How Effective are Mobile Billboards for Marketing your BusinessBryan Miller

7 minute read

How Effective are Mobile Billboards for Marketing your Business

Published 2020-08-24T06:00:04 by Bryan Miller

There are a myriad of different methods and techniques that you can use to market your business. One form of marketing that’s overlooked by many businesses is the use of mobile billboards, which can be highly effective for marketing any type of business. A mobile billboard is a kind of marketing technique that involves placing an advertisement on the side of a truck, a pulled trailer, or some other type of vehicle. This type of out-of-home marketing can provide you with great results if you implement it correctly.

If you decide to use a mobile billboard for a marketing campaign that your business is running, it’s important that you’re wholly aware of how much these billboards cost. Companies that offer mobile billboards will usually require a purchase of at least 30 days of marketing. The overall costs you should expect to pay depend on the type of mobile billboard you want to purchase. In general, you should expect mobile billboards to cost anywhere from $500-$2,000 per day. Print production of the billboard might also cost around $1,000.

If you’re looking to rebrand your company because of poor sales or a recent hit to your reputation, using mobile billboards may help you get your new branding out there. However, it’s important that the ad design is creative and that the vehicle you choose for your billboard is able to get to places with the potential for high visibility.

The following article provides a thorough look at mobile billboards and how effective they can be for marketing purposes.

What Are the Different Kinds of Mobile Billboards?

There are a variety of different mobile billboards that you can select when you’re looking to build your brand and increase your customer base. The primary types of mobile billboards include truckside advertising, vehicle wraps, trailer billboards, and digital mobile billboards.

It’s easy to see why many businesses are using mobile billboards. In a recent study that was held by the American Trucking Association, it was found that mobile billboards on trucks were viewed and noticed by nearly 98 percent of people who were in cars. It’s also estimated that every mobile billboard truck is able to generate upwards of 30,000-70,000 separate impression each day, which means that your brand will be highly visible. Even though this type of marketing may seem expensive, it can pay dividends if used correctly.

Truckside Advertising

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Truckside advertising involves placing a mobile billboard around two or three sides of a truck. These trucks are typically used for transporting items to and from various destinations but can include a mobile advertisement for your company or brand. These ads are almost always comprised of vinyl material that’s plastered directly to the truck in question.

The trucks can be driven around for as many hours as you need them to be. If you want the trucks to be driven at night or in the early hours of the morning, consider having LED lighting installed around the outside of the truck for better visibility in low-light conditions. This form of advertising is commonly used on busy highways throughout major cities like New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago.

The main advantages of truckside advertising include a high reach, affordability, and the large size of the ads. These trucks can be driven through any area you want them to be, which means that you have a substantial amount of control over who sees your ads. As for affordability, this type of mobile billboard is considered to be the most affordable on the market. Since these ads are placed on large trucks, they can be attention-grabbing when outfitted with premium graphics.

The primary disadvantages of using truckside advertising include regular standstills and poor options when used for short-term marketing campaigns. While these trucks are great for advertising when they are on the road, they are also frequently used for loading and unloading cargo, which can lessen the amount of time the tricks are on the road. Truckside advertising can be expensive when used for short-term campaigns. Since the setup costs are high for truckside advertising, it’s better to use these mobile billboards for month-long campaigns.

Vehicle Wraps

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Vehicle wraps are mobile billboards that are specifically used with smaller vehicles, which is why companies typically use vehicle wraps to market services or products. While it’s possible for a vehicle wrap to be painted directly onto the vehicle, it’s common for them to be made with vinyl sheets. These vehicles are commonly seen in busy cities or via streetcars and buses that travel along specific routes.

The top benefits of using vehicle wraps for your marketing campaign include attention-grabbing visuals and the ability to target your audience. The visuals of a vehicle wrap immediately call attention to the vehicle, which allows for the ad to be effective. If you use vehicle wraps on public transit vehicles that travel along a predetermined route, you can better identify who will be able to see your ad.

As for the disadvantages that come with using vehicle wraps, these ads are more expensive than other forms of mobile billboards. Although competitively priced, vehicle wraps won’t come cheap. It can also be difficult to find promotional cars unless the vehicle you choose is already affiliated with your business. The low availability of these vehicles can cause the price to increase.

Trailer Billboards

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Trailer billboards are relatively thin billboards that are usually hauled behind such vehicles as pickup trucks. These billboards can consist of one or two sides, which makes it appear as though the vehicle is hauling a trailer. This form of mobile billboard is particularly effective when used at night since it can be equipped with LED lighting. Some companies will place these trucks outside of their business or use them on popular roads. These billboards will hold up well for many months, which makes them well worth the price for many customers.

Using this type of billboard is advantageous because it is versatile, provides an ample amount of space for advertisements, and allows for multiple ads for every billboard. The versatility of these billboards makes them simple to mount and remove whenever necessary. Because these billboards have two sides to them, you can place a different ad on each side. A trailer billboard can provide you with around 400 square feet of space for your ad, which is more than enough to get your point across.

The various disadvantages of using trailer billboards include poor long-term viability and difficulties in finding a good driver. It’s important that you use a driver who has experience with hauling vehicles or mobile billboards. Otherwise, the drive could be difficult for them to complete. While these billboards can be relatively large in size, there isn’t enough room for you to place an extensive amount of information on the billboard, which is why these billboards are only great for short-term marketing campaigns.

Digital Mobile Billboards

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Digital mobile billboards are very modern and highly versatile. Instead of placing a vinyl banner on a car or truck, digital mobile billboards use television screens and LED lighting to display ads. With this technology, you can choose to display a still ad or a short commercial. These billboards will typically show numerous commercials and ads throughout a single day, which means that your ad won’t always be the only one that prospective customers see.

These mobile billboards are typically found at popular tourist destinations, city fairs or sporting events. Digital mobile billboards can be very effective since the modern customer enjoys seeing ads on modern technology. You can expect these ads to cost $800-$2,400 per day for a static ad or $1,250-$3,600 per day for a video or digital ad.

There are numerous advantages that come with using digital mobile billboards, which include high visibility and the ability to save money. These particular billboards are the brightest around, which means that it will be very difficult for drivers and people to miss them when passing by. You can also reduce costs by sharing the truck with other companies. When this occurs, you will be provided with a certain time slot during the day.

The disadvantages of using digital mobile billboards include the potential for high costs, the possibility of low visibility, and a potential distraction to other drivers. If you don’t share the billboard with other companies, the expenses for this form of mobile billboard can be high. However, including your ad on a billboard where numerous ads are shown throughout the day means that your ad might not be as visible as you would like. Because of the brightness of digital mobile billboards, they can be a distraction or annoyance to other drivers, which is likely not your intention.

What Types of Businesses Should Look Into Mobile Billboard Advertising?

While mobile billboard advertising is highly effective at bring attention to a brand, the costs may not be feasible for your company. If you want to run this type of ad for a single month on just one truck, you will spend at least $15,000, which can be cost prohibitive for small businesses. On the other hand, these ads are perfect for larger businesses that want to gain a high amount of visibility. Any company that uses a mobile billboard to market their business or brand will also need to send the billboard down popular roads, which is more difficult than it might seem.

While the results of mobile billboards can outweigh the costs, it’s not a certainty that they will, which is why you should make sure that a mobile billboard fits into your budget before you decide to purchase one. If you find that your current budget doesn’t accommodate the cost of mobile billboards, there are some other methods for marketing your business that are also highly effective.

For one, you can use marketing automation software to automate some of the more repetitive aspects of marketing. Social media advertising is also a great way to introduce your brand to billions of potential customers. The most popular social media platforms include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, all of which are great for marketing purposes. If you have a website and are currently attempting to improve your digital presence, it’s also highly recommended that you perform search engine optimization to make sure that your site appears towards the top of search results for better visibility.

You Should Do Your Own Research

If you decide to opt for a mobile billboard, it’s important that you do your own research. While there are numerous factors to consider when selecting a mobile billboard, you should mainly search for one that will allow your ad to be viewed by as many people as possible. When you find an area that you believe would be great for a mobile billboard, find out if other businesses have had success with billboards in that area.

These billboards will invariably be most effective when placed in large cities or throughout busy highways. The location and area that you choose is essential towards making sure that enough potential customers view your ad. Otherwise, the costs may not be worth it. Although mobile billboards can be highly effective, they aren’t the only way to market your business. When you’re looking to grow your company and cultivate your customer base, there are many different forms of marketing that you can use to reach your business goals, which include everything from social media marketing to email marketing.

Bryan Miller

Bryan Miller

Bryt Designs

Bryan Miller is an entrepreneur and web tech enthusiast specializing in web design, development and digital marketing. Bryan is a recent graduate of the MBA program at the University of California, Irvine and continues to pursue tools and technologies to find success for clients across a varieties of industries.

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