Small businesses often see digital signage as an expensive marketing and communications tool reserved for large companies. Nevertheless, this is far from the case. Small business digital signage does not have to break the bank and can bring a range of benefits to your brand. Need more certainty about the ins and outs of digital signage? View this page on TrouDigital to get you started.
Unlike conventional print signage, digital signage provides multimedia, attention-grabbing solutions to advertising products and services, informing consumers, and encouraging interaction with your business. Once purchased, these screens have low maintenance costs and bring a high ROI.
From personalized content to giving customers a voice, here are 5 great ideas for small business digital signage to attract, educate, and connect with potential customers.
1. Welcome Customers and Personalise Content
- Use digital signage to greet customers as they enter your store or establishment. A personalized welcome message can make them feel valued and set a positive tone.
- Utilize customer data (if available, such as through loyalty programs) to display personalized messages or special offers based on their preferences and past purchases.
- Rotate content throughout the day to match different customer demographics or time-based themes, such as “Good Morning” messages or special lunch-hour promotions.
Use the varying features of digital signage to uniquely welcome customers into your small business. This content could range from simple large text designed using your recognizable brand colors and font to a video marketing message welcoming customers to your store. This signage could be in your window display or store entrance, immediately showing potential customers that you value their interaction with your brand.
One benefit of being a small business is not having corporate giants telling you what you can and cannot display. Take advantage of this and personalize your content, from welcome messages to product advertisements. Creating this friendly atmosphere will trigger a positive association with your brand and spark brand loyalty.
2. Promote Products on Small Business Digital Signage
- Highlight your latest products, services, or special offers on digital signage to capture customer attention. This is especially effective for promoting limited-time deals or seasonal items.
- Use dynamic visuals like product demonstrations, video testimonials, or infographics to showcase the benefits and features of your offerings.
- Incorporate upsell opportunities by promoting complementary products or packages, encouraging customers to explore more of what your business offers.
To grow your business, display exclusive discounts on-screen. This exclusivity will get people talking and increase footfall into your store. Digital signage is ideal for displaying promotions; you can schedule content to appear on-screen at specific times or make immediate changes to displayed content using digital signage software. This functionality ensures a deal never goes out of date and allows for last-minute promotions to be presented with little hassle, saving time and money.
This digital signage content idea is great for small businesses that want to create hype around their brand and increase sales. Research has shown that 77% of shoppers claim discounts can influence where they shop, and almost half (48%) admit a discount has sped up a purchasing decision. As a result, in-store promotions can bring growth and success to your business.
3. Inform Customers With Company Information
- Display company information such as your brand story, values, or mission to build a connection with your customers and create a sense of trust and loyalty.
- Use the signage to keep customers updated on operating hours, upcoming events, or policy changes, ensuring they stay informed while in your store.
- For service-oriented businesses, display a queue system or appointment updates to keep customers engaged and informed while they wait.
Using digital signage, you can display various information on one screen without the screen appearing crowded or text appearing too small, as on print posters. Alternatively, use a text ticker to display company details as scrolling information anywhere on your screen. Position this small business digital signage so that it is visible to passers-by or perhaps behind the till visible to those queuing.
A great idea is to make use of a scannable QR code linking to your company website. In 2020, 84% of UK adults owned a smartphone. This figure equates to a large proportion of the UK population being able to scan a QR code to go straight to your website to learn more about your business. Due to the high brightness and screen quality of digital signage, these QR codes remain sharp. The number of scans your QR code receives also provides a way to measure interaction with your brand.
4. Social Media Content For Small Business Digital Signage
- Integrate live social media feeds or highlight user-generated content like photos and reviews tagged with your brand. This not only encourages customers to engage online but also builds a sense of community.
- Showcase customer testimonials or ratings from platforms like Yelp or Google Reviews to build credibility and influence purchasing decisions.
- Promote hashtag campaigns and encourage customers to participate by featuring their posts on your digital signage, making them feel connected and valued.
Small business digital signage can display various social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This content extends campaign reach and helps you connect with your in-store customers, increasing your online business visibility and engagement.
By encouraging people to follow your accounts and like, comment on, and share your posts, your social media content will reach a larger audience and bring more people into your business.
5. Give A Voice To Your Customers
- Feature customer testimonials, stories, or photos on your signage to create a sense of authenticity and trust around your brand. This can also inspire new customers to try your products or services.
- Offer interactive options where customers can leave feedback or participate in polls displayed on your digital screens, making them feel involved and valued.
- Run loyalty program highlights that recognize your frequent customers or reward them for their continued support, motivating others to join your loyalty initiatives.
This content creates a community spirit around your small business and makes people feel part of the business. This inclusion will lead to brand trust and, in turn, brand loyalty; research has found that 62% of consumers state they are loyal to brands they trust.
In addition, customer reviews can even increase sales; 72% of consumers will wait until they read reviews before taking action. As a result, having the hardware to display reviews in-store, and keep these up to date, will improve conversion rates and trigger purchases.