Are Billboards and Outdoor Advertising Still Relevant? Consumers say YES.In 2021, the billboard and outdoor advertising industry in the United States was expected to reach $8.1 billion.  Even though other advertising mediums have increased as social media and streaming services developed, the billboard industry has remained relatively unchanged over the past five years.  What has changed is what outdoor advertising and billboards look like.

Billboards used to be the primary advertising method to consumers traveling on America’s roads.  First invented in the 1830s, they grew in popularity and effectiveness as roads stretched across our lands and cars became commonplace.  Today, traditional highway billboards have evolved from the original wooden, painted signs to mega video screens that rotate advertisements and can be changed from a remote laptop.

Roadside billboards allow business owners to control where a message is received.  For example, a restaurant owner knows his billboard will be seen by a certain number of travelers who are a specific number of miles from his restaurant.  Yet, because travelers only see roadside billboards for a few seconds, their effectiveness is limited.  Nearly 60% of viewers remember the name of a business or advertised event, but less than a third will remember a website or phone number included on the sign.

Today, billboards and outdoor advertising have expanded to many other locations than just our nation’s highways and thoroughfares.  Billboards capture the attention of people waiting or congregating in areas such as bus stops, subway cars, shopping malls, and even restroom stalls.  Marketing professionals have keenly honed in on all the aspects of public life where individuals may have a few minutes to look at something more interesting than staring off into space and optimizing those locations with interesting signage.  Thanks to the prevalence of smartphones, many consumers also have the opportunity to take a quick picture of a relevant advertisement to capture details like phone numbers, addresses, and website information.

If you’re considering space for billboard or outdoor advertising, here are a few questions to ask:

  • How many people are expected to view the advertisement weekly?
  • What are the demographics of people frequently in the location where the advertising will be?
  • What are the terms of the lease for the advertising space?
  • How much will it cost to produce the marketing material?
  • Will the area be shared or rotated with other advertisers?
  • What are the local regulations for advertising content that will impact the signage?
  • Have other similar businesses used the space, and how effective were their campaigns?

Once you determine the suitable locations for your outdoor advertising, here are a few tips to creating a good design for your billboard:

  1. Simplicity.  Remember, since your audience will only see your signage for a few minutes at best, keeping your message short and sweet is extremely important.
  2. Attraction.  Using humor or vivid messages will help attract viewers’ attention.  Better yet, they might just snap a picture and share it on their social media–extending your viewership.  Just make sure your design fits with your company branding and culture.
  3. Readability.  It can be tempting to get creative with fonts, but you really need a lettering style that is easy to read.  Your marketing agency can help you select a font that is proven to be easily read by large amounts of people.
  4. Quality.  Talk with your marketing agency about the physical construction of the billboard.  Ask about maintenance requirements (cleaning, replacing lights, etc.) and using materials that withstand weather conditions and resist graffiti damage.

Are you interested in adding outdoor advertising to your marketing strategy?

Review and reevaluate all of your advertising and marketing options with the professionals at Paradux Media Group.  Our team will work directly with you to discuss your 2022 goals and help you prepare a strategic road map and accompanying marketing budget to get your website where you want it to go.  We provide comprehensive expertise and consultative support to small and mid-sized businesses nationwide.  Give us a call today to learn more about how Paradux Media can help you achieve success.

About the Author:

Angela Peacor

Angela Peacor is the master of words for the Paradux Media team, providing unique content for digital and traditional marketing projects. She combines real-world experience with research to create engaging content for our clients and their customers. Her work includes writing material for various industries, from petroleum distribution to cosmetics, green energy, agriculture, alternative health supplements, construction, towing, and even a local butcher. You name it, Angela can write about it.

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