There are a lot of things to consider once you’ve committed to investing in out of home (OOH) advertising. You’ve chosen the ad’s content, color scheme, message, design… but there’s another decision: Where do you put it?
It might be tempting to choose a random location and let your customers come to you. After all, we see dozens if not hundreds of ads every day. They’re everywhere, so why should it matter where it’s displayed? But an advertisement’s location is everything, especially an OOH ad. Outside of the home, you are battling for your audience’s attention against the world around them. Even the most well thought out OOH ads are useless without a viewer’s attention. In order for your ad to do its job, you need to be the one to meet your customers. And you need to meet them where they already are.
- Public Transit
Every day, millions of people use public transit to get to work, school, the bank, the grocery store, etc. If you’re going to find your potential customers where they are, you need to find the places where you are guaranteed to capture their attention. Your audience is stuck on a subway, train, or bus — sometimes delayed — with little to look at. Display your ads in the subway car or on bus station billboards. Consider having your advertisement on the side of the bus itself! You’re guaranteed a wider audience when your ad is cruising all through the town. - Highway Billboards
You can capture the attention of those driving commuters as well. Highway billboards have the luxury of being big, loud, and right where people are driving by. But be sure to do some research before deciding which road to place it on. Choose spots with lots of traffic. If it’s an area that tends to get a little grid locked during rush hour, even better. Drivers are more likely to see it. You can use the Department of Transportation to check for the busiest roads in your area. Putting your billboard near the off-ramp where cars are slowing down also increases the chance that your ad will be seen. - On the Streets
Once you exit the highway, there’s still a slew of locations for OOH ads. There are newspaper kiosks, street furniture, parking lots, bus station billboards, plenty of ways to meet people where they are on the streets. In this situation, it is extremely important to know the neighborhoods where you plan to display the ad. Do you want it in a residential area? Close to commercial businesses? If your audience is children or parents, consider placing your ad near a school. If you’re trying to reach professionals, show your ad near office buildings. Knowing where your audience frequents is vital. - Close to You
If your business has a physical location, you can put your advertisement nearby. This gives potential customers who are walking or driving by the chance to check you out now instead of waiting to look you up when they get home. It also helps if your business isn’t on a main street. Putting an advertisement on a busier road with an arrow or directions telling people how to find you, can increase your business’ foot traffic. Oftentimes, customers are already looking for your services. You just have to make yourself easier to find.
When choosing the location for your OOH ad, the most important question to ask is, “whose attention am I trying to get?” Knowing the ins and outs of your audience’s movements is paramount. Only once you have gone to them and captured their attention, will they find their way to you and your business.
