How to advertise

Steps to Planning a
Billboard Advertising Strategy

In today’s modern, fast-paced world, there is more competition than ever before as it relates to attracting the attention of consumers. With new technology comes new marketing strategies and keeping up with the changes can sometimes seem like a bit of a challenge.

Creating an effective advertising campaign cannot be left to chance and the dedicated professionals at IMAGE MEDIA Outdoor have many years of experience in helping clients create, launch and measure successful advertising campaigns.

To the right are the key elements to consider during the planning stages of a new advertising campaign.

Plan your Advertising Campaign Planning & Goals: 1st Step to Billboard Advertising

What are your goals and how do you plan for them? These may be some of the first questions you have before launching any type of marketing campaign. Is your business launching a new product and looking to increase revenue quickly, or maybe your company is a non-profit trying to bring awareness and exposure to your worthy cause. Regardless of what you have answered here, the best advertising results always come from a carefully thought-out advertising plan. No matter what your company does, knowing your end goals ahead of time will help you get the most out of your marketing budget. Map out your goals and objectives to ensure you get the most out of your ad spend.

Design: Who’s Your Audience & What's Your Marketing Reach?

Now that you have your goals clearly in mind, whom are you trying to reach? What type of people would most likely be attracted to your product, service, or message? Understanding your target audience and your marketing reach is a crucial step to selecting what type of ad space you will invest your marketing dollars in, the location of your advertisements, as well as what your message should be and how it is displayed. It's essential to continue to monitor your reach & audience throughout your marketing campaigns.

Production: Billboard Advertising as an Investment

You have figured out what you want to accomplish and whom you are trying to reach. This is the point where the rubber hits the road. Advertising is an investment in each and every business, the same way that purchasing additional equipment or moving to a larger location can be. Many years of research have shown that out-of-home (OOH) advertising has a great return on investment by increasing sales, company exposure, and brand awareness.

When needed, we can assist in every aspect of production, from overseeing the creation of a high-quality design to the final printing process and hanging/installation of the vinyl banner for your billboard. Additionally, we can store your PVC vinyl at our warehouse facility free of charge until you wish to use it again. If advertising materials have dated copy of the vinyl will not be used again, IMAGE MEDIA Outdoor recycles the vinyl to be used in construction, farming, and by emergency responders.

Performance: Measuring Billboard Effectiveness

They say that in business, what gets measured, gets done. Tracking your sales before, during, and after an advertising campaign can really help measure its effectiveness. It’s also important to keep a record of new accounts, as well as calls and in-store & web traffic at the inception of a new advertising campaign or strategy. Things constantly change in the advertising world, especially in Windy City, so to ensure a perpetual return on your marketing investment, be sure to keep an eye on your billboard performance. IMAGE MEDIA Outdoor is happy to help you by providing key insights during this decisive step of your billboard advertising strategy.

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IMAGE MEDIA Outdoor

Know Your Goals

Great results come from great planning. What do you want to achieve from your outdoor advertising? This should be one of the first questions you ask before starting a new advertising campaign? Establishing your advertising goals at the start of the project will ensure that all other efforts remain focused on achieving those objectives. Need help establishing your goals? Let our team of dedicated, advertising professionals guide you through every step of the planning process, from start to finish.

IMAGE MEDIA Outdoor

Know Your Goals

Great results come from great planning. What do you want to achieve from your outdoor advertising? This should be one of the first questions you ask before starting a new advertising campaign? Establishing your advertising goals at the start of the project will ensure that all other efforts remain focused on achieving those objectives. Need help establishing your goals? Let our team of dedicated, advertising professionals guide you through every step of the planning process, from start to finish.

Establishing Your Brand

Who are you in the marketplace and what does your product or service do for people? These questions are the essence of branding. Establishing your brand plays a big role in creating your identity for your customers. Unless you change your approach down the road (which is allowed), you will be known by the branding message that you send out to the world. We have helped many customers over the years create and market their brand to the right audience.

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Broadcast Calendar 2023 2025

Timing, Timing, Timing

If your advertising message is time-sensitive, then you will want to launch your campaign at the perfect moment. A campaign for Valentine’s Day can easily go up in January, right after all the holiday buzz has quieted down. Summer vacation destinations for the kids can start to reach people before school even lets out. Successful advertising campaigns always coincide with the time that your customers will be thinking about your product or service. Timing is very important because the same person that purchases from your company now may not think about it during other times of the year. Let the year’s four seasons, holidays, and customers’ social schedules be the wind beneath your advertising wings.

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Billboard Location & Target Audience

Even the most creative and effective billboard designs will not meet your advertising goals if you are targeting the wrong audience or location - the physical placement of your message plays a critical role in your advertising campaign's success! IMAGE MEDIA has some of the best billboard locations in the Chicagoland area, including traffic-heavy expressways and popular city neighborhoods to ensure you get your message to the right target audience.