Updated July 2026
Digital Signage Content Dos and Don'ts: What Sells and What Confuses
Gary Kurtz, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, continues our digital signage strategy series with the element that makes or breaks every screen: content.
In episode 1, Gary made the case that digital signage only earns its 3-5% sales lift when you put real strategy behind it. This episode covers where that strategy shows up every day. As Gary puts it, content is probably the most important thing for digital signage. When you pull everything together, it has to be the thing that sells your company.
If you have any questions you would like Gary to answer in a future vlog, please submit them in the comments box below.
The Dos: Mix Your Media and Aim It at Your Margins
The goal of every piece of content on your board is simple: you want customers to buy more, and to buy what you're showing them. To get there:
- Use different kinds of media. Videos, animations, and pictures, and keep them rolling. Variety keeps the board alive and keeps eyes on it
- Focus on your high-margin items. The products you most want to sell deserve the spotlight, whether that's a signature sandwich at a restaurant or a current promotion at any business
- Feature your LTOs and deals. Limited time offers are exactly the kind of content digital signage handles better than any static board
The Big Don't: Too Flashy Confuses People
Here's the trap: don't make it too flashy. You want customers to be able to focus on things. When everything on the screen is moving at once, people get confused, and confused customers fall back on ordering whatever they ordered in the past.
That's the quiet failure mode of digital signage. The board doesn't look broken, sales just never move, because the motion that was supposed to sell your high-margin items is actually pushing guests back to their old habits. Motion should direct attention, not compete for it.
What to Look for in a Content Partner
As you go about creating content, work with somebody who can do all of these functions:
- Run videos and animations
- Schedule your content so the right message shows at the right time
- Work with your people on what's important to your business, whether that's a specific menu item or a promotion you're running
The technology only pays off when the content strategy behind it is handled, so choose a partner who does both.
Catch Up on the Series
- Episode 1: Is Digital Signage Worth It? Start With Your Goals - ROI vs. ROO and the questions to answer before you invest [LINK]
- Episode 3: Digital Menu Board Design - the board's real purpose, who should design it, and when designs should change during the day [LINK]
Looking for the fundamentals in one place? Our eguide, The 7 Key Elements of Digital Signage, is one of our longtime resources and still available for free download. For our latest thinking on boards and content, browse the newest posts on our blog.
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