9 Keys to Elevating the Digital Signage Content at Your Events
As a hospitality professional, you understand the importance of creating memorable experiences for your guests. You're constantly seeking innovative ways to differentiate your events, and ensure that every attendee leaves with a positive, lasting impression. One powerful tool in your arsenal is digital signage, which can transform your public spaces into immersive environments that inform, engage, and delight conference goers.
With digital displays boasting an impressive 83% recall rate, they are the perfect vehicle for driving attendee satisfaction, engagement and conversions. This article will help you maximize their potential. Here are nine best practices to help you optimize the content on your digital displays.
#1 Understand Your Viewers
Knowing your audience is crucial to effective messaging. If you don't understand who's attending events at your venue, your efforts might fall short. Consider the diverse range of events you host and tailor your digital content to resonate with each group's interests and needs.
Equally important is understanding how your venue's layout influences guest interaction with digital signage. Survey your space to identify high-traffic areas, sightlines, and dwell times. This insight will help you strategically place screens where they're most likely to capture attention and tailor your messages to what your audience is most likely to respond to.
#2 Keep It Simple and Scannable
When it comes to digital signage, the KISS principle, originally "Keep It Simple, Stupid," (a design mantra since the 1960s) is better translated as "keep it simple and scannable." This means that you’ll want to focus on clear, concise messages which eliminate unnecessary complexity and confusion.
Since your audience is often on the move, quick engagement is key. Ensure your copy is short, punchy, and readable within ten seconds. Consider using a single, universally understood visual for clarity and to capture attention. Also, avoid the excessive use of the color white, as it doesn't display well on digital screens.
#3 Design for Readability
As indicated above, effective digital signage features clear messages and straightforward calls to action.
Attendees need to quickly understand information about sponsors, offers or upcoming events and locations. While there’s no universal standard, increasing font size by one inch for every ten feet of viewing distance serves as a helpful guideline. It's also essential to physically walk through the location during the planning phase to ensure optimal visibility of messages.
Consider tools like Coolor's Color Contrast Checker to ensure your design is easily readable. Proper color contrast will enhance the visibility of your message, especially in environments with varying lighting conditions.
When planning your design, consider asking yourself these three questions:
Is text visible from long distances?
Is text legible against the background?
Can you reduce the amount of clutter without sacrificing the message or calls to action?
If you answered 'no' to any of these questions, you may want to consider making appropriate adjustments.
#4 Maximize Visual Impact
A picture is worth a thousand words, so consider using a single striking visual that will support your message. Use visual elements that clarify and compliment your messaging.
Motion illustration and video content can be highly effective for capturing attention. Adding a short, 15-second video element or animation that is easily digestible and complements your message rather than distracting from it is ideal and effective in keeping your audience engaged.
#5 Include Dynamic Messaging
In this day and age, consumers have come to appreciate hyper relevant messages. These are messages that not only resonate well, but also are relevant to what they are experiencing at the time.
To keep your content fresh and impactful, consider updating your messages in real-time to reflect the events, speakers and social chatter happening during the event. This is not only impressive and remarkable, but it keeps your content at the center of the attendee experience, which can increase engagement.
#6 Activate Your Audience
Now that you've captured your audiences’ attention, it's time to engage them with interactive features that seamlessly bridge the physical and digital worlds. Today, most attendees carry an average of three mobile devices with them to an event, so they are always connected and ready to interact.
Capitalize on your attendees' mobile connectivity by employing QR codes to link them to richer information, exclusive offers, or immersive experiences. Given the widespread adoption of QR codes— with over 41.77 million scans this year alone—QR codes can help seamlessly integrate physical and digital experiences for attendees. This approach encourages attendees to engage more deeply with your event and content.
Also consider incorporating live social media feeds, attendee-generated content, live updates, or real-time polls to help foster engagement and encourage participation among attendees. This strategy promotes sharing, and ultimately amplifies the impact of the event.
#7 Use Smart Content Rotation
Digital signage is a powerful tool for keeping attendees informed and up-to-date on event schedules, speakers, break-out sessions, networking rooms, and more. Set your digital signs to update at regular intervals and include real-time feeds when possible to provide attendees with the most accurate details.
Also, consider working with sponsors to develop a content strategy that rotates ads thoughtfully in a way that best aligns with your audience's interests throughout the day. This benefits sponsors with higher engagement and further enhances the attendee experience.
#8 Show The Way
Wayfinding is critical during events. Start by analyzing traffic patterns, and then carefully align permanent and temporary digital signs along the pathway. Use arrows or other visual cues to direct the flow of traffic and minimize congestion. Doing so will help attendees better navigate and avoid potential confusion and frustration.
To further enhance wayfinding, consider offering a downloadable map or direct link to your event app using a QR code. By providing easy access to navigation tools, you can ensure that attendees can focus on enjoying the event.
#9 Validate Technical Performance
After optimizing your content strategy, it's important to ensure technical excellence. You may want to test your design on various screens to identify any visual inconsistencies or technical issues. Consider how different screens handle color, as contrast and vibrancy can vary significantly. Review your content meticulously to confirm that all details are accurate, resolutions are correct, and schedules and settings are properly configured. Even with a thorough rehearsal, issues can still arise during the event, so monitor your displays closely and be prepared to communicate the issue to technicians.
Need Help? Partner with Experts
By implementing these nine best practices, you can create a dynamic and engaging digital signage environment that enhances the guest experience and drives revenue for your venue. However, managing digital signage content can be complex and time-consuming, especially when balancing multiple events and operational demands.
Partnering with experts like Xpodigital can help alleviate the strain on your staff while ensuring that your digital displays are visually engaging and strategically optimized. Xpodigital offers comprehensive support, including:
Creative Development: Custom designs aligned with your brand standards.
Screen Optimization: Strategic placement and consistent display.
Conversion Optimization: Content designed to drive specific attendee actions.
Timely Updates: Real-time content management.
On-the-Fly Requests: Responsive adjustments to meet emerging needs.
Brand Alignment: Visual aesthetics reinforcing your event's identity.
Technical Support: From initial testing to ongoing monitoring.
To learn more about how Xpodigital’s fully-managed digital signage services, please visit our Digital Signage Solutions page or Meet with Us for a complimentary consultation with one of our experienced team members.
