Are You Digitally Motivating Your Target Audience?

When organizations talk about creating content for their digital signage projects, they may know what messages they want to be displayed, but what they may not know is how to create content that speaks directly towards their target audience.

Today, we’ll discuss how to create content by defining your target audience to determine how they need to be engaged with the content you want to display. What’s great about these factors is that they can be used to create messages in every market as long as your organization truly knows your individual audience. But before we expand on this topic, let me paint a clear picture of WHY this is important to understand during the early stages of digital signage implementation…

Do you remember a time when people had very few digital interactions, making them more capable of self-achievement without all of those distractions? Now in a time that our days consist entirely on digital interactions, we have made personal achievement much easier to obtain which in turn, makes it much less internally rewarding.

If we were to remove digital interactions from our everyday lives, how would we function?

• How would you know your family’s birthdays if you remove social media platforms?
• How would you diagnose yourself prior to seeing a healthcare professional?
• How would you know the newest product release from your favorite brand?
• How would you know what grade you received on your final exam?

Now that you’ve determined who your audience is, you can create content that will drive their internal needs, which will lead to increased participation and engagement with your organization. To make this even easier, I will be talking about some intrinsic social motivational factors that your target audience needs to obtain that “back in the day” feeling of achieving internal satisfaction without expecting an external reward. Because let’s face it, nowadays, we all typically do something so we can get something, right?

We as a society would be lost without our mobile devices, TV commercials, Google, and social media accounts. Taking that into perspective, let’s talk about how your organization can support your audience's instinctual need for digital interactions. With so many digital distractions competing for their attention, it is crucial to create meaningful messaging and put it directly in front of your digital native to l encourage them to connect with you and feel personally rewarded. So how do we do that?

First, let’s define your audience….

Ask yourself questions like:

• What is my audience demographic?
• How does my audience communicate?
• What is appropriate for them?
• When will they see my messaging?

Now, we can start creating content that will drive their internal needs, which will lead to increased participation and engagement with your organization. Now, we need to figure out how to create that “back in the day” feeling of achieving internal satisfaction without immediately expecting an external reward. Because let’s face it, nowadays, we all typically do something so we can get something, right?

The days of running to the top of the Philadelphia Museum of Art like Sylvester Stallone did in the movie Rocky, just so he could feel a sense of personal and internal satisfaction, rarely exists anymore in our day-to-day lives. Do you all remember that training montage scene and that intense feeling we had when we watched him get to the top? He had nothing external to gain, but everything internal to lose which made it that much more satisfying once accomplished. I don’t know about you, but I personally wanted to get out and do something that would make me feel that motivated after watching.

With that visual in mind, let’s use that same motivational goal and target it directly at your audience through digital signage to make them feel internally empowered to take action! Or should I say..”Yo Audiences, we target you!” Get it?

Let’s dig in……To make this even easier, let’s look at some intrinsic social motivational factors that your audience needs to obtain that “back in the day” feeling of achieving internal satisfaction without immediately expecting an external reward.

The Learning Factor: By presenting factual content on your digital display, you will set your organization apart from the rest. You’ll appear to be a leader in your industry and provide valuable information to your audience. Your audience will appreciate your guidance and feel confident in their decision to choose you as their provider. This can be achieved by providing them with content like health tips, community news, weather, and safety updates.

The Connection Factor: Trying to create a personal connection with your target audience can seem daunting, but don’t worry, this is actually the easiest kind of messaging there is! People love to connect and then help others do the same. Did you know that word of mouth referrals is more effective than any other type of marketing? Provide your audience with simple ways to connect with you through content like social media, event listings, and appreciation efforts.

The Business Factor: By keeping your audience updated and informed with your organizational achievements, you are allowing them the opportunity to learn and connect with you. See what I did there? You can display content such as newsletters, blogs, RSS feeds from sites your organization finds important, and even intranet information for your internal audience.

The Creative Factor: Now that you know who your target audience is, you can easily create content to keep them engaged with your organization. By captivating them with eye-catching designs on your displays, you are demanding attention to your message and helping them retain the information. By simply incorporating elements such as colors, different templates, animation, or even audio that is specifically designed for your audience, you are catering to their internal stimulation needs.

The Affinity Factor: Making your target audience feel like they “belong” tends to be a harder goal to accomplish within your four walls, which is why this is extremely relevant for your digital signage displays. Regardless of your crowd-facing team member’s training, social skills, or engagement, we are all humans. Humans have emotions all over their faces and the slightest expression can be misinterpreted by your audience. By knowing this, you can create a consistent sense of belonging by involving them with your organization. You achieve this with content like audience polls, local event listings, and audience appreciation highlights.

The Expectation Factor: Giving your target audience something to expect from you on your display plays into their external need to be rewarded and feel valued as your audience. Display content such as advertisements, value ads, timers for a campaign ending, QR tags, and reward programs. Creating the “I get this for doing that” mindset is key!

So, to wrap this up, how can you create and display relevant messaging that works for your target audience?

Allow them to learn something from you, which then connects them to your business through creative designs, affinity, and clear expectations.

I know this may seem like a lot to take in but in reality, these factors are something we practice almost daily. The entire goal here is to encourage your audiences natural ability to feel satisfied through your digital signage program. Make them feel like Rocky when he ran up those stairs and empowered us all to get up and do something great for ourselves.

This blog was originally published on mvixdigitalsignage.com