Billboards are a great way for an advertiser to connect with a given audience, if done right. Even if a billboard is well-designed, the campaign may fail. This can happen if they are not positioned well. For successful billboard advertising, you need to position them in the right location. Location plays a major role in determining the success of billboard advertising because it will make the billboard stand their ground and validity in a fast-paced environment. Billboards have, and will always be, a super effective form of outdoor advertising. Every business should have implemented knowledge on how to promote their business, for it’s one of the most important skills to acquire in order to have a steady consumer base. Over 35 billion dollars are spent on outdoor advertising each year and 62% of those ads are billboards. Let’s talk about where the best positioning is for billboards, where they will gain the most attention, and when clutter can occur.
A study by Airdoor found that 74% of billboards, within a driver’s sight of vision, are noted and that 48% are read, while 18 to 35-year-olds are more likely to notice an outdoor ad than people aged 35 to 49.
While digital marketing is a rapidly growing niche, billboards are sometimes neglected by business owners as they fail to project a positive return. At the same time, there’s a perception that billboards are too expensive for their ROI- not necessarily true. In fact, billboards can be highly profitable. But in order to have a successful billboard placement, first you should evaluate and break down the location factors when choosing your ideal billboard. It’s known that location greatly impacts the way a billboard is seen and perceived by a target.
Attracting the Right Audience
Defining your target audience is an essential part of marketing. Connecting with the right audience is one of the main goals of billboard advertising. Keep your target audience in mind every time you position your billboard- this ensures maximum exposure. Here is where you will attract the right audience:
- Near schools. If the brand is geared for a younger crowd, or is related to an educational product, putting a billboard up near a school is going to be a solid choice. Placing your billboard in these key places will ensure your targeted audience is seeing them and will add value to your products and services.
- Near office buildings. If you have a brand or product that is best suited for office workers, then posting billboards near office buildings will allow customers to be updated with the latest information about products and services they typically use. Not only will this location attract the office workers, but their clients and visitors as well. All these eyes that view the billboard are existing or potential customers.
- Near bus terminals and train stations. Bus terminals and train stations are a popular option for billboard advertising because fewer places get more ongoing traffic. If your product has mass appeal and is not just geared for a specific demographic, then public transportation is a great option.
- Near hotels and other commercial establishments. Commercial and tourist spots, especially those in downtown areas of cities, are prime locations for billboards. You will want to make sure that you get creative and bold with the campaign you choose. There will often be a lot of competing, attention-grabbing advertisements and you want to be the one who gets noticed.
- Just off the highway/freeway. Fewer roads see as much traffic as the freeway system. This is another place where you will be seen by a wide range of people. Once again, the biggest key in choosing your location is knowing your audience.
Effectiveness for Drivers
According to the Arbitron National In-Car Study, billboard advertising is found to be fully effective on drivers just passing through a given area. Here are some of the findings:
– 71% of Americans consciously view a billboard message while driving and, of that percentage, many visit the event or restaurant advertised
– 37% report looking at a billboard most of the time they pass one
– 58% learned about an event or restaurant they want to go to because of the billboard influence
– 56% of Americans talked with others about a funny billboard they saw
– 26% noted a phone number on a billboard
– 28% noted a website address on a billboard
Visibility
A key factor in making a billboard work and stick in the minds of consumers is making sure they can see it in the first place. If a billboard is placed behind stop signs, other traffic signals, trees, or elsewhere, the guaranteed view will be obstructed. Obstructions cause damage to advertising opportunities. If a billboard isn’t meeting the vision of your targets, then it’s commonly known as a waste a money.
Within Legible Distance
Ensure that your billboard is near enough for people to read it. Your billboard should be easily readable from at least 50m to where its set up. Additionally, take height into consideration. If a billboard is too high or too low, your determined target will miss it by a long shot.
Traffic Count
Billboards attract maximum attention on a heavily traveled road. Research the traffic count of the area where you are planning to place your billboard. The more traffic count, the more eyes fall on your billboard.
Consider Audience Demographics
Not everyone is going to be a primary target for your advertisement, so it’s important to directly speak to the community you’re putting your billboard in. Matching a community’s set of values with your billboard will help benefit the way people will perceive your advertised business. Once you have a solid understanding of audience demographics such as age, gender, education, relationship status, and median income, you can choose an ideal location that stems from that type of research.
Within Reach
Selecting a location close to your place of business gives easy access to the audience. This is especially important in the case of food joints and restaurants. If your goal is to direct the viewer to your place of business, then it is sensible to place your billboard in close proximity of your business.
Avoid Clutter
If your billboard is not placed correctly, then multiple things may go wrong:
- No one sees it
- Everyone sees it, but they can’t read it
- The people who see it aren’t your target audience
Billboards are an excellent way to reach a mass audience in a short period of time, but just like any other form of marketing, it’s critical that you carry out the initial planning to decide on the right billboard for you. Keep the above points in mind and choose a billboard location that has the audience you want. This way, you communicate your message successfully. It’s very important to consider what your target is like before you position a billboard someplace. You can analyze your target audience as per various factors such as age, education, gender, average income, and relationship status, and then choose locations accordingly. This demographic knowledge will help you in choosing an effective billboard location, among other things.
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