Bars provide a gathering spot for people who are looking to have a good time and find entertainment. Done properly, digital signage can enhance that experience and provide value to a bar’s customers. Additionally, given the right integration and placement, a bar’s digital sign can feel like a natural part of the bar’s atmosphere and environment. In this post, we discuss the components you need to deploy bar digital signage, and we provide several content ideas on what you can display with a bar digital sign.

What components do I need for my bar’s digital sign?

Each digital sign has a few key components. Your bar digital sign is no different. First, you will need a digital signage player. This device is what will process and render content to your display screen. Today, digital signage players can fit in the palm of your hand, and environmentally friendly digital signage players require very little electricity. For example, the Screenly Player only consumes 3 watts. When selecting your digital signage player, make sure that the device can display content in 1080p Full HD resolution. There’s no sense in having a digital sign if it doesn’t look good! Also, make sure that your digital signage player can support a variety of media formats. Modern players can display image, video, motion-graphic, and even live web page content.

Next, you will need to purchase digital signage software. This software allows you to change and schedule content for your digital sign via a simple web interface. This software is useful, as it enables employees who operate the digital sign to quickly and conveniently update the displayed content remotely with just a few clicks. In the past, digital sign operators would have to physically visit a digital sign and upload new content via a USB drive. That process was time-consuming, and this process was also not logistically feasible when the bar was open and filled with people. –>

Lastly, you will need to take a look at different mounting options for your display screen. Whether you use a standard wall mount, an articulating arm mount, or some custom carpentry for your digital sign, you want to spend some time thinking about the actual placement of your sign. Be sure to mount your digital sign in a way where the maximum amount of bar patrons can see you digital sign rather than isolating your digital sign in a corner or smaller room. When choosing a mounting solution, be sure that it is a VESA-compliant product. VESA is an acronym for the Video Electronics Standards Association, an organization put out the guidelines for safe and standardized mounting hardware.

What can I show on my bar’s digital sign?

As an overall goal, your digital signage content should be interesting and engaging for your viewers. It sounds like simple advice, and, well, it is simple advice. The problem is that few people actually follow that guidance. If your digital signs provide value to your customers, your digital sign will enhance the customer experience at your bar rather than detract from it.

Of course, a must for any bar digital sign is to display the day’s drinks specials and happy hour offers. Drink specials are a tried-and-true method for getting more people to your bar, and customers want to know what you have on offer. With digital signs, you can use video and motion-graphic content to feature exciting content on each of your drinks. For example, instead of simply showing a drink and stating its price, a bar digital sign can display content on how bartenders make each drink, what ingredients are in each drink, and the source location for each of the ingredients.

Depending on how long the bar has been in operation, another option for digital signage content is displaying content on the history of the bar. This content can include footage from the bar’s early days and information on the bar’s history. If your bar has been around for many years, this use of your digital sign is a must.

Another option for your bar’s digital sign is displaying sports scores and highlights from your area’s local teams. Digital signage is a unique medium from cable television in that it allows users to display uninterrupted content without commercial breaks every few minutes. Once you create or find a great highlights clip of the recent game, you can schedule this content to display at regular intervals. There’s no better way to charge up your bar than with footage of your team’s most recent big plays.

What’s the next step for getting a digital sign at my bar?

To get a digital sign at your bar, first purchase a digital signage player. You can buy Screenly’s digital signage player, the Screenly Player, via our Screenly Box 0 product. The Screenly Box 0 contains a digital signage player as well as a universal power cord and HDMI cable to get you up and running. Next, you will need to purchase a Screenly digital signage software license for each of your screens. You can sign up for an online Screenly account here.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Screenly Support!