Using Simple Digital Signage Apps to Break Up Content

Your digital signage needs to have the power to engage and maintain the attention of the viewer. A bit further down that road comes the challenge of knowing when to pause the content and give the viewer time to breathe and reset their focus. 

This point is most important in cases where you have a captive audience, in a waiting area or a queue. Not every single second of content has to be promotional and heavy on engagement. In fact, adding subtle breaks to content in these environments can raise the value of your main content.

In this post we’ll see how the most basic apps such as weather, clock, and social media apps can be used as simple and effective ways to break up your content and raise the quality as a whole!

Do generic apps matter?

Think of generic apps more like parts of the environment, rather than a key component of your campaign. After all, content surrounding time, dates, or weather requires no explanation. Thus, viewers immediately understand the content as something representing reality. This already provides value to the viewer, as the display has no hidden agenda to sell something.

When utilized as an addition to the content, maybe as a corner piece, generic apps fill in empty spaces and provide subtle background information to your campaign. Meanwhile, when used in full-screen appearances, they provide a visual pause. A continuous content flow, especially the promotional kind, can feel overwhelming. This is where generic apps like clock widgets can help give that mental break, resetting the attention.

Another passive benefit of real-time information concerning weather and time is the appearance of live content. A display showing accurate time, for example, sends out a message of accuracy and consistency. Certainly the simplest example of real-time content, but an example nonetheless!

Clock and date apps

While date and time can be an easy way to break up content, as with any other generic app, use them strategically. The most obvious cases are places where timing is important, such as businesses close to transport hubs, as well as bus or train stations themselves.

Time information becomes more useful during rush periods. It is also useful leading up to closing time, alongside information for customers telling them that the workday is ending. Event-driven campaigns are another example. Consider promotions which are soon ending, or upcoming live events. In those cases, countdowns are the time apps to use.

Based on its relevance, place the information on constant display in the corner, to sprinkle in a bit of simplicity alongside your heavier content. Or schedule them to pop up every 5-10 minutes, for 10-20 seconds, giving the viewer a brief break.

Weather apps

Weather is more detailed than your regular clock widget. With digital signage software, however, you can choose the level of complexity you need. OnSign, for instance, offers a detailed full-screen weather forecast, a forecast for multiple locations, or just the current temperature and weather in the area. 

Your weather app can be as simple as you need it to be. This makes it the perfect content filler for gaps in your content. Think about banners on the bottom or corners, as well as full-screen layouts that break up your main content. 

Social media apps

Simple social media pop-ups achieve as much as your standard clock app. “Follow us on X!” is simple and straightforward. You can even show it in full-screen mode next to your clock pop-up. The goal here isn’t immediate engagement. People won’t sprint to the screen to scan the QR-code or look you up. The goal is familiarity and a subtle nod to the viewer that you have a social media presence. More like a “In case you didn’t know, we’re on X and this is our handle” rather than “Follow us immediately!”

Reserving social media prompts for these sorts of pop-ups will free up other content slots. Don’t do both a full-screen pop-up and a corner social media peak as it can become too much. Unlike in the case of time or weather, social media campaigns will usually have a call-to-action. Make sure it’s professional and matches the environment. “Find us on…” or “Join us on…” written in a visually appealing way. 

Subtle branding

Branding is not the primary goal of generic apps, but it can be subtly included. Consider a full-screen clock widget that ticks away, with your business logo or slogan placed below it. This approach feels less like advertising and more like the kind of promotional touchpoint customers appreciate. It’s similar to a branded pen or notepad.

Keep in mind that the tone of the content matters more than the visual impact of these apps. They’re generic, and they don’t try to impress or convince the viewer of anything. They try to be accurate and reliable. Overly animated and aggressive branding, if placed alongside these apps, can break that immersion and convert the impression of utility into advertising. In a most subtle approach you may even drop the logo and instead use only your signature colors when designing the app. With OnSign, your clock app can take any color and you can easily change it when needed!

Try out OnSign for free and start experimenting with these apps. Take a look at our post about digital signage templates. You’ll see how to section up your display and create gaps in your content for this type of content, together with other tips of the trade!