Getting more eyeballs on your digital screens isn’t a mystery. It’s science that can add dollars to your sales. We know because we studied which types of digital signage marketing content perform better than others. We compared new messages vs. old, highly animated vs. somewhat animated, and whether the presence of people in the message graphic influences performance. Those simple tests told us which types of digital signage content were most effective.

We conducted the study by installing a special high-definition camera on top of screens in financial institution branches. Our cameras gathered data over three weeks during branch hours, Monday through Saturday. Our gaze software anonymously followed the stare or gaze of each viewer as they walked through the branch. This system tracked when the customer looked at the digital sign, and when they didn’t. Since we know the time of day and duration each piece of a client’s content appears on-screen, we cross-referenced the gaze data to determine which digital signage messages earned the most views. What is the most effective digital signage content?

Download: Guide to Effective Content

Most Effective Digital Signage Content

Most Effective: Highly Animated

The most effective content included messages that were highly animated. In our study, highly animated messages averaged 240 views per day. These included how-to demonstrations such as completing online forms or performing functions in the mobile app (think depositing a check). The client created the animations using screen grab technology and we fine-tuned it to make the most impact on-screen, pausing as needed and adding explainer text.

Also Effective: Standard Animation

Content with standard animation performed nearly as well as the highly animated content. The standard animation messages in our study attracted 208 views per day. Our Kiosk & Display Content Team created standard animation for promotional product messages, community events, and the branch manager welcome message. These messages included both moving text and graphics.

Also Effective: Animated with People

Animated messages that show people performed well, although not quite as well as other animated content. Animated messages with people scored 176 views per day. These messages included moving text and static images, most often in conjunction with product messages.

Download: Guide to Effective Content

Least Effective Content

Content that attracted the fewest number of views was considered the least effective content in our study. In every case, the content that performed poorly was six months old or older. We assume that in that split-second that customers realize they’ve seen the content before, they look away – at their phone, most likely. (It would be interesting to measure how long it takes a customer’s gaze to return to the digital screen once they look away, something we will consider for future customer tests.) Interestingly, this makes the case to not repeat the same image in different pieces of digital signage content. Your audience may assume they’ve seen it already even if the message is different. In our study, six-month old animation earned between 32 and 48 views per day.

What’s the Ideal Digital Signage Content Mix?

As a digital signage provider for 20 years, we recommend clients include at least eight components in their digital signage playlist. Message content should include local photos, education, a welcome, social media feeds, marketing life stages, weather, community events, and product promotion. The perfect playlist is a blend of timely information, news, promotion, and engagement.

For businesses with multiple locations spread over a large geographic area, creating local, relevant content can be a challenge for a centralized marketing team. Our most successful clients allow each location manager to create a portion of the content using a structured, yet animated template, that keeps the message on-brand. The location manager creates a draft and then submits it to the marketing team or a regional manager to review for spelling, grammar, start and end dates, and overall appropriateness. Once approved, the message is scheduled to that location’s playlist loop.

Make Your Screens Work for You

Kiosk & Display wants your digital screens to be the most effective they can be. Maximize your digital signage ROI by educating your customers, increasing product usage, and sharing your community involvement activities. As a full-service digital signage provider we ensure your screens not only function when they’re supposed to, it also means you’re be supplying the right content to the right audience at the right time. Our gaze study gives us additional insight into the types of messages that perform the best. Let our Content Team help you develop animated messages that suit your brand, whether it’s from your idea or as-needed from a piece of static content. Don’t know where to start? Schedule a meeting and let’s make your ideas made to engage.