Last Updated on May 31, 2022 by
Are you wondering if billboard advertising would be a good way to get your brand out there? You are right to be considering this form of marketing!
Read on to discover how you can create an impact with billboard advertising.
Table of Contents
Billboard Advertising Defined
Do you drive a lot? Specifically on highways or interstates? If so, you probably see billboards every day. Especially in and around cities and towns, billboards are a great way for local and global businesses to get their name out to a targeted demographic. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and are one of the most budget-friendly forms of out-of-home media (OOH).
Choose From the Main Billboard Platforms
There are plenty of different types of billboard platforms. Here are a few that you may recognize.
Billboard Posters
Billboard posters are the most popular group of billboards. They are the large signs that you see placed just off of busy highways or intersections. They reach a very large demographic as there are plenty of different types of people traveling to many different places on these types of roads.
Murals
Murals are a much more extravagant and often locally infused take on the classic billboard poster. Murals are large-scale art pieces that are manually painted or drawn onto the sides of public buildings in major cities and towns. There are very few rules or regulations in most cities regarding murals, so they may be a great choice for your brand. Especially if you hire a local artist to do it for you. Everyone loves a company that supports local art.
Wallscapes
Wallscapes are a very effective form of billboard-style advertising. This category of billboards is typically placed in the downtown districts of cities on the sides of buildings. Murals technically fit under this category, but other mediums include vinyl or canvas posters.
Bulletin Billboards
Last but certainly not least is the bulletin billboard. These billboards are the grandfather of all billboards. Typically offering just shy of 700 square feet, these billboards are the largest and offer the most room for creativity and marketing. They also allow for more creative elements like 3-D designs and other embellishments that help your ad stand out among the rest.
Give it a Strong Design
So, now that you have an idea of what kind of billboards you have to choose from, it is time to get down to the important stuff. Starting with the design. If you truly want to create a large impact with your billboard advertising, you need your design to be interactive, story-driven, and memorable. Here is a deeper dive into what that could look like.
Make Sure It Is Interactive
Another word for interactive in this context could be relatable” You want your ad to catch the eye of the passersby by interacting with the scenery surrounding the billboard. This could include using local or relevant pop culture humor to draw attention to you.
For example, if you have a billboard in Texas. You could get a bulletin billboard, add 3-D elements that extend beyond the original size of the billboard, and have it say something along the lines of “Texas is big, but our ad is bigger”. Okay, maybe that is not the strongest idea, but you get the point.
Develop a Story
Story-driven designs on billboards are always a great idea. Think of it this way. No one is going to remember an ad that simply states facts. Plus, no one wants to read a list of announcements. So, you need to package all of that information in the form of a story. It intrigues the reader and also helps them remember it.
Give It a Memorable Quality
Speaking of remembering. It is so critical to ensure that your billboard ad has memorable qualities. This could mean a plethora of different things. It could have a great story, a very eye-catching image, or it may just be short and witty. Whatever it is, make sure someone can remember the whole thing after one read.
Location, Location, Location
Location is very important. You do not want to spend loads of time, energy, and money on a design that will not be seen by many people. In fact, you not only want to make sure it is seen by many people, but you also want to make sure it is seen by many of the right people.
Before you sign off on the location of your next billboard. Do the research and figure out your target audience, where to market to them best, and select a billboard in a highly trafficked area that fits that description. This will help tremendously with making the impact you want to make.
Go Make an Impact for Your Company
So, now that you are more familiar with the different types of billboards, how to design them, and where you want to place them, get started! Design a great billboard that fits the above criteria and watch as you create a large impact for your company with billboard advertising.
