Using Digital Signage to Boost Your Campus Athletics

Campus sports not only help shape the bodies of students, but their characters as well. The school also benefits, gaining recognition and prestige, and increased revenue flows. You can leverage digital signage for education to extend the reach of your athletics program and maximize its impact for both players and the public.

Digital signage is dynamic, meaning that the content can be changed easily, quickly and often. As your athletes move closer and closer to that championship, your information also needs to keep up to date. And changing content is easy, either using in-program design tools, or importing messages from popular programs like PowerPoint. It’s also dynamic because you can add movement, video and audio – grabbing and keeping people’s attention in a matter of seconds.

And anyone can create and schedule content – the athletics marketing team, the coaching staff, student organizations, bookstores and branded gear vendors, even the food and beverage manager. If your digital signage system is web-based, they can change content from literally anywhere with an internet connection.

Here are just a few ideas of how you can promote your athletics on digital signs:

  • Use your digital signage to reach out to students. Advertise tryouts and open positions to get everyone who’s interested involved. Add player and staff bios to screens to tout your accomplishments, attracting new recruits and talent to your programs.
  • Let people know when an important game is coming up, and display the game schedule so they can lend their support.
  • Make it easy to participate by advertising ticket specials, season tickets, spirit events and specials on team gear. Use a QR code or short URL to drive traffic directly to a dedicated web page, which also makes tracking ROI simple and efficient.
  • Keep people in the know by displaying current rankings, records and stats. You can even use Excel or XML data to update the information on your digital signs using tools your staff is already comfortable with.
  • Pairing interactive displays with an “Athletics Hall of Fame” lets people join in the story of your school’s history and achievements, scrolling through a lot of information at a comfortable pace.
  • You can improve the audience experience by streaming home and away games to large screens or video walls, or use your digital signage software to send content directly to mobile devices. Archive past games and matches for instant retrieval and viewing.
  • Let people feel like they’re part of the experience by allowing them to use their mobile devices to interact with content like social streams, polls and surveys, and on-the-fly trivia. Even if people can’t be there in person, they can still contribute their voice and support.
  • Wayfinding on screens will make it easy for people to get to their seats, find the bathroom facilities and concession stands, and find the shortest route to public transportation or the parking lot. Consider making your maps interactive on touchscreens for a more engaging experience.
  • Spread the word about fundraising events in a similar way, and offer sponsors or local businesses the opportunity to advertise on your digital signage to increase revenues.

>> Want to know more about how digital signage can help you promote your athletics programs? Contact us.