Outdoor Advertising

Billboards

Not many business owners would want to walk the catwalk to get a close up view of their billboard advertising, but few would dispute the increasing effectiveness of such advertising media. The growth of the Internet and the effects of the economy have significantly changed the face of advertising in the last 10 - 15 years. These factors are drawing your customers away from watching the television commercials that once were a "must have" in a corporate advertising portfolio. Instead, more and more of your prospects are on the road, traveling to work and back, or waiting in traffic. Your advertising media has to follow.

Billboards, often referred to as "Outdoor Advertising," are one of the best ways to market your business as more and more people are becoming mobile. Not all businesses will reap the same benefits from billboard advertising though. Restaurants and fast food franchises do very well with this type of marketing since many people notice outdoor advertising on the way home from work.

Other businesses can do well with outdoor advertising as well if they keep in mind a few basic rules that apply to this type of marketing. One rule is to limit your text (based on the speed limit of the vehicles passing by your sign). Another is to use contrasting colors in your message. Notice the sign below. Which board gets your attention? Which business is getting their money's worth?

Your billboard message should always note your business name and phone number. A street address and sometimes even a web address will help more customers locate you. Just think of it, many of your customers have cell phones or web access, and can find you quickly while they are on the road.

Other things to consider are based on research and customer interviews. Billboards on the right side of the driver are usually seen more clearly than on the left side unless there are obstructions such as trees obscuring the view as in the boards below.

Lighted billboards are definitely better than non-lighted ones so that your customer can see them 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. If you have a choice, the SmartBizChoice is to choose a lighted billboard. Like any lighted sign, a lighted billboard shows up very well against the contrast of the evening sky. In fact, at night there is less visual "noise" to draw your customer's attention away from your message.

But renting a billboard can get pricey. The larger billboards on main highways are often in high demand for their visibility. For this reason rental prices will usually be $1200 per month and higher. Billboards on a feeder road are usually more reasonably priced but can often draw the same customers. These are usually the smaller sized billboards but some, in prime locations, can be as low as $350 per month to rent. And depending on who owns the sign, there may be some flexibility in the lease agreement especially if they have been without a face for some time.