How To Rent Billboard Advertising

How to rent outdoor billboard advertising

Mitch Thorton

February 12, 2019

As it turns out, those enormous billboards in Times Square can cost as much as $300,000 per month. That is not a realistic option for most local businesses. The world of realistic billboard options for most local advertisers falls somewhere in the range of $750 to $2,200 per month depending on the billboard location and size.

To make an informed decision about which billboards to rent, there are a few key things to consider. Every billboard has a rating, called Gross Ratings Points (GRP). It is based on traffic, location, size, and frequency. Billboards near major freeways and interstates are priced differently based on their sizing and proximity to the roadway.

As a general rule, permanent billboards are more expensive the closer they are to the freeway because of the number of impressions they receive. Other billboard formats and non-traditional media have their own individual pricing and availability, but there are billboard rentals to be purchased for a reasonable price in just about every major state.

Highway billboard advertising

One billboard on a major highway or interstate is not cheap. The average price nationwide is roughly $2,250 / month per billboard near most major thoroughfares. But, depending on the business, just one properly placed billboard (near a highway off ramp, for example) can immediately increase foot traffic. People must know about your business in order to find it and billboards are an effective way to grab people already on the move.

Like other advertising mediums, you've got to get people to notice you and grab useful pieces of information about your business quickly. This often involves carefully planned advertising strategies with varied outdoor media formats.

Remember, billboard advertising is a mass market medium, but it needs support. If your budget allows, combining these ooh formats with other media buys such as television or radio can significanly improve the recall of your billboard ads. Billboard advertisers dominate the media landscape by complementing our mobile lifestyles. Commuters spend an average of 47 minutes behind the the wheel each day and most are exposed to outdoor advertising during this time period. Businesses can target the time starved consumer with a billboard message that says who you are and what you sell with a few short words and images. If they have a regular commute like most of the world, they won't be able to avoid your advertisement.

How do mobile billboards work?

The community of mobile billboard owners is disparate to say the least. There are countless mom and pop companies with one car or truck that will rent out ad space on the side or even provide you with a car wrap. Those companies are too numerous to list in any sort of cohesive manner but there are a few pieces of information you should be equiped with before contacting any local mobile billboards provider.

You can pick your market
The side panel is always more expensive than the back panel
You can haggle

Do not feel pinned down to a single provider if you're not getting the answers you're looking for. Remember, these are often local owners who just want to generate revenue. If they have billboard space available, you can bet they want to sell advertising on it as soon as possible. If you feel you're being taken for a ride, you can have us contact mobile billboard companies on your behalf and we will handle all of the heavy lifting so you can focus on your business.

Digital billboards are gaining ground

Digital billboards give you the most bang for your buck. There has been some reasonably heavy pushback against digital billboards, with some cities going so far as to ban them and to have those bans upheld in court. But the return on investment, convenience, and multitude of options will undoubtedly mean that digital billboards will always have their place in certain markets.

On average, digital billboards cost ~$3,200 per month. But remember, these spaces can be divided. Unlike traditional static billboards, more than one advertiser can advertise on digital billboards at the same time. Digital billboards are typically run in loops that range from 32 to 128 seconds. Depending on the duration of the loop, you can purchase fractions of ad time and dramatically cut your cost. In addition, you can pick and choose the time of day you want your ad to run so help save on ad spend when traffic is likely to be low or your business is on holiday.

Remember Other Media Formats!

Effective billboards ads are everywhere. A smart billboard campaign will grab the attention of pedestrians and leave a lasting impression. The outdoor advertiser's association of america (OAAA) found 82 percent of respondents remember seeing at least 5 outdoor billboards per day. This recollection is even stronger when combined with additional media buys.

Supplement your billboard campaign
In combination with Tv, Radio, Magazines, Newspaper Ads
Increases ROI on outdoor advertisements