With such a huge emphasis placed on digital advertising, it can be hard to get your brand noticed when your prospects are out and about.

Outdoor advertising is a great way to get your brand noticed and catch the attention of your prospects.

To make things simple for you, we’ve put together a list of our top tips for creating effective outdoor signage.

1. Location, Location, Location.

You may have a brilliantly designed sign, that perfectly represents your company; however, what's the use if it can't be seen?

Ensuring your outdoor signage is visible, and is unlikely to be obstructed by nature will ensure your sign demands attention.

Some things you may want to consider when deciding upon a suitable location for your outdoor advertisements are:

- Where does your target audience spend most of their time?

- What are your target audience's interests? – If they like sport, you could promote near a sports stadium.

- What are you promoting? – if it’s a shop, you’ll want to consider advertising in the vicinity of your store.

Top Tip: Some locations may have advertising restrictions on them. Therefore, you may need to gain permission from the relevant authorities before advertising there. Before splashing out on advertising, ensure you have done your research and are aware of where you can/can’t advertise.

2. Use Bold Colours

Choosing bold, contrasting colours is pivotal to the success of your outdoor advertising campaign. Research has shown that high colour contrast can improve advertising recall by 38%!

Placing a darker colour on a white background is a sure way to grab your prospect’s attention.

Top Tip: Don’t forget to stick to your brand colours. This will help you build your brand image through your signage.

3. Pick a Suitable Material

The key to an effective business sign is picking a great material to print it on.

For example, aluminium Dibond signage is a fantastic option for long-term signage, whereas Foamex signs are great for short-medium term outdoor promotions.

If you need help deciding which type of outdoor signage is right for your business, check out our article.

4. Use an Eye-catching Design

Your outdoor advertisements should immediately catch your target audience’s attention.

Using bold colours, catchy headlines, a clear font and ensuring your signage is readable from a distance will make it simple for your prospects to digest your information and remember your company.

5. Tailor your Designs to your Promotions

As with any advertising campaign, it’s important to consider the purpose of your ad. Is it to share relevant information about your shop? Or to advertise your new products/services?

Depending on your campaign purpose, you may want to alter the way you present your information. If your advertising your shop's opening hours you may opt for a clear window graphic. Whereas, if you are promoting your new product launch, you may use a creative A-Frame.

6. Less is More

With the human average attention span being just eight seconds, you won’t have long to capture your prospect's attention.

Keeping your signage simple, and having a clear message, will instantly grip your prospects.

Top Tip: Aiming for three to five words per headline is a great benchmark to use when writing your signage copy. Your outdoor signage is only there to attract your customers into your business premises. Once they’re inside, there will be plenty of opportunities to provide them with more information.

7. State the Benefit to Your Customer

What problems do your products/services solve?

Do your products help your clients save money or time? Let them know! Appealing directly to your customer problems will ensure they understand your product offering and how you can help them.

8. Think outside the box

As with any advertising campaign, thinking outside the box is a sure way to get your advert seen. Brainstorm ideas that you think your target audience will find valuable, appealing or amusing.

In 2020, the BBC marked the arrival of the new TV show Dracula with a creative billboard that demanded attention. The outdoor advert cleverly utilised stakes to reveal the shadow of the Dracula when a sidelight was turned on, at night.

This is just one example of a creative billboard that shows how thinking outside the box can create a truly memorable ad.

Want to know more?

Outdoor advertising is a fantastic tool for helping you stay ahead of your competition, increase your brand recognition and attract new customers.

If you’re ready to take your advertisements outside, we can help you with every step of the process; from design to finding an advertising product that suits your promotion, to measuring your space and installing your final product.

Contact us today by calling 0116 259 9955 or email orders@soarvalleypress.co.uk to enquire about the range of outdoor signage and advertising products we produce.

Looking for more information?

Is planning your outdoor signage causing you stress?

Our ultimate guide to outdoor advertising helps make the process simple and straightforward.

Click here to download your FREE copy.