Start-ups, small businesses: 5 Reasons to use outdoor advertising

As 2018 kicks into gear, many small or fledgeling businesses are looking for ways to take their brands to the next level. Let’s take a look at 5 reasons to use outdoor advertising to put your brand on the map in 2018.

Outdoor advertising cuts through the clutter

Despite the extent to which online media is our dominant way of getting information about brands and products, we are still material creatures. When we see content in the outside world it can often have a bigger impact on our consciousness than online content. Add to this the fact that the over-saturation of online advertising, let alone online content in general, means it can be hard for your brand to stand out against all that noise. When people see outdoor ads, on the other hand, they pay attention.

As a small business or startup, you need to find ways to cut through the clutter of a saturated marketplace and a saturated advertising environment. Outdoor advertising is a fantastic way to do this. And, unlike other advertising mediums, audiences can’t change the channel.

Outdoor advertising boosts your profile

Outdoor advertising will give your brand a sense of prestige that rivals that of expensive magazine centrefolds.

For the mattress brand Casper, outdoor advertising was a key plank in their meteoric commercial rise. There’s a boldness to using outdoor advertising; it shows that you are a brand willing to put yourself out there and be noticed. People make assumptions all the time; when they see outdoor ads they assume that you must have the money and resources available to deliver what you say you will. It’s a psychological thing.

Outdoor advertising is surprisingly affordable

A lot of brands, particularly small or new businesses, are wary of taking out outdoor advertising because at first it would seem to be fairly cost-intensive. But when you look at it, it’s actually supremely affordable. You can take out a 48-sheet billboard (that’s 20ft by 10ft to the uninitiated) in the affluent West End of Glasgow for £232 per week. Alternatively, you can book a phone box poster in London’s bustling Elephant and Castle for £81 per week.

Outdoor advertising is the linchpin of an omni-channel approach

If you drew a Venn diagram in which all advertising mediums were represented by a separate circle, outdoor advertising could easily be placed at the convergence of all those spheres. It can be integrated with pretty much any other form of advertising. Whether you’re using hashtags and other pushes to social media in your outdoor ads, or integrating user generated content into digital panels, outdoor advertising can be an excellent way to unify your cross-channel campaigns into one coherent whole.

Outdoor advertising places you at the heart of your audience’s community

If you want to target audiences in a particular geographic location, you can do so online, from wherever you are in the country. Just jump on our interactive panel map to see what we mean.

Perhaps you are a small business that has just launched your first brick-and-mortar store; you can easily locate outdoor advertising assets near your site. Whether it’s phone box posters outside your shop or venue, or street kiosks on your local high-street, you can instantly put your brand where it needs to be, in the real world. If your audience are affluent types, simply search for outdoor panel space in high-income areas. Conversely, perhaps your products offer solutions for those on a budget; by targeting suburbs, student areas, or other affordable locations – the possibilities are endless.