As consumers, you will, without a doubt, see or perceive outdoor advertising just about every day. However, these days, it is quite tricky actually to attract the attention of most consumers. It’s said that an average consumer can see hundreds of outdoor signs every day, and much more if you are living in a city like Chicago and New York.
However, the response of those advertisements is minimal. Therefore, doing it the correct and appropriate way is all-important, or it’s merely a waste. Outdoor ads are considered or regarded as a mass-market medium like TV and radio. Thus, it’s better to use it for branding, broad messages, and support campaigns.
If you want to do outdoor advertising, keep in mind that it can’t do the heavy lifting. You have to think deeply and choose wisely on the elements of your ad. In this post, you will learn the different types of outdoor ad, tips, and tricks.
Types of Outdoor Ad
Most probably the essential aim of any business creative is to see and perceive their work posted around the places they work in. And the generally known way to attain this is through outdoor advertising.
Keep in mind that outdoor is a crucial element of the media mix because it reaches a broader audience, by mass transit, car, or by foot, and is often impactful and very quick. Guerrilla advertising, mobile billboards, transit ad, street furniture, point of sale displays, billboard ad, and custom made business signs are some of the most common types of outdoor advertising.
Before, a free ad or a billboard was merely a way to boost the awareness of a brand. It’s not possible to hold an intricate message on a medium that the public only sees for a few seconds. Therefore, it was seen as support for print, radio, direct mail, and TV.
In a nutshell, keep the service or product on top priority, but allow other types of advertising to do the heavy lifting. Some outdoor sign can also become a central point for a whole campaign, most especially if it covers mobile devices, drives interaction, or stunt.
Costs
Just like other types of mass-market medium, reaching a wider audience does not come affordable. And as the strife for outdoor signage space increases, so as the costs. To fully understand the associated costs, it is essential to know and understand how they are calculated.
Also, there are a lot of factors included in this, which is mainly based on location, visibility, traffic, size, and many more. In cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, expect the costs to skyrocket. But you certainly get what you pay for. That’s for sure.
Tips and Tricks
To make sure that you’re getting the best or much of your money, you must plan your outdoor strategy with precision. We all know that we live in a world that’s ruled by portable devices such as smartphones.
Thus, the attention of most customers is tugged into a screen in front of them, not transit wraps and billboards. Therefore, to get or waver their attention towards you, follow these practical tips.
● Less is More. First and foremost, know and understand that less is more. By that, we mean putting less content and fewer distractions on your outdoor signage. You don’t want to permeate or flood the ad with calls to action and messages. It is better to keep it simple and let the stunning visuals and few words grab the attention. Consider your outdoor ads as a communication starter only. It’s not there to give information, but merely to intrigue.
● Study the Competition. The most excellent example of this tip comes from an Audi outdoor billboard. It merely stated “your move BMW.” And one week later, BMW placed a billboard across the Audi billboard, and it said “Checkmate.” You don’t want to look like you are tone deaf or leave yourself exposed to ridicule. Therefore, scrutinise the area, and choose sites that’ll not trigger a problem.
● High-traffic Sites. For sure, you might get tempted to get inexpensive units. However, it can be a waste of money. The trick to success is to get as many people to see your outdoor ad as possible. It is way better to spend money on high-traffic sites that’ll get a lot of views, compared to five locations that’ll get at least 800,000 views.
● Make it Shareable. Do you want to know what’s impressive about outdoor ads? Well, they are inventive and innovative. You want to make your outdoor campaign as something that will intrigue the people, enough to make them share it on social media. So, if it is not shareable, it’s probably not a good use of your money and time.
Takeaway
There are a lot of ways to promote your business through outdoor advertising. Guerrilla advertising, mobile billboards, transit ad, street furniture, point of sale displays, and billboard are some of them. Follow the tips above to make your outdoor advertisement striking and effective.
