Convinced that adopting an outdoor advertising media management software is the next step in your growth plans? Then your first task is to figure out which one will work best for you and your team, and then to evaluate the benefits of using automated software.
There are hundreds of tools listed on Google alone, not to mention the market as a whole. The available features range from simple location management to full-blown process automation, and from being free to costing hundreds of dollars a month.
The three steps outlined below will help point you in the right direction so you can start drawing up a list of software options and their advantages that will lift you and your team up rather than weighing you down.
1. Ask yourself if you really need a software
Before incurring yet another monthly expense, make sure that investing in software is the right step forward. For starters, make sure you aren’t shopping for customer management tools before you have any customers.
A popular starting tool for managing media location availability and campaign management is the humble spreadsheet, and there are plenty of helpful Excel dashboard templates out there to help you when you’re in that early stage of business. However, there will come a time when these won’t work quite as well anymore.
Here are some possible reasons why:
Your team has grown and too many people are editing the same spreadsheets
The time it takes to maintain information increased substantially
Spreadsheets are no longer a secure way to store sensitive client data
Once you hit the benefit ceiling of Excel and it becomes more of a burden and time-sucker than a helping hand, it’s time to turn to something a little more advanced. Managing data in a dedicated OOH advertising software platform has its advantages as it requires less manual work and it is a much safer way to manage valuable client data.
2. Do your homework before you start software shopping
Once you’re sure that you need software, discerning which one best fits your needs and budget may seem like a daunting task, but the key is to start with an internal analysis.
Before getting overwhelmed by the glitzy features an all-in-one promises made by software market leaders, start by isolating the day-to-day functions you and your team carry out. Once you do, divide them into categories based on function and the tools you are using to carry them out.
This will help you browse the value propositions and product pages of different software, and navigate you towards those that are more suitable for your needs. Plus you’ll get a solid overview of the tools that manage every facet of your out-of-home advertising business's day-to-day tasks.
Don’t throw the old stuff away just yet
Many software systems are built to integrate and sync with popular financial software. So before going Marie Kondo on your admin tools, take a moment to note down what it is about them that you find so tricky.
If you have already invested in software that’s not working out for you, you might be troubled by all the fancy features you pay for but never use. Or perhaps you are content with the product, but your needs as a customer aren’t met by their support team when problems pop up.
In the end, it all comes down to identifying your pain points. Below are some of the most common ones faced by teams using software that doesn’t suit their needs:
Time-consuming to manage
Not customizable enough
Too complicated for you or your team to use
Not scalable as your database of customers and team grow
If you are reading this guide and hunting for new software to manage your outdoor advertising media business, chances are you identify with at least one of these pain points. As tempting as a shiny, brand new solution may seem, the cost of changing out everything may be higher than you’re bargaining for.
Factor the cost of change into your software decision
According to Prosci, the more dependent a project's benefits are on adoption and usage, the more focus should be on effectively managing and easing your team into the change.
Therefore, you may want to look for an advertising software that is easy to combine with the tools you have in use. This will make it more likely to be adopted by your team, which should be the ultimate goal. As a starting point, it might even be best to go for very basic software that covers the basics, used in addition to the current mix to avoid shaking things up too much and stirring up resistance.
Many software is compatible with major email providers, financial software, and other basic office programs. Edge1 Outdoor Advertising Media Management Software, for example, is designed to integrate with rather than disrupting the tools in your sales process. You can read our page about integrating with Edge1 to see how it works.
If after all this evaluation you still want to ditch all the old tools, then, by all means, do so. The important thing is to think your decision through, and not to rush in before you and your team are ready.
3. Keep your key software stakeholders in mind
While you may be browsing software and software advantages on your own, it is important to remember who you’re shopping for. Whether you’re a manager or not, chances are that you will not be the only one benefiting from the implementation of out-of-home advertising software, so it’s important to think beyond your own needs.
First and foremost, before asking for feedback from your team, as a general rule of thumb you want your software’s advantages to include excellent customer support and an easy-to-implement framework. Avoiding overly-complex software systems or support teams that take over a week to get back to you is an easy way to ease the transition and make your teams’ lives easier.
The next thing to consider is the key functions your team is carrying out. Are they salespeople who will benefit greatly from forecasting and reporting features? Do they prefer a timeline view or is a Kanban board the best way to keep an eye on progress?
If you can’t answer these questions with certainty, just ask! Have a meeting to pinpoint your team’s biggest needs and priorities before making any definitive software choices.
Don’t forget about the guys upstairs
While it’s important to look at things from a ground perspective, it is equally important to consider the needs of the people up top when considering which software advantages are key to your OOH advertising business.
What are the business objectives of your organization? Is productivity an area of particular focus at this time? Understanding the budgetary concerns and quarterly goals of the key decision-makers involved in the purchase of software will give you more leverage when pitching its advantages.
A well-matched software means happy customers
While the focus so far has been on advantages within your team and organization, the impact of well-chosen out-of-home advertising software will also ripple into your customers’ experience.
By helping your team keep track of customer data, they will find it easier to adapt their services and offer support at different stages of the campaign.
Edge1 is an agile, highly customizable OOH advertising media (static, digital, and transit) management platform used globally by outdoor advertising media companies to manage their day-to-day processes. Set up a free demo to see if it's the right fit for you.
