Digital signage is fast becoming the medium of choice for in-store advertising. It allows retailers to create compelling, visually interesting messages that can be easily targeted to specific groups of customers. It is also flexible ? messages can be quickly revised at any time of day in response to changes in shopper demographics.

Content is a critical part of a digital signage network. Any digital network plan must include a detailed discussion of which content to include and how to display it.

Tips from Digital Media Design Professionals

Digital media design experts can devise an effective plan for your digital signage content. Here are some of the points they consider when planning a digital signage project.

? Always begin with a plan that includes forecasted costs and a clear idea of the messages you want to create.

? Who are you targeting? You cannot plan any type of advertising without knowing a lot about the audience you are trying to reach. Sales data is a great starting point. Be sure to analyze trends at specific times of day to take advantage of day-parting capabilities, discussed below.

? What content do you want to include? This seems like an obvious starting point, but many retailers get so caught up in the technology that they forget about the content. Consider starting with your existing advertising materials to see if there are ideas you can adapt to your digital merchandising.

? Remember that what works for print or TV does not work for short video. In-store messages must be concise in order to hook busy customers who often intend to purchase only what is on their shopping list. The right display can encourage them to consider buying something else. A digital media design expert can help you create a display that stops customers in their tracks.

? Day-parting. The ability to schedule different messages at different times of day is one of the main advantages of digital signage. When planning your content, take day-parting into consideration. You need to analyze your sales data to know who shops when so you can target a message to specific types of consumers. You also need to decide how many messages you require to cover all of the segments in an average day, for example, early morning, mid-day, after-school, dinner, evening.

? Static content, animation or video? This is a tough decision. When planning your content, be sure you understand these format options and the costs associated with each. Animation and video are expensive, so be sure to plan carefully. Templates allow you to re-use material when creating new messages so try to use them when possible.

? Less is more. It may be tempting to spend a lot on animation, but too much motion can overwhelm a viewer. Often static images and text are sufficient to draw customers in.

An effective digital media design strategy will address both content and formatting for your in-store digital displays and is the best starting point for your digital merchandising project.