However, microbusinesses face the greatest pressure from competition in the consumer market that must be combated. If optimizing basic factors such as pricing policy, service quality, and assortment does not yield the desired increase in sales, then technologies for audio-visual communication come into play. Digital screens and Digital Signage are the tools that become a crucial driver for the development of microbusinesses. The sooner these technologies are mastered, integrated, and optimized, the higher the chances of capturing market share.

The main thing is not to waste time. The Digital Signage market is actively growing, and more and more companies are starting to use it actively. According to analysts, the industry’s growth will be about 12% per year in the near future, and later it will increase exponentially. More details about this can be found here. Therefore, now is the best time to integrate digital screens for marketing purposes. This will ensure the highest ROI with relatively small investments.

Why It’s worth focusing on digital advertising

Trends regulate the entire industry, and modern people are already accustomed to dynamic, organic content. This is largely due to the widespread adoption of internet technologies. In contrast, print media lag significantly behind. Microsoft conducted a detailed study on this matter. The results are as follows:

– The average consumer’s attention to advertising does not exceed 8 seconds.

– Using visual advertising, a consumer receives 2-3 times more information than when studying a paper booklet or flyer.

– Visual advertising is more attractive to the average consumer because modern people are used to dynamic, vibrant content.

In other words, digital screens are a modern way to convey information to a potential customer. Advertisers have about 8 seconds to capture attention and provide information that is likely to interest them.

At the same time, the cost of organizing digital screens and launching digital advertising through them is now becoming accessible to both small and medium-sized businesses. The price is only slightly higher than organizing an advertising campaign using booklets, leaflets, and flyers. Technically, it is more complex, but it only requires a one-time investment to set up, prepare content, and the digital advertising will work continuously. Even those far from marketing understand that digital screens are much more effective at attracting the attention of potential customers. Printed advertising, sooner or later, ends up in the trash bin.

Does this really work?

The installation of digital screens alone does not guarantee profit. However, in marketing, there is a term called “demand for current needs.” For example, in summer, when the average daily temperature reaches 18-20 degrees Celsius, a further increase of just 1 degree leads to increased sales of:

– ice cream and frozen desserts by 12%;

– strawberries, fruits, and berries by 6%;

– cold drinks by 2%;

– fans and air conditioners by 12 to 24% (depending on the region);

– ultraviolet protection products by 11%.

A decrease in temperature by 1 degree leads to an increase in clothing sales by 3-4%. This means that the market always responds to current needs dictated by the environment. And advertising on digital screens can be used as a stimulating factor. Marketers understand very well what the average consumer needs at any given moment. But it is the advertising on digital displays that helps push towards a purchase or an order placement.

Detailed studies on how much ROI increases from integrating this tool into microbusinesses have not been conducted. According to analysts, financial turnover growth can range from 7 to 80%, depending on the industry, the quality of the content, and adaptation to the current needs of potential clients. The latter can be aided by software for digital screens and a Digital Signage player: automatic collection of data about customers (within permitted limits), their analysis, creating a consumer profile, and so on.

Digital advertising can be used as a stimulating factor by connecting software for digital screens and a player for digital screens, allowing the business to respond as accurately as possible to market needs and increase sales.

Advantages of using digital screens

The following advantages of using digital screens can be highlighted:

Highly effective marketing tool: The invested funds inevitably lead to increased sales, profits, an expanded customer base, and the attraction of regular customers.

Versatility: A digital screen is multifunctional. It is suitable for displaying direct advertisements, as well as for providing information and enhancing the design of a retail space. The only limitations are the imagination and capabilities of the modern Digital Signage system.

Convenience: Creating a printed sign takes an average of 7 days. Replacing it takes the same amount of time. Changing an advertisement on a digital screen takes only 2-3 seconds and a few mouse clicks. The only difficulty is ensuring the availability of content in advance. Content can be created independently or ordered from a specialized studio.

Adaptability: Digital screens are suitable for almost any business field and type of content. They are universal, easy, and quick to configure.

Cost-effective: Although the initial investments are higher than for printed advertising, in the long run, it is more profitable. There is no need to regularly contact a printing house, order new designs, or deal with installation and sticking.

Adaptive advertising: Digital screens can be used to create adaptive advertising. Systems for digital signage already exist to implement this. For example, is it very hot outside? The screen displays ads for ice cream, portable fans, and air conditioners. Is it raining outside? Then potential customers might be interested in a new, bright umbrella.

Remote management: Digital screens can be managed remotely. Even if a company has several branches, content can be managed remotely from one computer or even a smartphone. This greatly simplifies the marketer’s job.

Using a digital signage player and a digital signage system can significantly increase the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. Digital Signage management allows for quick content changes and adapting ads to current market conditions, making them more relevant and attractive to consumers.

What to use digital screens for

All digital screens used by microbusinesses can be conditionally divided by purpose into advertising, informational, and entertainment.

They can also be used as background decor, but this is a secondary investment that small and medium businesses consider last. The main tasks that digital screens solve are attracting customer attention and subsequently increasing sales, informing about the assortment, new products that may interest customers, informing about the company’s advantages, its main differences from competitors, creating an attractive image, and forming local customer loyalty.

Before installing screens, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive analysis of consumer capacity and the potential for further business growth. This allows for identifying the main vectors for further profit increase, which will be the main focus.

Advertising screens

Their main task is to attract the attention of potential consumers and convey the information that the advertiser wishes to spread. They can be used for:

– Introducing the available assortment;

– Informing about promotions, sales, discounts, and loyalty programs;

– Conveying information about the advantages of products or services;

– Increasing brand recognition.

These are usually short and dynamic video clips, graphic inserts lasting only 8-12 seconds, with a call to action added at the end.

Informational screens

These are screens that display information about the location of the store or company, its operating hours, the easiest transportation options to get there, when promotions are held, and when the assortment is updated. All this data is not direct advertising but helps establish contact with potential consumers.

Entertainment screens

Entertainment screens are used to enhance the customer experience and create a comfortable atmosphere. Indirectly, they also serve to inform. The simplest option: show internal working processes of the company, talk about how products are made, where they are delivered from, interviews with employees, the director, etc. All this contributes to increasing brand loyalty and improving reputation. At the initial stages of business development, this should definitely be implemented if further expansion and entry into additional markets are planned. Without all this, it is impossible to transition a microbusiness into a large business.

Using Digital Signage software, a microbusiness can significantly increase the effectiveness of its advertising campaigns. Digital Signage software allows for quick and easy management of screen content for advertising. Digital signage software helps adapt advertising to current market conditions, making it more relevant and attractive to consumers. A digital signage player can also be used to broadcast dynamic content, which attracts more attention from potential customers.

Practical implementation

Simply installing a digital screen as a sign is not enough for advertising to work. There are no perfect algorithms for attracting potential customers. Each sector will have its own optimal marketing campaign. Therefore, it is recommended to conduct research in advance to determine:

– The profile of the potential client (age, gender, social status, field of activity, etc.);

– Which products or services are in greatest demand (these can be divided into time intervals, seasonality);

– The geography of the potential customer (for example, a specific area of the city, a specific street);

– The average check (this will later be used to track the effectiveness of the marketing campaign).

Based on this data, a list of content for display is compiled. For example, a clothing store (men’s and women’s). The greatest demand is for summer items: t-shirts, shorts, sneakers. The majority of customers are women (70%). Accordingly, the assortment can be expanded with swimsuits and summer hats. The advertisement promotes these product categories. In addition to the store’s name, the sign can display information about current promotions for these specific product categories. An increase in sales will be almost guaranteed. How much? That depends on how well the advertisement attracts attention and where the store is located.

Another area where digital screens with advertising are most effective is cafes and restaurants. It is recommended to combine external and internal screens. External screens attract attention. Internal screens inform customers about the available assortment and promote the most popular and profitable dishes and drinks for the business owner.

And don’t forget about Digital Signage solutions. For example, by installing a camera in front of the screen inside the store, the system can recognize those currently viewing the advertisement. Based on this data, the next content can be adjusted. If it is a man, the screen will display men’s clothing or the dishes most popular among men. If it is a child, a short animated cartoon can be shown. Such systems allow for customer tracking and provide a wide range of data for further marketing analysis.

Using digital screens requires responsibility

The advantages of digital screens for microbusinesses are hard to overestimate. However, there are also obligations for business employees that should be remembered.

Regular analysis of effectiveness is needed to optimize advertising. This is relevant for any marketing direction. It is necessary to determine which content is more effective, which is not in demand, and which offers and to what extent they increase sales growth and the number of inquiries.

Regular maintenance of the equipment is necessary. This work can be assigned to an in-house system administrator or an external specialist can be hired.

A plan for creating and publishing content is needed. Many mistakenly believe that creating a series of commercials once is enough for several years. Advertising does not work that way; its effectiveness will decrease over time without updates.

For placing external advertising, permission and approval from regulatory authorities are required. In large cities, this can be challenging. For example, during an inspection, they may state that the proposed advertising format does not fit into the overall design of the area. One should be prepared for such scenarios in advance.

These can be considered minor hassles compared to the advantages. That is why Digital Signage solutions are now in high demand.

Thus, digital screens are a more effective and profitable advertising option today. While previously their installation was mainly handled by large businesses, it is now accessible to small and medium businesses. The number of use cases is unlimited. This direction, although in demand, is not yet widespread. Those who integrate this tool into their business earlier than others will gain the main profit from increased market share, sales growth, and expansion of the customer base.

Advision — Content Management System for remote management and media planning of broadcast video and audio content. We help offline businesses and advertising companies automate workflows and implement a robust Digital Signage infrastructure using our proprietary software and hardware solutions.

Contact us, and we will help you implement the most modern technologies to solve your problems!