Many online retailers are experiencing a sharp uptick in COVID-19. Online sales have grown 83% in the past year alone, according to a new report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The continued rise of e-commerce has enabled customers to purchase products from ranging from smartphones, tablets and laptops etc. around the clock.
In this respect, the digital world now has a massive influence on consumer purchasing decisions. According to a recent study by e-commerce market research firm eCommerce.com, 75% of all people shop online at some point in their lives.
Where do billboards fit into the equation?
There is a lot of noise on the Internet and there are several brands competing for a share of the consumer market. The influence of digital media on a consumer’s journey means that there is a way to combine online campaigns with out-of-home advertising. Billboards in particular can help to draw consumers to your website, increasing leads and boosting sales. The dynamic outdoor advertising landscapes are an excellent way to tap into the audience.
According to a study by the Retail Gazette magazine, railway stations have become major shopping destinations. These places are well suited for billboards and are an effective means of advertising in these places.
What makes billboards so effective?
The online space is very crowded. 547,200 new websites were created last year alone, exposing the average consumer to more than 1.5 million e-commerce sites. There are privacy concerns as personal data is misused to target consumers with targeted ads.
Outdoor advertising is naturally integrated into the everyday environment. According to Nielsen, one in four US millennials will post an image of an outdoor ad on Instagram.
The above statistics alone show how powerful outdoor advertising can be in directing traffic to your website. Consumers are also more likely to click through if they have previously been exposed to the same advertisement.
Combining outdoor advertising and digital
If you look at the Nielsen study, there is a clear synergy between outdoor and online advertising. The combination of outdoor advertising and digital can maximize the benefits of both channels.
Outdoor advertising can be used to attract the attention of the audience by sending them a clear, digestible online message. They can then expand the message shown in the outdoor campaign. By using both channels, you can maximize the benefits of both to grow your online presence. Digital billboards are larger in comparison to static billboards.
If one in five people sees an ad for something on a digital billboard, they will talk about it for at least 30 days. In fact, 83% of consumers will remember at least one display on digital billboards over a 30-day period, while 65% will remember two and 47% will remember three.
OOH alone is difficult to quantify, but in combination with digital you can monitor the success of your billboards. Outdoor advertising serves as an introduction to your brand, while your digital presence deepens the connection with consumers. Digital also provides a great way to track the success of outdoor advertising campaigns.
For example, your outdoor screen could contain an action code that grants an exclusive discount to consumers who respond to your ad. If you use the code at one point during an online purchase, you will be given an estimate of how many sales you have made through the work of your advertising from home.
Alternatively, you can create a unique landing page where your outdoor posters can be displayed. The number of online visitors who reach the URL is an indication of how successful your ad has been. Likewise, the inclusion of unique and memorable hashtags in your outdoor advertising allows you to track and develop the success of your OOH campaign through social media.
OOH and digital advancing
There are a number of outdoor advertising campaigns that encourage consumers to digitally connect with a brand. The stronger the synergy between OOH and digital becomes, the more exciting the creative possibilities that arise from it. The possibilities to combine the two channels are growing. As a result, e-commerce is gaining popularity.
Outdoor advertising is a great way to build brand awareness offline. It can direct people online by using advertising space exclusively for your message. It helps distinguish your business from the internet chaos and makes your brand more accessible on the web. Thus, enabling you to reach a mass audience quickly and increasing your engagement.
You can read more about this in our previous blog: eCommerce Spends in OOH Growing More Than Ever in 2020 – The Perfect Media (theperfectmediagroup.com)
