Outdoor advertising

[Boni]

I have been contemplating expanding my advertising to include outdoor advertising.

The two media I am thinking of using are billboards and small "real estate" style signs.

Have any of you used billboards before? were they successful?

I live in a town of 15,000, lots of areas for placing small signs, what do all of you think about getting 50-100 of these small signs and putting them up all over town. I could even make the dates generic like "every weekend in October" so that I could collect them and use them again next year.

[shawnc]

They'll probably be pretty effective. But if your town is like just about every other in the country, be prepared for lots of complaints and official notification from city officials that you better take them down yesterday.

Most municipalities have pretty strict rules about signage, and putting small signs up all over town is frowned upon. Unless you are a politician running for office.

[Boni]

Has anyone had success with large billboards purchased through a legitimate advertising company? Did you use billboards exclusively?

[graystone]

Boni

Its a waste of money! They never put them where they say and with all the distractions from cars, to road workers to people texting on the phone! No one reads billboards anymore! Do radio or tv less distractions. Been there done that! Shane

[spookhaven]

I am in a small town same number of folks and actually in the real estate business as well and use both methods of advertising. Last year was my first year for my haunt so I used some of what I already know.

I had two billboards and got a bus load on girls from it. It's hard to find but I actually went with the smaller billboards that don't cost as much but are just as effective. (Doing it again this year)

I also purchased 50 signs and put them up along the main highway at every exit for 20 miles with only Haunted House, web address, and dates. We had no problem with them except I purchased the smaller ones (I think 18x24 and I this year I would go with the 24x24). When you were driving by at 65, they were to hard to see. If you are putting them in your yard where you are going slower the smaller ones would work fine. I would also suggest going with a yellow background vs black because they are easier to see and you can even in the dark with black lettering.

The other thing we did was purchase banner and put them on a trailer and set them on our main boulevard at Wal-Mart and other places and that's a billboard that cost you the price of the banner (and mobile).

Check out this website for banners www.wholesalebannerz.com. You can't beat their prices for full color digital print and they are nice. I use this company to print my real estate banners and they last in the weather and they are heavy.

Hopefully this helps.

[Mephisto the Great]

Spookhaven:

The banner place you recommended - are their prices for the complete banner, or sold "by the square foot" as they say? So is a 4x8' full color banner $104 complete or $3328 ($104 per square foot)?

Thanks!

[Motograter]

I have seen a local haunt from Michigan here advertise on the sides of the city transportation buses. You can maybe try that too.

[spookhaven]

If it's a 4x8 and advertised as 104, that is the price. They don't price it by the square foot. They are clear and bright. They will also ask you about inside/outside, wind control, etc. Honestly, they are a good company to get from. I am getting ready to purchase from them this week. If you send me over your email, I can send you one of my proofs they sent me before printing. The banner looked exactly as it did on the proof.

[Dr. Giggles]

I find that bilboards are to expensive for the risk of them not sticking out. Iv been screwed so many times by advertising companies that iv learned that radio, tv, and flyers you stick up yourself end up being the best. I mean i forked out a decent amount of cash for a bilboared right next to the freeway and i was told "Oh yeah dont worry it will be facing the freeway, not the big warehouse that will be behind it" Psh it was starting at blank wall. Wost investment i ever made.

So yeah once again those are just my two cents, i hope they helped.


-Zackary J

[Jim Warfield]

Bus Stop Seat-Signs

I advertised for years with a sign that was the back rest of a bench near the road, it seemed to really work for the first couple of years...but the general public can be So Dumb!
They would see my sign, then drive to my house 25 miles away from the sign, go through the house, then they would say, "and there's a Really Big Haunted House in Clinton!"
"Where in Clinton (Iowa)?"
"Right next to the route 30 bridge! It's a brick building about 4 stories high!"
"What makes you think that building is a haunted house?"
"There's a sign right next to the bridge saying "Haunted House"!

They were talking about MY SIGN that had just allowed them to find MY HOUSE!??? Right there at the foot of the Rt.30 bridge!

"DUH?"

That bench sign was easy to justify when I began with the company at $37 a month. Later it went up to $50, then the guy went out of business because he failed to renue his contract with that city.
He had only allowed it to lapse for something like ten years!
(Of course one of the city council people wanted that contract too and I guess has it now?)
I can't understand those billboard companys putting your signs up whereever They want to?
The bench guy gave me a map of where his 54 benches were located, I got to choose, I am the customer afterall!
He had some benches pointing the wrong way on a one-way street where no driver is ever supposed to see them. No Thanks.
Out of his 54 benches only maybe 5 of them were actually in prime locations as far as I could see.
Of course I could have rented 6 of them for a" bargain" price!

[MDKing]

Spookhaven, could you send me your proofs to view at allan@bennettscurse.com?

Thanks a lot,
Allan

[damon carson]

5 Prime locations and then people sat on them. Damn there goes my advertising dollars down the drain. LOL! I can see you rigging some buzzer device to the bottom of the benches to get them to jump up or move to the other side. Ha!
Damon