We’ve all seen the enormous advertising campaigns that cover our city centres and shopping malls – you might presume that these huge campaigns are only the domain of multimillion-pound companies with limitless advertising budgets. However, you don’t have to be swimming in money to utilise outdoor advertising. But what are the most effective methods boosting your reputation and customer base if you’re a small business?
Out-of-home advertising supplier Clear Channel Direct have a few tips for you to keep in mind.
Sponsorship
While this tactic is certainly not exclusive to one type of business, it is often a very affordable and effective way of getting a brand out into the public eye. If your local area has a sports team that attracts a lot of fans, or a local event that brings the punters in, then lending your name to their kits or banners respectively is certainly worth considering.
Your logo or your brand name will be synonymous with the organisation you sponsor before too long, and those who attend games/events will know what you do, making them much more likely to use your company should they require the services that you offer.
Billboards
Posters and displays can be extremely effective, providing you choose their location wisely. For example, a restaurant displaying an advert in a bus shelter close by can catch the eye of someone who might be hungry after work. If you’re just down the round or around the corner from your advertisement, they’ll be much more likely to pop in.
The same goes for displays in bars, petrol stations and outside supermarkets – target the right audience, plan the campaign properly and you’ll make a big impact with those who see your advert. Local billboards will be seen time and time again by those in the area, and each viewing will further increase the profile of your company. The value of your promotion being seen countless times makes these billboards very cost effective
Shopping Malls
Think of a heaving shopping mall on a weekend, or just after payday. Thousands of people in a shopping centre, purely with the intention of purchasing something, or at least looking for something they might like to buy. With a carefully planned advertisement in the mall, be it on an electronic screen or a smaller poster, you can appeal to shoppers and encourage them to invest in your product or service.
If you’ve not got the eye-watering budgets of the big brands, it doesn’t mean you have to settle for the customer base you already have. There’s ample opportunity to grow your audience, and with a carefully planned campaign strategy and a little business savvy, you can spread the word about your company without breaking the bank.
Further reading on outdoor advertising
