You need a push for create your free digital signage content ? This article discusses what to consider when planning your various campaigns and introduces some free tools that you can use to create content without the help of a graphic designer: text, images, presentations, and videos.
Your display on screens must be legible and dynamic to attract the attention of your target and interest them. For high-quality free digital signage, it is important to master the basics of screen communication and to know the right free tools at your disposal. Your digital signage software Surely offers you the possibility of creating videos easily using templates, but you also need to find the right sources of free and royalty-free images and videos.
The success of your display depends on your content
To create a professional digital display you will obviously need quality screens and an easy to use content management system. But Attention that your audience will carry to the message you want to get across will depend only on the message itself.
However, creating it may seem difficult, especially if your budget does not allow you to use a graphic designer or an agency. Don't panic! By following a few simple rules and using the right tools, you You'll be able to create engaging content much more easily than you think.
→ If you're new to digital signage and content creation, check out this article on Basics of creating visuals for screens.
Give visibility to your digital signage content
Above all, make sure that your content be easily visible. So make sure that your screens are at the right height, that they are not hidden by a pole or by store furniture, and that the location chosen is not too bright.
→ Here are all our advice on choosing the location of your screens.
- If you are using text, check that the font and font size used allow your message to be read without difficulty despite the distance between the audience and the screen.
- In the case of a video, will the public take the time to watch it in its entirety? If your target audience is waiting in line or waiting in the waiting room, you have a bit more time (1 minute maximum). On the other hand, in the case of a window display, opt for eye-catching content that allows immediate immersion (10 to 20 seconds).
Simplicity meets efficiency for your free digital signage content
Have Too much text on the screen can feel cluttered and confused. Instead, invite your audience to come meet your team and to discuss, or to go to your website to find out more. You don't have to make everything appear in your content.
Simplicity also applies to fonts and colors : don't use too much. If you don't have a graphic chart, consider setting yourself a few limits. So imagine a color palette that matches what you want to convey. Rather bright primary colors? Relaxing natural colors? Or deep blacks or greys?
→ To make your visuals more striking and harmonious, you can use certain photography rules than the site PetaPixel summarize.
Refresh your content frequently
Make sure you have enough content on your screen so as not to annoy your audience by broadcasting the same message over and over again. If you can't find enough, you can add dynamic flows from external data (weather forecasts, social networks, traffic).
→ Reminder on the rule of three in digital signage: content, container, and context !
Free content creation tools at your disposal
➡️ Source images
The search for new images is a daily challenge for marketing professionals. Shooting is expensive, but many image banks allow you to download royalty-free or licensed images for free. Always check the rules for using images (for commercial, editorial, etc.) and if you need to credit the photographer. Here are some of our favorite image banks:
➡️ Video creation
Canva is a graphic design tool with an intuitive “Drag & Drop” interface and offering hundreds of templates to use. Our tips for using Canva:
- To create content adapted to digital signage, use “presentation” or “video” templates.
- You can use the tool”Animate“to give movement to your texts and thus make a simple presentation dynamic.
- The ratio should always be that of your screen: 16:9 either 1920x1080 (or 1080x1920, depending on the portrait or landscape orientation of your screen).
- Hundreds of fonts are available, as well as a large library of images and videos (not all free).
Lumen 5 is a video creation tool designed for transform written content static (blog post, product brochure) On video. The software extracts key phrases and superimposes them onto your own video footage or royalty-free footage. If you enter the Link to an article, Lumen 5 automatically fetches associated content and populates your storyboard. If your content is offline, copy and paste it directly into the video editor. Lumen 5 includes a library of royalty-free videos, images, and audio tracks. The free version lets you create 5 videos per month, and the paid versions start at $19 per month.
→ In addition, here are 5 tips for creating effective (and profitable) videos for your screens.
Other useful tools:
Cenareo offers an intuitive, scalable digital signage solution and perfectly adapted to the needs of communication professionals. Discover our digital signage software.
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