Where to Put Interactive Digital Signage for Maximum Engagement
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Skykit
The Born-in-the-Cloud Digital Signage Software Platform
With interactive digital signage now commonplace, it’s great to see all of the different ways organizations across industries are using the technology. From powerful videos to informative messages, digital signs are changing the way we do business; sales are increasing, branding is growing, and effective marketing strategies are blowing away the competition.
As of 2023, digital signage reaches more than 135 million people per week globally and is most popular in North America. Interactive digital signage has become attractive because it allows the viewer to engage while they wait. Shoppers can browse for specific items without flagging down an employee, and soon-to-be customers can become educated on products moments before they buy.
And let’s not forget social media. By implementing an interactive social strategy, businesses can experience an increase in likes and shares like never before, stretching their brand across continents.
Interactive digital signage can be a powerful tool when used correctly. But sometimes we take missteps that keep our incredible, interactive campaign hidden. We don’t want that for you. That’s why we’ve put together some placement strategy tips to help you do interactive digital signage right.
One of the biggest mistakes we make when installing digital signage is setting our display up in the wrong location. You want interaction, right? To get that interaction, your sign has to be placed where customers cluster:
Checkout lines
Fitting rooms
Subway stations
Doctor’s office waiting rooms
Elevators
Ticket booths
Employee break rooms
Business lounges, waiting rooms
Airport boarding areas
Concession lines at sporting venues
You get the picture. You want them to get the picture, too. More than that, you want to draw them to interact and create an experience with your brand.
Let me give you a personal example. Once, my family and I drove by an ice cream shop on one of the first warm days of spring. As we passed, only one woman and her boy were at the window ordering.
We turned our car around to treat ourselves, pleased there was barely a line.
Once we parked and made our way to the window, three other parties had already beat us there. We stood patiently in line. So did a handful of other families that showed up right after us.
As we sat down to enjoy our chilled treats, I watched as every picnic table was quickly taken. Within a matter of 15 minutes, one woman and her child had attracted dozens of other customers.
It made me realize that my point of interest (the ice cream shop) became a point of interest for many others because people were gathering there. It was on the main road and easy to see. If that shop were out of the way of traffic, it would see very few customers and no one would join the gathering to interact.
You’ve got to think this way when considering your point of origin for your digital sign. Where do your customers gather? Where do they have a natural waiting time?
Any space where prospects have to wait for a period of time is the ideal location for your sign.
2. Where People Can See
If you know, right now, where the natural gathering point of your customers is, high five to you. However, if you install your interactive digital sign and it’s high up in a tree and out of the consumer’s sightline, I’m taking my high-five back.
Wondering what the ideal height for digital signage is?
Your display screen is best placed at eye level and within 3 to 10 feet of the viewer. You want their hands to touch the screen. You want short friends and tall friends to be able to participate. You won’t have that if you set the screen 15 feet above floor level.
Consider the angle of the sign, too. Word on the street is that the proper angle of your sign plays a huge role in the success of your sign, and has a direct effect on how long you get and keep a customer’s attention.
If you have no choice and you have to place a sign below eye level, it should be angled slightly upward. If you have to place it above eye level, it should be angled downward. Odd, uncomfortable angles will turn viewers off and they won’t have any interest interacting.
A great example of a well-placed, well-angled interactive sign campaign that defied gravity with unusual (yet successful) angles can be credited to the Los Angeles International Airport.
In 2013, The Tom Bradley International Terminal used 19,000 square feet of digital screens to “bring back the romance of travel.”
The dynamic multimedia environment included seven massive features, each of which hung some 20 feet above the floor of the terminal. Primarily situated where passengers waited in line, the signs were static until someone one moved or walked by.
When people moved, the signs high above them moved with them. Some boasted beaches and sand, others underwater experiences. All allowed viewers to interact.
This interactive campaign is a prime example of a digital sign experience that is still being discussed a decade later.
3. Where The Sales Are
When we think of digital signage in retail, we might first think of a screen in a clothing store or a big box store. But digital retail is much more than that. It can include kiosks that allow the purchase of bus or train tickets, earbuds or batteries, and even mid-sized cars or trucks.
As the retail market begins to understand the full value of interactive touchscreen kiosks, the demand for the interactive trend is growing, giving customers more control over the services or products they prefer.
In some cases, interactive kiosks are used as storefront alternatives where foot traffic is heavy. In other cases, interactive kiosks allow customers to check themselves out at grocery stores, which is a convenient amenity you can offer which will also help curb employee labor costs.
In all cases, the screens and kiosks should be placed strategically where they can be seen upon entering and exiting the store.
4. Where The Food Is
I don’t know about you, but when I want to order something at a fast-casual restaurant, I am specific about what I want on my burger, and what I want left off.
White Castle and McDonald’s understand that there are millions more people out there just like me.
That’s why when they started installing touch-screen ordering kiosks in their establishments in 2014, they made sure the large screens allowed customers to order their burgers exactly as they like them in the privacy of the kiosk area.
Why privacy? White Castle Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations Jamie Richardson said, “I don’t necessarily want to have 12 people around me when I am ordering.
There is an intimacy and privacy about how we enjoy food. The kiosk system allows customers to tailor to their tastes—they can ask for more pickle or less onion, for example — in their own space.”
The kiosks are placed in good lighting so that customers can see them when they come in.
Having them front and center and well lit gives customers the immediate option to order by kiosk, or take a left to order from the nice employee behind the counter.
5. Where Social Media Is
Social media is everywhere.
Frankly you almost can’t avoid it. Because this generation is so deeply immersed in the Digital Age, it goes without saying that making social media part of your digital signage campaign can take you miles.
Social interaction can boost web traffic, increase product visibility, and grow sales. By encouraging social interaction in your campaign, the draw is almost immediate.
People love seeing themselves on screen. They love becoming a part of something. And they love making things happen.
Coca-Cola put interactive digital signage to the test in Times Square in 2015 with their ‘What’s in a Name’ campaign.
To remind everyone that Coca-Cola is still the refreshment of choice, the larger-than-life sign encouraged New Yorkers to tweet their first name using the #CokeMyName hashtag. After they did, a personalized story about their name appeared on the screen for all of Times Square to see.
Twitter exploded with users sharing the hashtag and their personalized stories.
By Coca-Cola choosing to take their interactive campaign to social media, they were able to remind the entire world that they are still the refreshment of choice. It’s incredible to think they did all of this from one single locale; Times Square.
Getting the Most From Interactive Digital Signage
As technology evolves, particularly 4k displays becoming more affordable and the emergence of 8k displays, the interactive digital signage industry continues to increase its foothold in commercial spaces.
The global digital signage industry reached $25.1 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach nearly $53 billion by 2032. If you’ve been waiting on the sidelines, it’s time to put yourself in the game.
When you decide to upgrade or move into using interactive media, avoid these common placement mistakes:
Placing your digital signage at a poor angle
Placing your digital signage in a poorly lit or overly lit area
Placing your digital signage too high or too low
Placing your digital signage in low-traffic areas
Find the most populated area in your retail space or business and park your campaign there. Having your sign in an area where foot traffic is heavy is key to creating an experience that customers will remember for a long time to come.
When upgrading or refining your approach to digital signage, ask yourself how your interactive digital campaign works for your business. What could you do differently to improve it? Want to learn more about digital signage? Contact us to get started on elevating your digital signage solutions and talk with an expert.
Enhance your business with a solid digital signage content strategy. Learn how to set goals, plan content, measure success, and adapt for optimal results.”
This post was inspired by a presentation titled “A Scaling Point of View” by Skykit Co-Founder + CTO Paul Lundberg at DSE 2023. A Scaling Point of View is about the methodologies for constructing a network when scaling is not just an option, but a core requirement.
