Advertising in the Peach State doesn’t have to be difficult, but it does have to be smart. In fact, when you encounter a terrible Atlanta billboard, you know it. It isn’t easy to get your message across in a way that customers can understand in just a few seconds. Here are a few tips to help make your next outdoor advertising campaign more effective than you thought possible!

Know Your Location

It’s not just being able to find the billboard on a map, you need to really understand the location where your new signage is placed. Since purchasing billboard space is about being seen, you’ll want to know everything about the spot and what makes it unique. Some things to examine include:

• Visibility: If your billboard is in shadow all day but illuminated in the nighttime, gearing your ads towards an evening state of mind may get it noticed.

• Demographics: Knowing who passes by your sign will help plan more targeted messages.

• Distance: How far is the billboard from your location, or does it even matter if you aren’t an in-person business?

• Time: It’s important to know how long people will have eyes on your message. Motorists may only be able to read most billboards for about five seconds, but in traffic, that number can rise exponentially.

It’s essential to understand your audience and how they will interact with your Atlanta billboards because, like any advertising, the customer’s time is a valuable resource. If the message doesn’t connect, it’s just like no one saw it in the first place.

Stay on Story

A simple message doesn’t have to mean boring. Anyone can slap a store’s name and an exit number on some signage and call it a day, but that may not draw in a crowd. Creating a story around your message will help it stay in the minds of motorists as they whiz by. People are much better at remembering stories than facts, and putting a spin on your ad will help it reach a wider audience.

Building a story doesn’t have to be complex; on the contrary, it should be simple and straightforward. Think about what you want viewers to hold on to, such as your web address or brand name the next time they go shopping. Create a message that associates your label with fun and happiness, or that your burgers will satisfy travelers’ hunger pains when they finally reach their destination. Bring some of that Southern Charm into your Atlanta Billboards and they’re sure to get noticed.

Simple, Short and Sweet

If time is the one thing you need to conserve, the message you indent to offer needs to be as condensed as possible while still saying what you want it to. A good rule of thumb is about a word a second. If motorists have eyes on your billboard for six seconds, you’d better be able to state your case in six words or less. 

Make sure you use large and legible text. It won’t matter what you say if no one can read it! Avoid scripted-style fonts, choosing letters that are bold and clear, even from a distance. Contrasting colors on Atlanta billboards are also key to increasing visibility. The easier your message is to read, the longer your future customers will have to absorb it.

A Picture vs. 1,000 Words

Another great way to get a lot of mileage out of your billboard is through visual means. Relaying a message through pictures can get complex ideas across to observes quickly. Making smaller items large generally works better than making bigger things look small. For example, a blow-up shot of the complexities of a watch will look nicer than a shrunken image of a building, squishing in all of the detail. 

Make sure you make full use of the space as well. Unlike print ads, white space doesn’t get you noticed. Instead of popping out from the paper, white billboards generally disappear amongst the clouds. Think about other advertising rules you might break, too. Taking risks will get your message noticed, which is a fleeting experience where highways are concerned!

Digitize

Think about adding some digital wizardry to your billboard. Using high-tech lighted signs lets you have a more dynamic message, one that can even change by the hour! Digital designs really give your Atlanta billboards time to literally shin and get your story out in entirely new and visually satisfying ways. It also lets you experiment and quickly change out failing ideas with ones that have more promise.

Don’t BillBored

The most important thing about creating a billboard for your Atlanta audience is ensuring it gets noticed. A short message with a great story combined with contrasting colors and great imaging will go a long way to let people know about your business. Create a quality billboard that really catches the eye and you’ll soon see how effective highway advertising can be.