Digital signage is an awesome information tool for any business! If you are yet to use it in your own business, you may want to explore some cost-efficient solutions, test the waters, and see if it’s the right option for you. Of course, there is no need to splurge and get the newest commercial grade setup which breaks the bank, when in reality you want an easy solution which works for simple content. Below we’ll cover some tips and guidelines for trying out digital signage in small businesses in a most cost-effective way.
1. Repurpose old devices
The go-to option for digital signage is always repurposing old technology. This could include old displays, tablets, and even smartphones to serve as digital signage screens. Depending on your needs, these devices can display menus, promotions, social media feeds, or simple banners.Â
Even for cost-effective digital signage in small businesses, it is still recommended to go with commercial grade displays as they are designed to run for longer periods of time and have additional functions. However, consumer grade displays, old or new, can be an option if you’re planning on using them in moderation, or simply experimenting with digital signage features. If you’re truly just testing the waters, your living room TV is a totally acceptable option. Just be sure to carefully carry it to location!
2. Find the right digital signage software
Digital signage providers vary in their services based on business sizes. Some focus on smaller businesses, offering tools to manage displays and create content for a handful of displays. Others are ideal for larger enterprises managing displays across dozens, if not hundreds, of locations. And then there are providers who scale to business sizes, with adjustable pricing plans and features.Â
Another angle of attack are the features. Thankfully, most providers will give you a free trial to explore their apps and tools. You can keep looking until you find a toolset to suit your needs best. OnSign TV is a good option for small businesses or larger networks. It will help you group your displays, content, and even users, allowing smoother management overall. As for the features, explore them all for free!
3. Use free tools
There are many free and affordable tools available which you can use instead of a dedicated digital signage software, such as Canva, ScreenCloud, or Google Slides. These platforms allow businesses to create digital content but to an extent. As digital signage isn’t the main purpose for these tools, it stands to reason that there will be limitations. Digital signage software will let you schedule and organize content, and even manage the access permissions of your staff to your devices. Still, free tools are good for experimentation, or for occasional use when paying a monthly fee feels cost-prohibitive.
Content creation is another aspect which will cost you time or money. Consider copyright free sources of images and videos. They typically won’t be the exact visuals you’d look for. It’s mainly generic content, but that makes it ideal as a source for decorations and secondary content.
4. Use USB flash drives for content management
For digital signage in small businesses that does not have a need for live updates, a simple USB flash drive can be used to display static or looped content. Just upload videos, images, or presentations to the drive and plug it into a smart TV or media player. Once again, this option is great when you’re just experimenting and giving digital signage a try.Â
As you decide to grow and the need for update rises, it won’t be too smooth of an approach. Not to mention that this restricts you from deploying content to more distant displays or when you have multiple displays running in one location because every update has to be manually inserted into the device. Synchronized playback along several displays also gets harder to achieve.
5. Partner with local businesses
Collaborating with nearby businesses to share screen space can be a cost-effective option. For example, a café could feature promotions from a neighboring retail store, and vice versa. It can increase your own exposure, and if you’re the one selling ad space, it can generate profit.Â
6. Streamline content creation with templates
A great cost- and time-effective solution is to build templates for your content. Using pre-made templates from free tools like Canva, for example, can help you design high-quality digital signage quicker. Even more important is the fact that your content will be consistent.Â
Digital signage software will additionally have dynamic content templates which update information such as time or weather easily. They also allow you to make tweaks to already-published content which saves you the steps of updating your content on screen manually. All you need to do to update a menu is tick which menu items you want to add or remove, hit Save, and you’re set as the update will be seamlessly sent to your digital signage players. With external tools like Canva, the process is a bit longer. Still, that may be an option, if you rarely make updates.
One last tip for utilizing digital signage in small businesses is to do your homework! If you’re new to digital signage, be sure to learn how to squeeze the last drop of usefulness out of your digital signage, especially when you get into monthly subscriptions. On our blog, you’ll find a ton of useful guidelines for specific businesses, use cases, and even technologies to explore. To learn more, take a look at this post on the most common mistakes in digital signage content creation to get you started.
Cover image by Alexander Grey.
