Six Places to Use Digital Signage on Campus

To maximize the impact of your digital signage on campus, where you put your displays is as important as what you show on them. The basic rule of thumb is high-traffic areas – obviously, the more people who pass by your messages, the better the chances of someone seeing something that engages them. But also think about the functions of specific locations – messages that might work perfectly in one space might be less effective somewhere else. Think about who is in a particular area, when, and what they are most likely to do or need while there. This will help you tailor your content to them.

1. Lobbies

Everyone goes through your lobby – students, faculty, staff and visitors. Especially visitors, who might only go to one or two other locations on campus. The lobby is where you make your first impression – you want to have easy to see, easy to read displays with attractive and professional content. Display notices welcoming VIPs, and show messages that appeal to everyone, like an all-school event or charity drive.

People are passing through your lobby on their way to someplace else. This is a perfect place to put in some interactive digital signage. Helps newcomers find where they need to go quickly and efficiently with clear touchscreen maps and directories. Consider adding a geofence and smartphone app paired with beacons to supply turn-by-turn directions right on their mobile device.

2. Cafeterias

People are here for food, so display messages about what’s on offer. It won’t just be students in here – faculty and visitors are also going to get hungry during the day, so think about what they would find useful or interesting.

Show meal and drink specials, but also nutritional information and messages or short videos about how the food is prepared and where it’s sourced from. Displaying menus helps people decide while they are waiting in line, speeding the entire process along.

Or take it a step further and tie your campus digital signage into your POS system for real-time updates of current inventory. For example, you started out with 150 portions of vegetarian lasagna, but now there are only four left – this information is displayed, so the group of five vegetarian friends in line can work out who’s going to have a salad instead before they get to the counter. You’ll also want to change your messages often here, as some people will be returning every day, or even several times in a single day. Keep the content fresh, like the food you offer.

3. Libraries

The audience here will mainly be students looking for something specific. Help them find what they need with maps of your shelves, or interactive wayfinding signage, to get them to what they need quickly.

Show available workstations, or add a reservation system that lets them claim an area for a certain amount of time. Displaying new acquisitions or special offers will help increase library usage, and reminding people of check out and return procedures will help make the entire process more efficient and stress free.

4. Computer Labs

As with library workstations, use digital signs to show which desktop computers are available, or laptops to check out, and let people reserve their devices on their own to free up your staff for other duties. You can also display which computers are hooked up to printers, have USB drives, or are Macs or PCs, saving your audience time and frustration. And if you show this info alongside regular playlists, they’ll also see your general school messages.

5. Exits and Shuttle Stops

A college campus is more than just a building – it’s a whole area. Having wayfinding options at exits can help people find the building they need to go to next. You can also display real-time bus schedules and maps, as well as current locations of vehicles, to make getting around your campus fast and easy. Pairing this with weather on screens lets visitors wait inside for better comfort and safety.

Integrating these features into bus shelters and at bus stops extends your digital signage to include your entire university, and trains your audience to get their information from your displays wherever they go.

6. Common Areas

Any other common areas are also ideal for digital signage – the theatre can advertise upcoming productions, the athletics area can offer team gear and upcoming games, the student union can show messages from student groups – anywhere people congregate on your campus should have digital signage that is targeted to their needs and interests.

For quick reference, download our infographic here. If you have any questions at all, contact us today.