Creating Content for Digital Signage | Visionbox.it Blog

    • Creating Digital Signage content: best practices

    Digital Signage is far more than just a screen. Beyond the hardware—monitors, brackets, and cables—there are ideas, people, and content. Today, we’re focusing on the latter because no investment truly makes sense without creating memorable, impactful, and effective Digital Signage content in parallel.

    Let’s be honest: few things are sadder than walking into a store and seeing a neglected monitor, gathering dust, displaying a single, uninspiring message: “No signal.”

    This scenario often arises when a business owner invests in Digital Signage but abandons the effort after failing to see the expected results. Visits to the store don’t increase, sales remain flat, and so they decide to give up.

    But then, a nagging question lingers: “Why is my competitor, who replaced paper flyers with screen ads, seeing so many more customers?”

    The answer is simple: their Digital Signage content works.

    Digital Signage is an incredibly powerful and effective communication tool—but only if the content it displays is compelling. The screen is merely a medium; the true power lies in the messages. These messages shape the customer experience and motivate actions within the store.

    If you identified with the initial description and decided to read this article, don’t worry—it’s not too late to turn things around. All you need to do is follow the steps below.

    Here’s an outline of what we’ll cover so you can jump straight to the section that interests you most:

     

    Creating Digital Signage content that works: 8 key questions to ask

    To achieve the desired results with your Digital Signage system—such as increased customer engagement, higher sales and upsell rates, and greater customer satisfaction throughout their shopping experience—you’ll need to carefully plan a content strategy.

    More specifically, you must clearly define your goals and understand the audience your communication is targeting. Only with this clarity can you determine the type of content to display on your Digital Signage screens.

    This step is crucial, especially given the vast range of content options available:

    • Images
    • Video
    • Animations
    • Music
    • Maps
    • Menus
    • Real-time feeds (social media, news, weather, etc.)
    • Interactive elements (if you have a digital signage touch monitor)

    A few guiding questions can help you in your choice, which we will elaborate on below.

    1. Where are your monitors located that will broadcast digital signage content?
    2. Who is your audience and what are their needs?
    3. What do you want to achieve from your audience? (purchase, enquiry, etc.)
    4. How often should content be changed?
    5. Who manages the content?
    6. Who creates the content?
    7. Do you have brand guidelines to adhere to?
    8. Who approves the content?

     

    1. Where will your Digital Signage monitors be placed?

    Before diving into creating digital signage content, determine the placement of your monitors. This step prevents wasting time (and money) producing images and videos for a specific location, only to realize during installation that there’s no space for a screen or kiosk there.

    Planning the placement in advance also helps you identify exactly how many screens you’ll need. This clarity allows you to decide the quantity and type of content that will truly be effective.

    Additionally, this preparation lets you assess environmental factors that will influence the digital signage experience for your audience. What’s the lighting like? Is audio content feasible, or could it be disruptive? How much time will users spend in front of the display? These are just a few considerations.

    For example, text-heavy content is best displayed on monitors located in waiting areas or receptions, where people have time to read. Short, concise messages are ideal for high-traffic areas where people are unlikely to stop. Finally, purchase-driven calls-to-action work strategically on screens placed near checkout counters or promotional sections, encouraging impulse buys.

    Promotional messages are also excellent for storefront windows, enticing passersby to visit your store and increasing potential customer traffic.

    2. Who is your audience, and what do they need?

    A piece of content is only effective if it’s tailored to its intended audience. That’s why, from the outset, it’s essential to identify precisely who you’re communicating with via your Digital Signage system. This helps you choose the right language and topics.

    Once your audience is defined, consider their needs and motivations to engage with your signage.

    • Are they trying to find a location?
    • Do they need information about products or services?
    • Are they passing the time while waiting?

    Understanding these needs is crucial. Creating content that addresses your audience’s most immediate and pressing concerns ensures their experience in your space is remembered as comfortable and enjoyable. These positive feelings often encourage repeat visits—whether to a store, restaurant, or business.

    Here are examples of how to adapt Digital Signage content to different contexts:

    • Internal Communication: Display real-time updates, data, and charts, or celebrate milestones and achievements. Recognizing accomplishments has been shown to boost productivity and employee loyalty.
    • External Communication: Share customer testimonials and reviews, or showcase your social media feed to engage clients and build trust.

    3. What do you want to achieve with your audience?

    The best digital signage content fulfills both audience needs and business goals.

    Before creating images and videos, always ask yourself: What result do I want from this message? Do you want customers to buy a product? Share their email? Visit a specific area of your space?

    Once you’ve defined your goal, you can craft the right elements and CTAs (calls to action) to guide your audience toward the desired outcome.

    4. How often should content be updated?

    Contenuti che rimangono sempre gli stessi per giorni, settimane o mesi difficilmente porteranno i risultati Static content that remains unchanged for days, weeks, or months is unlikely to deliver results. Your content strategy should include a plan for the frequency and volume of content updates. This decision should be based on two key factors:

    1. The amount of time users spend in front of the monitor.
    2. How often customers return to your location.

    This will help you determine the length of your content cycle and how frequently it needs refreshing to keep your audience engaged with new and interesting material.

    Remember: repeating the same messages over time is as good as displaying nothing. Customers will learn to ignore screens if they already know what to expect.

    Our advice? Always prioritize dynamic content. It grabs more attention, keeps viewers engaged longer, and ensures the message sticks in their memory better than static alternatives.

    5. Who manages the content?

    Assign a single person to oversee content management. This offers several benefits:

    • This individual will have a comprehensive view of content development over time, enabling targeted, effective adjustments based on past performance.
    • Avoid conflicts or overlaps in content edits.
    • Centralized content management ensures easy access to reusable assets for future campaigns.

    6. Who creates the content?

    Ideally, the person managing the content should also be responsible for creating it. If this isn’t possible, they must work closely with the content creation team, typically consisting of copywriters, graphic designers, and developers. 

    7. Does your brand have guidelines to follow?

    If your company already produces blogs, social media posts, or online ads, ensure your Digital Signage content aligns with your established fonts, colors, and tone of voice. Consistency builds immediate recognition and reinforces your brand’s trustworthiness and professionalism. 

    8. Who approves the content?

    Decide early on who will have final approval of Digital Signage content. Having a clear decision-maker prevents delays in scheduling and broadcasting due to debates over content effectiveness. While discussions are valuable, they should occur at the right time—not the day before the content is set to air.

    By addressing these eight questions, you’ll identify the key elements necessary to create effective Digital Signage content. Once you’ve answered them all, you’ll have a solid, functional framework for building your content strategy.

    Now that we’ve covered the strategy, it’s time to focus on tactics. In the next section, we’ll help you shape your messages effectively.

    How to create content for your Digital Signage: 3 tips and free resources

    Advanced software and developer skills can significantly contribute to crafting effective content, but they’re not enough to create truly impactful Digital Signage.

    Below are 3 essential tips to help you design engaging and eye-catching digital communication, regardless of the software you choose.

    1. Always highlight your brand.
    2. Use lists and bullet points.
    3. Use high-quality images that reflect your brand.

    1. Always highlight your brand

    If you’ve created content that captures attention, it’s crucial to let your audience know who’s behind that engaging video or stunning image—your brand.

    Even for purely informational content, make sure to include your logo somewhere on the screen. Use your brand’s signature colors, fonts, and design elements consistently.

    Whenever possible, consider integrating a social media wall into your Digital Signage, showcasing your brand story through posts collected under a specific hashtag. This approach boosts your visibility both on-screen and online.

    2. Use lists and bullet points

    Numbers, lists, and infographics consistently grab users’ attention. This is because our brains perceive them as concise, easily digestible information. This increases the likelihood that your message will be both received and remembered.

    Additionally, statistics add credibility to the content displayed on your screens.

    Here are a few recommendations for using numbers and statistics effectively in your Digital Signage content:

    • Use digits instead of words. Numbers like 1, 2, 3 are easier to process than “one, two, three.”
    • Share precise percentages. Avoid rounding. Imperfect figures like 27.5% or 33.3% are perceived as more credible than overly rounded numbers like 30%.
    • Showcase your online presence. Display metrics such as your Instagram followers or Facebook likes to reinforce your brand’s popularity.

    3. Use high-quality images that reflect your brand

    The quality of the images you use reflects the perceived value of your brand. Always select high-resolution images with vivid, sharp details. Opt for dimensions such as 1280×720, 1366×768, or 1920×1080 to match the aspect ratio of your screens and avoid pixelation or distortion.

    Low-quality visuals send a message that your brand lacks care and attention to detail, potentially damaging customer trust. This principle is especially crucial in industries like health and beauty.

    Here are some platforms offering free, high-resolution images:

     

    Free resources for content creation

    As promised, here’s a list of free tools you can use to create Digital Signage content. While some offer premium upgrades, their free versions are robust enough to produce compelling content.

    Canva (image creation)

    Canva is a web-based tool that allows you to create different types of content. From posts for social media to posters. It provides users with a library of free templates where they can simply add text and images to create their own content without needing any special graphic skills. In addition, you can find a gallery of high-resolution images inside. It is available in a mobile version for smartphones and there is a Pro upgrade for a fee.

    Adobe Spark (image creation)

    Adobe Spark is a free software that allows you to easily, quickly and effectively combine images, text and video. It is available in an app version for smartphones.

    Fotor (image creation)

    Fotor is a free photo editing and graphic design tool very similar to Canva. It too provides a library of free templates and requires no special skills to use. It is very simple and intuitive. Also available in a Pro version.

    Venngage (infographics)

    Create infographics in three simple steps: choose a template, add data, and customize the design.

    Visme (infographics)

    Offers a broad library of templates, charts, and widgets to design professional infographics.

    Infogram (infographics)

    If you are looking for a web-based tool that allows you to create infographics based on data taken from files in different formats, Infogram is the right solution. You can use XLS, XLSX, CSV documents and upload them to Infogram via Drive, Dropbox or directly from your computer. Not only that. The tool also supports JSON and databases. In addition, already in the free version, you can choose from 37 different types of infographics and 13 different maps. An upgrade is available for a fee.

    RawShorts (video)

    RawShorts is a drag and drop video editor designed for creating instructional videos. It provides several templates that can be customised with audio and transitions in an easy and intuitive way. An upgrade is available for a fee.

    WeVideo (video)

    WeVideo is cloud-based software that allows you to create a video project to collaborate on with your team. An upgrade is available for a fee.

    Animaker (video)

    Animaker gives you all the tools you need to create semi-professional level videos without having to spend a fortune. You can create different types of videos: explanatory, whiteboard and infographic. An upgrade is available for a fee.

     

    In short: 6 guidelines for flawless Digital Signage content

    Here’s a simple yet effective checklist to follow every time you create new content for your Digital Signage system.

    1. Keep your content simple and clear
    2. Have someone proofread your text
    3. Design visuals that make your messages memorable
    4. Always keep your content fresh and up-to-date
    5. Include clear Calls to Action (CTAs)
    6. Don’t forget about social media

     

    1. Keep your content simple and clear

    Simplicity always wins. Use a straightforward color scheme with strong contrast. A tried-and-true approach is to pair light text on a dark background or vice versa.

    Choose sans-serif fonts for their clean, legible style. Your audience will appreciate their clarity.

    Once you’ve chosen your colors and fonts, double-check that your content is readable from both near and far. Adjust if necessary.

    2. Have someone proofread your text

    Always have a professional editor review your content for grammar, spelling, and fluency.

    Why? Even small typos or awkward phrasing can significantly reduce the impact of your message, no matter how much effort you’ve invested in visuals and fonts.

    Remember, while not everyone in your audience will be a grammar expert, poorly written content can still erode trust and professionalism.

    3. Design visuals that make your messages memorable

    A well-designed layout enhances your message’s impact. Conversely, even the best-written text can go unnoticed if it’s not visually engaging.

    After finalizing and proofreading your text, focus on your visual elements. Decide what concepts to highlight, what can take a backseat, and what absolutely must be remembered.

    For instance, pair text with a video to illustrate how a product or service works.

    When selecting colors, align with your brand’s palette for consistency and recognition.

    4. Always keep your content fresh and up-to-date

    To capture and retain your audience’s attention, your Digital Signage content must be updated regularly.

    Recycling the same content risks losing audience interest, wasting your investment in the system.

    Tips:

    • Rotate different messages at varying times of the day.
    • Update your content at least twice a week.
    • Ensure accuracy, especially for time-sensitive information like prices or dates.

    5. Include clear Calls to Action (CTAs)

    Guide your audience toward the action you want them to take by including CTAs in your content.

    Help them understand how you can solve their problems and how to contact you. With so many channels available today, it’s easy to find one that works for you and your potential clients.

    Pro Tip: Start your CTA with an action verb like “Contact us,” “Discover,” or “Call now.” This creates a sense of urgency and prompts action.

    6. Don’t forget about social media

    Social media is a part of everyone’s daily life, so why not incorporate it into your Digital Signage?

    Use social platforms to:

    • Share your company’s story.
    • Celebrate milestones with your audience.
    • Announce promotions and news on both your screens and your social profiles.

    YouTube can also play a role in your content strategy by showcasing tutorials, updates, reviews, and product information.

    Content Is King, But Context Is Key. In Digital Signage, great content shines only when delivered in the right context. Poor timing or placement can undermine even the most stunning visuals, leaving your team as the only ones admiring your work—in preview mode, back at the office.

    But don’t worry—if you follow these tips, your audience will have eyes only for you.

    Choose your Digital Signage

     

     

     

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