How to Create Digital Signage Content: 5 Different Methods

Businesses use digital signage to advertise, promote products, and provide information in an engaging and interactive manner to more than 135 million people every week.

The ability to customize all aspects of your digital signage makes this a powerful marketing tool for businesses. However, creating effective digital signage content can be a challenge. 

This article will explore five different methods businesses use to create their digital signage content, but first a quick introduction to digital signage.

Introduction to Digital Signage

Digital signage is revolutionizing the way businesses communicate with their audience. By leveraging digital technologies such as LED, LCD, and projection, digital signage displays information, entertainment, and advertisements in a dynamic and engaging manner. Whether you’re looking to increase brand awareness, drive sales, or simply provide information, digital signage offers a versatile solution that can be tailored to various settings, including retail stores, restaurants, hotels, and public spaces.

The key to successful digital signage lies in creating impactful content that resonates with your audience. Tools like Google Slides, content management systems, and specialized digital signage software make it easier than ever to design, manage, and deploy your content. Additionally, considering the technical expertise required for setup and the benefits of remote management can help streamline your digital signage strategy, ensuring that your displays are always up-to-date and effective.
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What is Digital Signage?

Digital signage is a form of electronic display that uses digital technologies to show information, entertainment, and advertisements. It typically consists of three main components: a digital display, a media player, and a content management system (CMS). The digital display is the screen that showcases the content, the media player is the device that plays the content, and the CMS is the software that manages and schedules the content.

There are various types of digital signage, ranging from basic digital signage, which displays simple text and images, to more advanced systems that incorporate interactive elements like touch screens and sensors. This versatility makes digital signage a powerful tool for businesses to communicate with their audience, enhance brand awareness, and drive sales.

Digital signage can be used for a multitude of purposes, including advertising, wayfinding, and entertainment. For instance, digital menu boards in restaurants can display dynamic content that changes based on the time of day, while interactive kiosks in retail stores can provide customers with personalized shopping experiences.

Creating impactful content for digital signage is crucial for capturing and retaining audience attention. Businesses can utilize tools such as Google Slides, content management systems, and digital signage software to design and manage their content effectively. These tools not only simplify the content creation process but also allow for easy scheduling and deployment across multiple digital screens.

In addition to content creation, businesses must consider the technical expertise required to set up and manage their digital signage systems. This includes installing and configuring the digital display and media player, as well as setting up the CMS. Remote management capabilities are also essential, as they enable businesses to update and manage their content from a central location, making it easier to maintain consistency across multiple locations.

Overall, digital signage is a versatile and powerful tool for businesses looking to enhance their communication strategies. By focusing on creating engaging content, leveraging the right tools, and considering the technical aspects of setup and management, businesses can develop a successful digital signage strategy that meets their specific needs and goals.

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5 Different Ways to Create Digital Signage 

Whether you want to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or sell more products online, there are many different ways to create your own digital signage. Here are two main ways businesses approach digital signage:

• DIY: This works best if your business has a small number of endpoints or displays that aren’t interactive.
• CMS solutions: These work best for systems with numerous screens in multiple locations that need frequent updates.

Businesses need flexibility and ease when they create their digital signage, so many choose CMS solutions that let them edit content on the same platform as scheduling or deploying these displays.

For anything more than 5-10 endpoints in a typical company setting, you’ll want some kind of a system like this too.

Remember, the best approach depends on your specific needs and goals. Embarking on a digital signage journey has become more accessible, allowing individuals to set up effective solutions regardless of their budget and technical skills.

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1. Content Management Systems

The most popular way to create a digital signage system is through content management systems (CMS). There are many benefits of using a CMS to create digital signage.

• Create, manage, and update your content without relying on expensive and time-consuming methods.
• Store all your digital signage content in one place, making it easy to add changes as needed.
• Track who views your content and when, letting you tailor your messages accordingly.
• Provides you with a wide range of options for designing and displaying your content.
• Easily add videos, images, animations, and other dynamic effects to really make your signs stand out.

Several different content management systems are available on the market, so it’s essential to choose one that fits your needs.

Some content management systems are designed for specific industries, such as retail or hospitality. Others are more general-purpose, offering customizable features to fit any business.

Additionally, CMS systems come with different levels of content management. Some only allow for very limited creation, while others, like Wallboard, give you full editing capabilities in one system to complete your edits easily and efficiently.

If you’re looking for digital signage software solutions, we recommend Wallboard as the ultimate, end-to-end CMS to manage your network, no matter how large it is.

No matter which method you choose to create digital signage, it’s important to consider your budget, technical expertise, and goals before deciding.

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2. Template-Based Solutions

One way to create a digital signage display is through the use of template-based solutions. Digital signage templates are the perfect way to get your message across and don’t require any previous design knowledge to create customized designs.

With customizable templates, businesses have the flexibility to change product images and prices as they see fit while still maintaining a uniform design concept. This works well for restaurants that need different menus depending on the time of day—like breakfast versus dinner.

Most come with options for single or multiple product displays, so you will always find one best suited for your marketing space, whether it’s a digital poster or static display.

However, template-based solutions may not be ideal for businesses that want to create highly customized signs.

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Tools like Canva, PowerPoint, and Adobe Express offer a wide range of free and premium templates for businesses to create their own digital signage. For example, the screenshot above shows a small range of Canva’s template options.

Pros: 

• Cost-effective
• Quick to create and display
• Pre-designed to ensure visual appeal 

Cons:

• Limited ability to customize (add additional visuals, major alterations, etc.)
• Doesn’t come equipped with branding
• Doesn’t support interactive functions
• Designs may be subject to copyright
• Doesn’t help you distribute or display your content
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3. Repurposing Content

Repurposing content is a tried-and-true strategy marketers use to ensure they are not wasting any precious marketing dollars.

To do this, you’ll take various elements from your original pieces of content (images, text, etc.) and reformat them for your digital signage. This lets you get more mileage out of each piece and reach new audiences with formats that work best for them.

For example, create multimedia or image galleries of topic-specific content, like seasonal materials or tutorials. This makes it easier for your audience to find relevant content without creating new material.

Here are some other ways to repurpose content for your digital signage:

• Dashboards: Transform your raw data into meaningful images and displays that capture your audience's attention.
• Social walls: Create carefully curated social content for you to display on your digital signage spaces. 
• Instructional videos: Turn your informational content into video presentations that are easily consumed by your audience.

 Pros: 

• Easy to brand
• Uses existing content
• Saves money

Cons:

• Need to have content that can be repurposed
• Tools and software to create content will be needed
• Time-consuming

4. Free Content Creation Tools

There are a number of free tools available that you can use to create digital signage. These help you create simple signs or more complex designs, depending on your needs and skillset.

Use tools like Google Slides and Powerpoint to create digital signage content. This type of technology is easy for individuals without extensive technical knowledge.

For example, menu boards are easy to create with PowerPoint.

Remember, feel tools have their limitations, and some of them require subscriptions to unlock their premium features and functions. If you take the time to explore all of the options, you're sure to find one that meets your needs.

Some of the most common free tools include Google Slides, Prezi, iMovie, Pixlr, and Canva.

 Pros: 

• Great for creating basic designs
• Easy to use
• Many offer templates to get you started

Cons:

• Many tools unlock premium features that allow you to create advanced designs with subscriptions
• Time-consuming
• Limited design assistance
• Computer needs to be connected to each display
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5. Stock Image Displays

If you’re looking for high-quality images to use in your digital sign, stock photography is a great option. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when using stock images for digital signage.

• Resolution: Make sure the image is high resolution so it will look sharp and not pixelated on your sign.
• Orientation: Consider the direction of the image, as you may need to crop or rotate it to fit your sign’s dimensions.
• Legality: Pay attention to the image’s copyright information. If you want to legally use the intellectual property in your marketing materials, presentation, or products, make sure it’s licensed for commercial purposes by an original copyright owner.

Some free stock photo sites offer low-quality images in varying numbers with limited licenses, but you’ll find a full library of high-quality images on paid sites. You’ll need to do some research to determine what’s enough for your business needs.

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The most common stock photo tools include Shutterstock, Pixabay, stock.xchng, and Pexels.

Pros: 

• Contains a wide range of images, from clipart to stock photography
• Easy to search for images

Cons:

• Images are subject to copyright
• Varying resolutions for images
• High-resolution images typically require payment

Your All-In-One Digital Signage Content Solution: Wallboard

Wallboard is a cloud-based digital signage software solution that can be tailored to suit any business or organization’s needs—from small businesses with limited resources all the way up to large corporations. A digital signage media player is essential for running digital signage content effectively, and Wallboard supports a variety of media players to ensure seamless operation.

With an extensive set of features, you’ll be able to create content that will grab attention and keep people engaged. Here’s just a taste of what we offer:

• Extensive template library: Whether you need digital menu boards or meeting room signage, our extensive collection of templates will help you seamlessly integrate your brand with minimal design time.
• Drag and drop editor: Our fully featured built-in content editor allows you to create, schedule, and push live any digital signboards from any browser.
• Create dynamic content: We make it easy to turn any component into an interactive object that can carry out various tasks without the need to code anything.
• Content enhancing widgets: With powerful widgets, you can display data in real-time to supercharge your digital signage content.

Ready to see the difference we will make in your next campaign? Reach out to us. Check out how easy it is to create digital signage content with Wallboard:

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