We’ve all seen the giant billboard ads on the highway or over busy city intersections. From law firms to fireworks, it’s hard not to notice them. This is why they’re so effective, and why even after we’re well into the digital age, physical billboards are still alive and well.
That said, there has been growing demand for digital billboards. As more locations for these ads have popped up, there have been increased opportunities to get your message in front of both foot and vehicle traffic through these digital “out-of-home” ads.
For Managed Service Providers (MSPs), these digital billboards can provide the perfect outlet to increase brand awareness. By utilizing some of the handy features that come with digital ads, you can tailor your message and get the maximum value out of your advertising dollars.
The Trouble with Traditional Billboards
While traditional print billboards are effective, they do have their limitations.
For one, there is a significant upfront and ongoing cost to time, effort, and funds to getting a billboard up. You may need to bid for the position, design the ad, print it, and then have it physically installed with a crew on the billboard. This means there is a significant risk involved with this method and any issues or typos will require even more time and money.
Additionally, traditionally billboards are static. After all that effort and cash, you’ll want your ad to stick around for a while. Billboards can stay up for months or years as long as you continue to rent the position. With that in mind, your ad needs to be broad and timeless rather than specific and individualistic. A simple slogan and a phone number is about all you can work with, as anything more specific may not be relevant in a few months or years.
Lastly, it can be extremely difficult to track metrics with a physical billboard. Things like impressions and conversions are far from exhaustive or accurate, leading to advertising dollars potentially being wasted.
MSP Digital Billboard Advantages
Lower Barrier to Entry
Unlike traditional billboards, digital ones are much more cost-effective to use. No need to physically print anything out or hire a crew for installation. Digital billboards often use similar file types as you may use when creating the ad, meaning it can be as easy as exporting and then sending it over to the provider. This means MSP digital billboards are accessible even for smaller companies that don’t have the deep pockets to afford installing a physical billboard.
Increasing Inventory Locations
We are starting to see MSP digital billboards appear in more and more places. You can find them on trucks, on the sides of buildings, over ATMs, and in many other places. Plus, more businesses that have a lot of foot or vehicle traffic are taking advantage of passive income by selling ad space on their screens and TVs such as bars and restaurants.
Hyper-Specific Ad Placements
Have a limited-time offer you want to promote? You can forget about it if you’re using traditional billboards since your promotion might end by the time you’ve even gotten the billboard up. But with MSP digital billboards, you can make changes in much less time, tailoring your ad to specific locations during specific periods.
Plus, you can connect external data sources to your ads. For example, if the stock market is up, you can display a particular finance ad and be able to display a different one if the market is bearish. By connecting stock market data to your ads, you can create these hyper-focused campaigns with ease.
Better Feedback Loop and Reporting
As we mentioned, tracking metrics on traditional billboards is hard. How do you know if a customer called due to a billboard outside of having to ask each caller? And you can only vaguely estimate how many people see your ad in a given period.
With MSP digital billboards, you can put custom phone numbers or URLs in your ads to pinpoint where people saw your placement. You can even take the feedback you get and make changes to your ad to make it even more potent.
How RingLogix Can Help
With more locations to advertise, easier use and access, better tracking, and the ability to tailor your message, it’s easy to see why digital billboards have gained so much popularity in recent years. The capacity to advertise with laser focus is a powerful tool in a marketer’s arsenal, so you don’t want to let these opportunities pass you by.
If you have been leveraging traditional billboards but are unsure about how to get started with digital billboards, RingLogix is here to help. With a wide variety of business communication products and services that can connect your business to the digital billboard service you need, we provide solutions that are tailor-made for your organization. Request a demo with us today to get started.
