Much of the conversation surrounding digital signage focuses on retail or commercial applications, but educational institutions are also learning just how integral digital signage can be to their campus culture. With a slew of activities and announcements going on at a school at any given time, digital signage parses the information in a way that makes more sense and keeps announcements timely and topical.
Everywhere from the hallways to the visitor’s center to the school bookstore can stand to benefit from adding digital signage to their repertoire. Schools that have seen major benefits from using digital signage range from kindergarten up to colleges. Simple-to-use content management signage software offers countless advantages over traditional message displays, giving schools who make the switch cause to wonder why they ever used bulletin boards in the first place.
Here are some ways that digital signage can enhance the campus experience for nearly any school:
Timely and Topical Announcements
Reading messages on bulletin boards is often like trying to sift through the bargain bin at the video store. Half of the announcements are forgotten, outdated or irrelevant. The other half are disguised amongst the sea of faded paper slips and pushpins. A posted flier usually has around a day and a half of high visibility before it is covered up, torn off or otherwise obscured from getting the notice it deserves.
Digital signage makes managing display content easy. With signage software, content can be given an expiration date to automatically stop displaying the moment it becomes outdated. Other displays can be altered based on time-sensitive events, such as a guest speaker’s presentation date changing from “June 8th” to “Tomorrow!” to give a sense of urgency and elevated relevance to the proceeding.
Another benefit of digital signage is that all content is given roughly the same prominence. Some content can be better-presented than others, but there is no jockeying for visible real estate like there would be on a bulletin board. Rather than having to worry about securing a coveted high-visibility spot in the middle of an announcement board, every ad can display front-and-center to be readable rather than buried in someone’s peripheral noise.
Campus Safety
A rash of worrying events has happened on grade school and college campuses in recent years. Because of incidents like these, schools have been seeking means to get in touch with anyone on campus quickly and effectively. SMS text messaging has been the method of choice for most campuses, but texts are not always able to convey information to the degree needed.
During dangerous events like severe weather or criminal activity, quick response times are crucial to saving lives. In emergencies, students and faculty need clear instructions on what to do and where to go without any confusion. Digital signage software can send out alerts to every screen on campus instantly. Using visual aids and clearly-readable text, everyone on campus can get the instructions they need at the exact same time. As the police or disaster response departments get new information, they can keep everyone safe with updates on nearby screens.
Enhance Money-Making Ventures
While most schools are not-for-profit, side ventures like bookstores and cafeterias often help generate some much-needed extra revenue. Digital signage in places like these can increase ticket size and keep customers up-to-date on the latest products and offers. Using digital signs in a similar way to retailers and quick service restaurants can help boost the return on investment for the product and make the displays eventually pay for themselves over time.
When trying to harness advantages like these, having an easy-to-use content management system on your signage software is pivotal. Digital Social Retail’s digital convergence platform makes managing digital signage a snap. Signs can also be coupled with other point-of-contact applications, such as social media and beacons, to deliver a truly dynamic content experience. Visit our product page to discover more about how digital signs can unlock the potential of your campus.
