There is only one way you can describe today’s market. It is hyper-competitive. People do not have the time to look through a hundred products to find the right one. They barely make it to a landing page and promptly leave if the fonts are wrong. You have barely 2 seconds to make an impression on your customers, if you are working online. But this is the story about the rosy world of online retailers and marketers who can make their situations a little better with a few tools and apps. What really happens if you are a good old, land-based store?

If you are a land-based store, it gets only worse from here. Not only do you have to capture the attention of your potential customers, you even need to motivate them enough to step into your store. Then comes the entire process of “window shopping”, selection and purchase. And you are expecting this from a millennial who is already armed with multiple phones, laptops and hundreds of sit-at-home-and-get-delivery shopping apps. This is definitely a lot of work and it is also one of the main reasons physical stores are becoming draught stricken in 2017.

In this hyper-competitive world, you need to carve your own identity and build your own niche. It is comparatively easier if you are a mega corp or a franchise. However, what happens when you are a startup or a small business running on a shoestring budget? Where do you divert your small fund to receive the highest ROI? This can be really confusing especially if your sales curve has been dipping for the last quarter. Before you start sweating about it, here is a small guide that will help you prioritize and get the most out of your money –

  1. Tell your story –

    Telling a story automatically makes us think of the radio or TV. However, getting spots on either one of them is neither easy nor cheap. So you have to think of something more creative –

    How about digital signage?

    Post 2010 digital signage has become one of the most successful ways of reaching out to new, potential customers. They support videos in almost all modern formats and even couple them up with audio. You can play AVI, GIF, MP4, ASF, MOV, FLV and MPEG on these media. It is a great (and sometimes, interactive) way to reach out to customers. By creating a unique video, you can motivate your customers to step into your store and look around.

  2. Engage your customers –

    Many companies have already adopted this technique. McDonald’s and Bloomberg’s already uses digital signage with touchscreen tech to take orders and resolve customer issues. This is still an evolving channel and this makes it perfect for you to cash in. let your users interact with your brand. Create wonderful presentations and multi-option videos where your potential customers can check out your story, product, services and programs.

  3. Think about going viral –

    Do you remember the Swedish ad campaign against cancer in 2014? Of course you do! It went viral after they took help of interactive digital signage to drive home the seriousness of the message. This is exactly what we are talking about. You may have a great idea, but without the right platform, it will be lost without any impact at all. You need to make your installation a “must-see” experience for everyone including your competitor’s customers.

  4. Find your customers –

    If you are a fast food joint, it will be silly to advertise outside a gym! On the contrary, if you make fitness equipment, placing that ad will have a sky-high ROI.Location is almost everything in case of advertisements. You need to pick the right kind of digital signage for your brand. Create the right presentation. And find the right place where you can find your customers.

  5. Stand out from the crowd –

    This is a cliché every advertising agency will try to sell you. You will truly be able to understand what it means if you have checked out the exterior of the Tacoma Art Museum. It has created art installations out of digital signage. It not only conveys their message perfectly, it also allows them to create a statement that no one can replicate. Digital signage leaves a huge room for creativity. You cannot only input a wide range of flexible content; you can also play around with their installation as TAM has.

Digital signage has the power and universal nature that can convert your products into a lifestyle. It is fresh, immersive and it can easily attract people if used correctly.

These are a few benefits of choosing digital signage over other modes of advertisement –

  1. You have completely liberty on the content.
  2. You can change the content remotely.
  3. Digital signage supports a wide range of contents including photos, videos and presentations.
  4. They can also be interactive. You will need a touchscreen or an input unit to make them interactive for your customers.
  5. Along with brand promotions, you can give your customers newsfeeds and snippets of daily information. This has been shown to drive the crowd in busy areas like subways and train stations.

Digital signage is still a new niche. Your competitor has probably not used this yet to reach into your target market. And this also means, you can also reach out to your competitor’s market by using digital signage. When Facebook and Pinterest is already crowded with millions of adverts, it’s time to do something new and create a statement. Digital signage gives you to opportunity to introduce your brand in a new light to your potential customers.

Author Bio: Charlie Brown is a well-known marketing expert and campaign designer. He has been working with https://www.dopublicity.com/ for designing stellar campaigns for reputed brands. He is responsible for the success and fame of national and international brands over the last few years.