When it comes to the world of advertising, there are many different routes you can take to build awareness of your brand, product, or service offering. For many of our clients, billboard advertising tends to be the first one mentioned in conversations about increasing their marketing budget. Billboard advertising has been around since the 1800s and has not slowed down since. However, as technology continues to evolve, there are other options to consider when spending those marketing dollars.
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Factors to Consider with Billboard Advertising
Billboard advertising is not for every industry. Depending on the type of service or product you are offering, there may be a more effective way to get your message to the target audience. Billboard advertising can be costly, so it is important to understand the factors that go into choosing this medium of marketing.
Location
When it comes to choosing the placement of your billboard, location is the most important factor to consider. If billboards are the route that you want to take to increase brand awareness, then it should be placed in an accessible location where people can see it effortlessly. If you’re able to physically drive to the location to see where it is before you purchase, even better! This will allow you to physically see whether it is a good location and can be seen by drivers, bikers, and pedestrians.
Type of Industry
Think of the last few billboards you saw on your last drive. What were they for? Food, local attractions, car dealerships? The list goes on. However, some industries may struggle with billboard advertising because there is no immediate need for their product or service offering while on the road. Billboards are great for creating immediate need such as visiting the next exit to eat at a restaurant or stopping along the route to visit a local attraction while on a road trip. If you’re looking to market business-to-business, digital and inbound methodology may be a better fit.
Target Audience
Like industry sectors, billboard advertising is not for every audience. Billboard advertising covers a wide range of demographics and psychographics, so it can be hard to ensure that your specific targets are seeing the ad and acting on it. You can try to target a specific community by placing it in a particular location, but this still does not lead them to the path of purchasing your product or service.
Messaging
Billboards are stationary objects with brief exposure times to drivers. Since drivers can only read what is on the billboard for around 2 to 4 seconds, clear, concise messaging is important. This means that prospects need to know immediately what your business does as well as means of contact. If you have too much on the billboard, it will appear cluttered and overwhelming to any passersby.
Cost
When considering the exposure time and potential leads that come from a billboard, the data is inconclusive. Billboard advertising does not allow you to directly measure impressions, engagement, and conversions that resulted from the billboard directly. The costs of a billboard can vary depending on location and type.
Billboard Advertising vs Digital Marketing: Improving Your Bottom Line
After discussing the key factors to consider when implementing a billboard into your marketing strategy, it is important to understand that there are other effective routes to get your message out there and receive leads in return. With digital advertising, you are spreading your message across multiple digital channels including social media, search engines, email, and more that can be used to connect with consumers. With digital marketing, you will be able to see exactly how your advertising efforts are working. This can include how many people see your marketing, the number of engaged consumers, and specifically target your efforts to locations, demographics, and psychographics.
When it comes to choosing marketing channels for your organization, strategy is essential. If you are looking for marketing strategies that improve your bottom line, increase prospects, and generate leads–the team at Sharp Wilkinson is here to help. Contact us today for a free consultation on how we can improve your business marketing efforts.
