6 Common Mistakes
to Avoid When Using
Billboards for Advertising

6 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using Billboards for Advertising

Billboards have been used for many years for advertising purposes, and it is one of the oldest forms of marketing that is still being used on a regular basis. There is good reason for this: They are highly effective at getting any message across to a large audience within a few seconds. They are also permanently visible, and not just a 30 second slot on a television, or a page of print that can be paged over. They are also usually placed at locations where people sit in traffic, feeling bored, and this gives them an opportunity to engage with the information on the board. Billboard design, however, cannot rely on more than a few seconds of attention, especially not when placed next to a busy highway where people need to focus on the road. There are some mistakes people tend to make with their billboard design that reduces the effectiveness of the board, and these should be avoided at all costs. Avoid doing the following:

  1. Bad use of colour: While the billboard has to be noticeable and eye-catching, it is a mistake of mixing gaudy coloured text with dark backgrounds. This can make it very difficult to read within a few seconds. Incorrect combination of very light shades only do not provide enough contrast for the message to come across. The secret is to use colours that provide the correct amount of contrast.
  2. Using fancy fonts: While certain fonts look good on paper or on a computer, they will not work for billboards. Curly, thin or complicated fonts are hard to read within a few seconds, and experts recommend that clean, simple and clear fonts are used.
  3. Text that is too small: Your billboard is worth nothing if nobody can read the message or the logo. Use fonts that are big enough to be seen from far away, and keep equal distances between letters.
  4. Incorrect placement of the billboard: Here we are not only talking about the location, but also the physical angle and placement of the board. Choosing an incorrect location can lead to a waste of money, and it is best to consult billboard advertiser experts when it comes to choosing a location to advertise your particular brand. Some locations are richer in your specific demographic than others, and a well-located billboard can draw the attention of the right people. The billboard should also be angled in a way that increases its visibility, and therefore, again, experts should be consulted.
  5. Too much text: Nobody has time to read a paragraph while they drive, and even though you want to avoid large, unused spaces on the billboard, filling these up with text is a grave mistake. The perfect length for a message on a billboard is around 7 words. A short, punchy phrase is a lot more effective than a longer message.
  6. Over-complicated: If there is too much happening in the design of the board it makes reading it complicated, and the message is lost. Keep design simple and clean, and use impactful statements.

If you need expert advice and professional billboard design, contact Face First Media today!