An inspirational journey of success or an upcoming collection for Halloween, a story can be anything. At the core of it, even a simple banner saying “Sale!” conveys to passersby what they can expect inside your store, but we know you have more in you. If you get the handle on how to tell a story which resonates with the viewer, or at the very least communicates across what you wanted to say, you’ve hit the jackpot. We’ll outline some ways to elevate your storytelling through digital signage, such as to consider timing, placement, and cohesion of your content for best results.
Choose the right method
There are many ways to tell a story through digital signage. It may be done in a single sentence, a set of images, or a lengthier text structure. Determine where these methods fit best. For example, a story told in paragraphs of text shouldn’t constantly rotate on your displays but instead should be triggered on-demand. This way, it reaches only those who have the patience and time to read through it.
Meanwhile, shorter bits of content such as the brand slogan, or snapshots of your successes deliver a message quicker. Consider short-form content, up to 10 seconds, which is ideal for high traffic areas. For longer campaigns or videos, consider areas where the audience has more time to engage, such as in waiting areas.
Screen layouts in mind
A main guideline to follow throughout campaign designing is to not let separate content elements compete with each other. It’s a lot harder to do, we know, but it’s a guideline that should sit in the back of your head. To successfully elevate your storytelling with digital signage, you want the viewer’s undivided attention on the piece of content in front of them. This is why it’s best to rely on full-screen campaigns. Even with shorter bits of storytelling such as a logo, quote, slogan, or a message from the CEO, it’s more sleek and impactful to have that message occupy the entire screen for a few brief moments, than to have it steal attention from other parts of the display.
If you opt to include a story with other content elements, consider what works best with your storytelling campaigns. With displays that relay important information, such as conversion rates at banks, menu boards at take out restaurants, or wayfinding information in larger establishments, it’s best to have dedicated displays which are not interrupted by other types of content. Instead, set up separate displays in waiting areas and storefronts.
Limit visual complexity
Tying into the topic of screen layouts, decide which content section in your layout is the primary focus. If it’s storytelling, it should occupy the larger portion of the screen and be prominent. Meanwhile, secondary content such as clocks, news, social feeds, or promotions should be smaller and more subtle. Of course, consider the opposite arrangement where storytelling is the secondary element.
Be mindful of the quantity of content, too! A cluttered screen is overwhelming in any context. In particular when it comes to storytelling, you need to gently guide the view of the viewer to specific parts of the display. If there are many distracting elements aggressively competing for attention, that attempt will ultimately fail. You don’t want anything with flashy animations next to a meaningful message or a video which requires undivided attention to be understood.
Tell the story well!
In reality, the technical part of storytelling through digital signage is the easiest part in the process. Just put up a picture and a lovely message underneath it! The toughest is deciding on the story.
For a start, don’t make the story complex. It should be easy to follow and understand. For example, “100% Carbon-Neutral by 2030,” tells us of at least one business goal alongside its priorities. “Customers can return used packaging to get 10% off,” isn’t the most inspiring story, but it communicates an offer fast. Posting images or videos with a banner that says “Our Journey,” lets the viewer know the relevance of the content and it doesn’t need to be explained further.
For longer stories, create videos, slideshows, or, as we mentioned above, bring up text on-demand. Ensure these content elements are of high quality. Make videos smooth and simple, slideshows with only the most exciting images, and written stories in a flowy and engaging style.
Keep the flow of content consistent
To ensure smooth delivery of all of your content, not only the bits focused on storytelling, it’s important to keep the content organized, consistent, and uniform. Digital signage software can help you with all these tasks, but also trim down hours of work with pre-existing templates. Explore all the tools OnSign TV has to offer. Use or even create your own templates to make sure every message lands as it should.
Cover image by Volodymyr Hryshchenko.
