What is a Digital Poster and How Does it Help My Business?

Digital posters are changing the way businesses use their windows and how they attract customers. What does that mean for you? It’s time to say goodbye to traditional static posters! Okay, that was a bit dramatic, but it’s all in good fun. Static signage does still have a place in retail advertising.  But when it comes to window signage, that era is rapidly changing.

If you’re here, you may be considering whether a digital poster is right for your business. And who could blame you? There are a lot of reasons to move away from traditional posters and clings, be it time-saving to cost savings. If you want to kick the static habit, here’s what you need to know about making the jump to a digital poster.

What is a digital poster?

A digital poster is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a window poster, that is displayed on a screen instead of on paper or clings. It can let you share more messages in the same space with a slideshow-style group of promotions. Unlike standard window signage, they are lit so that they can be viewed even at night and will cut through glare far better than paper. 

Related Content: 4 Major Benefits of an LED Window Sign

Why change from traditional window signage?

Traditional signage has worked for years and it did a great job of letting customers know about your offers and sales. But as times have changed, and technology has progressed, they just don’t have the impact they used to. Why? Because people are bombarded with so many ads that advertisers need to work harder to grab their attention. In fact, in 2007 a market research firm estimated that the average person saw up to 5,000 ads per day. While there are no official numbers for 2022, given the growth of digital marketing, one can imagine that number has vastly increased. How do you stand out against all that competition?

So why are businesses moving away from traditional window signage? 

• It needs to be changed regularly and on a strict timeline
• Ordering, shipping, printing, and hanging takes a lot of time and money
• You can only share one promotion at a time
• Paper posters have become background noise
• Are difficult to see in direct sunlight
• Are difficult to see from a distance

Finally, consumers are becoming blind to most posters. A big sale banner might cut through the noise – but a new product launch might not. With so many ads in so many windows, it’s not hard to see how customers might tune them out. You need something different to stand out from the crowd.

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Let’s talk about the cost

Because at the end of the day we’re all looking at our budgets and wondering where we can make a little more room. So what’s the average cost of poster promotions? 

According to Small Business Cost Helper, the average price of temporary signage for promotional or sales campaigns starts at around $20-$100 per sign. This can vary by size, quantity, material, and number of colors used. But let’s talk averages because that’s easier than getting lost in the weeds. We looked at 24”x36” static posters and window clings from a well-known online printer. They charged $30 per static poster and $42 per static window cling.

If you put up 2 window clings on your storefront, and you change those out twice a month… that's $170/month! (And you have only been able to promote 1-4 things).

When you invest in static posters, you need to order them, hang them, and remove them within a specific timeline. Often promotions run one week, or even one weekend, then they need to be changed out again. And heaven forbid you miss a typo and have to get expensive rush re-printing to get them up in time. Print, ship, hang, then remove, repeat. Over and over. This process not only gets expensive and can be hard to keep up with. 

What makes a digital poster different?

So what makes a digital poster a better option, and how can it help your business? There are many benefits to a digital poster, but a few of the major ones are: 

• No changing posters, printing, and shipping - saving you time and money
• Change all or some of your content at the same time from anywhere 
• You can advertise more things, not just one at a time
• You can use animation to attract more attention
• In most cases, there is no permit to put one up, unlike outdoor signage
• Can be seen in direct sunlight 
• Can be seen from greater distances than printed posters

First and foremost, you get to stop scheduling off-hour signage changes for the windows. With a digital poster and a good content management system, you can change your signage from anywhere at any time. You can also schedule promotions in advance so you don’t need to worry if you got your sale notice up in time, it just happens. 

One thing static posters can’t do is move – unless they are directly under a vent which doesn’t really count. A digital poster lets you use animation to add motion to your windows, which catches the eye much more easily than a static sign. 

In conclusion… 

We know that your windows are highly coveted, prime real estate for promotions. With static posters, you are limited to one message at a time. You really need to consider what you’ll promote before you design and print. Your most important sales or offers often get the central spot, and other, less flashy offers get delegated to shelf signage. This means something that may really draw people in, isn’t getting the attention it deserves.

Your limited window space gets a lot less limited with a digital poster. When you can roll through multiple advertisements in the same amount of space, you don’t have to cherry-pick which message gets all the attention. 

How to get started with a digital poster

If you’re ready to make the jump, we’re here to help. Our signage experts can talk you through all things digital posters or digital signage. Cirrus specializes in high-resolution digital signage for businesses and all things on-premise marketing. You can contact us at any time to speak to an expert.