How to Use Digital Signage to Get Ahead on Marketing in 2016

It happened: 2015 finally came to a close, and 2016 is now upon us. Ready or not, it’s time to really boost your business’s marketing to ensure a successful—and profitable—new year.

But don’t worry…you aren’t thrown to the wolves just yet. Here we are going to discuss the top marketing trends that we are sure to see in 2016, and how you can utilize digital signage to fully embrace those trends and really connect with your customers.

B2C vs. B2B: Who is Your Audience? First, let’s take a look at who your buyers and influencers are and who exactly you target. Regardless of whether or not you own or operate a retail store or eCommerce or you market other startup companies and entrepreneurs, your “buyer” will vary.

In regards to digital signage, you need to adjust the content you display depending on who your buyers or influencers are. For example, if you market consumers, then your 2016 B2C goal should be engagement. If you market other organizations or businesses, then your 2016 B2B goal should be targeting influencers.

For B2Cs, definitely use social media as an outlet to engage and start conversations with your buyers and customers. But remember, social media in and of itself is NOT a strategy. Social media is a cocktail party, not a shopping mall…or a seasoning, not the disk. (You get the point…)

For B2Bs, targeting influencers could mean understanding and learning your audience’s events, learning about their experiences, and then using dynamic and authentic content to get in their faces (in a way that converts).

Gone are the days when businesses use the same marketing methodologies to target their audiences. The two have split. Make sure you follow the right path.

Big Data is ACTIONABLE Data. The “BIG data” we saw during the first two quarters of 2015 has now shifted to what is now known as actionable data. This is because—like social media—data by itself is just that…data. But o truly grasp and understand what is working and what isn’t means more informed decision making, and more marketing ROI, which is a huge challenge for marketers.

As marketers and businesses realize the importance and need for data, more and more systems and software are becoming available—especially in the marketing automation sphere.

With digital signage, you not only get access to your own technology and controlling your own content, you also have access to free software that clues you in on your marketing analytics to determine who your audience is (as in who is interacting with your content and advertisements, the times of day they are most active, and where they are from).

Now THAT is actionable.

Living the Marketing Lifecycle. Let’s go back to the point above about tracking marketing ROI activities and talk about those challenges for a minute. Most marketers agree that proving ROI for marketing activities is one of their biggest challenges. So there’s no time like kicking off the new year to really buckled down and face those challenges…

During 2015, we learned the importance of FULL funnel marketing, or also known as Lifecycle marketing. The five stages of lifecycle marketing—coupled with digital signage—include:

1. Awareness –By using digital signage in your retail stores or using ads on your online marketing campaign, you are increasing and boosting awareness.
2. Consideration – By using compelling and unique content to display on your digital signage, you are giving your customers a reason to consider working with your business or making a purchase.
3. Purchase – Why not showcase your products and/or services on a digital display to show why so many other customers are happy working with you? This is a roundabout way to show your potential customers who are still in the purchase phase why working with your business or your products is the best decision for them.
4. Retention – Once you have conquered the first three stages in the customer journey and you have made the sale, it’s important to remember that the sale doesn’t end there. Sure, your business could nail new customers all the time, but this means nothing if you don’t retain them or keep them coming back for more.
5. Advocacy – Finally, once you have nailed the purchase and retention phases of the marketing lifecycle, “advocacy” comes easy because you have now built up your customer base, which will now vouch for you. They will announce or publish their great experiences with you and your business over social media, which then rounds out the marketing lifecycle, and you can use these recommendations and great testimonials through digital signage to drive new customers in the door.

For more information on how you can use digital signage for free to boost your marketing and fully embrace the marketing lifecycle for 2016, contact the expert team at Digital Signage today.