As technology advances, many retailers will continue to adopt retail digital signage solutions to bolster communication efforts. Studies have shown that digital signage can improve traffic within these stores by about 30%. The flexibility of signage allows retailers to quickly adapt their promotional messaging to advertise limited-time items, seasonal offers, and new products. An ever-changing and dynamic flow of content keeps things exciting for consumers and draws more attention to the advertised items, encouraging purchases or other actions. Furthermore, digital technologies such as QR codes or Social Media integrations can redirect users to specific landing pages or reward registration forms that encourage repeat visits and loyalty. In this way, digital signage can act as a promotional communication tool as well as an interactive call to action.
Achieving a boost in revenue for retail avenues requires some basic knowledge and a sound strategy to get the most out of your displays. REACH Media Network offers a powerful and affordable signage platform that can scale from one-stop, mom-and-pop shops to entire retail enterprises. Additionally, while you can use pre-existing hardware to get your signage off the ground, REACH Media Network is also prepared to offer a variety of media players that could best fit your strategy. Once your team has been trained on our system and your network is ready to go, our creative team can help get your content layouts off the ground. However, when you’re ready to begin creating or editing content on your own, there are a few apps and integrations you should be deeply familiar with. Here, will give an overview of the top 5 digital signage apps we see used in our retail clients. If you have not started your digital signage journey, click the button below to begin talking to an expert, today!
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PLAYLISTS
Across almost every industry, the playlist tool is often the most used app. While content is created within the media library or externally, the playlist is the vehicle in which your content will be displayed. Once you create a playlist, you can add content from your media library or computer. Items can be “disabled” within a playlist instead of outright deleted for future use, and the order of playlist items can be altered. Alternatively, you can set items to simply shuffle, giving you complete control over how announcements within a playlist are presented. You can create as many playlists as you want, allowing you to tailor content based on audience, location, season, etc.
A playlist’s strength is its cloud-based technology and the variety of content you can present concisely. For example, Nectar Markets can manage all its displays across its 35 stores from a centralized location. This allows them to unify content across all locations, and quickly update stores on promotional items, limited-time sales, or new products. This has given them more freedom in how they approach advertising, as the cohesive signage integration ensures its communication objectives remain consistent across all locations.
SOCIAL MEDIA INTEGRATIONS
More and more, retail outlets are incorporating social media integrations into their signage layouts. Social media is arguably one of the most flexible integrations you can include in your signage strategy. Depending on what social platforms you pull in, you can leverage static announcements, eye-catching images and graphics, dynamic videos, or even user-generated content. This variety not only helps keep your displays fresh and interesting but also opens the door for more community engagement. For instance, we mentioned how user-generated content can be leveraged through your displays. By getting involved in community trends, or creating your own, you can create an incentive for people to post on your timeline and share their posts to get on one of your screens or receive exclusive rewards. People love participating in trends and love seeing themselves on screen even more. Encouraging people to submit their own posts and share your content around can draw in a larger audience and produce more conversions.
In fact, social media can be a crucial way to grow your audience and bolster your brand’s reputation. Studies show that 92% of consumers rely on people they know for referrals, with 79% claiming that user-generated content heavily affects their purchasing decisions. With this in mind, it’s important to grow your online network as much as possible, and digital signage can be a crucial advertising tool to help put eyes on both your brand and your online presence.
CALENDAR SCHEDULES
Calendars can act as the backbone of any signage marketing strategy. Making not only your customers but staff aware of upcoming promotions or product changes can help them market items properly and prepare for changes in operation. If your store is hosting a special event or week-long promotion, calendars can give them proper notice on when to return, encouraging repeat visits. Calendar promotions can also create a fear of missing out (FOMO), which drives more purchases as customers want to get in on a deal before it’s over. Regardless of how a calendar is implemented, making customers aware of future promotions will raise excitement around your brand and can inspire future purchases.
DATASETS FOR DIGITAL MENU BOARDS
Now we are getting into the bread-and-butter of retail digital signage. Many retailers across the country are replacing traditional menu boards with digital signage menu boards. Digital menu boards offer a host of benefits over traditional menu boards. As mentioned previously, digital menu boards can be updated from a central location. This removes the need to waste time and manpower to update menu items manually. Additionally, menu boards can be customized to fit brand standards and host images or videos of the items for sale. This can give customers a glimpse of what’s on offer, tantalizing their taste buds or encouraging alternative items they may not have considered. This customization and ease of use also maintain consistency amongst your locations, ensuring customers have a similar experience regardless of what store they go to.
Stewart’s Shops is an excellent case study of how signage can transform an enterprise retail business to be more efficient and enticing. Replacing its magnetic menu boards with digital signs, Stewart’s Shops can update all 400+ stores simultaneously. This includes prices, nutrition facts, and other important information. Meanwhile, individual stores do not have to replace magnet strips or buy new ones when product swaps occur. Instead, they can update the options right away through the store computers. This has greatly boosted the brand’s efficiency and has driven a boost in sales as a whole.
HD VIDEOS & STREAMING
Lastly, video streaming or pre-made HD videos can draw more attention to your retail displays. In a recent study, 81% of retail consumers claimed they wanted to sample a product before making a purchase decision. Unfortunately, this is not always possible depending on the product being sold. However, videos can still give consumers a glimpse of what they are in store for. Videos can be live demonstrations of the product in use, or break down certain product aspects that make it enticing. At the most basic level, videos can just be glamorous shots of the product in a professional display. Regardless of how videos are incorporated into your display, they have proven to be an effective marketing tactic for retailers nationwide.
CONCLUSION
As the retail industry continues to grow and evolve, the signage industry will continue alongside it. With emerging technologies and adaptive strategies, retail digital signage will provide new ways to engage audiences and drive purchases. To keep up with the rapidly changing industry, contact REACH Media Network to set up a free demo, or visit our resource page for the latest digital signage tips, tricks, and news.
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Discover how digital signage can transform your communication strategy. Reach out to REACH Media Network today to learn more about our solutions, explore custom integrations, and see how we can help you connect with your audience in meaningful ways.
