With advantages such as having the ability to generate brand awareness, reach
business-required target audiences, and target specific demographics, outdoor
advertising has been seen to be setting the pace in advertising when compared to
traditional advertising (Radio and television) because it has given marketers, the right
opportunity to meet with its consumers.
what is outdoor Advertising
Also known as out-of-home advertising (OOH) it is a type of media advertising that
entails the use of billboards in advertising, bus shelters, digital screens, transit
advertising, street furniture, etc. to help brands reach a larger range of audiences to
create awareness and to reach target audience. The good news about outdoor
advertising is that whether you are a small business owner who is looking to promote a
local service or a national brand seeking attention on a larger scale. Outdoor
advertising will help you achieve your dreams. According to ALFI (2021), OAAA
reports that 69% of surveyed people reported having an increased appreciation for
their outdoor surroundings. Also shows that 45% have noticed mobile billboards and
other OOH media such as truck ads, and billboard trucks more when compared to
before the pandemic began.
Source: X
Types of Outdoor Advertising
Some forms of out-of-home or outdoor advertising options include static and mobile
billboards, digital and interactive screens, augmented reality displays, street-lined lamp
posts, bridges, mobile advertising trucks, etc.
Technavio is self-assured that the outdoor advertising market will grow by $8.55 billion
from 2020 to 2024 at a CAGR of about 4%. ALFI (2021) also cites that between 2019
to 2023 in the United States only, outdoor spending has grown by $1.3 billion US dollars.
Here are 10 tips for optimizing outdoor advertising
To optimize your outdoor advertising there is a need to follow some series of steps that will help you reach your desired dream this includes knowing your goals that are, knowing what you want to achieve and your deserved audience (interest, location age, e t c), sending simple, clear message that captures your audience, e t c
1. Know Your Goals and Audience
Understanding your target demographic and tailoring your message, accordingly, will help
reach one’s desired goal. Therefore, considering factors such as age, gender, interests, and
location to create more relevant and engaging content will help in perfecting outdoor
advertising. It is therefore of paramount importance that before launching an outdoor
advertising campaign, there is a need to define one’s goals and audience, which includes
“What you are trying to achieve with your ads? Do you want to increase sales, generate
leads, or raise awareness? Whom will your ads target? What are their demographics,
behaviors, and preferences? Knowing your goals and audience will help to facilitate your
choosing the right locations, formats, and messages for your outdoor ads”.
Also considering what you’re advertising and the best place to locate it will help reach
your target audience for example if it will be best placed on a bus shelter where people
might be commuting to and from locations, on a mobile billboard that drives by popular
tourist destinations, on carton screens atop rideshare vehicles, or other options? And
at what time it has its maximum views will help in perfecting outdoor advertising. For
example, an ad for a local lunch spot could choose to display lunch specials on Uber
cars driving through popular business neighborhoods between 12 pm and 2 pm.
Source: Google
2. Using Simple and Clear Messages in Communication
Clear and concise messaging, easy to read and understandable is also of immense
importance. As it will enable Passersby to be able to grasp the main idea of the ads within
a few seconds. On the other hand, also using clear fonts, contrasting colors, and bold
imagery will help enhance readability as it will help to grasp the concept of the outdoor
ads easily and faster. Because it is hard to irritate the interest of viewers in a few seconds
as they drive by at 45 MPH. Although this does not give you a lot of time to set up your
brand identity, land you a speech let, and make the sale. But this can be possible by
using viewable bulletin time coming in around 7 seconds, each word and design element
counts more than ever. Therefore, limit your campaign to 9 words or fewer, and aim for
headlines of 3 words or fewer. Will help in perfecting outdoor advertising. Being direct
and getting to the point quickly as you don’t have time to waste is an added advantage.
In the aspect of content formation, considering the function of the sign as much as the
form is also vital. For example, if a read-only sign is displayed for pedestrians, it supplies
a better, longer opportunity to be a little more refined and cleverer. However, for busy
commuters, nuanced might be the wrong choice. Drivers have less time to think in
context as they are focused on the road.
Billboards and large outdoor Signs need more than less. Therefore, Keeping the
message clear and simple ensures that it’s more reachable to a larger audience. The
reciprocation will be much stronger if people know exactly what you are saying to them.
Also, stick to one message for high-traffic situations and commit to that. Avoiding
abbreviations will help to reduce the lack of understanding as studies have shown that
abbreviations take far much longer reading times when compared to non-abbreviated
rates of 250 milliseconds per word.
3. Eye-Catching Design
Investing in professional designs that capture the attention of your audience by using bold
colors, compelling visuals, and high-quality graphics to make your outdoor ad stand out
from its surroundings. While it might seem natural to try to make your ad campaign as
colorful as possible, being excessive is not always necessarily better. It’s not about the
amount of color you add but getting the balance between your colors which pops and
catches the eyes of motorists and pedestrians.
High color contrast has been seen to have the capacity to improve outdoor advertising
by 38%, in addition to making it a point to pick high-contrast colors (in hue and value)
that are visible from larger distances – such as black on yellow or dark blue on white
thereby making low-contrast colors to blend, but with the resultant effect of making
the message hard to read. However, as said above, don’t forget to keep in mind the
backdrop for your signs, as a yellow background on a yellow building won’t have the
same impact as on a grey one. Some brands even add glow-in-the-dark paint to their
signs. Also, remember to keep 30% to 40% white space of your signs area bare in other
to improve reachability and avoid design clutter.
Bonus Tip: Many space providers allow you to add three-dimensional depth to your
campaigns to attract attention from even further away. With extensions available in
inflatable, molds, steel, wood, foam, and fiberglass, it’s easy to imagine the creative ways
that depth can be layered onto a clutter.
Furthermore, when it’s visually striking – like a fake snowboarder levitating above a
billboard ad for outdoor sports – it can quickly become a memorable story or
experience that users want to share on social media. Going viral could certainly help
increase your brand recognition and conversion rate.
4. Brand Consistency
Always ensure that your outdoor ads regularly align with your overall brand identity by
Consistent use of logos, colors, and messaging as this will help in reinforcing brand
recognition. Beyond the physical space that can be incorporated into outdoor
advertising, context is just as important as the content of ad campaigns. Is there more
information needed to understand what you are saying in your ad space? Do I need more
storylines to back it up?
Ads should be able to stand on their own but make sure the copy and content are
connected to your brand identity also. Countless, memorable ads come up as topics of
conversation, but without the brand connection, the opportunity is lost. For example, is
your logo familiar to a wide-scale audience or does it need visual aid to let viewers know
what your company does? Often, advertisers use rhymes, alliteration, and repetition in
content as it’s easier for people to recall them later.
If convenient, do not be afraid to tout your business by adding a powerful customer
review or testimonial, a distinguished company award, or other noteworthy
achievements that might set your brand apart from the competition. But do this, cleanly,
and to the point.
5. Utilize High-Quality Materials
Investing in durable materials that can withstand weather conditions and maintain their
visual appeal over time will help in optimizing outdoor advertising because quality
materials will reflect positively on your brand. Some examples of high-quality materials
include Vinyl, PVC Boards, Dibond, Solid aluminum, and Crezone.
6. Interactive Elements
If practical incorporating interactive elements to engage your audience like QR codes,
hashtags, or calls to action will encourage people to interact with your brand online or visit
your store. This is because these features can make your ads more fun, memorable, and
personalized, as well as encourage your audience to act or share their experience on social
media. For example, you could create an ad that lets people scan a QR code to get a
discount or an ad that uses augmented reality to show how your product or service works.
7. Timing and Seasonal Relevance
Considering the timing of your outdoor campaign is also vital in optimizing am outdoor
ads. It is therefore of paramount importance to tailor your message to be relevant to
occurring events, holidays, or seasonal trends which will help to strengthen the connection
between you and your audience.
Source: HubSpot
8. Monitor and Measure
Applying tracking mechanisms to measure the effectiveness of your outdoor advertising
will help to specify the success of your outdoor ads and how people react to your ads.
Therefore, examining foot traffic, website visits, or sales data to measure the influence of
your campaign and making data-driven adjustments will be applicable. This is because the
practice provides you with the data to figure out if your outdoor advertising campaign is
working or not. A thorough outdoor advertising analysis will show beyond doubt how
successful your billboards can be.
Accessing this information allows room for businesses to amend their strategies
accordingly in areas like reallocating budgets, or to change the ad’s perspective. Examining
this information accurately and cautiously will help guarantee a significant impact on any
advertising campaign.
Source: bmedia
9. Adaptation to Changing Conditions
Staying flexible and being ready to adapt to changes in strategies that come with outdoor
advertising based on feedback received, analytics, or changes in business goals and aims
will allow you to perfect your approach for better results.
Source: onscreen.ai
10. Creativity
Finally, as the saying goes creativity is the mother of invention you need to keep finding
new ways and ideas of doing things alongside experimenting with these ways with your
outdoor advertising to stay ahead of the competition and to meet the changing needs and
expectations of your audience and to acquire better ways to present your outdoor
advertising to reach the business and audience needs. By using modern technologies,
formats, or platforms to enhance your outdoor ad which will help to create more
interactive and engaging experiences. The use of innovative ideas, concepts, and the use
of unique messages that differentiate your outdoor ad and create more memorable and
impactful impressions cannot be overemphasized while using new data, insights, or
feedback to refine your outdoor ad, to create more personalized and relevant
communication.
Conclusion
Keep in mind that achieving success in outdoor advertising requires a blend of strategic
planning, creative design, timing, and adaptability. Continuously assess and refine your
approach to ensure ongoing effectiveness in capturing the attention of your target
audience. Outdoor advertising stands out as an exceptional means to enhance brand
exposure, cultivate household familiarity with businesses, and boost the return on
investment for marketing expenditure. Both print and digital advertising offer a reliable
avenue for advertisers, brands, and agencies to link a varied audience of drivers and
commuters with compelling, relevant content that drives sales.
Take your advertising game to the next level with Movia Media. Our platform offers
access to prime ad spots from top publishers, along with a wide range of powerful and
effective DOOH tools and channels. From mobile truck ads to other high-impact options,
our campaigns are designed to reach thousands of people every day. Don’t wait, contact
us now to learn more and start dominating your market.
