Thursday, June 28, 2012

Change is good: Content creation

-Deacon Wardlow
Change is good. The first time people go to a new place (a new shopping center, city, town, etc.) the new place is vibrant, detailed and refreshing. As something becomes more familiar, less details are noticed, what once stood out fades into the background. The same is true of your display. The first time a new display goes up, people take notice. The display stands out and catches the eye. How do you avoid having a display fade out for the viewers? Change is the answer.

Reader boards are replaced with LED Signs which can be quickly and easily updated.  A common problem I’ve noticed is they are used well the first few weeks and then, suddenly, they’re no better than a static sign. When I’ve asked end-users why this happens, I get various answers back:

-The software isn’t easy to use.
-I don’t have new slogans/ideas to promote every week.
-I’m too busy.

A programmable LED sign is an excellent mode of communication between a business and the community/customer-base. Changing content is a must to keep the conversation fresh and ensure the eyes turn toward the sign. The issues above can be quickly resolved.

Software is the hardest one to overcome. When sourcing an LED sign, make sure the software is easy to use and update so the end-user doesn’t see the sign as a burden of business.

For slogans/campaigns the end-users only have to reach out to the community. There are many charitable organizations which could benefit from some time on the sign. The end-user gets to do outreach and show they are a vibrant part of their community and charitable organizations get a resource for community communication. If the content itself is the same week-to-week, change the look/feel of the content, use current news/events for content and put funny quips/comments on the board. Emotion is a big draw for advertising and making someone smile can be the difference between a new customer and no customer.

There should always be some time set aside for the display. An LED sign gets more impressions on the people actually going by your business than any other media (print, TV or radio). Even if you only have a few thousand impressions a day, ten percent of those impressions are waiting for the right impulse to bring them in the doors. Would you turn away a 10% increase in business because you don’t have time to keep things fresh?

Digital Signage is not a cost of business, it’s an investment. The way to see the greatest return on that investment is to nurture it to get the most benefit. A little time spent with keeping your content fresh and interesting will be returned ten fold with the increased interest generated in your business. For more on content creation, checkout the new guide created by Scott Hoffhein! Click on this link to view the new guide in our resources library.



*Always feel free to comment here and/or email me directly with requests at deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Advertisements/promotion for your business and inappropriate comments will be deleted.. Thank you!

**Note all posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.

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