More than 70% of Americans look at billboards while driving. Even with that exposure, is this traditional advertising channel a good choice for your marketing dollars?

The Cost of Billboard Advertising
Billboard ad pricing ranges widely depending on the type of billboard, where it’s located, and other factors, such as out-of-home impressions.

Out-of-home (OOH) impressions refers to the number of times people see the billboard. Other factors impacting cost can include:

• Demographics. Who sees the billboard? These figures are usually based on census data for the area.
• Visibility reach. This has to do with how long the billboard might be viewed by someone in a single “session.” For example, a billboard that can be seen for half a mile while driving on the highway has more visibility reach than one that’s on a curve and only visible after rounding the curve. A billboard in an area where people congregate, such as Times Square in New York, would have even more visibility reach.
• Billboard type. Digital billboards are typically more expensive than static print billboards.

Costs can range from $250 to $15,000 or more per month for print billboards and $1,500 to $15,000 or more per month for digital.

The Benefit of Billboard Advertising
At minimum, home improvement firms would spend $3,000 to $9,000 a year on average for a billboard. So, what benefits might make that ad spend worth it?

You might think billboards are archaic pieces of the passing landscape for drivers, but that’s not true. The majority of Americans still look at these ads consciously as they travel, and almost 40% say they look at the ads each time they pass. In terms of marketing, that’s considered high engagement.

More than half of Americans mention remembering messaging from billboards. And if your ad is funny or interesting, around 55% will share that info with others. Also, more than a quarter will take the time to write down phone numbers or websites they see on billboards.

Are Billboard Ads Right for Your Home Improvement Firm?
Whether or not billboard ads are right for your home improvement firm is a personal decision. But if you have a product or message that can be conveyed in a giant image ad — and there’s a billboard location that meets your demographic and impression needs — this type of traditional advertising might be worth a try.