If you’ve explored digital signage for your business, you’d know it excels at sharing real-time information with your audience. This includes business updates, employee schedules, and company news.
However, there’s an untapped potential for using digital signage for entertainment.
Yes — We’re talking about informing and entertaining your audience all from the same screens!
With dynamic content, digital signage can capture 400x more attention than static signs. This makes them the ultimate solution for engaging customers at your business.
Why use digital signage for entertainment in the first place?
The average attention span of humans is 8.25 seconds, even less than that of a goldfish!
Unlike static posters, dynamic and immersive digital displays grab attention in seconds. Here’s why digital signage works for engaging your audience:
1. Creates immersive experiences
With digital signage, you can create immersive experiences using dynamic videos, vivid graphics, and even audio. You can watch ideas come to life through visual screens that captivate audiences like never before.
Let’s take LG’s innovative displays at CES 2024, for example. Picture being greeted by a larger-than-life media art display at an entrance. You notice that it is made of multiple screens dancing in unison — displaying a truly immersive video experience. This visual delight then transforms into transparent screens, showing the latest display technology using ‘floating’ screens.
These immersive experiences are now a reality – you only have to imagine the possibilities!
2. Offers content versatility
Unlike traditional signage like posters and notice boards, digital signage lets you update content in seconds. One minute, you’re sharing updates about your new product launch; the next, you’re streaming live events to engage your audience.
Cloud-based platforms like L Squared allow users to update content from anywhere, anytime. You control what content plays on which screen and when through a centralized dashboard. It doesn’t get more versatile than this!
In case of emergencies, these displays transform into your emergency notification system to alert customers and staff about alerts, evacuation routes, and best practices.
3. Enables targeted content-sharing
One major advantage of digital signage is its device-segmentation feature. What would have been impossible with static posters — digital signage simplifies with a few easy clicks!
You can share targeted content to devices based on your audience’s age, demographics, and preferences. For a Gen Z-focused clothing store, feature ads and videos on Y2K styles, holographic designs, and eco-fashion. At a sports gear outlet, showcase new product reveals, sports news, and popular campaigns to captivate shoppers.
How to use digital signage for entertainment?
Now, let’s talk about action. So far, we’ve discussed why digital signage works for entertaining your guests and customers. Now, let’s see how you can use it for your business!
1. Outdoor screens
Using outdoor screens for branding is like turning the world into your personal stage. These are not your average TV screens — in most cases, they’re larger-than-life displays that make customers stop and wonder, “Wow, what’s that?!”
Digital out-of-home (DOOH) broadcasting is one way to engage your audience with dynamic displays. DOOH broadcasting is a spinoff of traditional out-of-home advertising but with the added edge of sharing more targeted and personalized content.
Ford’s Ecosport DOOH campaign enabled consumers to navigate touchscreens and view the car in different environments. They could also view the car’s exterior and interior in different colors, giving a real-life element to the entire experience.
More content ideas for your outdoor displays
- Interactive polls and quizzes: You can share pop culture quizzes, sports questions, or light-hearted tech trivia to build a two-way interaction with customers.
- Augmented reality experiences: Invite passersby into an AR adventure where they can interact with virtual elements through your digital screen.
- User-generated content: Curate and share relatable content like behind-the-scenes bloopers, employee stories, and customer first impressions to delight customers and boost brand awareness.
2. Welcome signage
New environments can be daunting — whether you’re a seasoned professional or a new college student. In such instances, warm welcome gestures show your organization’s positive culture and help keep newcomers at ease.
Let’s take colleges, for example. Educational experiences are more than what students learn inside the classroom. For most students, starting out college can be an overwhelming experience. In times like these, warm gestures on behalf of the college help students feel more welcomed and comforted.
Commonly shared content on welcome screens
- Welcome messages: Displaying welcome messages like “Welcome class of 2024!” when a new academic year starts makes students feel like they’re part of a positive, pleasant community.
- Social media feed: Share content from your social media, like Picture Day photos, motivational messages from faculty, and ongoing campus events to engage new students.
- Events ticker: Add a scrolling feed of the latest headlines, university events, and campus buzz to keep students in the loop.
3. Live broadcasts
Live broadcasts can turn any dull space into a vibrant, engaging hub, creating a communal viewing experience. For example, if you’re organizing your annual trade show, live streaming the event makes in-house employees feel like they’re part of the experience. This way, they can enjoy the event in real-time and not experience FOMO (fear of missing out).
Additionally, you can broadcast these live events in waiting areas and install Digital Signages in office lobbies so visitors and customers can also watch the event in real-time and get updates about your ongoing activities.
Entertainment content ideas for your next livestream
- Interactive contests: Turn live streams into engaging interactions with some gamification. If you’re running a live on tech, share QR codes on screens to take participants to a quiz landing page. Here, they can participate in a fun trivia about tech, score points, and even win some prizes!
- Virtual Tours: Provide live tours of your office locations, pop-up stores, or exhibitions for a real-life experience without needing to leave the room.
- Recreational sessions: Stream yoga classes, art tutorials, or even music performances to add a fun twist to your employees’ everyday routine.
4. Food and beverage screens
Coming to digital menu boards (ah, food), these dynamic menus transform the simple (and mundane) activity of choosing what to eat into a fun and adventurous activity.
Imagine a customer walking up to a digital menu board in a restaurant and being greeted by an interactive map of cuisines. They tap on ‘Italian,’ and suddenly, they’re watching a live feed where chefs are tossing pizzas in Rome. Next, they’re immersed in the streets of Tokyo, watching sushi being rolled with a click.
These menu boards also take personalization up to the next level. Customers can create their own dishes with a few simple taps on an interactive menu. Depending on their palette, they can customize toppings, bread of choice, and even spice levels. This creates a positive customer experience and builds a memorable brand identity.
Additional entertainment ideas for your digital menu boards:
- Food pairing suggestions: Offer expert pairing tips for dishes and drinks. A study by WAND Digital shows that digital signs can increase sales by 2-5% in a single location due to enhanced customer experience.
- Chef’s live cam: Give customers a sneak peek into your chef’s kitchen for a fun, taste-bud teaser trailer! Highlight short kitchen walk-throughs, behind-the-scenes, and even glimpses of local produce from your farmer’s market.
- Customer’s choice displays: Let customers vote for a ‘Customer’s Choice’ dish of the month. You can use interactive kiosks to encourage participation or share QR codes on screens for customers to choose their pick.
- Time-lapse videos: These videos are culinary art in motion. Fascinate customers with a sped-up journey of a dish from prep to plate.
5. Waiting room TVs
People get bored when they are attentive to the passing of time. That’s why most people get restless and anxious in waiting rooms. And the longer the wait, the more frustrating the experience.
This is the perfect opportunity to engage your audience with lively and vivid content. For instance, visitors in your office lobby can watch live events, sports updates or weather reports to keep them occupied. They might not notice the passage of time, but they’ll be glad to feel like their wait wasn’t so long and boring.
Similarly, hospital waiting room TVs are especially helpful in easing patient anxiety during their wait. By displaying live wait times and next-in-line information, patients know exactly when their turn is without playing the guessing game.
Additional entertainment ideas for your waiting room TVs:
- “Did You Know?” facts: You can display interesting, quirky facts related to your industry or general knowledge to educate and entertain simultaneously — sparking curiosity among those waiting patients and customers.
- Relaxation and nature scenes: Play high-resolution nature videos like forests, oceans, and gently flowing rivers to provide a digital window to tranquility. Adding calming music also helps ease patient anxiety and stress, lowering cortisol levels.
- Promotional content: Share strategic ads to inform customers of the additional services you provide that they might have missed. You can also include sale alerts, season discounts, and new launches to keep customers curious.
6. Breakroom entertainment
So far, we’ve discussed how digital screens can entertain your customers and visitors. But we haven’t forgotten about your front liners — aka, your employees.
We know your team works hard and needs to take rejuvenating breaks. This isn’t just a two-minute breather between meetings — we’re talking about healthy ways of relaxing between shifts and encouraging healthy socialization.
Studies also show that engaged employees are more productive and less likely to leave their jobs. Highly engaged teams show 21% more profitability overall. In this case, digital signage can contribute by providing content that entertains, informs, and connects employees during their downtime.
Entertainment content you can show in break rooms
- Company events: Have an annual trade show company coming up? Live stream events on your office screens for real-time engagement with employees. Don’t be afraid to experiment with the different content formats — the key is experimentation.
- Sports news: Sports channels are classics for light entertainment. Even better, they help in healthy socialization as well! Over 55% of employees agree that they love catching up on sports updates with coworkers.
- Weather channels: Even today, with weather updates available with a click on our smartphones, new channels are still popular because of their hyperlocal relevance – providing essential, localized updates that influence everyday decisions. Why Do We Watch the Weather on TV While It Is Happening Just Outside? — an article by The New York Times delves into the strange allure of weather channels.
Best practices
Before we wrap up, here are a few key things to make sure your digital signage content always strikes the right chord.
- Keep content fresh: Nothing will bore your audience more than stale content on repeat. Make sure to change things up with videos, creative graphics, and even audio (where suitable) to keep things fresh.
- Know your audience: How well your content is received depends on how tailored it is to your audience. Make sure to invest time in audience research to ensure you meet their expectations and standards.
- Quality over quantity: Quality triumphs over quantity any day. Don’t just publish for the sake of it — Your audience can spot a half-baked attempt from miles away.
- Use audio where possible: Audio has its time and place in digital signage. The right audio at the right time can enhance the efficacy of your signage. Be sure to test multiple strategies and gather actionable feedback to make the most impact.
Conclusion
Digital signage is a versatile solution — one that excels equally at informing as well as engaging customers. You’ll just have to identify the right balance and strategy for your business.
Cliche, yes, but experimentation is key to finding that sweet spot. We know you’ve invested in digital signage for marketing communication, but don’t be afraid to test the waters. After all, you can always double down on what works and discard what doesn’t.
In short, don’t spend all this money just to be boring and forgettable! Try out new content formats, experiment with interactive polls and quizzes, and even test out audio. Your best strategy might be something you’ve yet to discover!
Embracing this paradigm shift requires a blend of creativity, technology, and a deep understanding of audience needs. The plan of action? Innovate relentlessly, personalize dynamically, and make interaction a two-way street.
The key lies in reimaging everyday experiences to turn them into more enjoyable encounters between customers and brands. The question is: Are you up for the challenge? Or will you take a step back and watch others lead?
