How Often Should You Update Digital Signage Content?
One of the main advantages of digital signage is that you can update content as often as you want. Unlike costly static signs that have to be designed and manufactured when content changes, all it takes with digital signage is a few clicks for you to update digital signage content.
Keeping that in mind, the question still remains: how often should you update digital signage content? The considerations are many: type of message, cycle speed & length of the message, how new the concept is, how complex it is, how many frames of digital signage, etc. Ultimately, the answer will vary from business to business. It is up to you to get to know your audience and develop an individualized strategy. For example, commuters coming in to work in the morning will have completely different interests than visitors and customers in your office. The ideal type of content can also change from month to month.
Your main goal is to keep content fresh and put some thought into your content updating strategy.
To help you develop your own approach to updating digital signage content, here are some suggestions:
Get to Know Your Demographic
Every marketing strategy begins with a better understanding of your target audience. That means taking into account age and gender along with family and work life. Painting a clear picture of your audience will allow you to identify their pain points and create content and solutions that directly address their needs. If your message is too broad, you won’t capture the direct attention of potential customers (when compared to a personalized message). This means that you also won’t get the maximum return on your digital signage investment. For help developing a buyer persona and getting to know your audience, click here.
Change your Content Three Times per Day
One simple strategy is to display new content in the morning, at midday, and in the evening. This will ensure that you always have fresh content and that people who view your screens several times per day don’t see the same content. You can even periodically switch up the order of your content to make it appear more robust and diverse. While this might sound like a lot of work, remember that you can program all these actions to happen automatically. That way, you can set your content schedule and move on to focusing on other important areas of your business.
Consider Your Signage Placement
How often you update digital signage content will also depend on the placement of your displays. The screen in the office breakroom can post upcoming office events, and performance KPIs. It can also provide other important information that might get lost in company-wide emails. These types of communications will need updating on a regular, if not daily basis.
However, reception area displays that are targeting customers won’t need updating as often because customers won’t be spending extended periods of time in these areas. In this case, you can update content as new sales and promotions become available.
Consider the Three-Exposure Rule
In the 1970s, Dr. Herbert Krugman developed the three-exposure rule when he was working for GE and trying to discover ways to make their advertising more effective. He concluded that audiences require three exposures to new content to effectively get the message.
- The first exposure catches the audience’s attention and leads them to wonder “What is it?”
- The second exposure elicits a response of “What of it?” or “Why does this matter?” which means they are evaluating whether the message is personally relevant to them.
- By the time a viewer sees a message a third time, it has made a lasting impression and they may take action.
Dr. Krugman also argued that any additional exposures past three didn’t have any real value. People remember an idea on the third exposure. So, simply repeating the message just reduces the return on investment for advertisers. Other experts have argued that up to twenty exposures are necessary to motivate a buyer to make a purchase. However, Dr. Krugman’s theory has been widely accepted and used in marketing and advertising for decades.
For businesses wondering how often they should be updating digital signage content, the three-exposure rule provides a solid guideline. Consider your audience, the display placement, and how long the content should be visible for a potential customer to be able to receive your message three times. This rule is also helpful when thinking about crafting content and making sure that your message is clear and concisely structured.
Take Advantage of Auto-Updating Content
Digital signage software allows you to truly customize content in a way that makes it easy to avoid sticking your audience with old and repetitive content. With access to over 150 content apps and data sources & integrations, you can display performance KPIs, social media updates, current weather conditions, emergency alerts, event listings and so much more.
All of this information will be automatically updated so that the audience is seeing real-time information. This live information can also be paired with curated content to provide a holistic visual experience. For example, a doctor’s office could use their digital signage to play a video on the importance of getting your flu shot while a scrolling display at the bottom of the screen is showing the latest news headlines and weather conditions.
Auto-updating content is also vital to public transit locations. Digital signage can provide informative entertainment while travelers wait for their train, bus, or plane. It can also offer important updates about delays or advertise restaurants or other businesses located at the next stop. There are no limits to how you can use digital signage content to cater to the needs of a specific audience. The key is to take advantage of these tools. Don’t ignore the importance of constantly providing updated and relevant content.
Update Digital Signage Content
Figuring out how often you should update digital signage content is not an exact science. That’s because every business faces different challenges and is dealing with a specific audience. However, you can develop a personalized strategy by taking the time to get to know your audience. You should also think carefully about where you place your displays and how the time of day and year can influence your content. Also, be sure to take full advantage of auto-updating data integrations for dynamic, real-time content. You should consider following the three-exposure rule when developing your strategy. With the right approach, you can continue to provide relevant content that targets your ideal audience and allows you to get the most out of your digital signage investment.
