Selecting a Content Management System for Digital Signage

Selecting a Content Management System for Digital Signage

Digital signage is an excellent tool for communicating with employees, customers, or any other stakeholders in your organization. However, writing code to create content requires a high degree of technical expertise, and a great deal of time and effort. Using a content management system (CMS) allows users to create professional digital signage content quickly, without any coding knowledge.

What to Consider for a CMS

CMS Arreya Digital Signage When you’re considering which tools to use to create your digital content, you’ll want to determine what kinds of things you want your viewers to see and experience. If you want your digital signage to be interactive, you’ll need to take that into consideration. Some content management systems will easily allow you to make content interactive, whereas others will only allow you to create static content. You’ll also want to consider any automations or integrations you want to use in conjunction with your digital signage. This could mean pulling in data from Excel or Google Sheets, or displaying slides from a PowerPoint presentation. If you’re looking for some examples or ideas of widgets and integrations to use on your digital signage, click here

Organizing and Scheduling Content

airport schedules digital signage arreyaUnless you plan on displaying content that never or rarely changes, you should also consider what tool helps you best organize and schedule your content. Some content management systems are very limited when it comes to scheduling presentations. Others will let you create recurring schedules and let you schedule down to the minute. If you need to make changes to content often, you’ll likely need a more robust CMS. For more information about scheduling digital signage content, click here

Bringing Custom Media to your Digital Signage

CMS digital signage arreyaSome content management systems built for digital signage limit the amount of media you can upload . If you want to consistently update your media with new images and videos, select a content management system without upload limits. You’ll also want to be sure you can upload your own content to start. Some digital signage software providers will only allow you to use their content, or stock images. This is more typical of free plans. 

Ease of Use

editing content digital signage arreyaEase of use is another major consideration when selecting a content management system for digital signage. You don’t have to sacrifice sophisticated and complex features, you just need to find a CMS built with the end user in mind. Some content management systems will provide you with free templates for your digital signage. These templates make it easy to keep up to date with holidays, birthdays, and work anniversaries. For more tips on how to find easy to use content management systems, click here

Design your Digital Signage Content Exactly how you Want

There are a lot of considerations for you to make when choosing a content management system for your digital signage. You should take into account how easy it is to use, if you can upload your own media, and if there are any creative limitations. While all of these factors can be overwhelming, there is one key question you’ll need to answer: Does this CMS have the tools I need to create and schedule my digital signage content? If the answer is yes, and you’re confident with the customer service, then odds are you’ve found a good tool for the job. 

 

Display Road Conditions for Digital Signage

Display Road Conditions for Digital Signage

It’s important for organizations to keep their employees and clients safe and informed. Digital signage software is used by schools, hospitals, and corporations to display announcements, alerts, weather, and even current road conditions. Users can easily bring live road conditions and livestreams to their digital signage by using DOT (department of transportation) public transportation websites.

Livestreaming Road Conditions on Digital Signage

The United States DOT is responsible for maintaining road cameras on major roads all across the country. The live feeds from these cameras are made available publicly, so citizens can view current road conditions and be aware of any accidents or delays. Since these livestreams are publicly available, digital signage users display constant livestreams of roads on their signage by using the m3u8 URLs with no additional cost. Learn more about livestreaming road conditions on your digital signage. 

Displaying Multiple Roads at Once

livestream arreya digital signage widgetUsers can display multiple road livestreams on a single page as well. The remote account access allows for updates from anywhere through the Arreya Creative Studio. Multiple streams of traffic are added on a single page, and resized as necessary. As a result, displaying conditions of multiple major roads on digital signage is versatile and easy. Also, it gives users the freedom to change live feeds to any road cameras the DOT makes available. All they have to do is swap the m3u8 URL in their livestreaming widget

Traffic Content Feeds for Digital Signage

If you’re looking for a way to display road conditions, but you want something more pre-built and professionally designed, content feeds are a great option. Traffic conditions from content feed providers like Screenfeed and DataCall are excellent for digital signage users, because they display valuable information without any effort from the end user. Content feed providers do the heavy lifting by keeping their feeds up to date, and also by providing professional content design.

Check out our store for more information on traffic content feeds.

City Maps and Current Weather Conditions

In cold-weather states, road conditions can deteriorate quickly, particularly in winter months. Displaying DOT city maps on digital signage is an excellent way to give your viewers a quick overview of road conditions as they change. The DOT will continue to update these conditions on their respective websites. Updates will be displayed on digital signage instantly without any manual input. Maps will look similar to the image to the left.

Visit Iowa’s DOT site here for an example. 

Live Road Surface Temperatures and Data

Road temperatures are often a determining factor for dangerous conditions. When the road surfaces get cold enough, even a small amount of rain or blowing snow can make travel dangerous. DOT websites provide users with live road surface temperatures and other data to help them make informed decisions about traveling. Road surface temperatures are displayed on digital signage to give viewers live updates. 

Helping Everyone Travel Safely

Whether you’re using digital signage for your business, school, or non-profit organization, displaying road conditions and live data is a great way to help everyone travel safely. Set up is easy, and updates are pulled in automatically. Digital signage widgets like the website and streaming widgets make it possible to pull in critical data just by copying and pasting a link. If you’re looking to get started with your own digital signage, contact our digital signage experts. 

Improving Corporate Communications with Digital Signage

Improving Corporate Communications with Digital Signage

In today’s fast-paced business world, communication is key. Effective corporate communication is critical to the success of any organization. It ensures that everyone within the company is on the same page and working towards common goals. Although traditional communication methods like email, meetings, and bulletin boards are still in use, more and more companies are turning to digital signage to enhance their corporate communication. In this blog post, we will explore the role of digital signage in modern corporate communication.  DOWNLOAD OUR Corporate Digital Signage Isometric Flowchart

Enhance Visual Corporate Communication

employee digital signage kioskVisual communication is an essential aspect of corporate communication. Using digital signage can help organizations present information in a more visually appealing way. Visual communication is also easier to remember, making it great for showcasing company goals, achievements, and other important messages. Dynamic and vivid displays used in digital signage can engage and impress employees, thereby increasing their interest and promoting better understanding and recall.

Learn more about improving visual communication and employee satisfaction.

Improve Employee Engagement

employee digital signage engagement arreyaKeeping employees informed and engaged is vital for any organization’s success. Digital signage can help organizations create visually stimulating content that communicates key messages to employees. Digital signage enhances corporate communication by increasing employee engagement and improving empathy. By using digital signage, companies can keep their employees informed about everything from company news to upcoming events, promotions, and other critical updates that might impact their work. Thus, Digital Signage creates deeper bonds between employees and the company.

To learn more about using digital signage to improve employee engagement, click here.

Build a Collaborative Culture

cafeteria digital menu corporate digital signage arreyaCollaboration is essential in today’s modern corporate world. Digital signage can help create a culture of collaboration within organizations by fostering an environment where people share ideas, exchange feedback, and collaborate on projects. Companies can use digital signage to share best practices, work progress, and project outcomes. By sharing data and progress in real-time, digital signage can help employees feel more engaged and invested in the successes of the department and company as a whole.

Increases Efficiency

Efficiency is key in any business. Digital signage can help organizations save time, cut costs and ensure that all staff and departments are on the same page. For example, if a company uses digital signage to display meeting schedules and conference room reservations, it can eliminate the need for printed schedules or spreadsheets, which can take time to update and distribute. Digital signage can also be used for training and onboarding of new employees. Thus, Digital Signage makes everyone more effective in their roles.

Provide Real-time Feedback

corporate digital signage employee manufacturing arreyaDigital signage can be used to provide real-time feedback to employees. It can be used to measure employee satisfaction and engagement through interactive feedback systems. Companies can get real-time feedback from employees can pick up on issues earlier, and take corrective action to address them. By having this information readily accessible to management, digital signage can be used to improve employee morale and retention.

Digital signage is transforming corporate communication for the better. It enhances visual communication, builds collaboration, increases efficiency, and provides instant feedback to employees. As more and more companies adopt this technology, it is no longer a unique idea but a common infrastructure for businesses of all sizes. It will become the backbone of tomorrow’s successful companies. Companies that invest in digital signage stand to benefit significantly from better communication, employee engagement, and efficiency, making it a wise choice for any organization looking to improve its corporate communication.

5 Ways to Bring March Madness Content to your Digital Signage

5 Ways to Bring March Madness Content to your Digital Signage

It’s that time of year again, college basketball’s most exciting tournament, March Madness! According to Statista, last year’s March Madness tournament had 10 million viewers, and 56.3 million brackets were filled out. Bringing March Madness content to your digital signage is a great way to add some excitement and fun to your organization.

1. Premade Content Feeds

If you’re looking for a hands-off way to display professional digital signage content, content feeds from providers like Screenfeed and DataCall are excellent tools.

Screenfeed and DataCall both have premade March Madness content, and updates are automatic. There are a variety of views and different feeds to choose from, and implementation is effortless. Feed categories include sports, weather, entertainment, social media, and more.  Screenfeed and DataCall content feeds are available for purchase in the Arreya store

2. March Madness Digital Templates

Content feeds are excellent for providing real time updates and showing the actual tournament bracket, but what if you want to display a custom bracket, or only part of the bracket, like the Final Four? Digital signage templates are great for making custom content. March Madness templates allow you to fill out your own bracket and display whatever portions of the bracket you want. 

3. Bringing in your Bracket

If you’ve already filled out your March Madness bracket, and you want to bring it into your digital signage, you have a couple of different options.

Depending on where you filled out your bracket, you may have options to export it.

You can export your bracket as a Google Sheet, and then import the data from that sheet. Alternatively, you can export to a PDF, and paste the PDF into your digital signage editor. 

 

 

 

4. Display a Live Stream

If you have access to a streaming service with March Madness games, you can embed the stream into your digital signage. You can embed live streams pretty easily. Generally, you just need access to the appropriate URL. You can resize the stream however you want, and display other content simultaneously. Learn more about livestreaming with digital signage. 

5. Using Live Input

Another way to bring March Madness games to your digital signage is through utilizing live input. If you have a capture card, you can connect the capture card to your input via HDMI cable, and then connect the capture card to your digital signage player. This will allow you to display live input within your signage in conjunction with other widgets. Learn more about using live input on your digital signage.

Enjoy March Madness

The methods we covered are all great ways to incorporate March Madness content into your digital signage. However, they can also be used year round for many other events and applications. Live Streams, digital signage templates, and content feeds are all excellent tools to keep your signage fresh and up to date. These tools save you time by automatically bringing in content and contribute to a better digital signage experience.