Digital is everywhere. Whether in the form of smart televisions, advertisements, smartphones, or digital signage replacing static signages. Do you know that the market size of global digital signage is expected to reach USD 35.94 billion by 2026?     

The digital signage market is growing and one driving factor is the fall in prices of hardware like LCD screens. The increasing usage of technologies like AI-based facial recognition has also boosted the popularity of smart digital signage by enabling innovative new applications. Today, businesses can create true engagement by tapping rich sources of data such as content management systems, social media, video surveillance, and queue management to make displays more relevant and dynamic.

So, let’s understand what digital signage is.

Today, you will see digital signage every time you walk into a restaurant, drive on the road, go to the office, or head to an airport. Digital signs are commonly found in transportation hubs, retail stores, offices, public spaces, hotels, museums, and corporate buildings. They are used for marketing, exhibitions, outdoor advertising, wayfinding, video communication, engagement, and to deliver interactive experiences.

What is smart digital signage?

Thanks to machine learning, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things, automation has redefined the digital era with solutions like smart home devices, smart speakers, smart locks, and smart platforms to publish content to the cloud. Smart digital signages follow this trend. They do not require external tools like a PC or USB to update digital content on the digital signages. Everything can be managed remotely.

Imagine an acrylic board indicating the conference room number. And now imagine a digital door signage displaying the conference room number, meeting schedule, duration and agenda of the meeting, date, time, and other dynamic information that can be updated remotely. Which do you think will deliver more utility?

That’s the difference between conventional signage and smart digital signage.

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What are the components of digital signage?

• Software – Device or content management system, playback software for media players.
• Hardware – Physical devices like digital displays and screens, network components, media players, mounts, etc.
• Installation – From site surveys to the final installation, it covers the whole process of installation.
• Content – It is the major cost of the network as it requires consistent development of content or regular subscription of the content to keep the network relevant and updated.
• Connectivity – It is the way that connects digital displays to the content management system, whether using Wi-Fi, hardware, or mobile technologies.

Top Benefits of the smart digital signage system

• Dynamic and Programmatic

While static signs offer limited flexibility as you need to get the new print to update the changes, smart digital signages can make instant changes on the digital screens. Smart solutions can also change automatically based on the inputs of multiple business applications and data sources. For example, smart signs can showcase the real-time data of social media campaigns once it is integrated with your social media accounts. The restaurants can connect point of sale with menu boards to check the real-time information on pricing and availability.

• Smart customization, scheduling, and management

No more hassles of changing messages manually or looping content. It is easier to schedule messages smartly for different times of the day with a smart digital signage solution. For example, you can showcase promotional deals for a specific holiday season or particular times of the day like happy hours. Just like PADS 24 digital signage solutions can be used to boost internal communications in the workspace, wayfinding in hospitals, and interactive touch screen display updates in restaurants and malls. With this solution, you can easily customize your message, manage the time and place of content distribution, and monitor real-time performance.

• Displays can be changed automatically and instantly

The digital signages located at different places can be changed at a moment’s notice from a remote location. If a company needs to update a new product or announce an upcoming promotion, it can instantly showcase the information across all the locations at the same time. By using easy rule-based applications, the display changes can be programmed throughout the day. The changes can be programmed at specific times such as the first Friday, last day of the month, etc.

• Smart conferencing and room management

In todays’ era of remote work, workplace communication and collaboration have become one of the top business priorities. With smart digital signage solutions, it is easier to merge room scheduling, wireless presentation, unified communication, and device management. A smart digital signage solution like Crestron Flex is a one-stop solution to all these hybrid work challenges. It is suitable for any space, whether users are meeting in the office, home, or a large conferencing room, it helps in delivering consistent digital experiences across devices and spaces.

• Self-help for customers

Modern customers value more engagement and convenience. This is why businesses need to ensure they have the right systems in place to provide real-time information and assistance to customers. Smart solutions that include digital signage as key elements help in guiding the customers virtually and also enable personalized interactions for various purposes like customer support and more. The signage can enable self-service and direct the user to connect with a live, remote helpdesk for more complex responses. Such interfaces can boost customer engagement and experience.

The Bottom line

Smart digital signages can be applied to multiple facets of every business. From employee morale to marketing to maps, it provides you with the power to communicate your message in an entertaining, captivating, and vivid manner. As a result, you can achieve increased employee and customer engagement along with improved return on investment. If you have been searching for ways to energize your workforce, boost marketing, or stand out in the competition, think of partnering with the best digital signage solution provider today.