holiday gatherings

The key benefit is that all digital signage systems can use the same templates and message. All information is fed from a single source and distributed to every screen in the network. For example, this guarantees that all community members receive accurate and consistent messaging, no matter where they see the message.

Extend the value of traditional media resources

Digital signage lets county governments integrate news media with modern digital technology to reaches more viewers.

Consider the extensive time, money, and effort put into the production of local public access television and local news reports. These resources don’t have the impact they used to; many consumers these days are cutting the cable cord and reducing their reliance on old-fashioned television. In fact, the same goes for other local media channels, such as radio. Without a way to integrate these messages with forward-thinking digital solutions, county governments are letting these resources go to waste.

Digital signage can be integrated to display scrolling local news and public access TV. In addition, by integrating these feeds and templates into a digital signage strategy, administrators expand the reach of their resources.

Generate revenue for the county government

Of course, digital signage isn’t all about communication. It also offers county governments the perfect way to generate advertising revenue from local businesses. County governments can partner with small, local businesses and work with them to develop ads for digital signage screens. Everyone benefits from this type of strategy, including:

• The county receives additional revenue from ongoing ad campaigns that can be reapplied to support local community infrastructure.
• Local businesses receive a new type of advertising medium that competes with national brands.
• Consumers can easily see which brands are local. You can receive offers normally only available through traditional internet search channels.
• Officials can post job listings to promote local hiring.

Advertising isn’t the primary goal of digital signage for county governments. However, it can be a great way to support local businesses in the area. That way, you can help offset the initial costs of the digital signage investment.

Digital Signage Solutions for County Governments

From information dissemination to public safety to advertising, digital signage offers some exciting new possibilities to county governments. In fact, administrators should assess their current communication strategy and determine how new technologies could support efficiency. The world is moving toward digital signage, and county governments will be instrumental in bringing the benefits of these solutions to the public.