The Power of Billboard Advertising
The basics of advertising are to get someone’s attention and encourage them to do something. And the most effective way of being noticed? By using a massive billboard. Below, experts at Where The Trade Buys, retailer of selfie frames and more, delve into the real power of billboard advertising
Billboards have a New York origin, and were used as far back as 1867. They’ve been extensively used across the world, and even cropped up in the world of stardom in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
To maximise your return on your marketing, investing in a billboard is a simple, maintenance-light option. Let’s take a look at the effectiveness of this option…
The billboard influence
The average Brit spends three hours and ten minutes every day ‘out and about, spending around 16 minutes in the view of advertisements, according to Route. Why not target your consumer during this window of opportunity with a large, quality, well-located billboard in a place with high footfall or traffic?
Billboards are great for simplicity too, as they don’t need multiple pages designed as brochures do. Need something effective up and running in a hurry? A billboard is a single page of design, which should save you time when putting together a template that will offer maximum ROI.
Do you know the ‘Rule of 7’ in marketing? This theory claims that a consumer must hear or see an advertising message at least seven times before taking action. By placing an outdoor banner in a public place where people will pass every day or a few times a day — like on the way to work or when dropping off and picking up their kids from school — you can help hit this number and potentially increase your brand’s chances of a conversion.
Billboards clearly help you reach a wider audience. So, how do you make sure your billboards are as effective as possible?
Billboard design
It’s vital your ad is eye-catching. However, if your billboard will be placed at the side of a high-speed road, this creates an even greater demand for noticeability. Think strategically about what you want on your billboard — someone driving past at 40mph+ is only going to be able to take in so much. What is your marketing objective? Do you want to sell a specific product? Are you spreading brand awareness? Promoting an event? Determine exactly what you want to achieve from your advertisement and provide only the essential information — like contact number, name of product or date and location of event.
A massive, conceptual image works wonders on a billboard. According to research, people generally only recall 10% of information they hear three days later. However, using a relevant image alongside this information increases retention by 55%. When designing your billboard, try and think of a funny or quirky image that will grab and hold a passer-by’s attention — such as cake brand, Mr Kipling’s, clever and unusual image of a bunny made using only Cherry Bakewell cakes as part of its Easter marketing campaign. Due to the size of a billboard, your images can pack a more powerful punch, so focus on getting the image perfect and then build your design from there.
Make sure the billboard design is crisp and clear. Utilise bright and bold colours to catch the eye — contrasting colours are reportedly stay in people’s memories for longer, too — and opt for a simple background and large, readable text — Sans Serif is a good shout.
Is your billboard going to be located at a roadside? A driver typically has five to ten seconds to view an ad, which means you need to consider copy length. The more relevant and informative your image is, the less you should need to convey with text — stick to a brief, punchy message of seven words and you should get your marketing message across, no problem.
Base your location on your target audience. For example, if your products are for 18-21-years-olds, find a site near a university or college. Otherwise, you could reduce your ROI due to not being in sight of the people who are most likely to engage and act on your ad.
If it’s a local billboard display, make a reference to something local! Include an image of a local landmark to create a sense of familiarity or reference the local traffic in a funny way. Humour generally works in advertising. According to a review of 6,500 ads, the funniest were usually cited as being the most appealing and memorable. What’s more, adopting this personal and familiar approach creates a sense of friendliness, so you’ll also exude a more welcoming brand persona — which will be more encouraging to a potential customer.
Billboard marketing is a powerful marketing tool, so be sure to look into it for your company!
