HootBoard is a feature-rich digital signage, self-service bulletin board kiosk information system designed to engage your employees, visitors, or students through touch screens. This blog post will take you through the key features of HootBoard and its software, explaining how each function can be utilized and why they stand out in the industry.

Locally Published Apps

HootBoard’s commitment to enhancing user experience has led to the introduction of locally published apps. This feature enables you to:

• Create an app once and use it across multiple boards, saving time and effort.
• Ensure consistent messaging across all your boards, enhancing communication efficiency.

This feature is particularly useful for administrators managing multiple boards, eliminating the need for repetitive app creation.

Crowd Sourced Content

This feature allows for crowd-sourcing events, a fantastic tool for organizations with numerous happening in various locations. Here’s why this feature stands out:

• It allows for centralized event management, pulling content from multiple boards into one.
• It saves time by eliminating the need for updating the same event on different boards.

Imagine having a network of interactive touchscreen kiosks with each hosting unique events. Now, you can pull all these events onto a single board, ensuring comprehensive and organized coverage.

Publish Local Apps for Other Boards to Download

HootBoard further enhances its functionality by allowing users to publish local apps that other boards can download. This feature provides several benefits:

• It promotes consistency in messaging as other boards can download and use your created apps.
• It saves time and energy as you only need to create and upload the app once.

The process is simple: publish your local apps, assign an area to those apps, and promote them to other boards. If the app is beneficial for consistent messaging, other boards can easily download and use it.

Multimedia Content

HootBoard’s multimedia content feature allows organizations to distribute corporate content downwards while still enabling individual sites to manage local information.

• This feature is useful because it ensures consistency in an organization’s messaging across all branches.
• It also allows customization based on local needs, ensuring that each branch can tailor its content as required.
• For example, a multinational corporation could use this feature to disseminate company-wide announcements while allowing each branch to post updates specific to their location.

Multi-Location

The multi-location feature offered by HootBoard is a boon for organizations operating in multiple areas.

• This feature supports the distribution of corporate content to all locations while providing flexibility for each site to manage its local information.
• This creates a balance between unified corporate communication and localized content management.
• A retail chain with stores in multiple cities could utilize this feature to ensure consistent branding and messaging across locations, while also catering to the unique needs of each store.

Branding

With HootBoard, you can customize the platform to align with your organization’s branding.

• You can add your organization’s logo, use your brand’s colors, and even customize the background.
• This feature helps create a familiar and cohesive environment for employees or visitors when they interact with the board.
• A university, for instance, might use this feature to incorporate school colors and logos into their HootBoard, fostering a sense of school spirit and unity.

Analytics

HootBoard provides robust analytics that help organizations understand user engagement and improve their communication strategy.

• By monitoring how many interactions there are on your kiosks and content, you can make informed decisions about your content strategy.
• This feature is particularly useful for organizations that want to measure the effectiveness of their communication and engagement efforts.
• A museum, for instance, might use this feature to track visitor engagement with different exhibits and use this data to inform future exhibit planning.

In conclusion, HootBoard’s comprehensive features make it a compelling choice for any organization looking to optimize engagement and streamline communication across multiple locations. Its ability to blend corporate consistency with local customization, coupled with its branding and analytics capabilities, ensure it’s an invaluable tool in today’s digital age.

Key Software Features of HootBoard

HootBoard offers an array of features, including.

• Content Filtering: This feature ensures your boards only display relevant and appropriate content.
• Digital Signage: HootBoard offers a free version of its digital signage software, allowing you to manage unlimited remote screens.
• Touch Screen Support: Enhance user interaction with touch screen support, available even on TV screens.
• Weather Widget: Keep your team updated with real-time weather updates.
• Mobile Apps: HootBoard’s mobile apps ensure you can manage your boards even on the go.

The software also provides excellent customer service, making it a great choice for small to midsize businesses. With HootBoard, visitor information management becomes hassle-free, offering a streamlined approach to communication and engagement.

Want to Learn More?

Schedule a demo with HootBoard to see how its features can benefit your organization. You can also visit their website for more information and resources on optimizing communication and engagement through digital signage. With HootBoard, you can streamline your messaging, enhance user experience, and increase overall engagement seamlessly across multiple locations. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to elevate your organizational communication with HootBoard. So, start using HootBoard and experience the benefits for yourself! Let HootBoard revolutionize your communication strategy today.

Today we are excited to announce a significant milestone for HootBoard. With great pride, we are happy to introduce free versions of HootBoard’s easy to setup kiosk and digital signage software.

Make Your Digital Signage Content Look Great

Our mission here at HootBoard is to help people and organizations align better through effective communication and people engagement.

One of the first building blocks to achieving the mission was to create the first of its kind 360 degree communications platform that allows organizations to have a single effective place to communicate with their audience across all possible channels – web, mobile, digital signage, and touch kiosks. Award-worthy HootBoard-powered touch kiosks are now in use in over 14 countries across the globe and growing rapidly.

As part of this phase, we implemented some key concepts like being able to post once and have your communications post to multiple channels. We also launched our app store that allows users to create their own apps to point to a webpage or pull relevant content together.

A Digital Signage Solution for the Modern Age

Today I am happy to say that our relentless focus on this mission has allowed us to quickly become the kiosk software of choice for the tourism industry in the span of two short years.

With that success as a foundation, we feel we have an opportunity to align even better with our mission to help organizations of all sizes achieve success by effectively communicating with and engaging audiences that matter to them. The freemium access to some of the core functionality then makes a lot of sense.

Easily Set Up Your Free Digital Signage Software

Organizations can now set up their own digital signage and kiosks simply by signing up, and connecting to their HootBoard accounts via. a free screen id. Once they hit the monthly usage limit, they can decide if they want to upgrade or simply wait for the usage to reset the following month.

The free signage and the free digital kiosks functionality include a 100 monthly engagement units limit till some functionality gets hidden. Also, these screens may be ad-supported with reduced revenue sharing. We hope that making the freemium version available means more organizations will be able to take advantage of what we have to offer.

As always we love your comments and feedback – that is how we get better. If any of you have any questions or feedback, please reply or reach out to support@hootboard.com

Popular Digital Signage Uses

• Office Communication – HootBoard’s free digital signage software allows offices to display important announcements, meeting reminders, or performance metrics on smart TVs. It makes internal communication more engaging and efficient.
• Employee Engagement – Digital signage apps can be used to recognize employee achievements, share company news, office internal communications, or promote team building activities. With HootBoard, you can create dynamic content that engages employees and enhances their work experience.
• Deskless Workers – For workers who don’t have a dedicated workspace, digital signage media players can provide critical information and updates. The best part is HootBoard’s software works seamlessly with any operating system, including Android devices.
• Lobby Marketing – A digital display in a lobby can promote products, services, or upcoming events to visitors. HootBoard’s advanced features make it easy to distribute content to your target audience, enhancing the customer experience.
• Large Lobby Spaces – With HootBoard, any place with a large lobby can become an engaging content hub. The software allows for content scheduling, ensuring relevant information is displayed at the right time.
• Customer Experience – Digital signage can be used to provide useful information, advertise special offers, or entertain customers while they wait. HootBoard’s free account comes with unlimited storage, allowing businesses to create a variety of engaging content.

HootBoard’s free digital signage software has a user-friendly interface, eliminating the steep learning curve often associated with similar systems. Plus, if you need help, phone support is readily available. You can also embed a web page directly onto your digital display, providing even more ways to engage your audience.

Download HootBoard’s free digital signage apps today to revolutionize your communication strategy. With its advanced features and user-friendly interface, it’s the best digital signage software for businesses of all sizes.

Questions? Contact Our Digital Signage Team! We are Ready to Help

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us. We would love to tell you more about our free digital signage software. If you need case studies, or review from our many satisfied customers, we would love to provide that to you.

Some Good Questions to Consider Asking

If you need some guidance, here are some great questions to consider if you wish to learn more. Feel free to pick any question from this list that applies to you, and we can get started.

• What are the core features of HootBoard’s free digital signage software?
• Can I manage unlimited remote screens using your digital signage solution?
• How can I create engaging digital signage content using your platform?
• Are there any basic features that are not included in the free digital signage solutions but are available in paid digital signage plans?
• Can HootBoard’s digital signage software be used for digital menu boards and TV screens?
• Does your digital signage system support interactive digital signage?
• Are there free templates available for creating digital signage content?
• Can your digital signage software handle multiple screens at once?
• Is the digital signage player included in the free digital signage package or is it sold separately?
• How does your digital signage solution work with smart TVs and other mobile devices?
• Is your digital signage software completely free or are there hidden costs?
• Can your digital signage software be used to manage digital signage screens remotely?
• Is there an option for unlimited screens in your free digital signage solutions?
• Can your digital signage software be customized to meet my specific digital signage needs?
• Is HootBoard’s digital signage software based on open source digital signage technology?
• Can I display digital signs on multiple types of digital screens (e.g., TV screens, digital menu boards) with HootBoard’s software?

Hey! Why don’t you answer these questions here?

Good question! We would love to, however, every usecase has a different scenario for the above questions. In order for us to serve you as accurately as possible, we need to get more information from you. That’s why we offer these questions that you can choose from and bring to a discussion with one of our experts. You can ask however you’d like. You don’t have to call. Simply email, submit a form question, or schedule a time. We are here for you.

              
Satya Shahade
Founder & CEO, HootBoard

No internet? Offline kiosk functionality is here to handle it.

We understand how frustrating it is when your kiosk users don’t find something they need when kiosks are offline due to a network issue. With this new functionality, we have tried to solve exactly this. Here’s how we achieved this.

Appropriate messages

If something is not locally saved, with the right messages in the right places, we will now direct users to get the most out of your kiosk.

Easy switching to mobile phones

The messages will now have a QR code to direct them to your HootBoard on their mobiles once scanned. This will make it easier for users to access your board when they don’t have access to the kiosk due to a potential network issue.

This solution will handle your network issues for you. Go a ahead take a closer look at how it works right now.

If you need further assistance, you can reach out to us at support@hootboard.com. We will be happy to help. 🙂

Explore with the HootBoard City Guide!

Exploring a destination just got easier with the HootBoard CityGuide app. Let’s look inside the revamped HootBoard CityGuide.

City Guide Snapshots

HootBoard CityGuide provides screenshots of CityGuide as different apps that help the user categorize their search. These apps will also be recommended while installing a HootBoard developer app. So make sure you download all the recommended apps.

Places worth a visit

HootBoard provides its users with an inventory of all the places in the category they have selected. These are laid out as points on a map and a list.

Customize your search

With the customization tab, your users can now narrow their search further to their liking.

Need to know more?

Knowing more about a place is just a click away. HootBoard users can get more details (like phone number, opening hours, etc.) about the venue they are interested in.

Fetch directions to get there.

Want to visit a venue you like? Get directions immediately. HootBoard CityGuide provides clear instructions on how to get to that venue.

Claim your business

Find your business listed on the HootBoard CityGuide app. Claim it and create a board for it! Once a claim request is sent they will receive an email with instructions on how to claim it. In this way, you can improve the network of boards so your visitors can find information about locations of their choice.

Go ahead install the HootBaord CityGuide app on your HootBoard to help guests and visitors have a great time exploring your destination with HootBoard CityGuide.

If you need further assistance, you can reach out to us at support@hootboard.com. We will be happy to help. 🙂

Share away with the all-new Share Feature!

We hear you! We know how meaningful it is for you and your visitors to share something of interest with others. So we are here to make it possible, with the newly added Hoot and Board Share feature.

Sharing the hoots

Sharing the board

You can now share your HootBoard on social media with friends, family, or colleagues to increase engagement on your HootBoard. The Share Board button is in the board info dropdown.

Where can you share?

HootBoard makes it easy to share content that interests you on various platforms like WhatsApp, SMS, Email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Share content from anywhere. Be it via the HootBoard web, mobile, app, or kiosk. If you find something good, don’t wait to share it!

Improve engagement by sharing!

When you or your visitors share content, they also receive a link to your HootBoard. Making it easy for people to find you. The more shares, the greater the engagement.

Check out this feature and now share what interests you with others!

If you need further assistance, you can reach out to us at support@hootboard.com. We will be happy to help. 🙂

The Revised HootBoard Analytics!

As we all know, now it is quite easy to find out what is happening on your HootBoard. However, we thought it would be helpful to provide a more focused insight into different activities on your HootBoard. With upgraded HootBoard Analytics, you can get more personalized insights and branded reports for your HootBoard. Here are some of the features that it provides.

Brand customized reports

You now get customized reports to match your brand colors, making them tailored to your Hootboard. Each report is crafted to give you a professional look and feels that is uniquely yours.

Easily download reports

Your reports are available in multiple formats from which you can choose the most suitable for your needs – SVG, PNG, or CSV. Downloading is easy and sharing is even easier!

Check out your upgraded analytics now. They will provide you with some fresh insights into your HootBoard.

If you need further assistance, you can reach out to us at support@hootboard.com. We will be happy to help. 🙂

Introducing the HootBoard Digital Signage Player for Amazon Fire TV

With HootBoard Digital Signage Player App for Amazon Fire TV, you can display customized content on multiple Fire TV-enabled devices at once. It pulls content from your HootBoard Digital Signage system and allows remote management of the content, making it easy to make changes or update content quickly. You’ll be able to get your message out there faster than you can even say, “Hoot-hooray!”

Who can use it? Practically everyone! You can create HootBoard-powered campuses and premises with Fire TV-enabled devices for your residential communities, commercial properties, university departments, workplaces, and offices. Share announcements, news, events, classifieds, jobs, and more.

Our simple post-once philosophy makes all your content on HootBoard accessible across all platforms: HootBoard- Web, App, Interactive Kiosk, and Automated Newsletters because we know that the most hoot-worthy content deserves to be seen by everyone!

You can now download the HootBoard Digital Signage Player App from your FireTV app store and set it up to display customized content by following these simple steps below.

With the HootBoard File App, your files can now be apps on HootBoard.

We at HootBoard are back to introduce you to our newest update. With the HootBoard File App type, you can now create apps for your PDF, Document, Excel worksheet, and PowerPoint files.

Where can you find it?

Easy File Upload

To create an app for your file:

• All you need to do is give the file app a name and an icon based on the content in the file.
• Click on next, and drop or choose or paste the URL of the file.
  The file is now uploaded successfully!

Allowed file types

You can create an app for various types of files. You can drop these files or provide a link to these files. These different types of files include PDFs (.pdf), Word documents (.doc), Excel Worksheets (.xls), Image files (.jpg .png), and PowerPoints (.ppt).

Check out this feature and create these files apps and showcase them on your HootBoard.

If you need further assistance, you can reach out to us at support@hootboard.com. We will be happy to help. 🙂

Travel smart with the HootBoard Transit App.

Navigating around your destination is now easier for your tourists and guests with the all-new HootBoard Transit app. Your guests can use this app to find detailed transit routes to move around your city.

Where can you find it?

Easy destination Search

Just place the pin on the map or type the destination name in the text box.

What’s the right way to get there?

The HootBoard Transit App provides you with multiple route options to choose from. These routes are the appropriate routes mapped out for them to reach their destination.

It’s all about the details.

These routes show you all the details needed to get to the destination. They include all the modes of transit to be used, steps to take to reach a certain point, transit timings, and more. Tourists can easily plan their trip with these details.

Personalize the routes.

With the ‘Route options’ filter, tourists can further customize a route to their liking.

Get the routes on your mobile.

Tourists can scan QR codes to get the route on their phones while touring.

Check out this fantastic app on your HootBoard & install it. Help your HootBoard users have a memorable visit.

If you need further assistance, you can reach out to us at support@hootboard.com. We will be happy to help. 🙂

RSS Feed Reader: The new HootBoard app type.

Display content from your favorite websites on your HootBoard. Now with the HootBoard RSS feed reader, you can show content like news feeds, blogs, notifications, and more from a website with an RSS link via these RSS feed reader apps.

What is an RSS feed?

Where can you find it?

You can find the HootBoard RSS Feed Reader in the apps section.
Go to: Apps >> App Directory >> RSS Feed Reader

How to create an RSS feed app?

Now let’s understand it with an example. Here is the CNN World news RSS feed: http://rss.cnn.com/rss/edition_world.rss.

All you have to do is give your app a name and an icon based on the RSS feed. Click on next, and paste the link. 

You are all done! You just created an app called ‘World news’ to display all the world news for your HootBoard users.

Access the feed anywhere.

This RSS feed app will now provide your users with up-to-date & refreshed information from the CNN website on all your HootBoard Platforms: HootBoard Screens, Web & app.

Create some RSS apps and see how they work. Here are a few RSS feeds that you can include on your HootBoard: RSS feeds

If you need further assistance, you can reach out to us at support@hootboard.com. We will be happy to help. 🙂