Hidden Challenges of Digital Signage Programming

Your digital signage system needs to be more than a PowerPoint presentation to be an effective messaging or communications tool. Digital signage technology has undoubtedly advanced a great deal in the last few years. More than 67% of digital signage users expect digital out-of-home advertising to increase in the next two years. Today, you can achieve so much by integrating your digital signs with multiple systems.

Actually, programming digital signage solutions for multiple integrations will deliver a great and more interactive customer experience. Integrating with your RSS feed, social media feeds, and more resources and data sources will allow you to deliver high-quality content to your target audience and drive customer engagement. Similarly, you can improve staff efficiency by integrating your digital signage with other tools. In fact, companies that communicate effectively are 4x more likely to report high levels of employee engagement.

All things considered, multiple integrations guarantee a greater ROI from your system sooner. However, you will encounter a few challenges as you try to achieve this, especially with programming. From healthcare, real estate, and retail to the corporate world, clients in the digital signage industry face the following challenges of digital signage programming:

1. Not Selecting the Right CMS

You will have no trouble finding a content management system (CMS). The market is flooded with hundreds of these products. However, the big question is whether the CMS product you choose is indeed the right one. This is one challenge of digital signage programming.

Of course, business owners will look at the cost, but there is so much more to consider when selecting a CMS. Instead, you should always look at the features the product offers. You can never go wrong with a system with a simple user interface. Indeed, ease of use is a guarantee with such a product, and your team will undoubtedly have an easier time with programming for integrations and when they need to schedule content.

To this end, don’t be in a rush to select a CMS. You will benefit greatly from some intentional comparison shopping. While at it, have the various digital signage software vendors do a demo to have a feel of what you can expect. You don’t want to end up with a CMS product that limits what you can do, so be sure to take your time and find the right one.

2. Bandwidth Challenges

You will be using your internet or local VPN to stream content on your digital displays. This is especially true when you are getting content from multiple sources across the internet, including your website and social media platforms. 

With that in mind, it is easy to see why issues are bound to come up if you are working with limited bandwidth. This can be quite a challenge if you deal with large files, as these tend to consume a large bandwidth.

In this case, you can explore several strategies to help improve your bandwidth performance. You can configure your router’s Quality of Service (QoS) and use a wireless repeater to boost your Wi-Fi signal, among other strategies. 

In most cases, you may need to upgrade your internet service plan to match the demands of your digital signage solutions. Monitor your usage, and be sure to factor in plans for future usage when upgrading your service plan. It is, indeed, worth the investment, especially if you are looking to scale your digital signage network in the future and overcome the challenges of digital signage programming.

3. Lack of a Content Strategy

Your digital signage solutions are only as effective as the content you put out. According to Siegemedia, 36.7% of marketers report that creating engaging visual content consistently is one of their top struggles. Hence, consider what your target audience will best respond to before choosing the data sources to integrate your system. Pay attention to content creation if you hope your system will be effective. 

For example, a business catering to a younger clientele will do well to have social media feeds displayed in the lobbies or waiting rooms. You can improve engagement and increase sales because this is the kind of content that attracts your target audience. Throw in a carefully selected playlist and some fun animations for a greater impact.

By all means, consider demographics when developing your digital signage content strategy. Also, look at your end goal. If the purpose of the digital signs is to ease wayfinding, then look for the best maps and routes apps for integration in addition to your building directories.

On the other hand, if you are looking to reduce perceived wait time, consider integrating with live TV or news channels. Displaying infotainment, including real-time news and updates on your video walls and digital screens, is always a great idea to keep visitors engaged and reduce perceived wait time.

With content strategizing, it isn’t just about what content to display. You also need to figure out what screens will display what information. For example, you want specific corporate communications displayed on just the staff-facing screens. Similarly, you have to pay attention to the when and how to schedule your content. The right message at the right time will have the greatest impact.

4. Lack of Skills

Ease of use is, without doubt, one of the most important factors to consider before choosing a digital signage solution. An intuitive platform should be fairly easy to navigate, and you will have no trouble with creating, uploading, and updating content.

On the other hand, programming for integrations may not be as easy. It requires more than basic skills and may be quite a challenge. A lack of skills to execute this programming is why many businesses miss out on so many opportunities. 

To point out, professional digital signage network providers offer personalized training to help equip you with the skills you require to effectively manage your system. Continuously increasing your capacity with training will ensure you stay on top of this task. Also, ensure you can have a dedicated team with the right skills and experience handling this crucial assignment.

5. Not Enough Time

Business owners will invest time and resources ensuring they meet set KPIs. After all, that is your core business. As you are busy keeping track of your net profit margin, you may not have the time to know the best templates to use on your digital LCD screens or how best to format your menu boards. You may also not be able to stay on top of all the tools you would benefit from integrating with your digital signs and using them for your touchscreens. 

Certainly, you may not have enough time to do it all. Even if you have a team working on your digital signage function, it is quite easy for them to get overrun and overwhelmed with other tasks at the expense of your digital signage. 

In this case, you will benefit greatly from professional managed services. Do away with workflow issues and have experienced professionals managing your entire digital signage network. The services will cover the whole scope from planning, installation, and deployment to creative strategy for your dashboard’s ongoing management. You can trust the experts for excellent programming and seamless integrations with the tools you will require to maximize your efficiency and engage your clientele.

Digital Signage Programming Solution

As has been noted, the challenges of digital signage programming are quite varied. The good news is that you can navigate and mitigate these challenges by selecting the right CMS, developing a good content strategy, and dealing with bandwidth constraints. Hence, partner with professional digital signage solutions, and you get the right pick of hardware and software, as well as managed services for programming.

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