It is a well-known, almost stereotypical image: a bulletin board in a reception area filled with scraps of paper, a notice board in a canteen full of adverts and flyers, or the posters on the wall of a fast food restaurant or convenience store.
Sometimes messy or cluttered, but sometimes matching the atmosphere of the location. A sleekly designed poster can even become artwork. Communication via print is of all times. It is a familiar and proven form of communication and (perhaps out of habit) is still prevalent.
Yet, in many cases, a poster, paper, or pamphlet is no longer needed. Namely, when you use digital signage! With digital signage, you send your message digitally to a limited audience, for example, via a screen in the reception hall.
We give you three advantages of posters over digital signage and three benefits of digital signage over printed posters!
Printed posters versus digital displays
The advantages of a poster over digital signage? Yes, there are.
1. Posters can hang anywhere
You can put a poster anywhere, whereas you need electricity to use digital signage. So hanging a sign on a wall, a window, or a door is possible and takes just a few seconds.
2. A poster can become a collector's item
In many student houses, you can find old film posters or posters from bands. Collectors will perserve specific local posters or flyers for a long time. There are many reasons why posters are collected. Unfortunately, collecting images from digital signage is rather difficult.
3. A poster does not need an internet connection
Your poster is always visible. At least with some light and in a dry room. You certainly don't need power or an internet connection. There is a risk of damage when hanging or transporting a poster, but there is no risk of a poster malfunctioning.
Digital displays versus printed posters
The advantages of digital signage over posters? There certainly are.
1. A screen is more durable than a poster
Perhaps not the first advantage you would think of: a screen consumes energy, a poster at most some sticky tape. Yet digital signage is more sustainable than you think. There are several reasons for this;
- Correcting an error is easy; there is no need to make a new print
- The screen lasts a long time; you don't have to create a new poster every time
- You don't have any waste; with printed posters, you have to take a minimum quantity that is usually much larger than you need.
- Printing uses a lot of chemicals and water
- Produces paper consumes a lot of water and electricity
- You can choose to use green electricity for your TV screen
2. Movement attracts attention
A poster is static; the content on a screen changes repeatedly but is also in motion in the form of videos or animations. Moving content is 5 to 10 times more striking than static text and photos. Therefore, content on a signage screen is much more likely to be noticed, which is the goal.
3. A screen allows you to communicate more efficiently
A poster usually only has one message. And although it is possible to put a lot of information on a sheet of paper, it never equals the numerous unique advantages of a digital signage screen;
- alternate between fixed content and current news items
- show the same content in a variety of ways
- adapt the content to the time of day or a specific location
- use video and sound
- use content from other channels such as your website and social media A poster certainly cannot compete with these opportunities to engage your audience.
Digital signage with Bizplay
Want to know more about digital signage? How does digital signage work, what screen size do you need for digital signage, how much does narrowcasting cost? Read on and try it for free!