Billboard FAQs

Billboard advertising refers to any large outdoor signage–usually seen on the interstate &/or surface street–that promotes or advertises a business or service. These signs vary in quality and design, but they are all big and bold advertising canvases. If you’ve ever driven on the highway, you’ve definitely seen billboard advertising before. Billboards are just about everywhere, y’all.

Like any business question related to cost, this question is loaded as can be. There are a lot of factors you have to consider, each one skewing pricing in a particular way. I could go on and on about this topic, but I’ll keep it short here. What you need to know is that in the Atlanta market, billboards typically range from $1K – $10K, depending on location, visibility, and term. What exactly do those terms mean? And how do they interrelate to dictate billboard pricing? That warrants a much larger discussion…which you can read here!

Knowing where to best place your billboard is like knowing which wine is best to drink with dinner: it varies often, and is directed by outside factors. 

That’s where Giscel digital Billboard Marketing.  By running a needs analysis for your company, we determine what you really need to drive business.

If your business is located further back from the street, we might target a billboard that can maximize directional copy. 

Ok, so first off: there are 3 main subtypes of billboards:

1. Digital: These are digital display billboards that look like giant tv screens. These billboards are way more common in urban areas, though they have grown in popularity out towards the suburbs in recent years. These are designed to house up to 8 different billboard ads at one time, rotating through them ever 6-8 seconds.
2. Static: Traditional, no-frills billboards. When you think of billboards, static billboards are almost assuredly what pops into your head.
3. Posters: These are like static billboards, just much smaller. I’m talking ½ the size smaller.

Knowing these 3 different types of billboards, it’s easy to run some cost/benefits analyses in your head for each type. For example, the benefits of using a stitial billboard include a reduced price (remember: you’re sharing the board with up to 7 other advertisers) and the ability to change your messaging frequently. 

Just like knowing where to advertise, knowing what type of billboard advertisement is best for your business varies. 

Like any work of art what makes something “good” is subjective.  It’s impossible to distill a career’s worth of experience with this issue into a few sentences, but the big takeaways are:

• Know your most important image(s) right off the bat.
• Be big, bold, and direct.
• Never stray too far from the idea that “a picture is worth 1,000 words.”

Even writing just those doesn’t seem enough, though. This is a complex issue that deserves a lot more time and thought.