7 pitfalls when implementing a narrowcasting system

Perhaps you have been instructed to purchase a narrowcasting system for your organisation. Or you maybe you have come to the idea that narrowcasting is exactly what your company needs. Great! Then you start looking for a good platform, hang up the information screens and quickly get back to your normal work.

This may sound good for the short term, but there is a strong possibility that the system will become obsolete in no time and will not be (optimally) used. And, naturally, you don’t want that. Keeping a narrowcasting system up and running, while appealing to the audiences, does require some effort. Therefore, it is important to think carefully about the following points before implementing a narrowcasting system:

1. Narrowcasting displays in the wrong places

Before implementation, think carefully about where the displays should be located. It is key that they attract the attention of employees and visitors; the chosen space should not have other attention getters. Also adjust the content to the location of the displays. Is your audience waiting there for a long time or are they moving swiftly, looking for relevant information?

2. Losing sight of the goal

What do you hope to achieve with your narrowcasting solution? What goals have you set and how do they fit into the communication mix? Do you just want to inform your employees and visitors? Or perhaps are you expecting interaction? Then make sure that the user is prompted to click somewhere to discover something or obtain more information. Always keep your goals in mind when creating your content. This ensures that your narrowcasting screens contribute to the realisation of your goals.

3. Users are not involved in its implementation

We cannot stress often enough how important it is to involve the users of the system, who have to work with it on a daily basis, as early as possible in the selection and implementation of the narrowcasting solution. In this way, they get a more positive feeling about the system, participate more actively during the process and the integration of the system within your organisation becomes easier and more successful!

4. Content is not updated

After the realisation of your narrowcasting solution, keeping the information up to date is the most important thing. If announcements on the displays are not updated, your audience will not look at them anymore. It is paramount to make good arrangements about who will be managing the content. You can give employees from different departments the task of regularly renewing the digital signage content or the management can control that from one central location.

5. Your message is unclear to the public

Make sure that your audience knows what to do with the information shown. Should they take any action? Where can they get additional information? For how long will the special offer be displayed and to which products does it apply exactly? Be clear about what kind of response is expected.

6. The content is not congruent with previous displays

All your communication should have the same style and look, including your narrowcasting content. Is the style on your narrowcasting screens suddenly completely different? Then it is unclear to visitors and colleagues who the sender is. Content that is recognisable, reinforces your professionalism and is more likely to elicit a positive response. If you have in-house graphic designers who are familiar with your corporate identity, that is certainly advantageous. But you can also have your content designed in your own corporate identity by your narrowcasting partner, with designers specialised in narrowcasting.

7. Your software quickly becomes outdated

In addition to your content, you also need to keep your software up-to-date. If your software gets outdated, you won’t benefit from all the functionalities and you’ll miss out on improvements in user-friendliness. Narrowcasting companies are constantly improving their software and you can benefit from that. Therefore, be sure to check for software updates yourself if your narrowcasting partner does not offer them. After all, it is for your own benefit. And what’s even better is to select a digital signage supplier that proactively provides you with new updates.

If you think carefully about these aspects in advance, you will avoid falling into these pitfalls.