Digital screens are one of the most effective ways to advertise to your potential customers – when done right. Creating a successful digital advertising campaign that maximizes the ROI from your digital screens requires skill, attention, and use of the following not-to-be-missed tips.

The power of digital advertising campaigns

Digital signage has exploded into the market as a powerful, creative, and different way to communicate with your customers and stand out from competitors. But ease of communication isn’t the only advantage of using digital screens – they can also:

• Attract customers to your store;
• Direct a call to action; and
• Create a memorable experience.

All of which, results in increased sales and profits. But how do you run an effective digital screen campaign?

Running a successful digital advertising campaign

While it can be tempting to simply plug in and go, your digital screen requires a little more thought than that – it requires a digital advertising campaign, and for that campaign to be successful, you need to think about the following.

1. Planning ahead

Christmas may be six months away, but it’s no good leaving your digital advertising campaign planning until Christmas Eve. Successful campaigns require care, thought, and attention. Identify which events you want campaigns for, and diarize to complete your strategy at least two months in advance.

2. Establishing your goal

Every digital advertising campaign requires a goal. Are you looking to increase footfall, reduce queries to staff, pack out next week’s sale, or automate your upsells? Establishing your goal enables you to tailor your content and measure success.

Extra tip: Use SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timed) to to help with your goal setting.

3. Establishing your audience

Once you’ve identified your campaign’s goal, you can start identifying your target audience. Who you want your digital screens to appeal to will affect everything from the placement of the screen to the colors and language used – determining ultiamte success. Create customer personas and refer to them at every stage of your design process.

4. Creating a journey

The benefit of working on a whole digital advertising campaign, rather than just focusing on one screen at a time, is the ability to create a journey. Journeys engage people, evoke emotions, and take customers from outside, into the store, and through the checkout. Use your digital campaign to build a journey that attracts customers in, convinces them to buy, and then entertains them as they wait in line.

5. Creating a message

Next, you need to craft the messages that will accompany your journey. Start with creating content that solves a problem. That might be what to have for lunch, what to buy Dad for Father’s Day, or when the next health and safety meeting it. If you solve a problem, you will begin engaging your audience.

6. Following design principles

Digital design principles are there for a reason – they work. Research and understand common rules and tips such as:

• The rule of threes;
• Using clear fonts (and no more than two);
• Visual psychology; and
• Minimal text.

It’s also important to take into account physical factors such as the distance from the screen, the lighting, and speed that someone will be passing. Consistency is key here – you want your branding, tone of voice, and design principles to stand out and be immediately identifiable across all of your campaigns.

7. Stepping up your technology

If you’re still using digital signage from the ‘90s then your campaign is going to flop. Use technology that creates interactivity, involves real-time feeds, generates fun, and stands out from your competition. The better and more shareable the experience, the more people will talk about you to their friends.

8. Monitoring success

Before hitting ‘go’ it’s crucial to know how you are going to monitor your campaign’s success. Are you going to track the number of sales, the volume of items, or overall profit? Whatever metrics you decide to use, stick to them for each campaign, and use A/B testing to compare results and improve the outcome.

9. Keeping it fresh

Your digital screens should be your hook – grabbing attention and engaging your audience through dynamic displays and visuals. Key to this is keeping your content fresh. Your campaign should include multiple pieces of content that are regularly swapped, changed, and updated so to grab attention constantly.

10. Have fun

Digital signage isn’t just fun for your customers – it should be fun for you too. Play around with different strategies, tools, and ideas to figure out what works best for your audience and for you.

Key takeaway

The success of your digital signage relies on how much effort and attention you give your digital advertising campaigns. Follow these top tips for running a successful campaign and start making your screens work for your business.