 Everyone knows how difficult times are for restaurants. One way to drum up sales without having to invest a lot of capital is to introduce digital signs that can promote menu offerings to a captive audience. Digital signage provides a way to share important updates, promote special offers or events and attract new hires — all using the restaurant's existing TV screens. Which is why many restaurants and bars are already using this tool to help rebuild sales following the pandemic, said Lucas Burns, enterprise account executive at Atmosphere, a digital signage content service provider, during a recent Fast Casual webinar titled "5 Ways to Generate Sales and Engagement through Digital Signage." "Far and away, F and B has been hit hardest by this pandemic, and they're looking at creative ways to emerge from this pretty disastrous time," he said during the webinar, moderated by Elliot Maras, editor of Kiosk Marketplace. Almost half of all restaurants surveyed by the Independent Restaurant Coalition have cut operating hours in the last year, causing a 58% drop in sales, Burns said. This number was prior to the emergence of the omicron variant. Atmosphere's customers experienced the following benefits from digital signage, according to the company's numbers:80% experienced a sales gain. 46% witnessed improved customer satisfaction. 33% reported a gain in return customers. Moreover, Burns said, digital signage is an easy way to build sales and engage customers, even if the business has fewer resources available. A digital signage platform allows the restaurant to upload or create their own graphics and to choose when and where to run the ads. "It's going to give you a tool to be able to be agile and flexible and push the messaging in real time," Burns said. He reviewed five ways digital signage adds immediate value. 1. Promote limited time offers in an engaging way Print flyers can convey a message, he said, but they are expensive and there is no way to guarantee getting the correct message to the correct audience at the correct time. A restaurant can target a digital message to a captive audience at a particular day part, for instance. One fast food restaurant sold 250% more of an LTO than other restaurants in the chain by advertising it on its digital screens. "Just informing your audience what you have at that time (via digital signage) can be massive," Burns said. "If you have it on your screen and you're leveraging that, your ROI is just going to explode." 2. Keep customers informed with up-to-date information: With digital signage, a business does not have to wait for new information to go to print and risk it being outdated as circumstances change. Instead, there is the flexibility to update information daily. 3. Let talent know you are in the market to hire: Digital signage also helps a restaurant find much-needed help, as it offers an easy way to achieve mass reach in front of an attentive audience, including those in the market for a new job. The signage can advise customers of hiring opportunities and job benefits. "These are people that are taking time out of their personal day to spend in your business," Burns said. "Those are people who believe in your brand. Those are people you probably want to be targeting." 4. Boost employee morale: "As an employee, a pat on the back goes a long way," Burns said. "Using your screens to thank your team visually is a big, big deal." Digital screens provide a way to display team photos and highlight their accomplishments and customer appreciation. 5. Invite customers to participate in events: Digital signage is also an easy way to provide information about events the company is involved with, along with photos and guest testimonials from company activities. Said Burns: "If you have it on your screen and you're leveraging that, your ROI is just going to explode."To watch the webinar, click here.5 ways to generate sales, engagement through digital signage |
