Alisa Semyekhina
Printed posters and outdated brochures are inconsistent with messaging and branding, fail to connect to patient trending needs, lack engagement, and are often untargeted, or just irrelevant. If your office is still leveraging this type of static marketing material, this presents an opportunity for you to level up your communications program and reap all the benefits of doing so.
Say goodbye to the noise and hello to better patient communications by digitizing these outdated, paper barriers in your space. You can have a real-time, relevant, and engaging program that taps into the power of strategically placed digital signage.
Before you can begin installing screens, you need to get your basics locked down. Building a strategy begins with finding a strategic partner you can trust, a thoughtfully developed signage roadmap complete with hardware recommendations and placement for each branch, content management software selection, and a robust content plan.
Your Partner. You bring a wealth of knowledge about your organization and patients’ needs. Now, you need a partner who brings that same expertise in experiential design and technology.
You need a partner who can leverage best practices and guide you based on data and unmatched experience to ensure your program is built for maximum ROI.
Your Roadmap. With the overwhelming amount of messages patients receive and the many touchpoints that go into a healthcare journey, constructing a digital signage roadmap will help identify the right placement and type of technology, the software you will be leveraging, and the messages and vision for your content. Just as important as the placement of your signage is the message itself, so developing a content plan will help you deliver on your goals by identifying your audiences and the types of messages you want them to receive, the frequency they should be published (to avoid competing messages) and the publication timeframe.
Building Your Digital Signage Roadmap
Hardware Type
There are many technology and hardware options to choose from for your roadmap. Here are some of the most used:
- Dynamic screens - This sustainable, cost-cutting option is the alternative to printed materials. Most similar to the TV screen you have in your home, this single-screen display engages patients and visitors with video-style promotions or loops static content.
- Video walls - A multi-screen display that comes in many shapes and sizes, these are larger walls that act as a statement or showroom piece.
- Interactive screens and kiosks - This touchscreen option allows people to engage with the signage in real time and explore what is of interest to them at the tips of their fingers.
- Discovery tablets - Apps are changing the healthcare landscape. Bring accessibility into your space with tablets for patients and visitors to check in, explore, and access their online health tools.
Hardware Placement
Placement and type of signage are key components to ensuring a strategy is effective. Digital Signage can be placed in any area of your facility with high traffic, longer wait times, healthy patient engagement levels, or even a lack of operational efficiencies. Some of the most popular places we see signage leveraged in medical facilities include:
- Entryways
- Waiting rooms
- Exam rooms
- Surgery areas
- Sanitization stations
- Clinic floors
- and more!
Content Management Software
Hardware? Check. Up next: software. When it comes to digital signage, there are hundreds of different types of content management software that can do the job... but only a few can do the job exactly how it should be done. When it comes to the software, we have a few that we recommend based on our discovery session with your team, but they all include features like:
- Being cloud-based and able to manage from anywhere
- Having control down to the screen level for hyper-localized content
- Intuitive dashboards and interface for ease of control
- Playlists with endless modules and almost no limitations
- Security features for guaranteed safe use
- Interactivity and engagement elements
Content Creation
You've got the hardware and software selected, now's your content. Your messaging is what will capture the attention of people and entice action and your audience needs will vary based on the space the screen is in, so it is critical to have a well-researched and planned-for content strategy for every screen.
And while you want a variety of content from screen to screen, you still want to tie everything back to a strategy and always support your business objectives. That's why most financial institutions have boiled down their patient-facing content playlists to ensure every display plays at least 3 of the following content "pillars":
- Educational content - health and wellbeing tips and trends, etc.
- Informational content - check-in, wait times, facility updates, practice announcements, wayfinding, digital portal accessibility, FAQs, etc.
- Promotional content - marketing and retail campaigns, before and afters, service highlights, advertisements and specials, etc.
- Referral content - success stories, review requests, referral bonuses, benefits, etc.
- Experiential content - success stories, review requests, referral bonuses, benefits, partnerships, community involvement, etc.
- Branded content - logo animations, business slogans, staff highlights or celebrations, meet the team, etc.
Digital screens can also support employee engagement. With proper placement, these tools can amplify goals, strengthen messages of culture and recognition, share operational updates, and communicate emergencies.
- Culture content - celebrations, milestones, events, community involvement, etc.
- Informational content - facility updates, practice announcements, etc.
- Productivity content - motivational elements, performance trackers, goal trackers, etc.
Get Your Program Started
Want to learn more about digital signage and what building a program for your space would look like? Download this guide has everything you're looking for in it.
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