Massachusetts Digital Billboard Advertising Self-Serve, On Any Budget

Are billboards dead? With social media ads running the gambit in the new digital age, many believe the days of using billboards as a part of an advertising strategy are over. Brent Thomson, CEO, Co-founder, Blip Billboards in this article refuses to accept that ideology and instead shares tips that revolutionize the industry,

In the age of mobile and online ads that seem to predict the consumer’s interests, it’s hard to think there’s still a place for a 150-year old marketing channel. But despite its lengthy history, billboard advertising remains an effective and growing form of marketing.

Consider the recent campaigns for Coke Orange Vanilla. Of course, Coca-Cola is one of the most recognized brands in the world, but its billboards are a study in simplicity. They immediately let the consumer know that Coke is launching a new flavor. There’s no complexity or ambiguity to the message—they rely on simple imagery to make a single impactful point.

Whether you are Coca-Cola or a business that is just getting started, billboards can help you build for the future by building recognition and letting potential customers know you exist. So whatever marketing step your business is in, consider these five tips for creating an impactful billboard campaign.

Build your Brand

The single biggest mistake organizations make when creating a billboard is including too much information. They misunderstand what a billboard is doing for them, that it’s about creating brand awareness. A marketing department that’s crafting its first billboard campaign should understand the billboard has one main objective—letting people know you exist. To that end, the billboard content should represent a distillation of your brand. The message needs to provide a succinct answer about what your company offers, or at the very least intrigue your audience enough to find out.

Billboards are especially effective when they tie into marketing efforts via other channels, i.e. social media and paid advertising.

Embrace Simplicity with Boldness

You shouldn’t expect people to stop their cars on the side of the road and write down your special 30 character URL or a phone number. It’s not only unrealistic, but it’s also terribly unsafe. Consider attribution and measuring awareness and engagement as a whole, because you simply can’t click on a billboard! You’re building a brand with a simple yet impactful message.“

Short and concise” should be your mantra for billboard design. Eliminate unnecessary words and use the imagery to tell the story. Complicated messages with a call-to-action aren’t productive on a billboard. You have maybe three seconds of the driver’s attention, so don’t think they can put together a convoluted message. Advertising a single simple message doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be bold. Use vibrant colors and striking language to draw the viewer into your brand story.

Figure Out Time and Place

Billboards are geographically set. Figure out the habits and locations of your target audience and get the billboards in front of the right people. If you’re running dynamic digital billboards, then you have another variable at your disposal—time. Say you’re promoting a pediatric dentist’s office to moms and dads that are staying at home to raise kids. With digital billboards, you can target certain areas and also run the ads at times such as 10 to noon or two to four in the afternoon, which are peak times to run errands and take kids to after-school activities.

Locally-relevant billboards can provide companies with more impactful results. If you run a billboard in Silicon Valley you could, for example, make an “inside joke” about tech culture in a way that wouldn’t resonate in the heartland. If you’re running a nationwide campaign, then consider running different billboard variations that highlight the local scene.

Build High-Impact Designs

Before diving into your design, look at some award-winning billboards. For example, take a look at Chick-fil-A, a brand that uses high contrast colors with white backgrounds and distinct black lettering, as well their infamous chicken-loving plastic cows. These are not just impactful but they’re also brand consistent; the viewer automatically associates the colors and word fonts with the company.

Lean towards contrasting colors, such as a navy blue background and white letters. Use only three to seven words. Also, use your logo prominently and be sure the color scheme and phrasing of the billboard matches your overall brand image. Resist the urge to include a URL, and instead include your company name and logo (assuming your URL matches your brand name). Use a clean and easy-to-read font so your words stand out. Consider using a single image instead of multiple images so that the image can be clearly identified from 100+ feet away.

Take Advantage of Digital Billboards

Digital billboards provide some flexibility that’s simply not possible with traditional vinyl-based static billboards. With dynamic digital boards, a company can try out dozens of different designs. They can run one campaign for 20 minutes during rush hour, and another for the night-owl crowd.

This flexibility allows a marketing team to take a granular approach to billboard advertising. They have control over time, place, and messaging—all of which can be changed at any time. Digital billboards are especially attractive for startup and medium-sized firms that are testing out new brand looks and products without prohibitive expense. Companies running digital billboard ads can take more risks and be more dynamic because they don’t need to tie up their marketing budget with just one message.

Billboards (when properly designed and located) provide companies with a great way to educate and excite the viewing public. Marketing teams designing billboards should embrace simplicity and position a striking yet simple message that speaks to the right demographics. And by adding in digital billboards they have a more flexible platform to try new ideas and launch bold campaigns. Have you thought about integrating billboards into your marketing strategy?

What would your billboard say?