People spend a significant part of their life viewing screens. Therefore, real-life digital commercials now have more influence than before. Most online users can easily ignore pop-up ads and banners either using ad blockers or trained instincts. However, they tend to notice digital billboards and street signs, which are visually appealing. The real world offers direct visual leverage without the digital clutter of online spaces. In fact, research shows more people are noticing billboards than they did a year ago. The most successful campaigns focus on delivering localized and contextual content based on where, when and how audiences are engaging. Your local community is your consumer base, and here are all the reasons why there’s no better way to connect with them more meaningfully than using outdoor signage.
Promoting local causes
Digital billboard advertising isn’t just for sales. Local businesses and non-profit organizations can use them to gain the spotlight for charitable causes, CSR initiatives, fundraisers, and volunteer opportunities. Unlike flyers, posters, or traditional billboards that lose recall value quickly, digital displays maintain a higher recall value. They have high-frequency exposure and remote real-time adaptability. It means you can run the ad in a loop 24/7 and change the content for hyper-relevance. If you are encouraging locals and businesses to donate to a soup kitchen or disaster relief, updates to your message can highlight what’s urgently needed.
Celebrating local culture and events
Digital billboards are a versatile canvas for community-oriented messages. You can welcome visitors to your town, congratulate local sports teams, commemorate historical milestones, announce festivals & conventions, greet celebrities, and more. It facilitates awareness and social cohesion. Organizers can pay you to advertise these events as well. It is a cost-effective and impactful PR medium than print material or social media.
You can send your best wishes to the residents and those passing through on special occasions like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Veteran’s Day, and Labor Day. Local businesses can buy ad space to do the same.
Local brand exposure
Outdoor advertising is integral to marketing strategies more than ever, from big businesses to small local enterprises. OOH is the most impactful medium for storytelling and immersing audiences in your brand story. It can make things really relevant. Digital billboards, unlike static billboards, can display time-sensitive messages that make advertising geo-targeted and micro-segmented. Unlike print media, TV, or social media, you can connect with consumers as things happen.
For example, imagine someone seeing a message in snowy weather that says, “If you can see this, it is a sign you need to try our new cinnamon latte,” followed by a vivid visual of a steaming cup of cinnamon latte accompanied by cinnabuns. It is an impulsive prompt, an invitation to your senses, and elicits emotions. And the act of spotting the sign through the snow feels like the challenge for which you deserve a reward. High-quality signs with eye-catching graphics are instant attention grabbers.
Businesses can take advantage of local events, current weather, time of the day, and traffic to promote brands and products. Remote changeability of content allows billboards to communicate directly with an audience in time-specific, location-specific, event-specific, and audience-specific contexts. Contextualized content is more effective than general content. It is the only traditional media platform that is growing. Digital billboards in high-traffic areas have a high return on investment. For every dollar spent, they return $5.97 in ROI revenue, 40% more effective than digital search and 14% more effective than print.
Interactive campaigns
Modern digital ad signs can drive traffic to URLs and social media pages with CTAs. You can use hashtags, social media handles, coupon codes, and landing pages to merge the virtual and physical worlds. For instance, you can ask how many times a brand’s logo appears on the screen during the ad and reward the correct answer with a free sample or direct them to social media to collect Easter eggs. It also increases the dwell time of viewers, which means more information gets digested. Billboards are not limited to town squares, city centers, or highways. You can encourage interactive engagement with mobile billboards on trucks or buses. QR codes, sign-ups, polls, and quizzes can get people involved.
Public service announcements
Digital billboards are a highly effective platform for sharing public service announcements (PSAs), whether you’re a government agency, non-profit organization, or community group. These PSAs include traffic safety, anti-drug and substance abuse, domestic abuse help lines, public health guidance, environmental conservation action, emergency preparedness, mental health awareness, and anti-bullying messages.
Conclusion
Digital billboards have emerged as a formidable tool for engaging with local communities. Their ability to deliver dynamic content, real-time updates and interactive experiences sets them apart from traditional advertising methods. By harnessing the power of digital billboards, businesses, non-profit organizations, and local governments can foster deeper connections with their communities, boost visibility, and promote meaningful engagement that benefits everyone involved. Build a billboard for your locality today with LED Craft. We create custom digital sign boards using the latest LED technology. Our end-to-end services include art rendering services and high-end graphic content creation by our partner agencies. Experience how superior-quality LED signs can change the way you communicate with audiences. What would you like to share with your town folk on your sign?
