4 Effective Outdoor Advertising Tips From the Pros

Outdoor advertising is one of the oldest and most prominent ways for business owners to market their products and services. Effective outdoor advertising is a great way to impact audiences consistently and on a large scale.

However, with the overwhelming amount of sensory overload around us, it’s difficult to catch a consumer’s attention. That’s why it’s important to know how to use outdoor advertising effectively. This article will look at the various types and provide tips for effective outdoor advertising to make sure your advertising is bringing in customers.

Types of Outdoor Advertising

There are many different types of outdoor advertising. They include:

• Billboard advertising
• Point of sale displays: Usually found near the checkout counter to attract impulse buyers
• Street furniture: Advertising found on bus shelters, kiosks, telephone booths, etc.
• Mobile billboards: Found on the side of a truck or bus
• Guerilla advertising: Low cost, unconventional marketing and usually involving an outdoor public display

Outdoor marketing is an effective way to market. However, when it is not done correctly it only serves to promote brand awareness, not to bring customers in the door. Outdoor advertising usually delivers a limited amount of information to customers that must be absorbed in a short amount of time.

Therefore, it’s important to keep the message you’re sending through this type of advertising short and to the point. Expect to follow up with indoor advertising, such as direct mail, radio, print and the internet to effectively get customers to buy your product.

Cost of Outdoor Advertising and Its Effectiveness

Outdoor advertising is not cheap, and you will pay more if you choose to advertise in a visible, busy space. Although the cost can be high, this is necessary if you want to ensure your ad is seen by a large population of people.

Also, the size of your sign will also be a major factor in the cost and effectiveness of your advertising. If your sign is not easily visible by your target audience, even the best advertisements wont make an impact.

A system called Gross Ratings Point (GRP) tells how effective your advertisement will be. Your GRP is a number that ranges from 1-100. A GRP of 50 means at least 50% of the population will see your advertisement at least once a day. Advertising with GRP of 50 is expensive, especially in major cities.

Tips for Effective Outdoor Advertising

Even if you have a great space to market your product, the marketing you use must stand out. Here are some tips that will help your advertisement get the results you’re looking for:

Make Your Advertising Sharable:

Think outside of the box to make your advertisement stand out from the competition. This is a great way to increase your reach as your advertisement will generate its own advertising, organically. For this consider bold marketing, creative digitals or experiential advertisements to make an effective impact on consumers.

Go for High Traffic Sites:

As mentioned earlier, high-traffic sites cost more than ones in quieter spots. Although, it may be tempting to go for a less expensive option, limited exposure is a waste of money. It’s a better investment to go for the more expensive, high-traffic sites.

Look at the Competition:

Look at what the competition is doing for inspiration. This way you can analyze what is working for them and what is not. By doing this you can strategically design your campaign for success.

However, be careful not to put your attempts at a good marketing campaign in jeopardy by calling out your competition. One example of this is when Audi put up a billboard advertising their latest car with the slogan, “Your move BMW.”  BMW then responded a week later with an ad featuring their latest car which simply read, “Checkmate.”

Keep it Simple:

Effective outdoor advertising serves to give information quickly. So, send a message that can be absorbed in just a second or two. Keep text as limited as possible— around six words is best. If the image is giving the reader information, try not to duplicate it with your text. Because an image may serve to grab consumers’ attention more than anything, focus on making that a stunning focal point that tells a story. People are highly receptive to imagery, concentrate on relaying your message this way.

Outdoor advertising is a great way to market your product. However, if you do not use it effectively, it’s a waste of money. Most importantly, do your research before putting yours up. When advertising is done correctly, your company will benefit tremendously.