Article

CETW13: 6 principles of 'sticky' digital signage content

Content expert delivers keys to engaging content at this year's Customer Engagement Technology World.

November 7, 2013

At this year's Customer Engagement Technology World show in New York City, the "head content chef" at digital signage content provider Screenfeed delivered a recipe for engaging content.

Jeremy Gavin, who also holds the title of CEO, presented the session, "Sticky Content: Critical for Your Digital Signage ROI," on the show's first day, giving his audience six principles for making certain their digital signage content is engaging viewers, or "sticky."

"Content will greatly increase or decrease the value of your customer engagement investment, whether you want it to or not," Gavin had written on one of his presentation slides.

As part of his discussion, Gavin went over what he said were the three main types of digital signage — point of wait, point of transit and point of purchase — and noted that all digital signage deployments have the same basic elements: a screen, a media player, a mount and software.

While digital signage deployments also are generally a significant investment, he said, no one will look at the screens if the content isn't worthwhile — so bad content defeats the whole purpose of the investment.

So he presented his six principles of sticky content to help grow audience and increase value for digital signage deployments.

1. Placement is king.

The first rule or principle, ironically, has nothing to do with content, he said. It's all about "location, location, location." If the screens are hung or mounted in places where people won't look, or are too small to be seen where they're placed, no one will look at them in the first place, and so won't even see the content on them — even if it's great.

2. Poor content communicates better than good content.

On-screen content that is poorly done gives viewers a strong, and negative impression, he said. That sort of content is usually easy to throw up on the screen, but it also clearly communicates to viewers that the deployer really doesn't care, he said.

3. Media is a value exchange.

Deployers can't expect people to engage for nothing, Gavin said. There has to be a return on their investment of time and attention, whether it's simply entertaining content or a special offer, value or insight.

4. Keep it fresh.

If the on-screen content is always the same or too repetitive, viewers will simply tune it out, the screens become visual noise and deployers will lose viewers' attention, Gavin said. The need for content refreshment varies on the frequency of visits and visitors' expected dwell time, he said. It might be once or twice a year at a zoo that people visit only periodically, or once or twice a week at a coffee shop where people tend to be weekly or even daily visitors.

5. Ask for attention.

Deployers won't get viewers' attention unless they ask for it, Gavin said, whether by creating attention-grabbing content or by simply using audio and color changes or dynamic motion to make the screen noticeable.

6. Start NOW.

Digital signage deployers should budget for content first, even before hardware and software, Gavin said. And if the screens already have been deployed, be ready to make changes, he said. Deployers need to be sure to plan for content not just the first month or so the screens are up, but for down the road as well, Gavin said, because "poor content devalues your investment."

Learn more about digital signage content.