Without an effective advertising strategy, companies struggle to reach their target audience effectively.
Billboards have been used to influence consumers for over a hundred years, and they remain a powerful mode of persuasion.
What are the fundamental rules for an effective billboard?
- Advertising boards need to have contrasting colours so that it catches the eye.
- Slogans should be brief and memorable.
- Lettering has to be clearly readable for people who are a long way.
- The board has to be placed in an area that has a lot of traffic, ideally a combination of cars and pedestrians.
- Interrupting the pattern of a standard billboard makes the advert stand out from the competition.
Boards Need To Have A Colour Contrast
Advertising boards should have a colour contrast so that they stand out. Bold colours catch the eye of people going past the billboard advertisement and then they will take a closer look at the text and the images.
Slogans Should Be Brief And Memorable
Boards only have a few seconds to get their message across. People process information in small chunks when they are walking or driving, so make sure that the slogan is pithy. Think of the famous slogans that famous brands use – they are not wasting a single word.
Lettering Has To Be Readable From A Distance
Billboards are effective at targeting people who are at the end of the road or on the opposite side of the street. Lettering needs to be readable from a distance, so the font must be functional. Different fonts can be tested out to see which one is the most effective.
Place The Board In A High-Traffic Area
Choose an area with lots of cars and pedestrians. A high amount of traffic increases the likelihood that people will come into the shop or go online. Go to different areas of town at different points during the week to see which areas will be most beneficial. Scarcity is another important factor, so choose an area that has lots of traffic but relatively few billboards.
Interrupt The Advertising Pattern
Sometimes billboards are most effective when they are breaking all of the rules without seeming obvious. Agencies could recommend that a particular board could have a single word of text on a coloured background. Billboards with images that look like they are coming out of the frame will cause people to do a double-take and then absorb the message. Don’t be afraid to contact an advertising firm with some bold ideas about how a billboard can stand out from the crowd.
Following The Rules Can Bring Advertising Success
Creative agencies follow these simple rules to make sure that they are producing quality adverts for their clients. Company bosses should have some clear ideas about the content of these billboards so that their vision can be turned into a reality. Adverts that have clear lettering and stand out from a long way are going to have a positive impact on the intended audience.
