LED Advertising Screens: Expectations vs. Reality

At present, there continues to be a dangerous series of expectations and myths around the LED advertising screen. These ill-founded beliefs that many entrepreneurs have about this advertising medium sometimes distance them from finally making an investment that could well change the reality of their business.

Due to the novelty that the LED screen represents as an advertising medium, there are still too many doubts within the sector. At LED Display Screens, this is something we have noticed especially with new customers, in that phase between not having bought and during the first months of the experience with their newly installed screen.

We have known first hand these expectations that often are not coherent with reality. Therefore, we have decided to explore and deny them.

Expectation # 1: The LED display is an impossible investment to face

A decade ago, installing an advertising screen on a facade could have been one of the most significant investments of a small or medium-sized company. A small business probably would not have been allowed, even in their most remote dreams, to install such a screen.

Simply its high cost would not have allowed it.

But times have changed. Take for example any other technology that we use today with absolute normality. They can be our smartphones or computers. A decade ago, having a smartphone was an impressive luxury, something very few could enjoy. The case with computers was not as severe a decade ago but it was two years ago.

As with all technologies, they become cheaper over time. Technological development always leads to the same place: to make technical products more accessible goods.

The same has happened with the LED screen for advertising. Whether for indoor or outdoor, this technology has gradually become cheaper until it is available to everyone. Nowadays we have clients that are small companies and the price has not been a problem.

To this, we can add the fact that it is possible to access the LED screen supplier with financing. At LED Display Screens we offer solutions for our customers to pay for the product, installation included, month by month.

Expectation # 2: It is a very delicate and fragile product

Many entrepreneurs interested in installing a screen in their business fear that the product will not last long enough. Seen from the outside, it is normal to assume that an LED screen is a delicate technology and that the product is easy to spoil.

However, reality is different. The technological development within the sector has also led to the product being more durable and losing that fragility typical of new technologies.

The LED advertising screens are composed of strong aluminum cabinets that are designed to support all the weight that is thrown on them. Beyond the structure itself, we find LED chips that withstand high temperatures and can shine with great intensity for many years.

This is especially true if we choose a quality product. At LED Display Screens, we have previously talked about choosing the supplier carefully and not choosing only based on the price. This is because cheap products use copper wire in LED chips, when it is advisable to use gold wire. The difference between the two is enormous: tolerance to high temperatures, brightness and lifespan.

Expectation # 3: The only advertising that works today is online

The revolution led by smartphones can make us think that everything has to do with the Internet. That all publicity actions carried out outside of smartphones and computers are destined to fail.

The reality is that publicity actions of face-to-face nature, on the street, have a greater power of attraction in the public and are much more memorable. While it is true that the scope of actions on the Internet is much greater (we can reach millions of people if we want to), a good ad on an LED advertising screen puts your brand in the spotlight with an audience that is only steps of your product or service (think of storefront LED screens used in stores).

The OOH (Out-of-Home) advertising sector grew 3.4% in 2018, being the “traditional advertising” sector, to call it somehow, that grew the most. Experts include LED advertising screens within this segment, in fact, leading by replacing the billboards of a lifetime. The cheapening of this technology and its growing popularity around the world predicts an accelerated expansion of the sector.

Expectation # 4: Only with installing the LED screen, all customers will come

On more than one occasion, we have spoken on our blog about the importance of quality content for advertising screens.

For a long time, our team has shown with LED advertising screens installed everywhere, our and other suppliers, which are wasted with low quality content. The characteristics of these low quality content are often ineffective advertising messages, images that are not flashy, misuse of colors, misuse of type and size of the text, messages that change very fast, among others. In this article we investigate in this topic.

Now, we touch on this point because it is a dangerous expectation. There are companies that make the investment of the LED screen and then abandon the generation of content. Do not work on new advertising messages that make the content something current for the public.

The problem is that, even so, not making these efforts, the expectations are that customers should arrive in industrial quantities. It is assumed that only the presence of the screen on is sufficient to attract customers.

The reality is different. The content of the ads is key to capture the user’s attention and make him interested enough in our brands, products and services.

Expectation # 5: Controlling my LED screen requires an expert and dedicated professional

New technologies bring, as is typical, intimidation. For those outside the sector, as are our own clients, a very natural fear is relative to the control of the advertising screen. Managing the ads might seem like a very technical task but the reality is that it is not at all.

It depends on which provider you work with, you can find control software or another. In many cases, unfortunately, the provider could give you the screen along with a very generic software (often from China) that may not be the most intuitive.

The good news is that there are providers that offer much more convenient management solutions. In LED Display Screens, our team has developed a software that is very easy to use, designed so that the end customer, with zero experience in these issues, can operate the screen easily. Uploading new content and creating schedules for the ads has never been so simple and convenient.

The best part is that, in our case, we offer technical advice from the beginning and on the fly. Our clients are accompanied by the team of engineers until they master how to use the content management software.

The other fear at this point is to think that you have to spend a lot of time managing the screen. The reality is that with a few minutes a week, all the contents are programmed and the LED advertising screen, literally, operates on its own.

Taking the step with your business

An intelligent investment is one that we do once a large part of the doubts and fears have been dissipated with information. At LED Display Screens, we always look for our clients to feel safe and well informed before putting their money on an LED screen.