8 Places to Maximize Digital Signage in Your School

Many schools have tossed out their bulletin boards in favor of digital signs to communicate with students. Since your students are already tech-savvy, it makes sense to go digital with school announcements, menus and more. But where you put your screens can make or break a digital signage program.

Here are eight places that will maximize the impact of digital signage in your school:

1. Hallways

The No. 1 rule is to put screens where students congregate. Since you have multiple messages that you want them to see throughout the day, putting screens where they hang out gives them time to see everything they need to see. Because students are in the halls before, between and after classes, you can expose them to messages several times. Show daily announcements, promote after-school activities and remind them of upcoming test dates and school closings – anything they might need reminding of on a regular basis.

2. Entrances and Exits

High traffic areas are best for digital signage displays, and nowhere is more trafficked than your main entrance. Place screens inside the main entryway to reach students first thing each morning. This is a great place to show that day’s news and activities, and let students know about anything they need to accomplish during that particular school day. And putting screens above exits lets you reach out with important prompts that students need to take away with them at the end of the day.

Visix‘s AxisTV enterprise digital signage software allows clients to create, manage and schedule organizational communications from anywhere and to deliver messages, media and alerts to virtually any endpoint. Visix also provides award-winning content design, meeting room signs and applications for targeted messaging to desktops and personal devices for a complete digital signage solution.

3. Libraries

Any library system that’s electronic can be leveraged on digital signs. Advertise new releases, show library rules and procedures, promote literature used in classes during the year, or display a map to aid students in navigating the library.If you have study cubes or computer labs in the library, you can use touchscreens to manage reservations and show availability.

4. Cafeterias

Nutrition in schools is a hot topic. Digital signage can help to promote healthy eating through education and information. In the cafeteria, show menus and daily specials, nutritional information for menu items, and advice for eating well. Advertise food groups and suggested meal combos to help students make informed selections, and promote healthy alternatives like water or juice over soda.

5. Gyms & Sports Stadiums

Along with healthy eating comes an active lifestyle. In your gym or stadium, promote upcoming sporting events, practice schedules, or anti-smoking and anti-drug campaigns. Cheer on your sports teams by showing their stats, promote ticket sales to games, advertise team t-shirts for sale, or show a player-of-the-week bio.

6. Auditoriums & Theaters

In the auditorium, display information related to assembly topics, advertise theatrical performances, announce guest speakers and promote local events. For parents and visitors attending your programs, show highlights from previous events, and let them know what’s coming up next. Although you’ll likely want to advertise upcoming performances throughout your school or district, be sure to schedule the right messages for the right audience. Show student ticket discounts in hallways, but keep public announcements outside the theater.

7. Classrooms

In classrooms, you can put up the morning announcements, recognize student accomplishments, show college application deadlines and upcoming test dates. You can even route messages specific to that classroom to just that screen. Why not promote experiential learning by letting students take a hands-on approach to digital signage? Ask them to create messages on a theme, show their PowerPoint presentations or present show-and-tell on the big screen.

8. Faculty Lounges

In addition to engaging students, you need to keep your teachers and staff in the loop. You can show all of your student announcements on screens in faculty offices or lounges, and also add in messages specific to them. Show scheduling changes, deadlines and upcoming training or certification programs. You can also import news and RSS feeds to show topics specific to their grade levels or local community. Optimally, your digital signage software will let you publish messages to select screens, or on all screens simultaneously system wide. Showing different things in different areas of your school can maximize the impact of your signs so you’re always reaching the right audience with the right message at the right time.

Debbie DeWitt is the marketing communications manager at Visix, Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Debbie designs and executes all marketing and communications campaigns at Visix, including corporate and product branding, promotions and advertising, newsletters, web, sales tools and event planning. She has more than 15 years of marketing and events planning experience, and has been with Visix since 2004.

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