Small and midsize businesses (SMBs) have more options than ever when choosing an advertising format. Billboards and other out-of-home (OOH) advertising are often associated with huge brands, but they are also a powerful tool for smaller businesses. In fact, 7 out of 10 outdoor ads promote local businesses.
Let’s take a look at why we are seeing so many SMBs using OOH to advertise.
Low Cost
When considering advertising, cost is one of the most important deciding factors for SMBs. They don’t always have a huge advertising budget.
While it varies depending on what market you are in, billboards are surprisingly affordable. They can be made to fit almost any advertising budget. In general, they’re much cheaper than newspaper, magazine, and television ads.
Outdoor ads deliver the best value — in terms of cost-per-thousand impressions — of any type of advertising, even digital.
Brand Awareness
For newer SMBs especially, advertising is crucial in creating brand activation and awareness. Customers need to know who you are and what you do before they will use your services or buy your products.
Seeing your brand on their way to and from work every day on an outdoor ad is a great way to make potential customers aware of you. It establishes your brand while creating an emotional bond.
A well-designed billboard will also generate buzz and be shared on social media, at no cost to you.
It Works
OOH works. It’s huge, it’s loud, and if you’re clever about design, it’s memorable. Just how impactful? According to the OAAA, of those who have seen an outdoor ad:
- 41% are more likely to learn about the brand being advertised
- 70% say outdoor ads are very, or somewhat likely, to influence a purchase
- 58% search the web as a direct result of seeing an ad
- 55% use mobile and social media to share information while viewing an outdoor ad
- 35% buy a product after seeing an ad
They Never Stop
OOH cannot be skipped, turned off, or ad-blocked. As advertising technology has advanced, so has the technology to skip it. DVRs allow people to bypass commercials. Ad Blockers can be installed on web browsers.
Billboards and outdoor ads are viewed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They don’t stop.
Reach for The Sky
Reach refers to the number of people who will see your ad at least one time during a campaign. When OOH is placed in a high-traffic area, such as a freeway or a near a popular park, it has enormous reach.
If you are already utilizing other advertising formats, adding OOH to your marketing mix is a great way to considerably extend your reach. A billboard placed close to your business is a fantastic way to increase store traffic and reach local customers.