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89% of marketers believe social media is critical to their company’s success. But how can you leverage socials in a physical space? Enter social wall Digital Signage.
Social walls are dynamic conversation starters and a proven way to boost engagement. And it’s mainly because audiences love the authentic, real-time nature of social walls which tap into the innate human desire to connect and share experiences with others.
Here, we’ll discuss how you can use social walls in events and corporate settings plus real-life examples of how other businesses are nailing engagement metrics with social wall digital signage. We’ll then guide you on how to set up your social wall with the help of the Look DS solution.
What is Social Wall Digital Signage?
A social wall is a curated display of user-generated content (UGC) pulled from various social media platforms. It's typically showcased on digital screens in public spaces, event venues, or corporate environments. These walls aggregate posts, photos, videos, and comments using specific hashtags, mentions, or keywords.
Benefits of Social Wall Digital Signage
Amplified Engagement: Social walls make events and spaces more interactive by encouraging attendees and visitors to share their experiences on social media, for a chance to see their posts on the screens.
Increased Brand Visibility: Each shared post that features your event or company hashtag extends your brand's reach organically.
Enhanced Attendee Experience: Social walls create a sense of community and excitement, by providing attendees a platform to express themselves and connect with others.
Valuable Customer Insights: Social wall interactions are a goldmine for customer data - their preferences, opinions, and trends. You can then use this data to refine your marketing strategies, improve products/services, and tailor offerings to better meet customer needs.
The Importance of User-Generated Content (UGC)
Individuals rather than brands create user-generated content - naturally, it adds a layer of authenticity and trust. Social walls amplify the impact of UGC by showcasing real experiences and interactions, making the displayed content more relatable and engaging.
UGC also encourages audience participation, as people are more likely to engage with content they have contributed to. Moreover, UGC significantly enhances the reach of a social wall, as individuals who see their content displayed are likely to share the experience, further promoting the event or brand.
Use Cases in Event Environments
Conferences and Trade Shows
Live Social Media Feeds
At conferences and trade shows, displaying live social media feeds using event-specific hashtags creates buzz and keeps attendees informed and engaged. It enables participants to follow the event's developments in real time and contribute their posts.
The World Health Assembly used a social wall to display real-time posts with the hashtag #WHA71, that showcased insights and perspectives from global health leaders and attendees. The wall also featured a unique "Direct Post" function, where on-site participants could submit messages directly for display, creating a more interactive and engaging experience.
Speaker Highlights and Attendee Interaction
During keynote speeches and panel discussions, social walls capture and amplify key moments. Displaying quotes, insights, or questions shared by attendees on social media creates a deeper level of engagement with the presented material. This encourages further discussion and debate, both online and in person.
Event Highlights and Summaries
You can use social walls to provide a recap of the day's events to give attendees a visual summary of key takeaways, memorable moments, and trending discussions. This is particularly useful for multi-day conferences, where it’s challenging to keep track of all the sessions and activities.
Music Festivals and Concerts
Fan Photos and Videos
Music festivals and concerts are inherently social experiences, and social walls tap into this energy by showcasing fan-generated content. By displaying photos and videos taken by attendees, organizers create a sense of community and shared excitement. This encourages further participation, as fans are eager to have their content featured.
At the All About Music 2019 conference in Mumbai, the event organizers created a social media wall showcasing user-generated posts from Instagram and Twitter using the hashtag #AllAboutMusic2019. This digital display included live tweets, photos, and videos from attendees, that updated in real-time to create a fresh and unique experience. The wall provided the audience that couldn't be physically there a chance to engage with music industry experts and influencers.
Artist Social Media Feeds
Integrating an artist's social media feed into a concert's social wall can deepen the connection between the performer and the audience. Displaying real-time updates, behind-the-scenes glimpses, or messages directly from the artist, makes the experience more personal and engaging. It’s also a great way to build anticipation for upcoming songs or performances.
Social Media Contests
Encouraging attendees to share photos, videos, or creative content using a specific hashtag, can help you tap into the competitive spirit of fans while generating a wealth of user-generated content. You can display the results of these contests on social walls to create anticipation and excitement.
Use Cases in Corporate Environments
Office Lobbies and Common Areas
Company News and Updates
Displaying company news, updates, and milestones from social media keeps employees and visitors informed about the latest developments. This ensures that everyone is aware of important announcements, achievements, and upcoming events. It also helps in creating a cohesive and informed workplace culture.
Employee Social Media Posts
Showcasing employee social media posts and experiences enhances workplace culture by highlighting the personal and professional lives of team members. This includes sharing photos from company events, highlighting individual achievements, or providing glimpses into team-building activities.
Sandvik Coromant, a global engineering company, used a social wall to drive internal engagement during their rebranding and company events. Employees from over 150 countries shared photos featuring the new logo and merchandise, fostering a global sense of excitement. This approach was very successful, with over 100 photos shared during a single "Ugly Christmas Sweater" contest, boosting camaraderie and connection among the dispersed workforce.
Interactive Welcome Messages
Welcoming visitors with interactive and personalized messages from social media creates a positive first impression and enhances the visitor experience. These messages can include greetings, important information, and personalized content based on social media data.
Internal Communications and Employee Engagement
Live Feeds of Company Social Media Accounts
Integrating live feeds of company social media accounts into office social walls provides a continuous stream of relevant information to employees. These feeds can showcase content variety, such as company announcements, industry news, employee spotlights, product updates, and even live Q&A sessions with executives.
Training and Development Updates:
Social walls can promote training and development opportunities within an organization. Once you showcase upcoming workshops, webinars, or online courses, companies you’re encouraging employees to grow their skills. This also applies to sharing success stories of employees who have completed training programs, inspiring others to take advantage of these resources.
Employee Recognition Programs:
Recognizing and celebrating employee achievements is essential for building a positive workplace culture. Social walls amplify these efforts by showcasing employee milestones, awards, or special accomplishments. This not only boosts morale but also reinforces the company's values and commitment to its employees.
Corporate Events and Meetings
Employee Achievements
During company-wide meetings, conferences, or annual gatherings social walls can display employee achievements and milestones. This can include awards, project completions, or personal accomplishments. By highlighting individual contributions, companies can foster a sense of pride and belonging among their employees.
Meeting Announcements
Social walls broadcast important meeting announcements, agendas, and updates to ensure that all employees can access relevant information on time. This is particularly useful for large organizations with multiple departments and locations.
Team Collaboration and Brainstorming
Social walls facilitate real-time collaboration and brainstorming during meetings where employees share ideas, comments, and feedback on the social wall. Doing this creates a more inclusive and participatory environment that leads to more innovative solutions and a greater sense of ownership among team members.
Many tech companies, such as Facebook and Google, have dedicated spaces with interactive whiteboards and digital displays. They enable employees to share their ideas in real time during brainstorming sessions.
How to Implement Social Wall Digital Signage with Look
Easy Integration with Look Digital Signage
Look Digital Signage comes with built-in social apps that include Instagram, X(formerly Twitter) and Facebook. You can connect, for instance, your Instagram Business account and choose what to show – specific hashtags, and tagged posts. This helps you share the most interesting content with your audience. Setting it up is simple – connect your Instagram account by signing in via your Look portal and choose your settings. Look handles the rest, turning your screens into a fun and engaging social wall.
Customizing Content for Your Audience
Look DS lets you tailor the appearance of your social wall to match your brand or event. You can choose various layouts and themes to control how posts will appear like on the wall. You can also filter the content that appears on the wall by specifying the hashtags, or even types of posts (like photos or videos). This ensures that your wall showcases the most relevant and engaging content for your audience, while also maintaining brand consistency and alignment with your messaging.
Moderation and Content Control
Look provides easy-to-use tools to keep your Instagram wall looking its best. You can remove posts that aren't right for your audience and even set up filters to block certain words or phrases. This level of control helps you protect your brand from being damaged by negative content.
Conclusion
Social wall digital signage is popular in events and corporate settings because it works. People love to take pictures and providing them with a platform to share their experiences adds a layer of excitement and engagement.
Whether you're planning an event or seeking to revitalize your office environment, Social Walls and Look DS are the perfect duo to actualize your vision.
Begin your 14-day trial of Look DS today and experience the transformative potential of social wall digital signage.
