In a retail environment, digital signage should be used to spur your audience to take a specific action. That might include purchasing an item that is on sale, texting for a coupon, or asking a salesperson for details about a special. The challenge is to motivate shoppers to respond in a predefined way.

Advertising veterans realize the importance of a powerful call to action (CTA). This is one copywriting strategy that is timeless and universal. You must clearly tell your audience what you want them to do. In this article, I'll provide three tips for generating the response you need on your DOOH network.

#1 - Be Clear And Brief

Most shoppers have limited time and a limited attention span. To motivate a response from them, your signage content must be clear and brief. The images, video (if you use it), words, and other elements in your creative should drive home a central theme to the exclusion of anything that may become a distraction. Sacrifice style for clarity. Forfeit story for brevity.

Your message should be short and to the point. Otherwise, it will be forgotten. Think of the world's most popular slogans (for example, "We try harder" by Avis or "The ultimate driving machine" by BMW). They are memorable largely because they are clear and brief. So too, should be your digital media content.

#2 - Address An Important Need

People don't buy products; they buy solutions to their problems. If you can tap into a problem that your signage audience is experiencing and position your product as the solution, you will generate a higher response. For example, suppose your company's product is a home security system. By creating digital media content that appeals to viewers' instinctive desire for personal security, you can motivate them to take action. Similarly, if your company sells diet supplements, don't promote the supplements; promote your audience's instinctive need for confidence and self-esteem.

#3 - Be Specific

Nothing discourages a viewer from taking action more effectively than vagueness. If you want your digital signage audience to take a particular action, you need to tell them exactly what to do. Anything less will fail to generate a response. Here's an example:

Recently, I visited a local clothing store. This venue has a number of DOOH screens, so I took the opportunity to observe the content. The first panel of one creative said, "Colder weather is coming." The next panel said, "We're having a sale." The third and last panel said, "Are you ready to save money?" There was no call to a specific action.

Needless to say, I walked out of the store empty-handed. I suspect other shoppers did, as well. Craft your signage content with a specific objective in mind. Then, tell your audience exactly what they should do (for example, "Buy 2 shirts today and get a 3rd shirt free. Today only.").

Mining The Potential Of Your DOOH Network

Your digital signage network can produce stunning results within a retail venue. There is tremendous potential to raise in-store sales, both immediately and over the long run. You can take advantage of seasonal buying activity or lift sales of lagging product categories. You can launch new products or leverage popular ones.

But, you cannot expect your audience to respond to your digital media creatives unless you make it easy for them to do so. Describe the action you would like viewers to take, and then clearly ask them to take that action. Do that and you may find that your signage network becomes a reliable source of sales and revenue.