With the Internet and social media being such powerhouse advertising sources, many people are wondering about the relevance of billboard advertising and what’s in store for this long used, but seemingly old-fashioned media. The good news is that billboard ads aren’t going anywhere any time soon, because, despite the growing success of online advertising, billboards continue to build brand awareness and draw in new audiences time after time.
Let’s learn more about the power and importance of billboard advertising and if it’s the right fit for your company or organization:
A strong marketing tool
Think of the last billboard you saw. Was it on the side of a high-rise building? Was it in a farmer’s field? Perhaps it was one of those digital billboards on a busy highway that entertained you while you sat in traffic? What’s great about billboards is that they can reach a huge audience in such a short time. On top of that, we spend a lot of time in vehicles, like…a lot! In fact, over 15 million Canadians commute to work every week either by car or public transit. Why not grab that captive audience’s attention with an ad that promotes your business?
Location, location, location
The perfect location doesn’t just apply to real estate property! Having the right location for a billboard makes all the difference in the success of your campaign. It needs to be exactly where your potential customers are (or where they are going), and it needs to be visible and engaging. It’s important to do the research and find out your Gross Ratings Point (GRP), which is determined by assessing the traffic in the area, the location of the billboard, its size, etc. This rating (from 0 – 100) will help you determine how effective your billboard campaigns will be when designing your overall advertising strategy.
Know your audience
Before you can decide where your billboard should be placed, you first need to know WHO your potential (or ideal) customers are, and where they are. Once you know a bit about your target audience such as their gender, age, education, income, and education levels, for example, you can get a better understanding of where to best reach them. For instance, if your customers all have kids, then near schools or parks is a great location for your billboard. If your audience is twenty-something urbanites, then the downtown, trendy areas would be a very effective location. Don’t forget that proximity to your business matters too; people will be more likely to become your customers if your location in relation to where they learned about you is super convenient and close by.
Getting noticed
You only have a few seconds on average to reach your audience with a billboard message. For this reason, it can’t be too wordy or have a complicated URL to memorize, for example. In fact, billboards are typically considered a ‘secondary’ advertising tool; they are more for building your brand and helping support an ad campaign instead of being the main event so to speak. To get more information to your customers and to have a conversation with them, that’s where your website, social media, print, direct mail and/or radio advertising can come in.
When it comes to billboards, your graphic design is essential to its success as well. You need it to be visually appealing, eye-catching, clean, concise, sharp, and memorable, all while getting your message across quickly and to the right audience. That also means making sure your text is large enough to be read from the distance your viewer is actually going to be. For example, even if that tiny text looks good on paper, when you put it on a billboard, 50 feet in the air, 600 ft off the highway…it’s likely not nearly as legible as you might have originally thought. Billboards aren’t cheap, but they are effective, so careful planning and design are critical.
If you’d like to learn more about the power of billboards as part of your overall advertising plan, work with an agency who understands this specialized medium and who can get you the results you need. At 3SIXTY Marketing Solutions, we’re here to increase your reach and get your business more exposure. Connect with us today and let’s find out if billboard advertising is for you. Just give us a call today at 705-252-4180 and let’s get started.
