Billboards are another expense that find their way into small business owners’ budgets. While I believe there is huge value in having your company’s logo and branding front & center for all the world to see, billboards are incredibly expensive and not effective in tracking ROI. Like mailers, unless you’re promoting a specific event or product that’s exclusive to that billboard, you will simply not see ROI and will be creating only brand awareness. If you feel like a billboard is worth it anyway, here are two things you should consider:
1. Avoid the digital ones and choose a stationary billboard. When it’s a digital billboard, your message is going in front of people driving by for a few seconds. There have been times where I was at a stoplight and saw an ad on the billboard that caught my eye. By the time I recognized it had caught my eye it had changed and it missed an opportunity to get me the necessary information. People are distracted and if that happens to them, chances are, they will drive away and forget they even saw it. Choose a stationary one that displays only your advertisement for an extended time period. Those who frequently drive by will have time to let your brand and message sink in and may remember you the more they see it.
2. Location. Location. Location. Just like real estate, having the right location for your billboard is key. Now if you want it in a very visible location, you’ll be paying a lot more for it, but again, you’ll be in the most ideal location. For example, if you own an auto repair shop, choose a location that’s close to an exit where people can see your business right after they see your sign. If you only have one location on the west end of town, avoid having a billboard location in the far east part of town. Again, people get distracted and will quickly forget about what they just saw – especially if they land in traffic.