Even though the passing traffic may not be as great in the evening or on holidays, your digital signage can still find plenty of uses after closing time. Even with minimal traffic, it’s good to take advantage of it, potentially bringing in a new customer or two. At the very least, your display will stand out among the rest of the night when plenty of businesses don’t even consider using the time and surface to get potential visitors and showcase specific targeted content.
There’s a lot more to do after closing time than just slapping a big “CLOSED” sign on the front door. Here are some great ways to wisely use your digital signage in the after hours! And if you’re not quite ready to dive in, there’s a simpler solution for you.
Display information about your businessÂ
Featuring your best offers is always a good source of content, even after closing time. A potential customer may have found you online, or had decided to visit your business, only to be met with a locked door. Listing your offers or answering frequently asked questions about your business is valuable information for interested customers.Â
For a start, displaying your working hours is a good idea so that potential customers know when to stop by again. In the dead of the night when most stores are pitch black, your establishment is more likely to attract attention to anyone who finds themselves nearby. Even if someone isn’t specifically seeking your business out, they will notice it.
Direct users online
A shopper arrived too late to make a purchase. Allow them to check it off their to-do list now by directing them online. Let them pre-order their items for a quick pick-up during work hours.Â
It’s even better if you have an online shop. This will instantly direct physical consumers to the e-commerce realm. They’ll be able to browse through your inventory, shop, and essentially bypass the issue of arriving after work hours.Â
Use QR codes
QR codes are a phenomenal way to engage potential customers. For a start, you can lead them directly to your online store with a simple scan. Consider applying a special “after hours” discount, or a similar feature to engage visitors to make a purchase, either online or on their next visit. Of course, the discount doesn’t need to be anything big, just an incentive to engage.
You may even experiment with triggering content on the screen after the QR code is scanned. This can be a neat trick to make the experience more immersive. Something as simple as “Congratulations! Your 5% discount has been applied,” will make the experience more fun and memorable, not to mention intriguing to other passers-by.Â
Sell your ad space after closing hours
After a few experiments with your own campaigns, you will quickly see just how beneficial your after hours campaigns are. In case you find there is significant traffic present during your off hours, you might want to consider selling your ad space. Remember that your off hours aren’t restricted to evenings and holidays. Maybe your establishment doesn’t operate on certain days of the week, or maybe your work hours vary.
Should you find there are plenty of people around when you’re closed, selling ad space can be a great idea to make the most use out of your displays and earn money when you’re not working. Learn more about selling ad space!
Use fallback campaigns and playlists
Your digital signage software can help you handle content after closing time. Once everything is set up, you don’t need to think about it any more.
Firstly, you should set up playlists for content throughout your day. Schedule your playlists days or even months in advance. For the after hours, build and schedule a playlist containing everything we talked about in this article: some self-promotion, a road to your online shop, QR codes, and even third-party ads, if you find them to be beneficial. Once you update any individual piece of information within the playlist, it will automatically update itself for the future.
Secondly, with OnSign TV you may use the fallback loop which runs parallel to your primary loop of content. Whenever your primary loop falters or runs out of content, the fallback loop kicks in. It’s a very valuable tool to have as a backup. This backup content will also play after closing time if you don’t have anything prepared. In case you aren’t ready yet to invest time into building your after hours campaigns, you can rely on your fallback loop for a time.
Meanwhile, if you’re not an OnSign TV user, why not give it a try? The fallback loop, alongside a variety of features for your digital signage, is available to you for testing for free.
