Outdoor Advertising Tips For Startups & SMEs

Let’s assume you have already created a user-friendly, functional and attractive website, that is search engine optimised. If you haven’t, stop reading this, get it sorted, then come back and finish reading this later!

You may or may not have tried paid online search listings, but what if people don’t know what they are searching for? You might offer the type of product or service that no-one knows they need until they read about it.  Or your business could be one of many offering the same or similar – so how do you increase your chances of at least being considered?

Let’s look at Transferwise as an example. Foreign currency exchange is presently a very competitive marketplace, both on- and offline. Search for any number of variations of the term ‘foreign currency exchange’ and Transferwise may not appear near the top of the natural search, or in paid results, whereas any number of their longer-established competitors do. However, Transferwise is probably the most talked about company in the category at the present time.

This highlights the importance of building your brand. Making people aware of your business and your brand helps to ensure that when someone is in the market for your particular product or service, your business is top of mind.

The great thing about outdoor advertising is that it delivers a large audience, which is why it has been around for so long! The majority of the population has to go out on a daily basis to go about their lives. Going to work, the supermarket, the gym, the school run, out for dinner, to a pub… people are out and about all the time.  Billboards, bus shelters, phone boxes, buses, train stations etc, therefore, make up part of the everyday landscape.

This is why outdoor advertising is a great way to put your business and your brand in front of a mass audience, which will help to build awareness. It is also possible to strategically place your ads directly in front of potential customers. Like anything in life, it’s important to be in the right place, at the right time.

In order to select locations where your customer will be, think about the following questions:

What do you know about your customer? Are they primarily male or female? How old roughly? Are they fitness fanatics? Morning commuters? Foodies? Sports fans? The more information you have, the more strategic you can be. Building a detailed customer profile will help with all aspects of marketing and was probably a fundamental part of your business planning. Dig deep and use this information!

What is your catchment area? Chances are if you are a retail or other bricks and mortar destination, the majority of your business will come from your local area, but be aware of how far people are willing to travel to visit you and make sure you cover the entire area.

Where are your competitors located? Outdoor advertising is great for aggressively targeting your competitors. For high street locations it is often possible to place a bus shelter or phone box ad in very close proximity to a competitor. For non-high street, where are the major roads and junctions that traffic heading towards a competitor would use?

When and where are the big events that are relevant to your customers? Creating a calendar of events that are relevant will help with your planning across the year. Timing is everything!

Where are complementary products or services sold in your local area? For example, if you are a dry cleaner, where are the fashion retailers?

The more information you have to help guide your site selection, the more effective your outdoor advertising will be. Ask questions, gather data, and most importantly, use it!