How Effective Is Billboard Advertising? Complete Guide

71% of drivers look at billboards while driving. Depending on the landscape and traffic flow around your billboard, you may get up to 8 seconds of attention.

Is billboard advertising still effective, though? When it comes to marketing strategy, advertising billboards are old-school. In a world of TikToks, Instagram Reels, and interactive GIFs, it’s easy to wonder if billboards still work.

If you’re investigating billboard marketing, we can help you figure out if it’s worth the investment. Let’s get started!

Billboard Marketing

Before you design a billboard, consider the cost. Billboard marketing strategy is expensive, no matter where you place it. However, costs can range depending on how many people are expected to view your billboard.

Usually, billboard costs are charged monthly. If you’re running a billboard on a country road, it might only cost $200 a month. If you prefer to run your billboard in a popular location like Times Square, it could cost around $25,000.

There are three primary factors that control billboard costs. These factors can also help you decide the potential value of billboard marketing in your area, for your industry.

Circulation, Demographics, and Impressions

For starters, what is the circulation? In other words, it’s important to gather how many people pass by this billboard in a given week. This information is readily available from your local transportation authorities.

It’s also important to consider the demographic at play. Have you done your homework when it comes to ideal customer profiles, buyer personas, and so forth?

Different people need, want, and desire different things. For instance, a young woman who is interested in makeup with lots of disposable income in Los Angeles may be a great target for a lipstick ad. A young man in Kansas who is barely able to afford rent may not be a great candidate.

Demographics is the second factor that contributes to billboard cost and value. Elements accounted for often include:

Age
Gender
Income level
And more

This information is also available from local transportation authorities. That information is also available from travel surveys.

Impressions are the third factor. How many people actually see the billboard? Just because people pass by, it doesn’t mean they actually see it.

For instance, when you design a billboard, how visible is it? How close is it to the road? If your advertising billboards are on the road, what speed are people passing by?

All of these questions can help you determine the overall value of investing in billboard marketing as an advertising strategy. If you want to learn more about billboard advertising, there are lots of great options available.