Increase your intranet traffic by combining SharePoint and Digital Signage 

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Microsoft SharePoint and digital signage are among the most popular tools to keep employees informed. Both solutions are very different, though, and anything but mutually exclusive. In fact, our experience tells us that SharePoint and digital signage can even enhance each other. SharePoint is particularly well suited as a central hub to manage knowledge and content, but many organizations struggle to get their employees to visit SharePoint frequently enough. Digital signage, on the other hand, is excellent for sharing information. When combined, they amplify each other in multiple ways. Here’s how to increase intranet traffic by combining SharePoint and Digital Signage.

1: Actively bring SharePoint content to your employees’ attention 

Perhaps the greatest benefit of digital signage is that it actively brings your SharePoint content to your employees. With digital signage, people will no longer have to visit SharePoint manually and search for information themselves. The content will automatically appear before them and get their full attention. 

Our integration with SharePoint makes your regular digital signage even better. Due to the fact that Netpresenter is a platform with multiple communication tools, such as a corporate screensaver and an app, your SharePoint content also appears automatically on workstations and cell phones. It will be impossible for your employees to miss out on any SharePoint content. 

2: More traffic to SharePoint 

Digital signage is also a great tool to generate more traffic to your SharePoint. Maybe you’ve got so much to tell that it won’t fit on a screen. Or you may want to point out a specific document for people to collaborate on. With a message on your digital signage (and also on your workstations and cell phones), you’ll remind your colleagues that there’s something important on SharePoint and that they should check that out as soon as they have the opportunity. On workstations and in the app, you can even provide your message with a hyperlink to SharePoint. Your employees are just one click away from the full message on SharePoint.

Rotterdam World Gateway (RWG) applies this method for their office staff. They use hyperlinks in messages on screensavers to direct their employees to SharePoint. ‘The popularity of and traffic to our intranet has increased considerably since we started using Netpresenter. This was measured,’ says Niels Dekker, Public Affairs & Communication Manager at RWG. ‘Netpresenter has definitely contributed to improving our internal communication.’ 

3: Reach new target groups 

Another significant advantage is that digital signage and SharePoint will reach different target groups. SharePoint is easily accessible when using PCs an, but what if employees are too busy to use those devices? Delivery drivers, nurses, teachers, factory workers; the group of non-desk employees is as large as diverse. Their common factor is that they have little or no access to a PC during their work. Sometimes they don’t even have a business email address. These are all factors that make it more difficult or even impossible for your employees to use SharePoint.

Digital signage, on the other hand, is very open and accessible. With a large screen in the break room, factory hall, or warehouse, your employees can see the most important SharePoint messages as they walk by. RWG, for example, placed large screens at their parking lot. This way, their truck drivers get to see the most important news and information about fault messages, delays, or unforeseen closing times while they are waiting. 

4: Less work thanks to automatic synchronization

Using multiple tools usually creates more work. Not just in terms of management by IT, but also for the colleagues in communication who need to create their messages twice. Nobody wants that. Fortunately, by combining SharePoint and digital signage, content management becomes easier instead. Netpresenter will automatically publish your SharePoint content on your digital signage.

Our smart targeting feature ensures that your message automatically reaches the right target group. If you have separate SharePoint sites for different locations, your SharePoint content will only appear on the digital signage screens at those locations. Everyone will automatically have access to just the right content. You’ll take full advantage of the power of both SharePoint and digital signage without any extra work!  

Does your organization also use SharePoint, and would you like to improve its reach drastically? Don’t hesitate to contact our consultants to find out what Netpresenter can do for your organization. Or download our free infographic with 5 tips to boost your SharePoint adoption.