Building Customer Relationships in the Digital Age

​Brick and mortar businesses are moving away from traditional forms of advertising, instead investing in more forms of digital advertising. As technology advances and becomes more affordable, it gets easier to justify the purchase of video displays, digital billboards, or LED signs because of the ability they have to interact with customers and build relationships.

Before digital signage, businesses relied on static signs and a combination of traditional media to promote products and services. Today, traditional media usage continues to decline, making it more difficult to connect with potential consumers. A recent survey by Rain News, found that in 2015, 83% of drivers with at least a 20 minute commute listened to AM/FM radio. Now that figure has declined to 68%, and that trend is predicted to continue.

While static signs are limited in their ability to stand out and catch the attention of customers, digital signage delivers a familiar format – including ads like those seen online –to consumers in close proximity to act on impulse purchases. An outdoor digital sign does more than display multiple messages in the same space over time. It can be used to display targeted content based on real time data. Plus, long dwell times thanks to heavier traffic patterns mean consumers may have 60 to 120 seconds to absorb advertising messages.

A recent Digital Signage Connection article noted that 80% of U.S. residents age 12 and older reported seeing a digital display in a public area within the last month. Twenty percent said they made an unexpected purchase after seeing a product shown on the display.

We even see the effect of this in sports stadiums with crowd prompts that get fans engaged, concession ads to increase sales, or game statistics that keep fans connected to the action. Whether you own a video display at a sports venue, a digital billboard on a busy interstate, or an LED sign for your local business; correctly used digital advertising will help grow your relationships with customers.

It used to be all about frequency, reach and impressions to reel in customers. Those things still matter in the digital age, but it’s also about creativity, interactivity, and a sense of virtual community. Digital signage provides an easy and programmable outlet to form relationships with customers in a fun, fresh and engaging way.

 

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