OUTDOOR ADVERTISING 101

Outdoor advertising is considered one of the most important advertising platforms to perfect. Potential guests are predominately untargeted as they bypass because they are unable to click, sign up, or opt-in. Therefore, it’s crucial to capture the attention of possible clientele and generate content that will remain in their minds even after they drive past an outdoor sign. 

The Buzz Creative Group has developed various guidelines in order to create both eye-catching and thought-provoking outdoor: 

Buzzworthy Guidelines: 

Five words or less:
 A person is typically on the move when they see a billboard, there is a limited amount of time to catch the attention of potential guests. In general, the average timeframe people view a billboard is five to six seconds. In this case, less is more. Provide a compressed message to ensure the legibility of your billboard.  

Secondary medium: Consider outdoor advertising a secondary advertising medium. It’s a great platform to use for brand building, but not as a stand-alone advertising source. Phone numbers and website URLs are generally ineffective on outdoor due to the brief amount of time mentioned in guideline #1. For more detailed conversations with your customers, turn to mediums such as print, TV, radio, and your property website.

Test the look: This can be a fun practice in the office!  Before sending your billboards for proof, there are two ways to test what your billboards will look like for those driving by: 

#1: Shrink the size of your creative to the approximate dimensions of a business card, print it, and hold it at arms-length. This will give you an idea of what potential customers will see while driving by your sign. 

#2: Print the outdoor creative on a full-size sheet of paper, tape it to a wall, then step approximately 30 feet back from the sign. Continue to move around the room and ensure that your billboard is legible and portrayed as you want it. 


These guidelines are simply a few steps that we take to polish our outdoor creative. If you need assistance in generating creative and effective signage, please to us. Our Hive is buzzing with ideas to guide you in the right direction!


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