Billboard Advertising in Nigeria: 6 Things You Should Always do First

Are you aware that around mid-last year, Netflix invested about 54 billion Naira for 35 billboards along the sunset strip in LA?

Perhaps, you don’t.

Just like Netflix, top global brands compete against each other to be seen on the highways.

Certainly, you see a lot of billboards carrying different messages along the major roads in Lagos or across the country.

Of course, that is if you have not been bedridden since childbirth.

Lol.

What do you think makes brands spend so much just to advertise on them when there are a plethora of other options to leverage?

Of course, let continue.

In this post today, you will learn why brands spend so much just to advertise on billboards and the 6 things you should do first when considering a billboard campaign.

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So, let’s get started.

If you find this article useful, kindly share to friends and I will be super grateful.

A few statistics that prove that billboard advertising works

A few months ago, we did an article that proves that billboard advertising works using a few statistics and also how smart businesses leverage it to drive results.

Kindly check out the article here.

In this post, I will recap a few of those statistics and also introduce a few fresh ones.

Let’s dive in.

A study shows that 83% of people recall seeing an outdoor advert before shopping.

A different study by Arbitron shows that 71% of people in America often look at the messages on a roadside billboard and a majority of them at one time learned about an event that interested them through billboard ads.

The same study found that 68% make shopping decision while in the car.

Research from Ocean Neuroscience shows that consumers are 48% more likely to click on a mobile ad after being exposed to the same on out-of-home advertising first.

A related study by Nielsen found out that 46% of those exposed to OOH advertising searched for the brand.

All indices have continued to point that the frenzy for billboard advertising is not dying any time soon.

A study reveals that while radio, print media and television ads have declined in prominence, out-of-home ads have enjoyed 31 consecutive quarters of growth, and a 35% increase in ad spend since 2010.

And by 2021, billboard advertising is expected to grow to a $33 billion industry.

While these statistics may reassure you that billboard advertising can be effective, it is still up to you to ensure that you create billboards that are strategic, engaging and really get noticed.

But before embarking on this onerous journey, there are few things you need to take care of first.

Of course, continue.

6 things you have to do before starting billboard advertising in Nigeria

I am going to walk you through this in 6 simple steps.

Of course, they are amazingly simple and I am sure you are going to find them useful.

If you have any question, feel free to use the comment box below and we will attend to you immediately.

So, let’s get started.

Pick a location

Where do your customers converge? Which route do they usually take when going out?

Understanding these will, of course, enable you to make a good choice on the perfect location for your campaign. The truth is nothing beats good location when it comes to billboard advertising in Nigeria.

In an era where there is always a growing concern on the advertising R.O.I, advertisers are relying on geo-targeting to maximize their marketing budget.

Of course, this is because showing ads to consumers outside the intended market is a waste of impressions and this will impact negatively on the entire campaign performance.

Younger generations are likely to spend much of their outdoors at recreational places, local bars and cinemas.

The business class would always converge around the bus terminals, airports, hotels and even conference centres.

Try to understand your target audience first before deciding on a location.

Choose the billboard type

For billboard advertising, there are usually 2 options.

Before proceeding with a campaign, you have to decide on whether to go for static billboards or digital ones.

Of course, the good thing about the static billboards is that they will offer you a dedicated space to advertise on without the option to share with other brands.

However, they might be vulnerable to harsh weather condition and it might be difficult to modify the ads’ messages in the course of the campaign.

Though digital billboards address these challenges with ease and also display ads that are more engaging than static billboards, which can always be updated without any printing cost, advertising on them is quite expensive and again, they don’t offer dedicated advertising spaces.

You might end up sharing the same space with a competitor.

Lol.

Selecting an agency

There is a sizeable number of billboard advertising companies in Nigeria, so building a list won’t be much of a problem.

Of course, a simple Google search would spit out a lot of them.

However, before deciding on the one to use there are pertinent questions you need to provide answers to and thankfully, this post compiled some of them.

• Are they eco-friendly?
• Do they have billboards in good locations?
• Do their billboards offer elevated exposure?
• Is their price within your budget?
• Do they have the type of billboard you are looking for?
• Do they have a nice portfolio?
• Are they APCON approved?

If the answer to these questions is yes, then you might consider contacting them.

Draw up a contract

Of course, I don’t have to emphasize the importance of drawing up a service level agreement with your advertising agency.

I believe you already know why you have to do this.

If it appears that they are dragging their feet, then work with your legal team to draw up one and then share with them.

APCON vetting

This is necessary if you are putting up outdoor ads in Nigeria, especially Lagos.

APCON stands for Advertisers Practitioners Council of Nigeria and they are mandated by law to review and approve outdoor ads before people can put them out.

According to their charter, they are dedicated to promoting responsible and ethical advertising practices in Nigeria.

You can check their vetting guideline here but bear in mind that only APCON registered advertisers can submit outdoor ads for vetting.

The vetting fee costs between N25,000-N280,000 per ad depending on the turnaround time.

Designing the banners

A beautiful billboard, superb timing, perfect locations and elevated exposure are all useless if the banners can’t communicate your message effectively.

You should understand that your audience is always on the move, so you have a few seconds to grab their attention.

So, designing an ad that can communicate your message boldly and in a few words is sacrosanct.

You can constitute a couple of people into a focus group to help you review various versions of the ads your designer brought up. Go for the one that will appeal more emotionally to your audience.

Don’t forget to ensure that the printing company makes use of material that can stand the weather when the banner is mounted outside.

How to track the results

Of course, not planning this out is one huge mistake a lot of people make with their billboard advertising.

And sadly, this common in Nigeria.

The truth is you can track the performance of your billboard ads online if you want to do so and of course, you should.

Start by creating an engaging landing page on your website for the billboards campaign, insert all the necessary tracking and remarketing codes and ensure that it is well optimized for conversion.

Add the website address of the landing page to your billboard ads and emphasize it to grab attention.

Wait a couple of days, then login to your Google Analytics to see how your campaign is performing.

You can leverage remarketing campaigns to re-engage online the visitors immediately.

A study shows that consumers are 48% more likely to click on a mobile ad after being exposed to the same on out-of-home advertising first.

Getting started with billboard advertising in Nigeria

At Transpose Services, we utilize the powers of strategically placed billboards, wall drapes, and lamp posts to execute creative audacity that would engage, inspire and connect people to your brand, whenever they are on the move, wherever they are.

We have worked with brands within Lagos, across the country and in different industries to Plan, Create, Execute and Monitor outdoor campaigns that stand out and drive bottom lines.

From the planning process to the execution, we work tirelessly with them to ensure they smile.

Get in touch with us Discover how your brand can leverage our experience to create emotional responses from consumers that can drive result. LEARN MORE

But in the meantime, don’t forget to share this.

PS: This article was written based on inspiration from this post by PayStack. The post was based on the experience the got mounting their first billboards in Lagos. You might want to check it out.