How to get started with Digital Signage?

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Everything you need to think about when first looking at setting up digital signage for your business

When starting to look at rolling-out digital signage for the first time, there are several elements you need to consider. This post is aimed at covering those elements and giving you the list of questions you should be asking yourself early in the process.

So what do I need to know that I don’t already know?

There is more to digital signage than just the software managing the content. The hardware and content being sent to your displays are both equally important.

What hardware is right for digital signage?

There are plenty of options available when it comes to digital signage hardware. Some are dedicated devices that are manufactured, marketed, and sold exclusively for the purpose of being used for digital signage. Some others serve a different purpose but could be repurposed as digital signage if needed.

Some out of the box digital signage hardware devices are…

Examples of non-dedicated players are…

So what hardware should you choose? The below video should give you some good questions to ask yourself when making that decision.

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Next step, content!

Regardless of what digital signage solution you are looking to create, content will always be the most important factor. Some questions you should be thinking about when it comes to content are…

Who will create my content?
Who will manage my content?
What content do I need?

In the video below we will cover some of the content types that exist. From more traditional images and videos to newer, upcoming content types like HTML5 and IPTV streaming. The questions above will make a big impact on what content you decide to publish.

Regardless of the media you choose, you should always look to find the best way to keep your content current and refreshed. Some content providers such as SeenSpire or SodaClick will help you curate content with a variable amount of input. If you already have someone dedicated to content creation, consider how often you will need new content to keep your messaging fresh.

Most CMS platforms in the digital signage industry will offer different ways of scheduling content so don’t think that regularly updating your content will mean you need to spend everyday planning, this can be done in bulk on a weekly or monthly basis.

Choosing your CMS platform

Knowing how to choose the right CMS platform for you is going to make the difference between an easy to use, well managed digital signage experience or an over complicated and time consuming one.

Picking the right CMS has everything to do with understanding what you need in advance. It is also worth considering what functions you may require in the next two to five years. As technology progresses, you may eventually require more from your platform, so selecting a platform that is progressive and continuously updated is paramount. In a lot of cases, digital signage experiences start off simple during the initial stages but as users start to familiarise themselves with what they need to know, it won’t be long until they start asking about more functionality that could be used.

In the video below, we will cover the four key factors that you need to consider when picking your CMS.