Why You Won't Read This Post --- Tips For Outdoor Advertising

We've all seen it; a billboard on the side of the road, a flyer taped to the wall outside your favorite coffee shop, the bumper sticker on the car in front of you. All of these things have something in common... they are outdoor advertising. Entrepreneur.com defines outdoor advertising as "Any advertising done outdoors that publicizes your business's products and services.*" This includes billboards, car stickers, a sign towed behind a plane, and yes, the sports poster for the school that you're sponsoring.

While not all of the posters will be put strictly outside (technically they are inside, being displayed in windows) the same principles apply. Your ad will be seen while most people pass by, and so will only have a short amount of time to look over the entire thing. Not just your ad, but the whole poster! While our first instinct is to cram as much information about our businesses into your ad-space as possible, all that will do is cause someone in a hurry to skip right over it. No one wants to stop and read a wall of text in a 3"x2" space when they are running late for work. In fact, I can think of very few people who want to stop and read a wall of text in an advertisement at all.

Take a look at the advertisements that get your attention, and I mean really look at them. What colors do they use? What kind of images are in them? What fonts do they use, and how many words? Does the ad feel full and cramped, or is there room for your eye to move? (for some excellent examples of outdoor advertising, check out the Outdoor Advertising Association of America's website.)

So, what did you see? Strong, emotionally-charged colors. Bold type appropriate for the target audience. But most importantly, there is very little to read, isn't there? What is there can be taken in at a glance. Unless a person is sitting down to research a product or service, there is very little chance that they will dedicate their time to reading about the twenty different reasons your company is better than the other guys. In order to get them to the point where they pick up the phone to call you or open their web browser to check out your site, you have to get their attention.

Well, then, how do you make your ad stand out? How do you convince a customer that they need your business in their life?

Easy. Make an impression! Let's break down the four most important points into a list--because we do so love lists around here.

1) Think about your target audience. Who are you trying to reach with your ad? An advertisement geared towards teenagers will be vastly different than an ad geared towards senior citizens. Don't be afraid to put yourself in your customer's shoes and ask yourself what you would want if you were them. Advertising bouncy houses? Use bright colors and fun images. The same theme wouldn't apply well to an insurance agency.

2) Make it look professional. I know this seems like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised how many things take away from the overall integrity of an ad. Simple things like small typos (confusing your and you're is the most common error we come across) or having a logo that isn't at a high resolution can really kill your image. Always have someone else double-check your work for you, and always run your text through a spellchecker.

3) Keep text to a minimum. We're beating a dead horse at this point, but I really cannot stress this enough. Resist the urge to put a lot of text in your advertisement, no matter how fancy and cool it looks. The simpler and more concise your ad is, the better.

4) Draw the eye in a circle. This is a sneaky design secret. Making a pattern that will draw the eye in a circle causes a viewer to want to review your ad more than once, making it more likely that they will retain your information. Take a look at this advertisement for Bank Forum.

See how easy it is to look at this ad more than once? You easily get drawn in to the advertisement. Look at all the blank space, how little text there is. This ad is a great example of using space to both make a point and impress information on the viewer. Ads don't need to be complicated to get your message across effectively.

Remember, if you are designing your ad yourself or working with a professional, keeping things simple is the best way to get your point across. Less is more. If you need some help, don't hesitate to ask us!

Happy art-ing!

FAQ

Many times we will get the same questions from different sponsors. We love to help, so the Design Team put together this handy-dandy frequently asked questions list. Check it out for A's to some very common Q's.

Q: It's been a while. Where is the poster that my ad is on?

   A: We start months in advance with most schools to make sure that the posters are ready for the season. Getting sponsorships, collecting artwork, designing, printing, and distributing the poster is a monumental task that can take a long time. To make sure the posters aren't late for their respective seasons, sponsorships are arranged as far as four months ahead of the poster printing.

 But double-check, too, that your artwork was submitted on time. Remember that anything not submitted on time goes to a sponsorship listing only, which means you didn't get on the poster. :( No one wants that, which is why it's so important that everyone submits on time!

Q: What are the dimensions for my ad?

    A: While the resolution and color are the same for everyone (300 dpi, full color... though all of that info can be found here), not everyone's size is the same. Check your invoice or sales receipt. The size should be in your line items and will read something like "X Advertising Sponsorship, 2x2."

Q: Can I use my business card for my advertisement?

   A: Sure! Lots of people use their business cards. If your card is different from your ad in dimensions, ask your designer if it can be resized and adjusted to best use your space.

Q: What file types do you accept?

   A: All of that information can be found here. For handy reference, we accept .psd, .png, .pdf, .jpeg, .tiff, .ai, .eps, etc. The files type most commonly submitted that we can't accept is .pub.

Q: Can you make art for me based off of my website?

  A: Well, that depends. The resolution for the poster is 300dpi, while images made for the web are about 72dpi. Some images can be translated well from web to print, but others can't. Always double check with your designer to make sure that your web images are suitable for print.

Q: Can you use this image that I found from a different website?

  A: If you don't own the rights to the image and it is not creative commons or public domain, we can't use it. Even then, the licensing for that particular image might not be suited for print or commercial use, especially in the case of a CC license. No one wants stolen material representing the students and parents in your community.

Q: Can't you just come pick up my art at my business?

  A: Unfortunately our insurance doesn't allow us to go to businesses to collect art... besides, if we did go in person we would never be at the office to design things! You are more than welcome to bring your art to us, however. We'd love the chance to meet with you and discuss your design. :)

Q: Will I get to see the poster for myself?

  A: Yes! Everyone who submits art will get a copy of the poster for themselves via email. If you would like a physical copy for your business, reply to the email saying so or give us a ring.

Q: Can I get more than one copy of the poster?

  A: Sure! Call us to let us know how many copies you would like. We can send up to five posters if you plan to share them with friends and family.

Q: Do you have a list of the locations where the posters will be?

  A: Phew, that'd be a long list! Every school receives 1000 posters, and some schools have to have two sets of 1000 in order to fit all the sponsors. In short, no. Take a look at your poster, though; most of the businesses listed there have a copy to display in their offices and retail stores. The posters are also distributed to banks, restaurants, shops, hotels, car repair shops, and coffee spots all over your community. Keep and eye out, we're sure you'll see quite a few!

Q: I don't want to put my business name on the poster. What should I do?

  A: Hey, not to worry. If you don't feel like advertising your business, you can always put an encouraging message or safety tip for the kids. Our favorite was "Don't goof off, stay in school!" Almost anything can go in your ad space, so long as it isn't inappropriate.

Q: I don't know what to put in my ad space. What should I do?

  A: Take a look at your business card. Most of the time, all the information you need is right there. If you're still stumped, give us a call and we will give you some ideas. You can also look at posters from past seasons to see what other business have done for your ad size.

Q: How many lines can I have in my ad?

  A: Lines isn't really the way to go about your ad, but we would caution against anything more than five. Remember, the simpler the ad, the more effective it will be. Less is more!



Have a question you don't see up here? Call or email us! You may even see your question answered here on our blog. Happy art-ing!