How to Use Billboard Advertising to Grow Your Small Business

Can a single billboard really make a difference for your small business?

Well, YES, it can.

As a copywriter, I have worked with so many clients in the past 15 years, and I know very well that if you want explosive growth for your small business and to stand out in the market, you should count on billboard advertising.

Billboards are not just for the big brands with deep pockets. Even a small business with a low budget can advertise itself on a billboard.

Are Billboards Ads Better Than Digital Ads?

Indeed, billboards have significant advantages over digital ads.

• Billboards are often more cost-effective in areas with high foot traffic, whereas digital ads can be pricier, particularly when targeting specific demographics or competing against other brands.
• Billboards maintain a consistent presence in a specific location, which helps ensure that your message is seen by your target audience. Digital ads, on the other hand, can be easily overlooked or ignored.
• When it comes to creative freedom, billboards are the best. You can present your message in any way you want. But digital ads are limited by platform-specific formats and guidelines.

Why Don’t Most Small Businesses Use Billboard Advertising, Despite Its Benefits?

It’s a good question.

Whenever I suggest to my clients who are targeting the local market to consider using billboards, they ask me this question.

They think billboards are just for giant companies with millions of dollars in advertising budgets. These companies can simply slap their logo with an image and some text and promote their new products.

And that’s true.

Giant companies do have the money to spend millions on advertisements. However, this doesn’t mean that as a small business owner, you can’t use the power of billboards successfully.

The only problem is that most small business owners don’t know how to use a billboard to grow their business.

They either use it solely for brand awareness or incorporate flashy graphics to grab attention, mimicking billion-dollar companies.

That’s why their billboard ads don’t work and why they end up wasting a lot of money.

So, How To Use Billboard Advertising Correctly?

As a copywriter, I know there are so many ways to grow your business through billboard ads.

But I will share just two methods today.

If you focus on them, you can maximize engagement and increase your overall sales revenue.

1. Perceived Value

Perceived value is about creating a positive, high-value perception of your product or service. When you create a strong perceived value, you can increase demand, charge higher prices, retain customers, outcompete rivals, and generate word-of-mouth marketing.

But how can you increase the perceived value of your product on a billboard?

Before I share the secret sauce, you need to know how more than 99 percent of small businesses try to create perceived value:

• Highlighting unique features
• Using social proof
• Offering free or discount extras
• Using scarcity tactics

While these tactics can work for established small businesses or big brands, they aren’t effective for new small businesses. If your target audience doesn’t know you, they won’t care about your discounts, free offers, or unique features.

To avoid wasting money on ineffective billboard advertising, use this formula:

Specific Audience x Specific Problem x Specific Solution

Your message should target a specific audience, address a specific need, and offer a specific solution.

For example, if you own a carpet cleaning service, you could target pet owners with a billboard message like this:

Hello, Pet Owners

Say Good-Bye to Pet Stains

Refresh your home CARPET today with our

“Advanced Steam Cleaning Technology”

Matthew Carpet Cleaning Service

Call: 001 000 00 00000

This message targets a specific audience (pet owners), addresses a specific problem (pet stains), and offers a specific solution (advanced steam cleaning technology).

Using this formula can immediately increase the perceived value of your product or service.

2. Generate Hype

If your business is already established and has some recognition in the local market, then you should focus on this strategy.

You should use billboard ads to generate hype.

This will not only encourage your loyal customers to contact you again but also capture the attention of those who are not familiar with your business.

But what type of hype should you generate?

You should generate hype around a new product or event.

When you do it successfully, people become more interested in your product/event, which can lead to increased sales.

There are many ways to create hype, but personally, if my client is already established in their local area and has a positive reputation, I focus specifically on “Limited-Time Promotions”.

Before I give you an example of how to create a limited-time promotion, first you need to know why they are so effective for a small business:

• They help you stand out from your competitors.
• They encourage new customers to take action quickly.
• They create a sense of exclusivity by limiting the time frame.
• They increase awareness of your business among potential customers.
• They can boost sales quickly if the offer is compelling.

Now suppose you own a carpet cleaning service (again), and this time your goal is to increase awareness of your business and target more customers in your local area.

I have a simple formula for you that you can use to achieve this and generate hype successfully:

“Hurry, this offer ends [insert date]!

Get [insert discount or incentive]! Limited time offer for [insert target audience or customer group]”

How can you create a limited-time promotion with this formula?

Hurry, this offer ends on April 30th!

Get 50% off on your first carpet cleaning!

Limited time offer for new customers.

Matthew Carpet Cleaning Service

Call: 001 000 00 00000

When you introduce a limited-time promotion on a billboard like this, you can instantly capture people’s attention and generate hype successfully for your business.

I have provided you with formulas for both creating perceived value and generating hype for your product/service. But of course, before using these formulas, you need to conduct your own research as well. Without proper research, these formulas may not work effectively.

The Location of a Billboard

The location of your billboard can make or break its success.

Even the most talented copywriter cannot help if your billboard is placed in an area that your target audience does not typically visit.

The success of a billboard advertisement is not measured by how many people see it, but rather by who sees it.

For instance, if you are advertising a carpet cleaning service, placing a billboard along a busy highway or in a popular shopping district may not yield the best results. Instead, it would be more effective to place the billboard in a posh or trendy urban area where many people use carpets in their homes and require regular cleaning services.

Are Your Ads NOT Converting?

I’m Harvey,

The copywriter who can help you ATTRACT NEW CUSTOMERS with a high-converting sales page and ad copy by implementing a powerful positioning strategy… Email me at [email protected] to get started.

P.S. Please only contact me if you’re actively running ads.