Want to use billboard advertising the right way in your city? Read on to discover what you need to know!

What is Billboard Advertising?

Out-of-home advertising is a form of advertising that targets consumers while they are out of their homes. Seems pretty straightforward, right? These ads can include billboards, train ads, bus wraps, airport signs, etc.

While there is a long list of different formats for OOH marketing, billboards are perhaps the most popular ones.

Are There Different Types of Billboard Ads?

Billboards are a great way to reach a diverse audience with just one, simple ad. But what exactly makes a billboard? There are four different types of billboards that you can choose from when planning your next ad campaign. Here they are.

Billboard Posters

Billboard posters are the most popular and attainable option. Whenever you are driving down the interstate, and you see a large sign about 20 feet off the road with a burger that reminds you how hungry you are, that is a billboard poster. Nothing fancy about it. Just a large sign geared toward people driving.

Digital Billboards

Digital billboards are a bit more complex and much more customizable than billboard posters. Because of their digital nature, these ads can have animations and moving parts that make them much more attention-grabbing. These are often expensive and found in large cities.

Murals

Murals are large paintings typically placed on the sides of popular downtown buildings of cities. Companies often commission a local artist to paint them. The appeal to these is that locals like to take pictures with them, giving you free social media advertising.

Bulletin Billboards

Bulletin billboards are large billboard posters. Typically these are about 14 feet tall and 48 feet wide, which is more than enough to grab the attention of anyone driving by.

What Makes Billboard Advertisement Effective?

So, now that you know what a billboard is and what it can look like, what makes it such an effective form of out-of-home advertising? After all, it is just a large sign. The answer is not as black and white as might want it to be, but two factors play a significant role in the effectiveness of a billboard ad.

Location

The first is location. If your billboard is placed on the side of an obscure highway about an hour outside of a small city, you probably won’t experience a significant change in sales. However, if your ad is on I4 in Orlando, the poor people stuck in five o’clock traffic will spend a lot of time reading your ad.

When it comes to location, you get what you pay for. Ads that do not receive many impressions are cheaper than bigger city ads that receive millions every month.

Design

The next factor is the design of your ad. If your ad doesn’t look interesting and is full of wordy clutter, it may not receive the attention you had hoped for. It is critical to develop an ad that’s designed to grab attention, inform consumers, and be memorable. When someone is driving, they only have about 5 seconds to read your ad, so make it count.

What Makes a Location Good?

Since location is so important, it is critical to determine what makes a location so good. The main ingredient is essentially traffic. You want the location of your billboard to be a heavily trafficked area. Here are a few prime examples.

• Sports Stadiums and Arenas
• Tourist Attractions
• Shopping Malls
• College Campuses
• Airports

5 Ways to Utilize Billboards in Your City

Now that you know what types of billboards there are and what makes them effective, it’s time for the question of the hour. How do you utilize billboard advertisements in your city?

1. Grab Attention

You want your billboard ad to grab attention. It has to be intriguing enough for people to look at, and at the same time, know your company made it.

2. Give Information

You want to give information on your billboard. Without being too wordy, let people know at first glance exactly what you want them to know.

3. Display Your Products

Display your products. If you are selling lawn mowers, slap a big picture of a lawnmower on there. This will grab the attention of people who need a lawn mower at the time they see it.

4. Create Buzz

Creating buzz with billboards is critical. Say your company is from Boston. You can create hometown buzz by using local colloquialisms on your Boston billboards. Locals will find it humorous and enjoyable.

5. Be Remembered

Make your ad count. Think of designs or ideas that will be memorable. This way, the next time someone needs a product or service that you offer, they will recall that billboard they saw once upon a time and go to you.

The Bottom Line

Billboards are a great way to get your company in front of the general public. You simply have to create pointed designs that grab attention, give information, display your products, create buzz, are memorable, or contain a little bit of all of it. Best of luck!