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Hospitality

Daytona 500 Party Ideas: How to Plan Fun Theme Nights for Bars (Updated 2024)

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Nearly 5 million people watch the Daytona 500 in the United States. For many, the race is as much a social event as it is a sporting one.

That’s why when it comes to fun bar event ideas, Nascar-based promotional ideas could be the perfect way to bring more revenue into your business. However, for your bar promotional ideas to be successful, you’re going to need to promote them in a way that will bring as many people as possible into your business in 2024.

We put together this article to help you do that. Keep reading to find the best ideas for bar events revolving around NASCAR and the Daytona 500.

Why use Nascar ideas for bar events?

The purpose of bar event ideas is to first bring in more customers and then get them to spend more. Big events like the Daytona 500 provide an excellent opportunity to offer unique bar entertainment, activities, and specials, bringing more traffic into your bar. If you can get people to watch the race at your business, then they’re also almost definitely going to spend money there on food and drinks.

That means you could turn the Daytona 500 into one of the biggest revenue-generating days of the year for your bar if you throw a well-planned event.

We’ll cover how to advertise and organize an event that people want to attend in the next section.

Some awesome Daytona 500 party ideas to create fun bar events

Step 1. Give fans the feeling of a live event with this NASCAR-themed party 

If you’re looking for fun bar ideas, then the one thing you need most is to make your offerings creative and immersive. If a NASCAR fan can’t make it to the race themselves, then they’ll likely be looking for a way to experience an atmosphere that’s as close to being at the track as possible.

If your bar can offer this, you’ll be likely to get a ton of business.

So what does that look like? Here are a few ideas to try:

  • Make sure you have big screen TVs available for viewing at every angle
  • Turn the volume up loud so people can hear the cars well
  • Host events before and after the race that mimic what race weekend is like
  • Serve common racetrack or Daytona 500 foods

The more of the real event that you can incorporate in your bar, the more that it’s going to feel like the real thing. And that should make your business a much more attractive place to watch the race.

Digital signage helps take your bar theme nights to the next level

Investing in digital signage is an easy way to give your customers a better race-day experience. 

It gives you complete control over both how you broadcast the race itself and what you do with your screens in-between the action.

If you’d like to get started with digital, here’s what you need:

You can get in touch with UPshow if you’d like to learn more about how digital signage can help enhance events like the Daytona 500.

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Step 2. Tie your Nascar bar event ideas to in-race events

Another cool way to bring your NASCAR event to life is to offer special promotions based on what happens during the race. 

For example, if a certain driver is leading after lap 1, you could offer a discount on a drink that represents them.

There are lots of different ways to go with this. You could base your promotions on everything from the first driver to crash to the person who’s in the back of the field after a certain number of laps.

Step 3. Set up special decorations and bar theme nights

A Daytona 500 celebration wouldn’t be complete without decorations that get people into the racing spirit.  You can bring that festivity to your bar with:

  • Checkered flag tablecloths
  • Model race cars
  • Jerseys from fan-favorites
  • Posters of cars and drivers
  • And whatever other NASCAR-themed memorabilia you can get your hands on

When you put some thought into your decorations for an event like this, it helps to make it feel like something special rather than another normal day at your bar. And that should make people more likely to watch the race with you, especially if you offer special theme nights in your bar.

Step 4. Make racing arcade games a part of your NASCAR-themed parties

There are companies out there that will let you rent arcade machines for special events. Bringing some racing arcade machines to your bar could be a fantastic way to build up hype for the big race.

You could bring the games to your bar a few days, or even a week before Daytona 500. That way, when people come to visit you, they see the special machines and learn that you’re throwing a big event for the race.

In that way, using this strategy could not only help to make your race day event more fun, it could also be a great way to market that event to your customers in the lead-up to the Daytona 500.

Step 5. Offer Daytona 500-inspired food and drinks

Another great way to get people into the spirit of your event is coming up with a special Daytona 500 menu. Daytona 500 food can be either the food they serve at the live event or food that resembles the event.

Pinterest is a great resource for this. You can use it to figure out which race-themed appetizers, drinks and entrees your customers will like best.

Step 6. Host games in the lead-up to the race

Daytona 500 is an experience that goes beyond the race itself. You could turn the event into a whole weekend of fun by hosting various NASCAR-themed games in the lead-up to the race.

For example, you could run a special trivia night that tests your guests’ NASCAR knowledge. Using a strategy like this can help you extend the amount of value that your bar gets out of the Daytona 500.

Step 7. Offer catering on the day of the race

Even if you throw the best Daytona 500 event in your area, there will still always be a group of people who prefer to watch the race at home. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get any value out of this customer group.

You can broaden your pool of potential customers during the Daytona 500 by offering a special catering menu for the race weekend. This will let people enjoy the great food that you’re offering for the race while still being able to watch it in their preferred setting.

Step 8. Highlight betting on races in your NASCAR-themed parties

Sportsbetting is a huge up-and-coming industry. For example, Americans wagered a whopping $2.1 billion in August of 2021, and that number is only going to go up as more and more states legalize sports betting.

If you live in a state where this type of gambling is legal, great. You can partner with a local or national sportsbook to offer Daytona 500 gambling opportunities for those who wish to partake.

But you can even get in on this type of action if you’re not in a state where gambling is legal. You would just allow people to bet on different parts of the race for prizes instead of money.

For example, you could let people pick a race winner when they enter your bar. If they choose correctly, they could win a free meal the next time they come in.

Step 9. Advertise bar theme nights on multiple channels

When it comes to advertising your Daytona 500 event, it’s important to reach out to your audience on multiple channels. Ideally, you should advertise the festivities:

  • On your social media accounts
  • Through your email lists
  • On local radio and television stations
  • With PPC advertising
  • And any other channel that you know your target audience uses

The key to being effective with advertising for events like the Daytona 500 is understanding your audience. 

Your ads should highlight the special offerings that you know will mean the most to your customers. You can also allocate a larger portion of your advertising budget to a specific channel if you know that the channel has been the most effective way to reach your customers in the past.

Step 10. Don’t neglect in-venue advertising opportunities

Though online advertising can be extremely effective for attracting new customers to your bar, it’s not the most efficient to reach your current customers. 

That’s why in-venue advertising should definitely be a part of your strategy for getting people interested in your Daytona 500 event.

There are lots of ways to advertise the event to customers in your bar. But few are as impactful as digital signage can be.

Digital signage is effective because it gives you the ability to design customized ads that feature high-resolution images, animations, videos and more.

With software from UPshow, you can also choose from a series of pre-made templates if you don’t want to have to worry about designing an ad from scratch.

You can then play these ads in between the content that you usually show on your screens. That way, you’re advertising your upcoming events instead of giving free promotion to another company during commercial slots.

Advertising your Nascar promotion in bar is easier with digital signage

Digital signage can directly enhance your bar promotional ideas and take them to the next level. For example, it can help you get more people interested in big events like Daytona 500 parties by giving you a simple way to create and share compelling in-venue advertisements. It could be just what your business needs to get as much out of the race weekend as possible. For more info about how digital signage software can help make your Daytona 500 event a reality, check out UPshow today.

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Gym + Fitness

10 Digital Gym Signage Ideas to Keep Members Engaged

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Developing customer loyalty at your gym is extremely valuable, with a Harvard Business School study finding that boosting loyalty by just 5% can increase profits by 25 to 90%.

One of the most effective ways to achieve this is to focus on engaging your guests while they’re in your gym. This should strengthen your relationship with them, which could increase their loyalty to you.

Digital signage can help you keep your gym guests engaged in numerous ways. Keep reading to discover 10 ways you can use digital signage to boost customer loyalty and your profits.

Why guest engagement matters

64% of health club operators believe that guest engagement is crucial to the success of their business. 

But unless you’ve thought about this deeply before, it may not be immediately obvious why that’s true.

Guest engagement matters because it helps you build stronger relationships with your customers. When your audience is engaged, they get more out of the time they spend at your gym. And if you can increase the value that your gym offers, you’re more likely to retain a larger percentage of your customer base.

In that way, there’s a very direct relationship between engaging your guests and your bottom line.

Raise awareness of your best classes

Classes are an excellent way to bring more value to your gym. But they’re only going to be effective at achieving that if the majority of your guests know about them.

That’s why it’s a good idea to use digital signage to advertise your best classes. Guests will see the ads, sign up for the classes and build a stronger relationship with your team because of it.

Broadcast important health tips

People go to gyms to be healthy. But you can do more for them than just give them a place to work out. Your gym can also play a big role in educating its members about what living a healthy lifestyle looks like.

Digital signage is a fitness technology that makes this much easier to do. You can use your signs to share a consistent stream of new health ideas that get your members thinking about what they can do to take their minds and bodies to the next level.

By doing this, you’ll provide more value to your guests, which should increase their loyalty to you.

Promote your best deals

Digital signage is also a great medium for promoting your best deals. 

Whether you have a special refer-a-friend offer or a discount on bulk class purchases, you need a reliable way to convey that information to your guests if you want the deals to be successful.

Digital signage facilitates that by giving you a ton of tools to customize your ads. With UPshow, you’ll also get access to a wide variety of pre-built templates so you can quickly create ads that engage your audience.

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Highlight your staff

Another great way to increase your customer loyalty is to encourage them to form stronger relationships with your staff. You can achieve that by sharing staff bios that highlight their achievements and background.

When a guest sees a staff member’s story, they may relate to it. And that could get them to spark up a conversation with the staff member the next time they see them.

This strategy may also help you increase personal training sign-ups. If a guest sees how skilled a personal trainer is through your advertisements, then they may become more interested in learning from them.

Play engaging video content

82% of people prefer watching live videos over any other form of content. That’s why it’s a smart move to show live video content in your gym.

By doing so, you’ll make your guests’ experience a more enjoyable one. This should increase the likelihood that they keep coming back to your gym.

UPshow provides more than 500 channels of live streaming video entertainment for you to share with your guests. This includes channels that show regional sports, local news and more – giving you the ability to always broadcast something that you know your guests will love.

Share your guests’ social media posts

There are 4.62 billion people who use social media. You want your gym to have a presence on popular sites like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

One way to boost your metrics on these platforms is to start sharing guests’ social media posts in your gym

For example, you could ask guests to use your gym’s hashtag when they post their workout pictures on Instagram. Then you could show those pictures in the gym with digital signage.

This accomplishes two things. First, it gets people talking about your gym online. Second, it engages your existing guests by giving their pictures the chance to be featured.

Play engaging music

92% of people listen to music at least sometimes when they work out. But it can be annoying to have to wear bulky headphones while exerting yourself physically.

That’s why it could be a good move for your gym to use its digital signage to share energizing music. You could even do something like highlight a different trainer’s Spotify playlist each day of the week.

Doing this should help to enhance your guests’ overall experience at your gym, which should, ultimately, improve their loyalty.

Tell your story

Telling your story is perhaps the most effective way to share your brand with the world. Research shows that storytelling can be up to 22 times more effective than simply sharing facts.

If you’re focused on engaging your guests, then telling a compelling story is a great way to do it. And you can share that story through customized digital signage displays. You could even add high-quality images and animations to bring your gym’s story to life.

Promote your products

Many gyms have in-venue stores that they use to sell fitness gear and nutritional items. Digital signage is a great tool for promoting these products.

You can highlight a different product every day and talk about how it can help your guests with their fitness goals. You could even film and share instructional videos that show guests how to use some of the products you sell.

Partner with other local companies

Another way to provide value to your guests is to share great deals from local companies with them. This is another strategy that you can deploy through digital signage.

For example, you could partner with a local health food store that might be willing to offer a discount to members of your gym. Then you could share that ad through your digital signage to make sure as many people take advantage of it as possible.

Getting started with digital signage

We hope the ideas above helped you understand exactly how impactful digital signage can be for your gym. If you’re ready to add it to your facility, here’s how to do it.

What you need

Digital signage is made up of three components:

  • Screens
  • Digital signage software
  • Media players (only necessary if your screens aren’t connected to the internet)

Perhaps the most important part of your system is your digital signage software. Ideally, your software should empower you to engage your guests in whatever ways you can think of.

It’s also worth looking for software that lets you analyze the performance of your displays over time. That way, you can assess what’s helping your engagement metrics and what you might need to adjust to reach your goals.

UPshow provides digital signage software that gives you complete control over how you engage your audience. You can get in touch with us for a free demo if you’d like to learn more about how we can help.

How to get the most out of your setup

Here are a few important considerations to keep in mind while setting up your gym’s digital signage solution.

First, the screens that you select will have a big impact on the overall effectiveness of your digital signage campaigns. To pick the right screens, you need to understand what you want to do with your digital signage.

For example, if you want each gym member to be able to personalize the content they see while working on treadmills, you would likely want to attach screens to those machines.

It’s also important to make sure that guests can see your screens no matter where they are in your gym. Think carefully about how you need to organize your screens to make this happen.

UPshow makes it easier to engage your gym guests with digital signage

When you’re ready to engage your audience with digital signage, reach out to UPshow. 

Our digital signage software can power your entire digital signage solution, taking your gym members’ fitness experience to the next level. 

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General

5 Ways to Get Better Results from Your In-Venue Marketing Campaigns

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How much revenue do the screens in your venue generate?

If you’re like many businesses and just use them to run cable news or sports games to occupy customers, they’re probably not generating any revenue at all.

Here’s a bold question: if that’s all you’re using your screens for, why are you throwing away money on a cable subscription?

Most businesses use television screens to help customers weather wait times. Whether you’re a sports bar or restaurant looking to occupy diners while their orders are prepared, a healthcare clinic hoping to keep patients relaxed in your waiting room, or another service-based business, conventional wisdom told you to put a television screen in your venue

We’re here to transform your screens into a revenue generation tool. How? With UPshow Connect.

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Introducing UPshow Connect

UPshow Connect is a new offering from UPshow that makes creating and tracking revenue-generating, on-screen marketing campaigns easier than ever.

When you purchase the UPshow platform, you automatically unlock UPshow Connect. With UPshow Connect, you gain access to:

  1. Easy-to-use campaign creation tools, from our one-of-a-kind integration with Canva to an in-platform QR code designer.
  2. The ability to keep your most important messages on-screen and actionable for customers for longer periods of time.
  3. Autogenerated, mobile-friendly landing pages that you can customize, ensuring your customers can always view your most important campaigns.
  4. Cross-channel campaign creation so that you can present your messages on and off screen in high-traffic areas.
  5. Robust tracking and optimization tools, making it easy to understand which campaigns drive the most revenue for your business.

Create Engaging Campaigns

Did you know you only have 0.3 seconds to grab someone’s attention? 

UPshow Connect helps you keep customers engaged. With UPshow Connect, use industry-standard design tools to create attention-grabbing, compelling visual messages. Plus, you’ll gain access to a library of templates designed by industry professionals.

Each of your campaigns can deliver an interactive digital experience. Simply use our in-platform QR code generator to design mobile-first campaigns, allowing your customers to engage when the moment of intent and interest is highest.

Promote Key Marketing Initiatives

Never again choose between your campaigns and your entertainment. Cycle through entertainment or lower priority marketing campaigns while using UPshow Connect’s Fixed Panel functionality to continuously spotlight your most important marketing campaigns.

Fixed Panel allows you to keep key campaigns on screen longer, giving your customers more opportunities to engage. 

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Broaden Campaign Reach

Make sure all of your most important campaigns receive attention by utilizing Campaign Hub through UPshow Connect. Campaign Hub allows you to curate a mobile-friendly landing page that highlights key initiatives, giving your campaigns longevity.  

Cross-Channel Functionality

While digital mediums allow for the interactive experiences your customers — especially younger ones — demand, there are plenty of use cases for traditional media campaigns, too. That’s why UPshow Connect makes it easy to move from online to offline (and back) with Smart Paper. 

Use the QR codes you’ve generated for your digital campaigns across offline mediums and understand the full scope of campaign engagement. 

Track and Optimize Every Campaign

The hardest part of using screens to drive revenue is understanding which campaigns create that revenue. UPshow Connect makes campaign impact easy to understand. 

At a glance, see which campaigns drive the most engagement and revenue, and use your analytics results to continually optimize for greater success.

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Hospitality

Hotel Digital Signage Solutions: 10 Steps to Boost Hospitality Digital Signage ROI

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The average profit margin for a hotel is just 4%. To beat that, you’ll need to take steps that the average hospitality company doesn’t. Hotel digital signage can help you achieve that.

Digital signage helps companies across many industries earn an improved ROI. Digital signage in the hospitality industry can do the same.

Keep reading to get step-by-step instructions for leveraging digital signage to achieve your ROI goals in the hospitality industry.

ROI and digital hospitality signage: The basics

Digital signage can be a great way to help hotels and hospitality businesses improve their ROI. 

Here’s an overview of some of the ways digital signage can help your business and enhance customers’ experience:

  • Allow guests to use self-check-in to reduce wait times
  • Liven up your waiting area and keep your guests occupied
  • Share useful travel information
  • Advertise your add-on services more effectively

The idea behind digital signage in the hospitality industry is that if you can provide all of these benefits to your guests, you’re more likely to stand out from the competition. A memorable stay makes it all the more likely that your guests will return to you in the future.

We’ll dive into the specifics of what it takes to achieve your ROI goals with digital signage in the next section.

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What will you need to set up digital signage for hotels?

Digital signage is a technology that’s made up of three components:

  • Screens – these could be TV screens or touchscreen tablets
  • Digital signage software
  • A media player

You’ll need all three of these items to begin your journey with digital signage. You can independently source them one-by-one or look for reliable providers of comprehensive hotel digital signage solutions.

Coping with hotel digital signage challenges

If you’re investing in digital signage, you want to make sure that you get as much out of it as possible. Avoiding the roadblocks covered in this section should help you do that.

One point worth making is that all digital signage software is not created equal. 

Some software is slow, tough to work with and limited in what it can accomplish. Products like UPshow’s marketing engagement platform, on the other hand, make it easier to achieve your ROI goals by giving you complete control over your digital signage displays.

The screens that you choose can also have a big impact on the quality of your digital signage system. If they aren’t positioned optimally, guests won’t always see your displays. This can reduce the efficacy of your system and bring down your potential ROI.

It’s also important to have a content strategy in place before setting up your digital signage solution. If you don’t have a clear vision for what you want to accomplish, it will be more difficult to optimize your strategy and hit your ROI target.

Step 1: Define your expectations from hotel digital signage

The first step to driving ROI with hospitality digital signage is understanding what you want to get out of this investment. 

You can do that by coming up with a marketing strategy that will define how you use this technology and to what end.

For example, you might want to increase the value of each guest that visits your hotel. Other goals might be to improve customer loyalty or to free up time for your staff.

Whatever your goal, creating a clear strategy can provide you with a solid benchmark for what you’re hoping to achieve, and how you hope to get there. 

Step 2: Set up your digital signage solution

Next up is installing digital signage in your business, either by utilizing existing screens or setting up new ones. 

As you do this, be mindful of placing screens optimally to ensure they are visible from all seating areas or spaces in which your guests are likely to congregate. 

The layout that you use should be informed by the goals you set in the previous section. For example, if you want to start selling more products specifically in your waiting area, it would be important to have digital signage screens throughout that space.

Step 3: Let your guests check themselves in

One of the most effective ways to drive ROI with digital signage is to allow guests to check themselves into your hotel. To do this, you will need the right digital display boards.

More specifically, you will need touchscreen devices in your lobby. These could be large screens, tablets or even computer monitors. The beauty of digital signage is that you can use it with nearly any type of screen.

This helps drive ROI by freeing up your staff’s time. When an employee doesn’t have to spend their entire shift checking people in, they can get more done elsewhere in your business without you having to pay them more to do so.

Step 4: Offer standout in-room services

You can also connect your digital signage system to your guests’ in-room TVs. This option opens up a lot of possibilities to provide customers with exceptional in-room services.

For example, you could use an in-room digital signage system to display personalized messages to your guests when they enter their rooms or automate the room service ordering process by letting them purchase food for delivery on their screens.

There are many exciting ways to use digital signage inside of your guests’ rooms, so don’t be afraid to get creative and use this technology in whatever way you think would be most effective for your business.

Step 5: Display creative wall art

When people step into a hotel, they’re often looking for a luxurious experience that transports them away from their everyday life.

The decorations that you choose to adorn your walls are a big part of delivering that experience to your guests.

With digital signage, you can create and share a wide variety of stunning displays with high-resolution images and even animation. This makes it much easier to achieve the specific type of experience and ambiance that you want your guests to have inside your walls.

Step 6: Share travel information

You can also provide value to guests by giving them travel information through digital signage. This technology is a great way to share information about traffic, directions and fun destinations.

Step 7: Advertise your add-on services

Research shows that upselling to existing customers is 68% cheaper than acquiring new ones. Digital signage can help you upsell by giving you an easy way to advertise your add-on services.

You can advertise whatever you want in between the other types of content that you show on your screens. 

For example, you might have one screen set aside to display travel information to your guests. You could break that travel information up with ads that highlight your restaurant, bar or standalone products in the lobby.

This is effective because your digital signage will grab people’s attention. Leverage this captured attention to sell more products.

Step 8: Use lobby display ideas to entertain waiting guests

People really don’t like waiting. 

However, this can sometimes be unavoidable, especially when your hospitality business is busy. If you can keep your guests entertained during these times, any wait they have to endure won’t feel quite so long.

Once again, digital signage can help you achieve this. UPshow’s software gives you access to more than 500 channels of live video entertainment. That makes it very easy to always show content that your guests care about so they aren’t focused on how long they’re waiting.

Step 9: Install digital signage in conference rooms

The clientele of a hospitality business makes a huge difference in how it caters to its customers. If your clientele comprises professionals and businessmen, then it's likely that your conference rooms receive a lot of attention.

This makes them ideal for digital signage placement. You can make the digital signage available to your customers for giving presentations or hold virtual meetings with remote associates.

If used in the right way, you will not only improve your customers’ experience but also improve the visibility of your services. For example, you can use conference room digital signage to display crucial information such as availability, capacity, or even booking schedules.

Along the way, you would be able to upsell your services such as travel desks, rentals, and any special events being held on the premises.

Step 10: Track your progress with hospitality signage over time

No matter how you decide to use your digital signage, it will be important for you to analyze how it’s helping you get closer to your ROI goals over time.

Tracking this is the only true way to know whether the digital signage strategies that you’re using are working or not. If you keep your eye on digital signage data consistently, you will also be able to assess whether new ideas work for you or if there are necessary optimizations.

To effectively measure your performance over time, you need the right software. That’s why it’s important to look for a digital hospitality signage solution that has built-in measurement.

Digital signage can boost your hospitality company’s ROI

Digital signage is a versatile technology that hospitality companies can use in a variety of ways. We hope that this how-to guide has helped you understand how to unlock the full potential of digital signage for your hospitality business and given you the information you need to get started.

When you’re ready to select your digital signage software, consider reaching out to UPshow. Our software combines every feature that you want in a digital signage solution in a single, easy-to-use platform. With our help, it will be much easier for you to drive ROI with digital signage.

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Hospitality

March Madness Restaurant Promotions For This Year's Tournament

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Every year, more than 10 million people watch March Madness. 

Many of these individuals will go out to bars and restaurants to enjoy the games with friends, which makes this event a prime opportunity to bring in some additional revenue for your venue.

But to do that, you’ll need to find a way to entice people to come to your restaurant instead of going to another. In this article, we’ll cover 10 strategies that you can use to make this happen.

Let’s get into it.

1. Highlight the number of TVs that you have

Watching games at a bar or restaurant can be a totally different experience than viewing them at home. One of the biggest reasons for this is the sheer number of screens that restaurants and sports bars have.

That’s why it’s important to emphasize this while running your March Madness promotions. You want to make it super clear to people that you have more than enough screens for them to watch every game that they want to watch – at the same time!

This is especially important during the early stages of March Madness, during which games are being played constantly.

If you show potential guests that you have enough screens for them to catch all of the action, they’re much likelier to watch the games with you instead of trying to flip back and forth between channels on a single screen at home.

2. Offer the cheapest beer deals in town

Every year, beer companies have to produce an extra 3.5 million cases to keep up with the increased demand during March Madness. There’s something about the sporting event and America’s favorite alcoholic beverage that go hand-in-hand.

That’s why one of the most effective ways to get people to choose your restaurant instead of another in the area is to offer the best deals on beer.

There are lots of ways to do this. You can offer low prices on standalone beer purchases or offer heavily discounted beers to people who buy other dishes from you.

For example, a restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona, sold pitchers of beer for a penny during March Madness if customers also purchased at least three sliders.

3. Give great deals on wings

Chicken wings are another item that people tend to associate with big sporting events like March Madness. Appetizer platters are great for sharing and easy to offer deals on. 

Once again, there are lots of different ways that you can go about this. 

You might offer discounted wings during halftime to encourage people to stay in your restaurant during lulls in the action. Or, you could offer wing specials during slower nights of the week to get more people into your restaurant.

4. Get people in the spirit with themed drinks and dishes

Another great way to make your restaurant stand out is to offer customers special dishes and drinks that reflect the March Madness season.

Doing this can help make your restaurant more festive, which could motivate people to stay longer during March Madness season.

If you need some ideas for March Madness-themed recipes, check out this blog for inspiration.

5. Run contests

Contests help to get people into the March Madness spirit and can be an excellent way to attract more people to your restaurant.

Here are some ideas:

  • Put together a bracket challenge with a grand prize for the person with the most accurate one.
  • Offer game-by-game prediction contests with discounts on food and drinks for the winner.
  • Add sports betting to your restaurant to get customers more invested in the games.

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6. Put together March Madness-themed commercials and ads

No matter which of these marketing strategies you decide to use, they will only be as effective as your advertisements are. 

In other words, if people don’t know about your special deals, contests and promotions, they’re not all that likely to be very effective.

That’s why it’s important to run ads highlighting your March Madness offerings through a variety of marketing channels

It’s also important to know which channels are the most effective for reaching your target customer base and to focus your marketing budget there.

For example, if you’re appealing to a younger audience, then social media would likely be your most important channel. But if your average customer is in an older age bracket, other forms of marketing might be a better choice. 

7. Give something away for free

There’s nothing like getting something that you want for free. If you’re looking for a way to get more people in the door, then giving away something meaningful for free could be a great way to do it.

There are lots of directions that you can go with this. 

For example, you could give people a coupon for a free drink when they walk in the door. Or you could partner with a popular local business to give people a free discount at that establishment after they’ve purchased something from yours.

8. Don’t neglect customers who prefer to watch at home

It’s important to remember that, even though lots of people enjoy watching March Madness in bars and restaurants, some still prefer to do so at home. But that doesn’t mean you can’t win their business.

You can significantly expand your pool of potential customers during March Madness by offering catering. 

This will allow people who want to watch the games at home to still enjoy the delicious themed foods that you’re offering while also opening up a new revenue stream for your business. Talk about a win-win.

9. Bring standout experiences to your restaurant

Another way to make your restaurant stand out from others is to bring fun in-venue experiences to it during the biggest days of the tournament. 

For example, you could bring an arcade hoop shoot machine to your restaurant so that people can play basketball instead of just watching it. You could also bring a local school’s mascot to your restaurant to get people fired up for the big game.

Running in-game competitions, trivia, and prizes can also be a fun way to utilize the big screen in between games. UPshow’s Watch To Win tool is designed to maximize engagement and keep guests entertained.

10. Tie your promotions to game outcomes

A big part of making your restaurant stand out as the place to be for March Madness is creating a festive atmosphere that revolves around the games.

One great way to achieve this is to offer special discounts when certain in-game events happen. The required events to trigger discounts for customers, as well as the discounts themselves, can change from game to game.

Using this strategy can also help keep people in your restaurant for longer since many will want to stick around to see if the criteria for the next deal is reached. That could increase the value of the average customer that you get during March Madness.

Digital signage makes it easier to advertise your best March Madness promotions

As you go about advertising your restaurant’s March Madness offerings, it’s important not to neglect the customers that are already in your restaurant.

Digital signage is the most effective way to advertise to customers that are already in your business. It lets you create customized displays that rotate on your desired schedule.

You can use digital signage ahead of March Madness and during the event itself to advertise your special limited-time deals.

The best part is, getting started with digital signage is super easy. All that you need to do so is digital signage software, a media player and the screens that you already have.

You can even set up touchscreens with your digital signage software to allow customers to order their own drinks and dishes or participate in special game-day contests.

The bottom line is that digital signage is a versatile technology that can help you unlock the full potential of your restaurant’s March Madness event.

Use UPshow’s digital signage software for your March Madness promotions

UPshow makes digital signage software that can help you get more out of big events like March Madness. Our software provides a wide variety of features to help you unlock the full potential of the technology.

Features include:

  • A plethora of built-in templates and a wide variety of options to create customized displays.
  • Access to more than 500 channels of live video entertainment.
  • Data tracking to help you understand campaign performance.
  • Options for interactive features like games and self-ordering.

Collectively, these features make UPshow one of the most effective ways to both advertise your March Madness event and take the experience itself to the next level.

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How to Increase Patient Engagement?

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Patients who are engaged tend to have better health outcomes. 

If you can provide your patients with better-than-average health outcomes, they’re likely to stay loyal to your clinic. This means there’s a direct link between keeping your patients engaged and your bottom line. This naturally leads to the question of how to engage your patients in their own care.

The answer is a little indirect. Engaging patients is partly an exercise in marketing and partly education. Essentially, you need to combine these two perceptibly opposite concepts to see proper results. It isn’t easy but there are tools out there that can help you achieve this goal. 

One of these is digital signage and we’ve put together this article to teach you why it is one of the most effective ways to boost patient engagement.. We'll of course also show you how to increase patient engagement to new heights by using digital signage the right way.

Keep reading to learn how to leverage this tool to reach your patient engagement goals.

Using digital signage to increase patient engagement

Digital signage may be the best way to boost patient engagement in healthcare because it’s so versatile.

You can use it to:

  • Advertise services that boost engagement
  • Teach patients the benefits of being engaged in their healthcare
  • Remove barriers to care so that patients have fewer things keeping them from seeking care
  • Broadcast important health information that helps patients to stay informed

We’ll tell you how to increase patient engagement by doing all of these things in the sections below.

What you need to start increasing patient engagement

Digital signage is made up of a few distinct components. It consists of:

  • Screens (like televisions and tablets)
  • Digital signage software
  • A media player

Many digital signage software providers have their own media players. With this in mind, it often makes sense to start by selecting the software that you’re going to use and then building the rest of your digital signage solution around it.

When selecting screens, you’ll want to pick ones that align with your specific goals. For example, if you want to use digital signage to let patients check themselves into your clinic, you would need to opt for touchscreens to make that happen.

Get a Demo of UPshow's Solution

Common mistakes people make while improving patient engagement

Before diving into the specifics of how to increase your patient engagement numbers with the help of digital signage, it’s worth looking at a few potential pitfalls you might encounter along the way.

Poor screen placement

If you want patients to get something out of your digital signage, they have to be able to see the screens that you use – no matter where they are in your clinic.

That’s why it’s important to think carefully about screen placement before investing in a digital signage solution.

Uninspiring or boring content

The messages that you share through digital signage are really important. But it’s equally important how you share that information with your audience.

If the content that you share is interesting, then people are more likely to pay attention to it. Make sure that you take the time to design engaging ads to get as much out of digital signage as possible.

Picking the wrong software

The software that you pick can also have a huge influence on how effective your digital signage solution is. 

You’ll usually want to opt for a software package that allows you to easily design custom displays and choose from pre-existing templates. It’s also helpful if your digital signage software can double as your waiting room entertainment.

How to increase patient engagement with digital signage: A step by step guide

Now that we know what to avoid, let’s get into how to improve patient engagement in your healthcare clinic or practice by utilizing digital signage.

Step 1: Add digital signage to your practice

The first step to boosting your patient engagement numbers is setting up your digital signage solution in your practice. 

As you do that, be sure to consider what it is exactly that you want to do with your digital signage system, since that could influence the best way to organize it.

For example, maybe you want to use digital signage to keep your patients entertained in the waiting area. If so, you’d want to make sure that you have screens that are large enough for people to see, no matter where they sit.

Or, perhaps you’d like your patients to be able to check themselves in with digital signage. In that case, you would want to invest in touch screens so that they could do that.

Step 2: Share important health information

One of the best ways to to improve their own health is through education. You can do that by using digital signage to share messages about common health problems like obesity, diabetes and the flu.

You can also use your digital signage to educate patients about the importance of remaining engaged. Utilizing this type of advertising can help to get patients thinking about how they engage with their healthcare plan, and whether there are ways they could be more engaged. 

Education around common health issues, as well as understanding that their level of engagement can directly influence their health outcomes, can be powerful motivators for driving patient engagement. 

Step 3: Advertise your offerings in your clinic

Chances are, your healthcare clinic offers a few services that can help people engage with their care plans more effectively.

If you can get a greater percentage of your patients using things like telemedicine, patient portals and mobile health apps, then you’re likely to see your engagement numbers rise.

That’s why it’s also a good move to use digital signage to advertise these engagement-centric services. Bringing these tools to the front of patients’ minds is the first step towards getting them to use them. And digital signage is a subtle yet effective way to do just that. 

Step 4: Make it easier for patients to visit your healthcare setting

You can also use digital signage to eliminate some of the perceived barriers that patients may have in their minds about coming to see you.

For example, many patients will avoid going to the doctor because of long wait times. You can focus on bringing wait times down for your patients by letting them check themselves in with digital signage.

This improves wait times because it frees up your front office staff to focus on other important tasks besides checking patients in. That way, they can get patients in and out of your office as efficiently as possible.

Eliminating other common barriers to care – whether perceived or real – can be a great way to make visiting your clinic more convenient for your patients, and to boost patient engagement.  

Other strategies for increasing your patient engagement figures

Digital signage is a great catch-all solution for improving your patient engagement figures. 

However, it’s definitely not the only way to work towards this goal. Here are a few other strategies that you can try alongside digital signage.

Remote patient monitoring

Technology like the Apple Watch and Fitbit enables patients to keep tabs on important health metrics while at home. Your healthcare clinic may benefit from adding technology that allows it to track this information.

This can be effective because it could help your patients feel connected to your clinic even when they don't have an appointment. And when you help people feel more connected to their health, you improve patient engagement.

Email newsletter

Another way of increasing patient engagement is to start up an email newsletter for your practice. These can be a good way to remind patients to keep tabs on their health.

A busy patient may not think about their health plan very often. But if you send them a health-focused newsletter every week, they’re likely to see it and start thinking about their health as a result. That’s a great way to promote engagement.

Social media availability

Nowadays, almost everybody is on social media. 

That’s why it could also be a good patient engagement strategy for your clinic to maintain a presence on popular social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

You don’t have to be available 24/7 on these platforms. But you could ask a staff member to respond to questions once or twice a day so that people feel like they can reach you on their social media site of choice.

Patients appreciate it when you make it easy for them to stay in touch with you.

Build a mobile app

The average person uses 9 mobile apps per day.  

That makes mobile apps another excellent channel for increasing patient engagement. You may want to consider building an app if you haven’t already.

If you can integrate your mobile app with technologies like Fitbit and Apple Watch, even better. The goal should be to create an app that helps patients stay on top of their health more effectively.

Digital signage software from UPshow makes it easy to engage patients

Do you think digital signage is right for your practice? If so, UPshow can help you take full advantage of the technology to increase patient engagement.

Our digital signage software offers a ton of pre-built and customizable display options. It also comes with more than 500 channels of live streaming entertainment for your waiting room.

Even better, you can track your digital signage’s performance over time with our built-in analytics tool. Collectively, these features make UPshow the easiest way to boost patient engagement in healthcare.

But don’t take our word for it. Get a free custom demo of UPshow today to see what kind of benefit it could drive for your clinic.

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Hospitality

How to Run a March Madness Themed Party At Your Sports Bar

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Every year, more than 10 million people watch March Madness. 

It’s a sporting event unlike any other and a fantastic opportunity for your sports bar to have some of its biggest days of the year.

But in order to capitalize on the event, your party needs to stand out from other March Madness events – and that can be tough to accomplish if you’ve never thrown one before.

We put together this guide to help you do it. Keep reading to get a step-by-step look at what it takes to throw a memorable March Madness party at your sports bar.

An overview of throwing a great March Madness party

We’ll get into the details of what separates an average March Madness party from a great one below. But for now, these are the most important things to keep in mind while planning yours:

  • Make sure that you have enough TVs to show all of the games
  • Get people in the mood with special drinks, menu items and discounts
  • Schedule enough staff members to keep up with the increased traffic
  • Use trivia quizzes to keep customers engaged during breaks in the action

Make sure that you take care of the basics

To throw a March Madness party that will get people talking, you need the following:

  • Enough TVs to show all of the important games
  • Digital signage software to power your game-day line-up
  • Plenty of good food and drinks
  • Decorations to bring your party to life
  • Ways to keep your guests entertained in between games

Don’t let these things ruin your party

You should also familiarize yourself with some of the most common ways that March Madness parties can be derailed.

Here are the top things to avoid while throwing one of these parties at your sports bar:

  • Not doing enough to make the event stand out from a normal day at your bar
  • Failing to schedule enough staff to work the party
  • Not using technology to make managing the event easier on you
  • Failing to make your bar a comfortable place to watch the games

Step 1: Make sure your bar’s set up will work for March Madness

One of the best parts of March Madness is the fact that there are so many entertaining games going on at the same time during the early rounds.

You want to make sure that the people who come to your bar can experience that. Make sure you have enough TVs in convenient locations throughout your bar to show all of the games at once.

Additionally, people might want to spend a lot longer in your bar than they usually do during your March Madness event. It’s a good idea to beef up your comfortable seating options to make that easy for them to do.

Finally, you may have a lot more people than usual in your bar during March Madness. It could be a good idea to rearrange your seating options to better accommodate patrons if you think your venue will get crowded.

Step 2: Add themed menu items, decorations and drinks

Part of throwing a great March Madness party is making sure the event feels like something special. Adding themed menu items, decorations and drinks to your menu should help get your guests in a festive mood.

If you need some inspiration, consider searching on Pinterest. You’ll find a ton of cool ideas and instructions on how to make the decorations. It's a great way to set your March Madness celebration apart from others.

Step 3: Advertise your March Madness party

Next up is making sure that people know about the legendary party you’re about to throw. There are lots of good ways to make sure people get the message.

First, you can use digital signage to advertise the event to patrons while they’re in your bar. That way, you ensure that your most loyal customers know about the event.

You can also run ads online, leverage email marketing or post on social media. Online advertising could help you get the attention of people who might not visit your bar otherwise.

Ultimately, you know what the most effective marketing channel is for your sports bar. Be sure to use it to advertise your party in the run-up to March Madness so that all of your planning doesn’t go to waste.

Learn About UPshow's Digital Signage Solution

Step 4: Make sure that you have enough staff working

If there’s one thing that will stop your March Madness party in its tracks, it’s not having enough staff on-hand during the event. 

The people who come to your bar do so, in part, to enjoy your food and drinks. If you don’t have enough staff on hand to serve them promptly, they’re not likely to stay very long.

If you’re worried about not having enough staff for the event, one idea is to set up self-ordering kiosks with digital signage. These let customers place their own orders on tablets so that your staff can focus on other tasks. 

Self-order kiosks essentially let you get more done with the same number of people working. This convenient technology could be a good fit for March Madness parties.

Step 5: Set up digital signage in your bar

Digital signage software can make it much easier for you to manage your screens during the chaos of March Madness.

With it, you can completely customize what you show on every screen from a single internet-connected device. That means you won’t have to worry about manually changing the channel on each TV constantly as the games begin and end.

Additionally, you can completely customize the ads that you show in-between games when you’re using digital signage. That way, you get to advertise for your bar instead of giving away that advertising space to other companies for free.

Step 6: Keep things interesting during breaks in the action

Even though it feels like there’s always a game on during the early rounds of March Madness, you will still have some downtime during the day.

If you can keep your guests entertained during that downtime, they are more likely to stay in your bar until the next round of games begins.

One fun way to do this is by hosting March Madness trivia contests when there aren’t any games on. This will keep the March Madness spirit alive and give your patrons something to do while waiting for the games to start again.

You can even offer a prize, like free drinks or a free meal, for whoever gets first place.

If you’re looking for a built-in solution to sports game downtime, UPshow’s Watch to Win tool promises to keep customers on their toes for the entire game.  

Other tips for throwing a memorable March Madness event

We’ve covered all the main points of throwing a memorable March Madness bash, but here are some additional ideas you can use to make your event stand out.

Consider offering sports betting

Sports betting is a growing industry in the United States and March Madness is one of the biggest days of the year for it. 

In 2021 alone, more than 30 million Americans placed a bet on March Madness games.

The sports betting market is one that your bar may want to tap into. You could do that by partnering with a local sportsbook and receiving a cut or by setting up your own betting options with digital signage.

Offer catering

Some people may prefer to watch March Madness at home in a more intimate setting. But you could still get their business if you offer catering options for the big event.

For example, you might let people stop by in the morning to pick up appetizers and entrees. Or, depending on local laws in your area, you could even offer drinks to-go.

Make sure people get home safely

Lastly, your guests will likely be drinking a lot during your March Madness party, so you want to be sure that their time with you ends safely.

One way to do that is by offering to call people taxis when they need them. You could also advertise Lyft and Uber on your screens with digital signage to remind people that they don’t have to drive home on their own.

Throwing a March Madness party to remember is easier with digital signage

Digital signage can help you get more out of your March Madness event. With it, you’ll have more control over your screens, be able to run your own advertisements in-between games, and let your guests take advantage of sports betting and self-service.

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Hospitality

How to get the Most Out of Your Super Bowl Watch Party

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For nearly a hundred million Americans, there’s nothing quite like watching the Big Game with the people that you care about most.

Watching the game in your community can make the event even more special. 

That’s why if you run a bar or restaurant, hosting a watch party can be a great way to encourage people to hang out at your venue and watch the game.

However, to get the most out of your watch party, you’ll need to use the right strategy. 

That’s why we’ve created this article. Keep reading for a step-by-step guide to getting the most out of your bar or restaurant’s Big Game watch party.

Why focus on optimizing your Big Game watch party?

Delivering an enjoyable watch party to your patrons is likely to be good for your bottom line. 

Data shows that bars and restaurants in some parts of the country saw a 97% increase in business on the day of the Big Game. So hosting a watch party for the Big Game could very well be one of your biggest days of the year.

But people can only watch the game at one venue. If you want to do as much as possible with this opportunity, you’ll have to make sure that they choose yours over the competition. 

The best way to do that is by giving your guests the best Big Game watching party experience in the area. We’ll cover how to do that below.

Something to consider before creating your plan

The biggest thing to keep in mind while planning your watch party is your customers and their preferences. The ideal setup for your event will vary based on who your regulars are and what they like.

For example, the perfect Big Game party at a dive bar known for its cheap drinks will likely be very different from what an ideal watch party would look like at a place that caters to an audience that’s looking for a luxury experience.

If you’re not sure what your customers would want, the best strategy is to ask them directly. You can do that by informally chatting with them in your bar or restaurant or by sending out surveys to your social media followers or email lists.

Step 1: Create a comfortable watching environment

Perhaps the most important part of throwing the perfect watch party is making sure that your guests are as comfortable as possible throughout it. If they’re not, chances are they won’t stick around for the entire game.

So the question becomes, how do you make your patrons as comfortable as possible?

First, make sure that you have big TVs placed throughout your bar. You want to make sure that a guest will be able to see the game clearly no matter where they sit.

Additionally, make sure that you have the right seating layout for the event. If you expect to have large crowds of people coming in together, you may need to make some changes to your existing setup.

Step 2: Broadcast the game with digital signage

The technology that you use to broadcast the game to your audience can also have a big impact on how enjoyable the experience is for them.

If you want to make sure that your game day event goes off smoothly, consider using digital signage to broadcast it.

Digital signage software like UPshow lets you stream live sporting events like the Big Game to your patrons while also controlling the advertisements shown in-between play.

Whether you’re hosting a watch night for the Oscars or a watch party for the biggest sporting event of the year, digital signage gives you more control over your broadcast so that you can optimize the experience for your guests.

Step 3: Come up with a themed menu

Big game watch parties are practically holidays in the United States. So you want to make sure that you create that type of feeling for the guests in your bar or restaurant. Coming up with a themed menu is one of the most effective and fun ways to do that.

There are lots of creative directions that you can go with this to make your establishment stand out from others in the area.

For example, you could create dishes that are themed around the top players on each team. Or you could add special items to your menu that you don’t usually have in celebration of the event.

Doing this can not only help you pull in more customers for the event but may also increase your sales figures during it. Talk about a win-win!

Step 4: Offer special discounts

This is another good strategy for getting more people into your bar or restaurant to watch a special event. You can create a special discount that ties into the theme of the event to create a more festive atmosphere as well.

For example, if you’re hosting a Big Game watch party, you could offer discounts on drinks to people who wear one of their favorite team’s jerseys.

Or, if you’re hosting something like an Oscars’ watch party, you could offer a discount for people who dress up like they would if they were actually at the Oscars.

Doing this will help to get people in the mood for the event by creating a more festive atmosphere. That way, the watch party that you’re throwing feels more differentiated from a normal day at your establishment.

Step 5: Advertise your watch party online and in your bar or restaurant

Running a successful advertising campaign could be key to unlocking the full potential of your watch party. You need enough people to know about the event if you want to hit the goals that you have for it.

That’s why it’s often best to use a multi-pronged marketing strategy. You can run in-venue ads with digital signage software to make sure that you’re targeting your most loyal customers.

Then, consider also advertising the event on your social media pages and email lists. You may even want to run geographically-targeted PPC ads to get your event in front of a new audience.

Step 6: Be sure to schedule extra staff

Even if you plan the perfect event and market it effectively, it still could wind up missing the mark if it’s impossible to order foods and drinks during it.

The last thing that you want is for customers to feel like they need to go elsewhere if they want prompt service during the event. That’s why it’s important to make sure that you have all hands on deck for the big event.

Step 7: Consider letting customers order on their own

If you’re worried about not having enough staff on-hand for the big day, then consider setting up a system that will let your customers place their own orders.

That way, your team can focus on bringing out customers’ orders as quickly as possible instead of having to go back and forth constantly between the dining room and the kitchen to take and deliver them.

Digital signage is perfect for this. You can use it to set up interactive touchscreens that let customers place their own orders to help your staff operate more efficiently during the watch party.

Looking for that extra wow factor for your watch party?

Maybe you’ve hosted watch parties before, and want to try something a little different, or maybe you simply want to stand out from the crowd. Trying one of the following ideas could take your watch party from great to memorable. 

Offer catering

Maybe your establishment isn’t large enough to host the Big Game watch party that you envision. That doesn’t mean you still can’t make this a big day for your business.

An alternative to hosting an in-venue party is to provide food and drinks for your customers’ at-home events with catering. Setting up special game-day catering services can be another excellent way for you to make the most of the big day, and to help your local community to celebrate.

Bring in cheerleaders

If you really want to get your customers into the mood, consider hiring a group of local cheerleaders to ramp up the crowd. Doing this could immediately get your customers into the Big-Game mindset!

You can even use cheerleaders before the event as a form of advertising. If people see cheerleaders in your establishment, they’re probably going to be curious about why they’re there. And that’s the perfect opportunity to make sure your customers know about your upcoming watch party.

Fire up the crowd

You can also instruct your staff to fire up the crowd during the Big Game to create a more festive atmosphere. This could include having staff members cheer during big plays or ring a bell after each touchdown.

You could even run special promotions that are tied to in-game events. For example, if one team scores, you could offer a discount on the themed dish or drink that represents that team for the next 10 minutes.

UPshow makes it easier to power your watch party with digital signage

Watch parties for events like the Big Game can seriously boost your restaurant or bar’s bottom line. And if you want to get as much out of these events as possible, investing in digital signage is a smart way to do it.

Digital signage gives you more control over how you advertise big events and display them to your audience. It’s a great way to set your establishment apart from others in the area.But why take our word for it? Let us show you instead. You can sign up for a free custom demo of UPshow today to see exactly how much you can benefit from digital signage.

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Opening a Gym? Here Are 7 Reasons You'll Need Digital Signage

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A successful gym can generate more than $20,000 per month

So if you’re a fitness enthusiast with an entrepreneurial streak, you might be thinking of opening one.

If so, you’ll need to make sure that you have the right equipment and staff in place. But investing in the right technology could really help to set your fitness center apart from others in the area.

That’s why you should seriously consider adding digital signage to your gym from day one. We’ll tell you the top seven ways that digital signage can benefit your gym, so keep reading to learn more.

What is digital signage?

Digital signage is a type of electronic signage. It’s made up of three main components:

First, digital signage has hardware. These are electronic screens like televisions as well as mounts, payment devices and digital signage media players.

Next, digital signage has software. This is what companies use to broadcast the displays that they want to show their audience through their screens.

Finally, digital signage has content. This is what your audience sees through your screens. It could be streaming video entertainment, advertisements or even interactive games.

Why your gym needs digital signage

Adding digital signage to your gym can help you reach your goals. Digital signage is an extremely effective tool for advertising, entertaining and engaging with your clients and customers.

We’ll highlight some of the main ways that gyms can use digital signage in this section.

1. Keep your members updated on upcoming events

Many gyms use virtual calendars to keep their members aware of upcoming classes, events and personal training opportunities

But the number of members who will go through the trouble of manually accessing your calendar on their own devices is typically much lower than the amount of foot traffic that you get in your gym.

That’s why it’s a smart idea to share your virtual calendar in the gym itself — and digital signage makes that really easy to do.

With digital signage, you can display your gym’s virtual calendar on every screen in your facility. That way, everyone who enters your gym will see what you have coming up next — regardless of whether they end up accessing your calendar on their own or not.

2. Capture attention with engaging on-screen content

Companies have never had more competition for consumers’ attention. 

It’s why those businesses that can capture and hold it tend to thrive. Digital signage can help your gym capture and hold its members’ attention for longer.

That’s because you can use your digital signage to display a wide variety of content at whatever schedule you think is right for your audience. This gives you a ton of flexibility.

For example, you might have a group of professionals who come into your gym before work every morning. During that time, you could use digital signage to show the news.

Perhaps later on in the day, your audience changes to a younger demographic. With digital signage, it becomes super easy to change the content that you show to match their preferences.

So if you’ve been having trouble with holding your members’ attention for as long as you’d like, then digital signage could help you fix the issue.

3. Advertise add-on services like personal training

Digital signage is also the perfect technology for advertising add-on purchase options to your members. It’s great for highlighting the benefits of personal training, the gear that you sell and the nutritious items that you carry.

The cool part is, you can advertise all of these things on a single screen. Digital signage lets you create automated display rotations, so you can run as many different types of ads as you want without having to print out and display a bunch of posters.

If you’d like to get more of your members involved with personal training, you could even advertise the schedule of some of your top providers. That way, your audience doesn’t just see that you’re offering personal training, they also see a specific time they could access this service that works for their schedule.

4. Make it easier for customers to sign up for classes

Classes are one of the biggest sources of revenue for most gyms. 

This means that you’ll usually want to be sure that you keep your average attendance rate as high as possible.

You’re much likelier to achieve your attendance rate goal if it’s quick and convenient for your guests to sign up for classes. And digital signage makes this easy to do.

You can set up digital signage software on interactive devices, like tablets or touchscreens. Then, you can let your members sign up for classes directly on the device.

That way, a member doesn’t have to wait in line at the front desk at the end of a long workout to sign up for a class they’re interested in attending.

Instead, digital signage helps you to streamline the entire sign-up process, making it a more accessible and hassle-free experience.

5. Educate your guests

Digital signage is also a great tool for educating your guests about important topics in health and fitness. 

For example, you can create displays that stress the importance of a healthy diet and show what a healthy diet looks like for people with different types of fitness goals.

You can also use digital signage to introduce new workouts to your members and teach them how to perform each exercise safely.

Doing this can help to make your gym not only a place where people can go to work out, but also one where they can learn to take better care of themselves. This increases the value that you provide, which should help your revenue improve over time.

6. Use QR codes to achieve your marketing goals

Digital signage is a really effective way to market everything that your gym has to offer. One of the most promising ways to use this technology for that purpose is by displaying QR codes on your digital signage-powered screens.

If you’re not familiar, people can scan QR codes on their phones to automatically go to whatever link you want. There are a lot of really interesting ways to use this technology for marketing in your gym.

For example, maybe you recently created a fitness app that you’d like to get more of your members using. Instead of telling members where they can go to download it, you can just display a QR code that automatically takes them to the download page on your screens.

QR codes are also a good tool for getting people onboarded to your email list, or for encouraging them to take advantage of limited-time offers.

7. Make your gym a more enjoyable place to be

Overall, digital signage can make your gym a more enjoyable place for your members to be. It accomplishes that by giving you the ability to entertain them in lots of unique ways.

Whether you want to show regional sports games or viral videos, digital signage gives you the power to do it. And when your members can access the content that they want to see while working out, they’re much less likely to look elsewhere for a fitness solution.

How to add digital signage to your gym

Now that you know everything that digital signage can do for a gym, you may be ready to add it to yours. If so, the first step in that process is making sure that you have the right screens.

You want to make sure that everyone sees the messages you’re sharing through digital signage. So be sure that you have enough screens in your fitness center for that to happen.

But perhaps even more important than screens is selecting the right digital signage software. And if you’re looking for the best software for your fitness center, UPshow is one you should take a serious look at.

UPshow can power your gym’s digital signage solution

UPshow offers comprehensive digital signage software that lets you accomplish all of your advertising and entertainment goals with a single solution.

With UPshow, you get access to more than 500 channels of live streaming entertainment. You can also choose from our wide variety of advertising templates or easily create your own displays from scratch on any internet-enabled device.

We even give you access to a ton of insightful data about the performance of your displays so that you can easily see what’s working for your gym and what isn’t.But don’t just take our word for it. You can sign up for a free custom demo of UPshow today to see the value that we offer for yourself.

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Interactive Wall Projections Can Help Enhance Your Customer Experience

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The pandemic has completely changed the rules of retail. Nowadays, if you want to stay ahead of the competition (online and off), it can be hugely beneficial to provide your customers with a unique shopping experience.

One of the most effective ways to do that is by setting up interactive wall projection technology in your stores. It’s an investment that could help your company thrive in today’s shifting retail landscape.

But what are interactive wall projections? And how can you use them to enhance your company’s bottom line?

We put together this article to answer those questions. Keep reading to learn more.

What is an interactive wall projection?

Interactive projection mapping are essentially an upgraded version of traditional wall projections.

The main difference is that instead of only projecting a static image or video, interactive wall projection technology lets you share displays that interact with their environment.

For example, you could set up an interactive display wall where the users can control the projected image by manipulating their motion in several ways. 

This puts the person that you’re trying to advertise your products to inside the ad itself. This interactive element is what makes interactive wall projections such a powerful way to drum up new business for your company.

What are interactive digital walls made of?

To create an interactive wall projection, you’ll need three different technological components:

An interactive digital wall helps drive conversions

There are a few reasons why investing in an interactive wall projection system could make sense for your company.

Perhaps one of the most compelling reasons to invest in interactive technologies is that they can help you convert more of the traffic that you’re seeing in your stores. Here’s how.

Interactive projections give your products the display they deserve

The way that you introduce a product to your intended audience typically has a huge impact on how likely they are to purchase it from you. 

Interactive wall projections empower you to display your products to your customers in the perfect way for converting them. Interactive product displays are usually large, which means they immediately stand out from other advertisements in the area due to the unique medium they employ.

This opens up a whole new world of possibilities for how you share your company’s products with its customers.

Build stronger recognition for your brand with a digital interactive wall

Interactive projections can also help you build your brand image in a new direction. 

Interactive walls give you the power to share stunning visual displays in a myriad of creative ways. This should make it much easier for your company to capture the essence of what it’s all about in its ads.

The idea is that customers will notice what you’re doing thanks to the ad’s unique nature and (hopefully!) form an immediate connection to your brand. 

This means that if you’re looking to improve brand recognition, then investing in an interactive digital wall projection could be a great way to get started.

Teach customers about special product features with your interactive wall

Interactive wall projections can also be an excellent tool for educating your customers about various products. 

The interactive nature of this technology makes it a great fit for teaching customers about your latest and greatest features in an intuitive and hands-on way.

Highlight your best stuff on interactive walls

If you have a new product that you really want to let shine, then sharing it through an interactive wall projection could be your best bet. 

Interactive projections on walls immediately attract the attention of everyone who passes by. You can deploy it strategically to ensure that your customers pay attention to the right products at the right times.

Capture more attention with an interactive wall display

Maybe your goal as a company is capturing more overall attention from passers-by. If so, then interactive wall projections can help you to achieve this. 

For example, you can use interactive projections on walls to capture the attention of anyone who passes by your store on the street. It’s a great way to bring more foot traffic into your store because it can create curiosity about what you’re doing and why.

And once you start getting more people into your doors, it becomes much easier to boost your revenue figures.

How do interactive wall projections help companies deliver better experiences to customers?

Interactive wall projections aren’t just great for businesses. They can also provide customers with a more enjoyable shopping experience. Here are a few reasons why that’s true.

Make shopping fun with interactive walls

Let’s face it. Shopping is a pretty uniform experience no matter where you go nowadays. You look through some aisles, pick what you want from the shelf and pay for it––there’s not a whole lot of variance.

But what if your customers got to play around with an interactive, full-scale wall projection while they shopped at your store? That would be a big breath of fresh air for them and a nice break from normal. 

Interactive digital displays offer the type of unique experience that has the potential to make a customer remember your brand, and be more likely to return to your store in the near future.

Bring people together with interactive wall displays

An interactive wall projection can give friends and family members something entertaining to do while out and about.

Having fun like this can help to bring people together and you’ll play a small part in facilitating that by using interactive wall projection technology in your store.

The bonus? Your brand just became extra memorable. 

Showcase your products’ strengths effectively with interactive walls

Customers go shopping because they want to find products that align with their needs. 

So if you can communicate the strengths of your products in a more impactful and noticeable way, then you’re doing your customers a service by helping to make sure that they find the right product for themselves.

This can cut down browsing time and remove frustration around unclear product offerings or features. 

Getting started with an interactive wall projection systems

Now that we know why interactive wall projection is worth investing in, let’s take a look at what you need to get started with it. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide that you can use to bring interactive projections to your store.

Step 1: Define your objectives for the digital interactive wall

First up is figuring out what exactly you hope to achieve with interactive wall projection technology. 

Do you want to attract more passers-by to come into your store? Or are you trying to convert more of the audience that you already have in your shops?

Your answer here will determine the direction that you’ll want to go with the technology that you purpose. So make sure that you’re specific about what you hope to achieve before spending any money.

Step 2: Purchase the right interactive projector

Once you’ve defined your goals, you’re ready to purchase the technology that will help you reach them. 

The first thing that you need is a high brightness interactive wall projector that has the technical specifications needed to cover your entire space.

Then you’ll need specialized digital signage software that lets you create interactive displays and share them with your customers. UPshow can be a big help for this.

Step 3: Create your interactive wall displays

Once you’ve set up your technology, you’re ready to begin creating the displays that you’ll share through it. 

Interactive wall projections can be an incredibly engaging technology, which you can use to create a ton of different display types. Don’t be afraid to get creative!

If you really want to make sure that you nail this part, you may want to work with a designer. They can help you figure out and create the optimal displays for your space, product, and goals.

Step 4: Track your progress over time and adapt

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you’ve finished the job once you’ve created your displays and started to share them. You still need to make sure that your displays are doing what you want them to do after you’ve set them up.

The most relevant metric for this will vary based on the goals you established at the outset of this project. Use those goals as your guide and don’t be afraid to shake things up a bit if you find that you’re not making the progress that you want.

UPshow’s software can power your digital interactive walls

Setting up an interactive wall projection system in your stores could be just the thing you need to stand out from the retail competition. If you think this technology is right for you, consider reaching out to UPshow.

Our digital signage software is the ideal solution for interactive wall projections. You can use it to create in-depth customized displays and choose from quick and easy templates.

You can even use interactive display software to entertain your audience with hundreds of live streaming channels. Or use it to engage your customers with interactive projector games. Whatever you hope to achieve with digital signage, UPshow makes it easier to do so.

So why wait? Take the first step towards redefining your store by reaching out to set up a free custom demo today. We look forward to hearing from you.

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How Big is the Patient Engagement Solutions Market?

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COVID-19 made patient engagement a much larger priority for many healthcare providers. Maybe that’s what’s gotten you interested in this topic.

If so, you probably have a lot of questions about the patient engagement solutions market.

What products does it consist of? Why do healthcare clinics use them? And just how big is the market, anyway?

We put together this article to answer those questions for you. Keep reading to learn more.

What are patient engagement solutions?

A patient engagement solution is any tool that a healthcare clinic uses to prompt patients to become more active participants in their health plans.

Engaging your patients comes with loads of benefits. So when healthcare companies invest in technology that makes it easier for them to do that, they typically see a positive return on that investment.

How big is the patient engagement solutions market?

As of 2020, the patient engagement solutions market had a valuation of $4.41 billion.

That’s already a sizable figure. But analysts predict that the market should reach around $5 billion by the end of 2021 and experience roughly 16.6% annual growth from now until 2028.

This growth stems from increasing consumer demand for digital healthcare products and a growing recognition of their value from providers.

Why invest in patient engagement products?

If you’re thinking of investing in patient engagement products, there are several good reasons to do so. Here’s a look at the most important benefits of entering into this market.

Improve patients’ health outcomes

Engaged patients are more active participants in their health plans. 

They tend to follow the advice that they get from their physicians and will often track their progress towards important health goals from home.

That’s why research shows that engaged patients typically have better health outcomes than non-engaged ones. So making a strategic investment in patient engagement technology could help you deliver more impactful care to your patients.

Increase loyalty

Additionally, engaged patients tend to be more loyal than their non-engaged counterparts. This makes sense. When someone engages with their healthcare, they usually make more of an effort to get to the doctor’s office and form relationships with their physicians.

Of course, a patient is also more likely to be loyal to your practice if you provide them with their desired healthcare outcome. And investing in patient engagement technology could help you do that.

Bring in more revenue

Ultimately, boosting your patient engagement figures should also help you bring in more revenue.

When your patients are more engaged, they both visit your practice more often and stay loyal to it for longer. That means investing in patient engagement technology should help you hang onto more of the new business that you get.

The hidden costs of ignoring patient engagement

Patient engagement solutions can be costly. That could make some clinics hesitant to invest in them. But these healthcare providers may actually end up costing themselves more in the long run by ignoring patient engagement technologies.

Healthcare is a competitive industry. Patients have a choice over their providers and will select the ones that give them the best experience and outcomes.

That means if your competition starts investing in patient engagement tools and you don’t, you could start losing patients to them.

So although you will have to spend some money upfront to get started with patient engagement technology, doing so could help you avoid significant downside in the future.

Leveraging patient engagement solutions to improve your clinic

Now that we know both how big the patient engagement solutions market is and why it’s that big, let’s look at some of the ways that you can leverage these tools to help your clinic.

Add digital signage to your clinic

One of the most effective ways to start improving patient engagement at your clinic is to invest in digital signage. 

That’s because digital signage empowers you to accomplish several patient engagement tasks with a single technology.

For example, you can do each of the following things with digital signage:

  • Share important health information
  • Direct patients to health resources
  • Advertise your digital offerings
  • Tell patients about the importance of being engaged
  • Minimize barriers to care

Check out this article to learn more about how digital signage helps healthcare clinics.

Create a patient portal

Another great way to boost your engagement metrics is to add a patient portal to your website. These enable your patients to interact with their healthcare team from the comfort of home.

Patient portals make it much easier for patients to stay engaged with their healthcare plans because they provide a straightforward way for them to communicate questions and concerns with their physicians.

Here are some of the features that you may want to prioritize while building out your patient portal:

  • Test results
  • Medical records
  • Insurance management
  • Medication plans
  • Personalized patient data

Invest in telehealth

Telehealth has grown quite a bit since COVID-19. Now, many patients are starting to expect it from their healthcare providers.

So if you don’t already have a telehealth service set up, now could be the perfect time to get started with one. Doing so should help to boost your patient engagement numbers by giving them the ability to visit with a physician without having to leave the comfort of home.

Offer remote patient monitoring integrations

Another major trend in patient engagement is the rise of individual health monitoring devices, such as the FitBit and Apple Watch. If you’re looking to engage your patients more, one idea is to start offering integrations for these with your healthcare plans.

For example, you could add FitBit integration to your clinic’s mobile app. That way, a patient can automatically share their health information with their doctor once they sync their app with their wearable device.

This could help your team deliver better health outcomes to its patients as well by giving them access to more up-to-date information about their health.

Put out an educational newsletter

Newsletters are a great way to share the latest health information with your patients. Simply providing them with this information could help to make them more engaged with their overall health.

But newsletters are also a good way to keep your clinic at the top of a patient’s mind. If someone reads your newsletter every week, they’re much likelier to think of your clinic the next time that they need medical attention.

Build a mobile app

Nowadays, so much of what we do happens on our smartphones. 

That’s why it’s important to ensure that your patients can easily interact with your clinic while they’re on their phones. And the most effective way to do that is by creating a mobile app.

Your mobile app is a great place to share important health updates with your audience.

You can also build out features that make it easier for patients to work on their health. For example, you could add an eating journal to the app for patients who need to lose weight.

As you’re designing the app, make sure you survey your patients to see what features they would find useful. That way, you make sure that you’re spending your limited resources building out the features that will truly deliver the most value to your target audience.

Sign up for patient engagement software

It could also be a good move to set up software at your clinic that’s specifically devoted to the task of patient engagement.

This type of software usually helps you accomplish the following patient engagement tasks:

  • Sending out appointment reminders
  • Secure messaging
  • Patient scheduling and registration
  • Online and mobile bill payments
  • Marketing

Just make sure that you do some research before signing up for one of these services. There are lots of options out there and you’ll want to consider at least all of the major ones before making a financial commitment.

UPshow helps healthcare clinics engage patients

The patient engagement solutions market is big and getting bigger. If you want to start taking advantage of these services, then one of the most cost-effective ways to do so is by adding digital signage to your practice.

UPshow makes that easier for you to do with our digital signage software. It makes it incredibly easy to:

But don’t just take our word for it. You can experience the UPshow difference for yourself by signing up for a free custom demo of our software today.

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How to Engage Your Patients With Digital Pharmacists

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Digital pharmacies have grown 17% in the last year. And the majority of these new users are between the ages of 17 and 34.

Statistics like these suggest that digital pharmacies are not only here to stay, but they may disrupt the traditional pharmacy model significantly in the coming years.

That means if you run a healthcare clinic, adding a digital pharmacist offering could be just what you need to prepare yourself for the future.

If you’re wondering how to do that, you’re in the right place. Keep reading to learn everything that you need to know about becoming a digital pharmacy.

What is a digital pharmacy, exactly?

Let’s begin with a quick overview of what a digital pharmacy is so that we’re on the same page.

A digital pharmacy is like a traditional pharmacy that patients can order from, but the process occurs online. These companies handle the entire prescription process digitally, from consultation to medication delivery.

Customers enjoy using digital pharmacies because they’re ultra-convenient. An individual who previously would’ve had to go to a doctor’s office, get a prescription and then go pick up their medication can get what they need without ever having to leave their home.

Understanding their position in the healthcare industry

As of today, the best way to describe digital pharmacies is as a growing trend in the healthcare industry. They make an inconvenient process much more convenient and are, therefore, projected to grow in the coming years.

But the vast majority of this growth has yet to occur. Research shows that digital pharmacies still account for just 1% of all U.S. pharmacy sales.

That means if you’re considering getting started with one, now could be a great time to do so. It would allow you to gain an early foothold in a developing market segment that could be sizable in the near future.

How digital pharmacies help healthcare clinics engage patients

Patient engagement is a big deal for healthcare clinics. 

Those who do it well tend to have higher levels of patient satisfaction. That usually means these clinics have more loyal patients, which means they hold on to a higher percentage of their business over time.

Investing in creating a digital pharmacy can be an excellent strategy for boosting your patient engagement numbers.

A digital pharmacy is a patient engagement tool because it gives your patients access to more healthcare services from the comfort of home. This makes it much easier for them to stay engaged with your clinic since they would be able to do so without having to visit you in person.

The components of a great digital pharmacy

The first step towards engaging your patients with digital pharmacists is understanding what makes this service popular in the first place. That way, you can make sure that you emphasize those features while building out your platform.

Here are the three main components of a great digital pharmacy.

Telehealth consultations

At the beginning of 2018, only about 25% of physicians offered telehealth services. 

By 2020, that number was up to 80%. The dramatic increase signals a growing consumer demand for telehealth.

Your practice will need to tap into this to become a true digital pharmacy. Offering telehealth consultations is the first step towards satisfying your patients’ medication needs online.

Home delivery

Next up is home delivery. The best digital pharmacies make it as easy as possible for their patients to get their medications delivered straight to their doorsteps. Yours should do the same.

Mobile app

Finally, it’s also important to have a strong mobile app as a digital pharmacy. 

That’s because you want your patients to feel as though they have complete control over their medications without having to visit you in person to make changes.

There’s a clear demand for these types of apps in the United States, with about 68.7 million people using health apps across the country.

Getting started with a digital pharmacy

Now that we know what a digital pharmacy is and what features make it a patient favorite, let’s start laying the groundwork for creating a digital pharmacy. Here are four tips to help you get started.

Set up a telehealth service

The first part of this process is making sure that you’re able to provide your patients with consultations online. That way, you can prescribe them the medications that they need without them having to visit your clinic.

When setting up a telehealth service, make sure that you comply with all local regulations. Yours will vary based on your location, but it’s important to follow them so that you don’t put your patients’ confidential information at risk of being exposed.

It’s also a good idea to check in with your patients before starting to build a telehealth service. You can ask them what they would value in a telehealth service and then make sure that you add that to your final product.

Doing this will ensure that you’re not spending time and money on creating a product that isn’t actually an ideal match for your patients’ preferences.

Upgrade your mobile app

Mobile apps are another big part of digital pharmacies. Patients enjoy being able to manage their prescriptions in the palm of their hands. And you want to make sure that you provide them with that capability so that they don’t choose a competitor who will.

A key aspect of this is creating a patient portal that users can access via a mobile app. Patient portals keep patients in touch with prescribers and give them more control over and insight into their health.

Partner with a prescription delivery company

Next up is figuring out how you’re going to deliver those prescriptions to your patients. One of the easiest options is to partner with a company that’s already doing prescription deliveries.

This can be a good choice because you won’t have to build out the logistics capability on your end. It means you could get your digital pharmacy up and running faster than would otherwise be possible.

That being said, you may prefer to handle your operations independently from end to end. That’s certainly an option. But you’ll have to buy trucks, hire delivery drivers and invest in the framework that you need to safely and efficiently carry out deliveries.

This may pay off for you in the long run with a bigger profit margin over time. But it could take a bit for you to recoup your initial investment.

Make it easy for in-clinic patients to access your online services

It’s also a good move to make sure that your in-clinic patients can access your online services at the clinic. That’s true for a few reasons.

First, the primary way that new patients will find out about your digital pharmacy service is through visiting your clinic. If you give those patients who express an interest in the service the ability to sign up at your clinic, they’re much likelier to actually use it in the future.

Additionally, you want to make the transition between your in-person offerings and your online ones as seamless as possible. Allowing patients to access your digital pharmacy at your clinic makes that much easier to do.

Digital signage for a digital pharmacy

If you want your patients to be capable of accessing their digital pharmacy account at your clinic, digital signage is the best way to make that happen. It lets you set up interactive kiosks that patients can use to access their accounts.

The other cool thing is that you can use your digital signage kiosks for more than one purpose.

For example, you may invest in this technology to set up access points for your digital pharmacy. But you can also use those screens to allow patients to check themselves in and to advertise your clinic’s most important offerings.

UPshow makes it easier to become a digital pharmacy

If you think that digital signage is the best way to optimize your digital pharmacy, then you have to check out UPshow. Our digital signage software makes it incredibly easy to manage your in-clinic access points.

You can also use UPshow to keep your patients entertained while they wait with more than 500 channels of streaming video to choose from. Or, use our software to create customized ads that help engage your patients in other ways.

With UPshow, you get a versatile tool that can help you take your clinic to the next level.So why wait? Take the first step towards a better version of your clinic by reaching out to UPshow for a free demo today.

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