Written By: Sonia Kaila & Maya S
When you begin to think about advertising your business, there are probably multiple options that come to mind. Perhaps you could post a sign on your window, advertise on social media or even shoot some videos. However, all this time and money would be wasted, if your message was not reaching your target audience.
So, that begs the question – what is the most effective way to reach your target audience?
The answer is mobile billboard advertising!
Mobile billboards have been around for many years, and many of you might also have noticed one while driving to work, running errands or maybe taking a walk in your neighbourhood. To put it simply, a mobile billboard is the advertisement that you see on the side of a truck driving around. In this article, we’ll look at what this type of advertising costs, if it’s worth the investment, and whether or not this strategy is right for your business.
What is a Mobile Billboard?
Let’s start with the basics and what exactly a mobile billboard is. A Mobile billboard is a form of out of home advertising that uses a vehicle that we would attach a large billboard to. These billboards have the option to be either digital or printed. They are essential for advertisers to be able to create a direct response from the consumer to their business.
What Types of Mobile Billboards Can I Choose from?
There are 4 types of mobile billboards to choose from, each available at varying rates with different uses.
Truck Side Ads
These types of ads are placed on trucks rented by the billboard company and already transporting goods. Although these goods don’t have to be affiliated with the advertised product, on occasion they may be.
Vehicle Wraps
These are mobile billboards that work to promote a product/service on the exterior of a smaller sized vehicle. These vehicles can have the option of being partially or completely covered. We would see these most commonly on promotional cars that are driven through busy cities, or on public transit (buses, streetcars, etc) that travel on direct routes.
Digital Mobile Billboards
A third type is digital mobile billboards which we are seeing as becoming the future of outdoor advertising because they combine modern technology with traditional messaging. These can be mounted on trucks or trailers to display still ads or short commercials that would gain attention from passersby. These mobile billboards can show many ads at specific time intervals where the content is constantly changing. They can be found in places with a large population presence, such as outside sporting events, city fairs, and top tourist destinations. This option is becoming popular as they can precisely target specific audiences with ever changing content. By the way, if you need help choosing the best content for your campaign, you can send your assignment to a special content creation service. You can get your marketing assignment help and also get additional ideas for future campaigns.
Trailer Billboards
These are billboards with printed ads that can be pulled behind vehicles and give viewers the effect of a trailer being attached to a vehicle. They can be fitted with additional lights for nighttime as well. We can see these parked outside the companies being advertised, as well as on roads.
How Much Would A Mobile Billboard Cost Me?
The average cost of a mobile billboard has been around 0.77¢ per 1,000 views while some rates have gone as low as 0.48¢ per 1,000 views. However, the price will still vary greatly based on the type of billboard you have chosen.
A typical pair of mobile billboards (one billboard for each side of the truck) would fall within the range of $1,200 to $1,600 for design creation, and the average cost to secure one of these vehicles would fall between $500 to $800 per day. As we said, the cost varies depending on the addition of multiple factors so this would just be a starting point. The average price for a static mobile billboard would be starting at approximately $24,000. Digital billboards, on the other hand, will cost much more, with the average starting in the $100,000 range. In addition to these options and prices, there is also the chance to rent a mobile billboard. In such cases, a mobile billboard is rented per hour, usually anywhere between 6 to 10 hours a day.
Despite what looks like an overwhelming cost, mobile billboards will still give you the best value and ROI (return on investment) compared to other marketing strategies.
What Factors Are Included in the Cost of a Mobile Billboard?
Now that you have an idea of what the cost looks like, let’s look at a breakdown of what types of things are included. There are multiple factors that are considered when providing a cost estimate for your mobile billboard.
Static Truck vs Digital Truck
The most important factor, following the type of billboard you pick, would be what type of truck you want to use. A static truck costs $300 to $700 per truck per day while digital trucks can cost anywhere from $700 to $1800 per truck per day. The size of the billboard would also impact the cost of the advertising space, since a smaller billboard would ultimately be less expensive than a larger one. The next factor would be if there is a specific location where you want to advertise. If this location is far from the office, then there would be a higher cost and if it is closer to the office then it would be a lesser cost. This is because some cities have higher billboard advertising costs compared to others. The truck routes also play a large role, for example if it is a crowded or popular route then more people would notice the billboard.
Campaign Duration
The duration of the campaign is another factor. If you want to place an advertisement on a billboard for a longer amount of time, then the cost would be higher than the standard 1 or 2 days. The season can also have some influence over the price of the billboard as well. This is because the summer months see an increase in demand for outdoor advertising space which makes it more expensive, while winter sees a decrease making it cost less. Seasonal pricing not only applies to billboard trucks but to billboards in general since they are utilized more when it is warmer outdoors than when it rains or snows.
Design
Getting the creative for the advertisement designed is a large factor in the price of a mobile billboard as well. Designing and making the mobile billboard itself is another large cost associated with this type of advertising. This typically depends on the size and type of mobile billboard, with digital mobile billboards costing more than static ones.
CPM (cost-per-thousand-impressions)
When considering the cost, it would be worth noting that mobile billboards have one of the lowest CPM (cost-per-thousand-impressions) in the industry compared to other types of advertising. Impressions would be the estimated number of people that we can expect to see a mobile billboard. We would calculate this based on the mobile billboard’s size and location. The cost of your billboard also depends on the volume of traffic or the potential number of people that will see the advertisement driving by.
Justifying The Cost – Is It Worth It?
We know what your main question after reading all this information is – is it worth the cost? The answer – YES! Mobile billboard advertising is actually a highly effective form of marketing with an extremely low cost per impression. You could even say that it is one of the most cost-effective forms of advertising available.
The cost of getting a mobile billboard might seem a little overwhelming after factoring in all and any additional elements. Nonetheless, it’s important to keep in mind that by investing in a mobile billboard, whether for a short or long period of time, you can attain a great ROI. Mobile billboards have repeatedly proven to be an effective method of advertising and have consistently generated very positive impressions of the advertised brand.
How It Can Help Your Brand?
If you are having seconds thoughts about investing in the mobile billboard, the following advantages will help you make a more informed decision:
Target specific audience: Mobile billboards are a great way to reach your target audience in a short period of time.
Cost-effective: Regardless of your budget, mobile billboard advertising is cost-effective. The more exposure your brand gets, the more you can earn from your mobile billboard ads. Cost of mobile advertising is low compared to other types of advertising.
Mobility: Because of its moving nature, mobile billboards are not static, which means your ad is driven from city to city reaching multiple target markets. Anywhere there is a road, your ad can go.
As you can see, the cost of mobile billboard advertising depends on many factors. But the best part about this form of advertising is that, with careful planning and execution, it can be an extremely effective way to reach your target audience. If done right, it can prove very beneficial your business.
Have you used mobile billboards as part of your marketing strategy? If yes, then leave a comment below and share your experience with us!
Need Help?
If you are still confused about the cost and whether it is something you should consider or not, then don’t worry! We at Movia can help you get started with your mobile billboard journey by providing the trucks, driver, and equipment needed to run a successful campaign all while working within your budget.
Give us a call at (416) 271 – 1008 and we can help you out!
