Many different aspects can affect how much you will pay for billboard advertising. The three primary factors are:
- Circulation: The total volume of traffic that passes the billboard, which is derived from transportation authorities. The circulation does not take into account whether passersby see your ad or not.
- Demographics: The breakout by age, gender and income level of people who typically pass by a billboard. Expect to pay more to advertise to people with higher income levels.
- Impressions: The number of people who actually see the ad, based on the size of the billboard, visibility, the speed at which people are passing, etc. This is derived from the circulation and the geo-positioning of the billboard.
It’s also important to consider the cost associated with producing and designing the billboard advertisement. Vinyl is the standard material used for the ad itself because of its resistance to weather. Printing an advertisement on vinyl for a bulletin billboard (14’ by 48’, or almost 700 square feet of material) will cost between $500-$800.
There will also be costs to designing the billboard. Budgeting $700 to $1,200 for billboard design would be wise. It’s more recommend hiring a designer from a freelancer site, however in this case you probably want a designer with extensive experience creating billboard ads. One of a biggest reason of why it’s recommend going with a professional designer with experience in billboard design, is because designing a billboard is unlike any other form of advertising.
Many different aspects can affect how much you will pay for billboard advertising. Photo by Yucel Moran on Unsplash.
Digital Billboard
Despite the higher cost, there’s a few key advantages to using a digital billboard instead of a traditional print billboard:
- More dynamic – With digital ads, you can have a moving image. This works to capture pedestrians attention far more than a standard billboard.
- More targeted – By showing different ads during specific times of day, you can target people on their lunch break or during the after work commute, and adjust your message accordingly.
- More flexible – You can make changes to your creative at no additional cost. You can also stream live data and user-generated content from your website/social media in real time.
There’s a few key advantages to using a digital billboard instead of a traditional print billboard. Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash.
Advertising a location.
Restaurants and shops often advertise next to the closest major highway. These ads are extremely actionable, since they’re promoting something that is just minutes away. There are several factors that play into how desirable a billboard spot is:
- How fast people are going by – People are way more likely to see your ad if they are on a congested highway versus a train route where travelers pass at 40 mph.
- Proximity of the billboard to the road – This has to do with visibility of your billboard to the people passing by.
- Where typical travelers are going – Are you advertising your law firm to locals, or people that are just passing through the town? Also, are people headed to the shops on the way home from work? This would be a desirable spot for a store.
You should be able to get this type of data from the company selling the billboard space. It’s also a good idea to check out the location personally before advertising.
Billboard Ad Costs in Ontario
Billboard advertising cost is worth it if you are trying to drive traffic to a nearby location, or boost brand awareness. However, if you don’t have a physical location, or have a niche audience, then billboard advertising is not the best method to generate leads. Billboard Rates in Ontario:
- Bulletins (Large Billboards), Great for building brand and name recognition. Located in heavy traffic areas for maximum exposure. (48’W X 14’H): $5,000-$10,000 Average per Ad / Month
- Posters (Medium Billboards), Perfect for new product launches, promotions and events. Available across markets in the areas most effective at reaching your target customer. (22’8″W X 10’5″H): $1,500-$5,000 Average per Ad / Month
- Junior Posters (Small Billboards), Cost effective for small businesses and for short term advertisements. Ideal for targeting communities and neighborhoods. (11’W X 5’H): $300-$800 Average per Ad / Month
- Digital Billboards, Flexibility and scheduling to reach your target customers. No production costs, and creative can be changed in minutes!, Ads rotate generally every 8 seconds for maximum exposure. Daily and weekly rates also available. (48’W X 14’H): $500-$1,500 Average per Ad / Month
Billboard advertising cost is worth it if you are trying to drive traffic to a nearby location. Photo by Pedro Szekely on wikipedia.
