You might be surprised to learn that outdoor media advertising delivers more online activity per ad dollars spent than TV, radio, and print. In addition, outdoor media advertising now accounts for 26% of gross search activation when compared to more traditional media.
With the advent of social media and ubiquitous Google searches, savvy business owners and marketing professionals are incorporating outdoor advertising campaigns into a cohesive and seamless medium that integrates the digital and physical worlds. As consumers change the way they interact with ad messages, out of home advertising has morphed into a messaging powerhouse that complements and supports digital, print, TV, and radio advertising with compelling deliverables that were unheard of just a decade ago.
How Does Digital and Out of Home Advertising Work Together?
This merging of digital and outdoor advertising has transformed where marketing professionals and business owners allocate their media dollars. It is no longer a matter of where to spend your advertising budget – whether on billboards or other – but rather, how to combine your advertising efforts to get the best bang for your buck. This has transitioned out of home advertising into killer campaigns that are untouchable in reach and cost-effective CPM’s (cost per thousand impressions).
The newly formed partnership between digital and outdoor media has advertisers rethinking ways to optimise their ad dollars. According to a recent study conducted by Nielsen, media that reaches consumers while they are outside their homes, such as media seen on billboards, bus stops, in airports or sports stadiums, is the most effective channel for driving online activity. In fact, the “Online Activation Survey” revealed that, while accounting for only 7% of the ad dollars, outdoor media advertising delivers more online activity per ad dollars spent than TV, radio, and print. Additionally, the study concluded that outdoor media accounts for 26% of gross search activation when compared to more traditional media.
Billboard Advertising Increases Reach and Frequency
If you’re looking to reach more consumers in a highly targeted audience sector with greater frequency, billboards are the answer. According to Matt O’Connor, an entrepreneur and writer for Adweek, billboards reach 90% of the population combined. Additionally, your ad message can be geographically targeted with pinpoint precision.
Some advertisers complain that outdoor advertising cannot be qualified or quantified accurately. While that may have been true a decade ago, it no longer is today. Our out of home campaign integration with Google Analytics can measure increases in site traffic emanating from outdoor locations. This technique has been proven to increase traffic by more than 40%. Billboards can also be integrated into Google AdWords to measure Cost Per Click (CPM) and click-through rates by area. This technique can be employed to quantify performance in online activity.
Using Billboards for Brand Awareness
Billboards are also an ideal way to build brand awareness for your product. The Australian public is inundated with a plethora of ad messages each day in our homes and places of work. Billboards give advertisers a voice that can be heard above the noise. Studies suggest that we are more aware of our surroundings when we are outside driving our vehicles. Our senses are honed to peak efficiency. This heightened state of mind makes us more attuned to outdoor advertising messages that we are exposed to. This increased attention span makes us more receptive to the ad messages we come across.
Target Marketing Magazine offers four tips for outdoor advertising marketing success.
- Take a creative approach to ensure that your ad message stands out from the crowd.
- Go for high traffic sites that optimise exposure.
- Analyse your competitors outdoor and billboard advertising to determine what’s working for them.
- Billboards enjoy an average exposure of 8 seconds. Keep your message simple and memorable.
Finally, don’t let the success of your outdoor campaign fall into the hands of the uninitiated. Select an ad specialist like Bishopp Advertising and take advantage of our years of experience in Billboard advertising success. For more information, contact us.