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Title: 9 Tips for Better Billboards Post by: Stephen Taylor on July 16, 2007, 05:36:06 PM 9 Tips for Better Billboards
It is a given that billboard advertising "outdoor"is not a "quick fix". If sales are down, you can'tquickly put up a few boards to boost the numbers.You must plan ahead. Lead time is not short when using outdoor. Thebest use of boards is for image building and brandawareness. Billboards are not cost effective for one timeonly sales or non-repeating special events. Mostbillboards are sold for a minimum of one month. Using billboards is akin to TV, it can mean youhave "arrived" as a formidable business.Billboardsare image builders. Painted billboards (Paints) are the oldest form ofoutdoor advertising. Poster Boards (Paper) may bethe best known. We have all seen the billboard guyhanging off the ladder with the swirlingwallpaper-like panels being pushed into place withthe big glue broom. All the rage now is the use of vinyl on boards.This allows for better color, longer life and veryfine graphics. Vinyls are printed with a specialprinter, not unlike your computer printer (butbigger). Bulletins are the giant boards you often see alongInterstates. They can be as big as 20 x 60 feet. Here are BIG Mike's 9 Tips for Better BillboardAdvertising. 1 Buy at least a 50 showing (meaning 50% of thepopulation will see it at least once a day) anddo it every other month. Many times if the boardis not sold after your time runs out, it willremain up for free until replaced. 2 Be sure some if not most of the boards you buyare lighted locations. 3 Choose stand alone rather than stacked boards(if you have a choice). 4 Don't let the billboard salesperson selectthe locations for you. 5 Buy vinyls instead of paper or paint and bleedthe graphic off the edge (so it wraps around theback of the board). Makes your ad look evenbigger. 6 Keep the concept short and clever. Offer asolution to their problem, entice them withsomething new. Avoid same ol' same ol'. 7 Use the rule of never more than 8 words and onepicture. Remember, most readers will be zoomingby in a car or truck. 8 Don't put your picture on the board. Rememberthe cardinal rule of sales. It's not all aboutYOU, it's all about THEM. 9 Make outdoor a budget item and plan in advance.Spend most of your time working on the conceptand design, 'cause once it's up there, it can'tbe changed and will been seen by everybody. For more about advertising get my article"Do Your Radio Ads Work?" Send a blank eMailMailTo:[email protected] ©2005 BIG Mike McDaniel All Rights [email protected] Mike is a Professional Speaker and SmallBusiness Consultant with over 30 years experience,http://BIGIdeasGroup.com Subscribe to "BIG Mike's BIG Ideas" NewsletterMailTo:[email protected] |