What is a Digital Poster, and How Can You Make One?

A digital poster is an electronic display that can be used to convey information in the same way that traditional print posters used to in the past, with a host of additional functionality that makes it a far better option for most businesses.

While you might see digital posters on a daily basis at gas stations or in grocery stores; these are just the tip of the iceberg in relation to how widespread digital posters really are.

The ability to utilize the tools around digital posters to share content that not only conveys your message with words but also movies, animations, gifs, and other multimedia formats makes digital posters an invaluable tool in any marketer’s arsenal.

Digital posters are perfect for creating eye-catching content that can spark the interests of your audience, and project your ideas in a new light that will resonate far beyond traditional print media.

This article will cover what a digital poster is, why they are important, and how you can build one yourself.

Why Is Digital Signage Important for Your Business?

When it comes to digital signage, there are a few key reasons why this technology is so important for your business. We already mentioned it before, but the most obvious reason still remains the fact that digital signage can reach a far wider audience than traditional print media due to the flexibility that is inherent in the digital world.

We cover the main benefits of digital signage at length in some of our other posts, but long-story-short, digital signage provides a significantly higher ROI than a printed poster – and improved engagement across the board that helps to scale your business

Whether you’re using digital posters as part of your marketing strategy or utilizing them for communication purposes within your organization, or to simply create more engaging ads – dynamic content will improve the effectiveness of your message regardless of the intent behind it. The ability to customize elements on the screen to create eye-catching displays, adding details tailored to a specific audience is just one of the valuable features that make a digital format so intriguing.

Since a digital poster is also much easier to update when compared with traditional print media; it not only becomes an attractive choice for those who want to keep their information fresh and engaging – but also for those who want to reduce the upfront costs that are associated with traditional print media.

What Are the Types of Digital Posters? (with Examples)

Now we have talked a lot about the versatility of the creative on digital posters already – but not all digital posters need to be animated. When it comes to creating a digital poster, often static digital posters are just as useful as dynamic graphics when it comes to reaping the benefits of digital signage.

When to Use a Static Digital Poster

Static digital posters are those that don’t move and can still be updated with new poster content as needed. They are perfect for events or locations where you will have a limited amount of time to make changes and updates, or for sharing information on a display screen, or poster design, that will rarely if ever change.

An example of a static digital poster would be one used in a local electronics store. In this type of setting, it would be very difficult to change the digital poster on a regular basis – so a static option is perfect.

The content might include things like special deals or sales that are happening in the store at that moment, or images and product information about the latest gadgets available.

Some other popular ways of using static digital signage include:

• Digital menu boards replace physical menus with colorful and easy-to-update digital menus to display the items your restaurant, cafe, or bar serves.
• Advertising materials: win more customers in a more engaging way using digital posters.
• Event posters: promote an upcoming event using digital signage to generate more buzz and attract more visitors.
• Educational & motivational materials: from promoting positive policies within an institution to motivating your target audience to take positive steps towards improving their life, digital signage is perfect for bite-sized pieces of information.
• Wayfinding: static digital posters can be deployed at crowded areas like shopping malls, supermarkets, railway stations, and airports to help visitors navigate through the building with ease.

When and How to Use a Dynamic Digital Poster

Dynamic digital posters, as we mentioned before, are digital posters that feature moving images or animations driven by multimedia formats like motion graphics or gif files. Like static digital posters, these also can be swapped and adjusted remotely at any time – but are often used in a more interactive setting or meant to capture the attention of a wider audience.

An example of a dynamic digital poster would be one found in an airport terminal that displays flight information for all the flights currently boarding at that time or public service announcements that need to be updated based on rapidly changing news or events.

Because dynamic digital posters are so versatile and can be changed to reflect any additional details, messaging, or branding – they are perfect for businesses who want to keep their content updated with the latest iterations.

Wallboard has built-in animations allowing you to create dynamic digital posters without the need to use third-party software or have video editing experience.

What Do You Need to Build a Digital poster?

There are really only 3 things you need to bring a digital poster to life: hardware, software, and connectivity. We cover the details of what, exactly, you need in this post – but here is a macro overview of what you need to have.

Hardware for Digital Posters

When it comes to the hardware needed to build a digital poster, there are two things you need: a display screen and an interactive device.

The most common type of digital poster is one that utilizes LCD screens – but other types like LED displays might work better in certain settings. The important thing when choosing your digital poster display is that you consider both the size of screen needed for your digital poster, as well as the overall brightness levels and high definition capabilities.

An interactive device refers to a digital pen or other types of stylus-based pointer system where users can interact with what they see on the digital poster display – oftentimes by writing notes or drawing shapes. This hardware is what allows users to engage with digital posters and make them interactive.

Software for Digital Posters

When it comes to software, you need two main components: a design tool and a playback/publishing tool. The design tool is used to create the digital poster content while the playback/publishing tool will be used to publish your digital poster to the digital poster display.

There are a number of digital poster design tools available – many online and free for use, while others might be included as part of more complex digital marketing suites or content management systems. You can create digital posters with PowerPoint or Google Slides if you want simple templates without too many customization options – but software like Adobe Photoshop or Wallboard give you more creative control over the design of your digital poster.

The playback/publishing tool is what will send your digital poster to the digital poster display for viewing. This could be a standalone piece of software that you install on your computer, or it might be something that’s web-based and doesn’t require any installation. In either case, make sure that the playback/publishing tool you choose is compatible with the digital poster display you’re using.

Connectivity for Digital Posters

The final piece of the puzzle when it comes to building digital posters is connectivity – making sure your hardware can talk to each other and work together seamlessly. This could be done through a number of ways: a digital poster playback device that connects directly to the digital poster display, wi-fi, or Bluetooth connectivity built into your digital poster hardware.

There are pros and cons for each type of connectivity – so depending on what you’re looking for in digital posters, different options might be better suited than others. For example, if you want to be able to move your digital poster around or use it in multiple locations, a playback device that connects directly to the digital poster display might be best. If you’re looking for something more portable and wireless, wi-fi or Bluetooth connectivity would be better options.

A Step-by-step Guide to Making Your Own Digital Poster

Now that you understand the basics of digital poster types, and what you need to create them – let’s review the steps to actually bringing your digital poster to life most effectively.

Step 1: Understand Your Audience & Intention

The first step to making digital posters is understanding your audience and why you’re creating digital posters in the first place. Are digital posters being displayed in a public space for passers-by? Or are they intended to be used by one or two people at a time, where interactivity is important?

Once you understand why digital posters are being created, it’s easier to identify the best type of digital poster for your needs. For example, if digital posters will be displayed in a public area where anyone can interact with them – an interactive digital poster display would be most suitable since passers-by could leave notes and feedback on what they see.

Step 2: Create Your Content

Once you understand the intent behind your content, it falls on your creative team to actually make it. But digital posters come with a few more considerations beyond traditional print posters – things like font size and legibility, or ensuring that videos and animations are properly formatted for digital playback.

When creating digital posters, always consider what’s important to your audience and how best to display that content in a digital format. For example, if you have a lot of text to include on your digital poster, using bullet points or digital poster templates with customizable text boxes can help make digital posters easier to read and understand.

Step 3: Upload to CMS & Push Live

With the audience and content in hand, now comes time to bring your digital poster to your audience, this is where your publishing platform comes into play. Publishing digital posters can be done directly from your digital poster hardware, or you might need to use a playback device that’s compatible with the digital poster display.

In most cases, digital posters are published through CMS platforms like WordPress and Wallboard – making it easy for anyone with basic computer skills to publish their own digital posters in an intuitive interface without having to learn coding or design.

Once your digital poster is live, it’s easy to share through social media and other online channels – letting your audience know that they can engage with your content in a new and exciting way.

Step 4: Check Analytics and Optimize as Needed

Once digital posters are live, it’s time to track the success of your digital poster content. Digital signage analytics help you understand who is engaging with digital posters and what they think about them – giving you insight into how well digital kiosks perform across different demographics.

Digital infographic tools like Canva can also be used to measure each digital poster campaign and see which ones are resonating with your audience the most. This data can then be used to optimize digital poster content for better results in the future.

Now that you understand how digital posters work, it’s easy to create your own and bring your content to life in a new and exciting way. By following these simple steps, you’ll be on your way to creating digital posters that engage and inform your audience.

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