We have come a long way from the traditional modes of marketing, where most of the advertising was always on hard paper.
This is what you call static signage, and it has been replaced by digital signage advertising. Digital signage advertising uses electronic displays such as LED, LCD, or projection technology to showcase dynamic, multimedia content like videos, animations, and interactive elements.
Digital signage advertising is used across various industries, from retail to transportation and corporate environments, due to its adaptability and wide-ranging utility.
As technology improves across all sectors in the digital age, one of the biggest beneficiaries of this development has been marketing strategy. Digital signage advertising enhances marketing efforts by enabling businesses to deliver targeted messages and improve customer engagement.
Unlike static signs, digital signage offers more flexible options and unlimited possibilities at half the price.
So read this to the end to find out how you can invest in digital signage the right way.
What Is Digital Signage Dwell Time?
The purpose of advertising is to get the potential customer’s attention for as long as possible.
The longer an individual looks at an advertisement, the higher the likelihood of developing an interest enough to purchase the item or partake in the service being showcased.
This is called dwell time.
Digital signage advertising may have changed how businesses interact with customers through advertisements, but there’s a danger of losing the messaging due to people’s low attention span. Digital signage technology enables businesses to deliver the right message to the right audience at the optimal time, increasing the chances of engagement.
On average, people will only devote between 1.5 – 4.6 seconds of their time to look at any media displayed on a digital signage advertising platform.
This is not a lot of time and definitely not enough for anyone to make an informed decision about a product or a service.
For this reason, retail stores must create a digital signage content marketing campaign aimed at increasing dwell times to boost interactivity. Tailoring content to a specific audience can significantly increase engagement and campaign effectiveness.
Regularly updating content is also essential to keep digital signage displays engaging and relevant.
Why Is Digital Signage Dwell Time so Short?
The next issue we will explore is why digital signage dwell times are very short. As we have already mentioned, the attention span among people is getting smaller and smaller as more distractions increase in their lives.
While technology continues to improve digital marketing, the same technology provides many avenues of information for people, and this has begun to counter the benefits of using digital signage advertising software.
The problem with digital signage advertising in today’s age is oversaturation. People are bombarded by too much information these days, especially from the display screens on their phones and their surroundings.
This makes it hard for anyone to focus on a single item. Common distractions include phone notifications from emails, carousel ads, social media ads, and so forth.
This leaves very little time for checking out the surroundings, and in the event that someone happens to notice digital signage advertising screens, they never read everything in detail.
Most just skim through it so that they can go back to what they were doing. The need for instant gratification combined with fractured focus makes it very hard for digital signage software to be effective because the intended target market is not getting the message.
How to Maximize Digital Signage Dwell Time
A business can employ a number of clever strategies to maximize digital signage advertising by increasing dwell time.
Integrating digital signage advertising with different platforms, such as social media or mobile apps, can enhance campaign reach and consistency across multiple platforms.
Some of the most effective ones include the following.
1. Use Engaging Advertising Content
Nobody has time for boring content or information presented in many words. Every business needs to understand that potential clients are always on the move when they see digital signage advertising around them, making it hard for them to stop and consume what is being displayed.
If you want to make an impression that will be good enough to make someone pause to look at what you’re presenting, then ensure the content you use is attractive, engaging, and very entertaining.
Use the right colors, fonts and keep things short, precise, and straight to the point.
2. Use Videos
Videos are easier to notice than text or images. The reason is simple; videos can incorporate all the elements needed to convey a product or service message when used with the right digital signage software.
Advertisers can combine music text and other graphical elements and wrap things up with a good jingle.
You need to use every tool available in your arsenal to give potential customers a reason to stop and consider your digital signage advertising for a moment.
3. Integrate Smart Touch Solutions
Integrating touch screen capabilities to digital signage advertising software will go a long way in increasing the dual time.
The principle here is very simple: when clients have to switch from their phones to interactive digital signage with digital screens, then they will most likely take the time to read the ads a little longer than they would have if they were busy with something else.
Every digital signage advertising network needs smart touch hardware with interactive touch screens.
4. Make use of CTAs
Using a good Call To Action is a very useful strategy for advertisers. It is a way of making digital signage advertising act as a guide for the consumers.
A good retail digital signage advertising network will use CTAs to ensure that users know the steps they need to take next.
Examples of Call To Action include things like “Get your free trial!” or something direct like “Sign up now.”
5. Use Strategic Locations
Setting up a digital signage advertising screen on a high-speed highway will not be as effective as strategically placing it in an area where foot traffic is massive, and people are forced to move slowly.
A strategic location is essential when it comes to improving dwell times. One of the key benefits of digital signage advertising in a high-traffic location is that you get a huge increase in brand visibility and reach.
To maximize visibility and engagement, it is important to place digital signage in key store locations such as entrances, high-traffic areas, and points of customer interaction.
Therefore, every company and advertisers need to ensure that the digital signage and screens are appropriately placed in multiple locations where someone can take the time to check out what is being displayed.
6. Get the Timing Right
Running an important company ad during rush hour is not a good idea. You cannot expect a lot of engagement when you display important digital signage advertising network ads in the morning when people are rushing to work.
At that time, no one has the time to look at a digital ad as they are in a hurry. Therefore always display your ads at appropriate times.
7. Use the Right Hardware
A lot of digital signage advertising material relies on an electronic media player run by a special operating system for displays.
Therefore, as a company, you need to choose the right digital signage advertising network hardware that will get the attention of potential clients for a much longer time.
For instance, you should invest in a huge digital advertising screen with remote device management that can display content in its true colors and produce high-quality sound.
These attributes hold unique advantages that can make the given audience stop in their tracks for a few seconds to check out what is being showcased on the screens.
Getting the right digital signage hardware, like high-resolution digital display signage, is important. Selecting the right solution for your business needs ensures optimal performance and results.
Digital Signage Network Infrastructure
A robust digital signage network infrastructure is essential for delivering dynamic content across multiple locations and screens.
This infrastructure forms the backbone of your digital signage system, ensuring that your digital signage content reaches the right audience at the right time.
Key components of a digital signage network include:
- Media players: These devices connect to your screens and handle the playback of digital signage campaigns, ensuring smooth delivery of videos, images, and interactive content.
- Content management systems (CMS): A CMS allows you to remotely manage, schedule, and update content across all your screens, whether they’re in retail stores, high traffic areas, or train stations.
- Network connectivity: Reliable internet or intranet connections are crucial for distributing content to various locations and keeping your digital signage network synchronized.
With a well-designed network infrastructure, businesses can efficiently manage digital signage campaigns, update content in real time, and capture the attention of customers in busy environments.
This not only streamlines operations but also maximizes the impact of your signage advertising efforts.
How to Make Eye-catching Digital Signage Displays and Screens
So how do you make engaging digital signage advertising network ads that will make someone stop for a few seconds and take note of everything displayed on the digital screens?
The following are some digital signs pointers that every business owner should try.
Offer Value
Digital signage advertising networks must create content that truly benefits their audiences. Rather than just pushing ads, they should share useful, engaging, and timely content—like local updates, tips, or interactive elements.
When viewers find value, they’re more likely to pay attention, increasing engagement and brand impact. By focusing on audience needs, digital signage becomes a meaningful experience, not just noise.
Interactive Marketing Content
The advertising content and graphics displayed on the touch screen should be interactive, something that clients can relate to when they look at, pushing them to purchase an item.
Interactive content builds curiosity in customers, and if they find what you’re trying to convey on the digital signs, display screens, and live TV attractive enough, they will give you a call.
Small businesses and other companies need to come up with dynamic content and graphics. Taking advantage of the immersive experience that an interactive kiosk ad brings is how you grow a business through creative means.
Readability
If you choose to use text and creative graphics on your digital posters, ensure they are legible enough from a long distance away when displayed on media players.
The last thing you’d want is clients making guesses since they cannot make out exactly the message displayed on your digital sign.
Get the biggest hardware with the right processing power for the best results.
Motion and Video Content
As we mentioned earlier, digital signage advertising networks and companies stand a better chance of grabbing the attention of clients by using video content on HD screens that incorporates a lot of motion than static material on a menu board.
When coming up with ad content for capturing consumer attention, ensure there’s more video and sound than static graphical materials.
Personalized Marketing
Personalized marketing using digital signage for retail is where companies use information that people can relate to on a very personal level.
People spend more time checking out a screen ad if they feel close to a brand when the messaging in the advertisement appears to be targeting them on an individual level.
Quality Control
You should never put out stale information when dealing with any digital signage solution.
Always update your advertising content daily as new information comes in. The audience may not have the time to look at the products and services your company displays in mall screens or bus stops.
Final Word
Increasing the dwell time when dealing with digital signage screens will go a long way in boosting the chances of your business nabbing a new audience and retaining old ones by using informative content.
If you happen to be running an enterprise that needs to improve digital signage content, please contact Rev Interactive.
We are digital signage and smart solutions providers and will be more than happy to address all your questions and concerns to the best of our abilities.