These days when people think about how to advertise and promote their businesses, they will automatically start researching different digital marketing strategies. A great website, engaging social media, and perfectly optimized online content are all well and good, but there are some simpler, more traditional forms of marketing that are still as successful as they ever were. Outdoor banners have been helping businesses to succeed for decades, and they are an ideal way to bring in new customers and boost sales.
Here are 3 reasons why your business needs outdoor banners.
1. To Show Customers Where You Are
Despite the famous assertion, just because you have built it, there is absolutely no guarantee that they will come. In order to make money, your business will need customers, and if your potential customers don’t know where your business is (or that it even exists), you will not be able to succeed. Colorful, well-designed outdoor banners will direct customers to your business wherever it is located. This is particularly important if your business is not positioned on the main road or can be a little difficult to find. You can pay to put up a banner on the highway directing customers to your store. They shouldn’t be complicated directions, just simple instructions on banners placed periodically along the highway. The first may say “Mike’s Furniture Store in 5 Miles”, then another one later, “Mike’s Furniture Store Exit 13”, and then a third one, “Mike’s Furniture Store, Next Exit”. This will give customers plenty of time to get ready to exit the highway.
In order to catch the eye of potential customers, you will need to ensure that your banners are big, bold, and attractive. There are various businesses that design custom banners for every type of business. They can help you to create the perfect color scheme, font, and include brand logos, digital photos, and anything else which will entice customers to your business and tell them what is on offer. Once your banners are up, make sure they stay in good condition and replace them when they are becoming shabby. A low-quality banner will reflect badly on your business so if it looks old and tatty, customers won’t want to come in.
2. To Bring in New Business
Effective outdoor banners enable you to engage with both local customers and those further afield. You can put up banners in your local neighborhood to keep your customers engaged with your business and secure that core customer base. Many people these days are looking to move away from big corporate businesses and spend their money in local businesses. Advertising in your neighborhood will give customers the local option which they are looking for and will also show them that you value their custom. If you have a small family business, make sure that you mention this on the banner to create the right message for locals.
After that, you can start focusing on nearby towns and customers outside of your local area. A business with a great local reputation that offers excellent products and services will always be a draw if you can get word to spread. As described above, putting up banners on the highway can help to bring in passersby, but you should also choose strategic locations in residential or retail areas for your banners. This is also an ideal strategy if you are planning to open a business in a new location. Putting up banners announcing your grand opening a few weeks in advance can help generate a buzz so that you are guaranteed customers when you open your doors.
3. To Advertise Your Products or Promotions
Even the biggest companies in the world need to advertise their products. Coca-Cola alone spends $4 billion a year on advertising, but a quality outdoor banner will cost your business significantly less than this. Every industry these days is incredibly fast-moving, and if your business stands still for even a moment, your customers can and will move on to the next best thing. It is crucial to keep them constantly engaged with new products, services, and promotions, and this means regularly changing your marketing materials. Everybody loves a bargain, so whenever you have an end-of-season sale or you are looking to mark down a particular item, have new outdoor banners printed and get them up in successful locations. If you have a restaurant that is undergoing a menu change or has hired a new chef, let your diners know about it with banners in the local area. You will be amazed at how quickly customers can forget a business but also how quickly they can be brought back with the right promotional banners.
The most important times of the year for retail businesses are always around the holidays and this is when you really need to step up your banner game. If you have a retail business, you need to start planning your banner campaign a few months ahead of Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Black Friday. When you are creating the designs, try to make them festive so that they reflect the holiday. Christmas colors, snowflakes, and Santa Claus imagery are all excellent design additions to your banners to draw in customers, while Black Friday sales are all about bold discount figures and percentages. A huge banner that says “REGENCY HOMEWARE OUTLET BLACK FRIDAY SALE 50% OFF!” can have a massive impact on everything looking for a deal.
Far too many of us are too focused on the latest high-tech ways of advertising the businesses that we overlook the most tried and tested methods. Banners have been boosting brands and generating new business for years and years, and they are still one of the best ways to get your name out there and get feet through the door. With modern banners being cheap and easy to print, every business should look at their own banners to make sure that they are up to scratch. Take these three important reasons into account, and start planning your new banner campaign, today.
