Think billboards are just for advertising businesses and brands? Not at all! Outdoor advertising is a great way to get the word out about events, too! Read on and learn how to boost event attendance with billboard advertising.

Are you a nonprofit with an upcoming fundraiser? A civic organization that’s holding a community event? A local university with a new sports team? Maybe you’re a theatre and landed several popular shows for next season?

Whatever type of event you’re hosting, how you advertise it will play an important part of its success. In order for your event to be successful, people have to know about it and be interested in it.

Boost Event Attendance with Billboard Advertising

Billboards have been proven to successfully promote all types of events, from spectator sports to local charity fundraisers. And is it any wonder with their eye-catching appeal, ability to reach thousands, and influence buying decisions?

5 Tips to Boost Event Attendance with Billboards

Start Planning Early

Start developing your event’s promotional plan at least several months before the event. This gives you ample time to choose an outdoor advertising agency, write your copy, and design your ad. Starting early also ensures that your ideal attendees will learn about your event.

Choose Targeted Locations

On average, most event attendees live within a 150-mile radius of events they attend.  Keep this in mind as you identify the area where you’ll promote your event. Also, think about who your ideal attendee is and where they likely pass to create a more targeted advertising strategy and campaign.

Advertise on Multiple Billboards

Increasing the number of billboards you advertise on increases the chance of people learning about and attending your event. In fact, using multiple billboards has been proven to increase your return on investment proportionately to your ad spend!

Design an Simple and Effective Ad

The average traveler has less than ten seconds to read a billboard, so simplicity is key.

•  Limit text to 10 words or less – 6 or less is even better

•  Include 1 or 2 event details, such as its name and date

•  Add 1 easy way for viewers to learn more, such as a web address or social media account

•  Keep it visual with a relevant, high-res image

•  Include plenty of blank space

Use Digital Billboards

While traditional billboard displays are very effective in attracting attendees to your event, digital billboards are ideal for event promotion for several reasons.

•  Ads can be scheduled for the specific times when your ideal attendee is likely to view it.

•  Agencies don’t need your ad weeks ahead of go-live date.

•  Less expensive since there are no production or installation charges with digital billboards.

•  You can easily swap messages with key information so ads aren’t cluttered.

In Sum

Out-of-home advertising is an easy and affordable way to get the word out about your event and to generate interest in it – Two of the key factors in determining an event’s success. What’s more, billboards are proven to boost attendance at all types of events! What would a 33% increase in attendance at your next event mean?