Our award-winning podcast gives you practical advice from experts on systems, communications, content and design. Whether you’re using digital signage, or just considering it, we help you communicate better.
Episodes
Tuesday Jul 16, 2019
Tuesday Jul 16, 2019
16 Digital Signage Start Up Tips
EPISODE 10 | Host: Derek DeWitt, communications specialist for Visix
You’ve selected a digital signage vendor with all the components and services you’ll need. So, just pick a date for installation, right? Nope. Even though you’ve worked out a lot of details for your system in order to shop around and buy it, you still have more to do to ensure your implementation is a success. Putting together a digital signage start up plan will save you time and headaches in the long run.
In our podcast, we give you a 16-step guide to put everything in place before a single screen goes on the wall. We’ll discuss ideas on best practices with some seasoned advice, and also cover how to avoid some typical pitfalls.
-Get step-by-step advice on building a digital signage start up plan
-Understand who needs to be involved at each phase
-Review how to organize goals, infrastructure and content plans
-Learn how to employ training, policies and user roles
-Find out how to successfully pilot, launch, test and maintain your system
Learn more about this topic in our Masterclass Guide 1: Digital Signage Systems Overview
Monday Jul 15, 2019
Monday Jul 15, 2019
Launching a Digital Signage Pilot
EPISODE 9 | Guest: Ellyce Kelly, client relationship manager for Visix
Running a digital signage pilot is a vital step for every installation, no matter the size. Whether you’re launching a new system for the first time, or adjusting one that has changed or grown, you need to be able to see how things will go before you “go live” in front of your audience.
It’s better to make a few mistakes during a pilot than when the audience you’re trying to impress is watching. Consider it something like a dress rehearsal. Whether you’re trying out new software for the first time or overhauling your look, a pilot gives you a chance to launch, measure and adjust without alienating viewers.
However, there are right and wrong ways to approach a pilot. You need to make sure to include all stakeholders, have measurable goals and reasonable timelines. Doing it half-baked can be as bad as not doing it at all.
-Understand the benefits of running a digital signage pilot
-Get an overview of the pilot process
-Explore different types of pilot goals
-Learn how to assemble and train your team
-Review how to assess and adjust
Get the FULL TRANSCRIPT
Learn more about this topic in our Masterclass Guide 1: Digital Signage Systems Overview
Wednesday Jun 26, 2019
Wednesday Jun 26, 2019
Digital Signage Design Primer 2 - Practical Tips
EPISODE 8 | Guest: Jill Perardi, creative services manager for Visix
If people don’t like what’s on your screens, they won’t look at them. It’s that simple. If your screens are boring or ugly, people won’t just tune out, they’ll turn off. And that means you’re spending a lot of time and money for no good reason.
What constitutes “good design” is a subjective topic, but there are some tried-and-true practices you can employ to make sure your screens attract attention, engage viewers, and reinforce your message instead of detracting from it.
If you’re tasked with creating content for screens, you may not have had design training. Or, you’ve been trained on PowerPoint or print design, but not this specific medium. This podcast, a companion to our previous one, will give you practical digital signage design tips that you can start using today.
- Get our top six digital design tips.
- Learn how to reinforce brand standards in your designs.
- Understand how to use backgrounds effectively.
- Explore how themes and templates can improve designs and streamline workflows.
- Consider how display specs, interactivity and ADA requirements affect design.
Learn more about this topic in our Masterclass Guide 4: Digital Signage Design
Wednesday Jun 26, 2019
Wednesday Jun 26, 2019
12 Ways to Increase Engagement with Digital Signs
EPISODE 6 | Guest: Ellyce Kelly, client relationship manager for Visix
Effective communication drives employee engagement and improves financial performance. Digital signage is one of the most powerful communication tools an organization can use to help foster and maintain high engagement levels.
A Gallup poll showed that effective employee engagement leads to higher productivity, profitability and customer ratings. It also helps to lower absenteeism, turnover, quality defects and safety incidents. All of this leads to a happy, healthy workplace with measurable bottom-line results.
Engagement with your external audience is also important, creating higher involvement and event attendance, improved safety, increased revenues, a better sense of community and an improved overall visitor experience.
No matter who your digital signs are in front of, you need to engage them or you’re wasting time and money.
- Understand why engagement matters to your organization.
- Explore concrete ideas on how to attract viewers.
- Learn basic design tips for creating effective screen content.
- Discover the advantages of interactive touchscreens.
- Get 12 tips to increase engagement with your digital signage.
BONUS: Get our handy infographic outlining these 12 steps for quick reference.
Learn more about this topic in our Masterclass Guide 2: Digital Signage Communications Planning
Wednesday Jun 26, 2019
Wednesday Jun 26, 2019
14 Quick Digital Signage Content Ideas
EPISODE 5 | Guest: Ellyce Kelly, client relationship manager for Visix
Content is king in communications, and with digital signage it is literally the entire point. Sure, your screens might look good, but if what’s on them has no value to the audience, they’ll just stop paying attention.
It can be difficult to come up with something new to show on your screens every single day, but that’s the goal. We’ve put together this podcast to help give you some digital signage content ideas and inspiration. There are some things you can create on your own, but you also probably have a lot of existing content that can be repurposed for your digital signs, and a lot of great sources for content within your organization.
- Understand how to source and convert PowerPoint presentations for digital signage.
- Learn about turning your print materials into digital messaging.
- Recognize when and where to use videos on digital signs.
- Explore interactivity for engagement, with or without touchscreens.
- Get 11 more great ideas for digital signage messages that will engage viewers.
BONUS: Get our Digital Signage Cheat Sheet with 100 content ideas.
Learn more about this topic in our Masterclass Guide 3: Digital Signage Content
Wednesday Jun 26, 2019
Wednesday Jun 26, 2019
How to Connect with Three Generations in the Workforce
EPISODE 4 | Guest: Debbie DeWitt, marketing communications manager for Visix
The days of impersonal employment are over. Sure, in our grandparents’ day, it was enough to have a job that paid well enough to raise a family, and after 50 years you got a gold watch. But the 21st century is a very different time, and people’s expectations and motivations have changed drastically.
A lot of this shift in focus was started by the Baby Boomers, who wanted a new approach to the work environment, and then continued by their children, Generation X. The newest generation in the workforce – millennials – are the product of these changes in perspective, and what they want is very different than previous generations.
This podcast continues our conversation about audience motivations in our previous episode. We take a look at each of the generations in the workforce, with special emphasis on millennials who have drastically changed the workplace culture. To be effective communicators, we need to understand these differences in order to appeal to each generation in the workplace.
- Understand the differences in the generations currently in the workplace.
- Get tips to engage Boomers and Gen X with different content types and designs.
- Learn what’s important to millennials and why you should care.
- Explore the new workforce, their priorities, and what to show on signs to engage them.
Learn more about this topic in our Masterclass Guide 2: Digital Signage Communications Planning
Wednesday Jun 26, 2019
Wednesday Jun 26, 2019
Understanding Audience Motivations
EPISODE 3 | Guest: Debbie DeWitt, marketing communications manager for Visix
What does audience motivation have to do with digital signage? Why can’t I just put a message up on the screen? Digital signs are a medium for communications, and good communications always start with understanding the target audience.
If you don't understand what motivates your viewers, then you can't know what's going to attract and interest them. You have to start with what drives the individuals in your environment, whether it’s an office, a factory floor or a university. Every viewer is going to be different, but there are some universal human motivations you can connect with.
Our podcast gives you an overview of widely accepted theories on motivations – both external and internal – and ideas of how you can appeal to each with digital signage messaging.
- Understand why motivation matters for audience engagement.
- Review self-determination theory, extrinsic and intrinsic motivations.
- Get practical examples of content that appeals to each motivation.
- Extrinsic: physical, safety, love/belonging, esteem, self-actualization
- Intrinsic: learning, connection, affinity, business, creative, expectation
Learn more about this topic in our Masterclass Guide 2: Digital Signage Communications Planning
Wednesday Jun 26, 2019
Wednesday Jun 26, 2019
Digital Signage Design Primer 1 - Basic Foundations
EPISODE 7 | Guest: Jill Perardi, creative services manager for Visix
People are busy. People are distracted. How will you get them to look at your screens, digest what’s there, remember it and take action?
A good digital signage design plan is a lot more than fonts and colors. This unique medium requires a different mindset and skillset than print and other traditional design types. Before you launch Photoshop or pick a PowerPoint template, you need to understand what motivates your audience and how different designs may attract or repel them.
In this podcast, we’ll review some design psychology and trends to help you build a solid foundation. By better understanding your audience and using proven design practices, you can avoid common mistakes and create content that will engage and excite your viewers.
- Learn why content planning and good design matters for audience engagement.
- Understand how design for digital signage is unique and how it differs from print design.
- Discover the psychology behind design – colors, emotional triggers and core values.
- Explore design trends and some tried-and-true design practices.
- Get tips for including an effective call to action in every design.
- Avoid eight common digital signage design mistakes.
Learn more about this topic in our Masterclass Guide 4: Digital Signage Design
Wednesday Jun 26, 2019
Wednesday Jun 26, 2019
8 Steps to Plan a Digital Signage System
EPISODE 2 | Guest: Sean Matthews, president and CEO of Visix
Digital signage is only as good as your plan for how you’ll use it. Not just what’s on the screens, but the entire deployment. Defining what you want to achieve, who will contribute, and how you’ll physically install and connect the system are all critical parts of successfully deploying any comprehensive digital signage system. In fact, these things need to be planned out before a single screen goes live.
This podcast gives you a step-by-step plan to follow before you start taking bids for your system. If you already have a system in place, you can still review these eight steps to see where you might improve operations.
- Learn how to assemble your digital signage team and set goals.
- Know how to define your audience and the content that will attract them.
- Review important networking, software and hardware considerations.
- Find out what to budget for at time of purchase and over the life of the system.
- Avoid the most common mistakes and misconceptions with digital signage.
Learn more about this topic in our Masterclass Guide 1: Digital Signage Systems Overview
Friday Jun 21, 2019
Friday Jun 21, 2019
What Is Digital Signage | Why You Need It
EPISODE 1 | Guest: Sean Matthews, president and CEO of Visix
Digital signage is ubiquitous in retail, and is being adopted more and more for organizational communications. This podcast discusses the basics of what’s in a digital signage system, and why it’s a good option for anyone trying to engage employees, students or visitors. We look at the technology, give you real-world stats that prove it works, and cover additional considerations like enterprise features and alerts to round out the case for using digital signs in any setting. Whether you’re trying to convince your organization to adopt digital signage, or you need to convince management to augment your current system, this podcast will help.
- Understand the various components of a digital signage system and what they do.
- Learn how digital signs are more effective and engaging than print communications.
- Explore how employee engagement can provide measurable bottom-line results.
- Appreciate the benefits of democratizing and unifying communications.
- Get an overview of the capabilities of an enterprise deployment.
Learn more about this topic in our Masterclass Guide 1: Digital Signage Systems Overview