Make an Emotional Connection: You can get creative and uniquely communicate your messages. An image of a child eating ice cream with a smile can say more than a standalone image of an ice cream cone. Think of ways to connect with drivers on an emotional level.
Connect the Dots for People: Make sure messaging on the sign matches the messaging at the location. If the business's name is on the billboard, but the first sign at the location is the fuel brand, there can be a disconnect.
Show, Don’t Tell: On billboards, photos can be more effective than words. Pictures of food that make people hungry can do more than a company logo.
Keep it Simple: Most people put way too much on a billboard. I believe that you can put two or three messages max, and pictures say it so much better than words. People driving their vehicles and reading your billboard have limited time, which means you have three to four seconds to get your message across.
Focus on the Font: Next time you design your billboard copy, print it off and hold it up at arm’s length for three to four seconds and pull it away. This will better demonstrate the view that customers are going to see.
Consider Colors: Some colors do not show well at night, so take a good look at other billboards and see what color combinations work best. Typically, yellow, light blue and white work nicely. Darker colors sometimes don't work well at night unless they are illuminated.
Light It Up: Previously billboard illumination was dependent upon grid electricity nearby. You can now illuminate billboards with low energy consuming LED lights powered by solar or a very small wind generator. Billboards can now be illuminated for 8–10 hours a night, and the payback compared to grid electricity will surprise you. There are companies that can do this for you for less than you might think. You may even qualify for tax incentives.
If you would like to discuss how to grow your business with better billboards, I hope you will contact me at (703) 739-8572 or dquinn@natso.com.
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