New To DOOH? A Beginner’s Guide
So You Want to Learn How to do DOOH?
Great! We want you to learn it too. But we know from our own first experience doing it that the world of advertising can be confusing and intimidating. So we’re here to make it not that way. Here’s some questions we had when we first started.
What is DOOH?
Well, the marketing world loves their acronyms but most of them are pretty easy to understand. DOOH stands digital out-of-home. Out-of-home advertising is any kind of ad that’s seen outside a person’s home. So anything from a billboard to a screen at an airport to an LED truck screen. And digital out-of-home is just one kind of OOH advertising – namely, those with a screen.
But I’ve never run a DOOH ad before?
Everyone is a beginner at one time. If you’re a little intimidated by the process, we recommend playing around with our application. It’s free and super intuitive to use so it only takes most people a few minutes to feel comfortable with the booking process. If you’re looking for ways to increase your DOOH ad’s effectiveness, take a look at these “DOOH’s and Don’ts” below.
What do I need to publish a DOOH ad campaign?
A product and a call to action (CTA). Seriously, that’s about it. Put those two things in a visual and your DOOH work is mostly done. As long as you follow the image resolution and size guidelines that each billboard has (don’t worry, we’ll tell you what those are), Blindspot will make it easy to upload your ad idea and have it seen by an audience.
What kinds of DOOH screens are there?
Blindspot offers quite a few variations of DOOH screen. Odds are, you’ve seen all of these out in the wild before, even if you didn’t know what they were called at the time. Here’s just a few
- Highway Billboards: What you drive by every day on your commute to work.
- Airport/Travel: Situated near bus shelters or inside airports, these screens are positioned near travel hubs, giving your ad campaign a diverse array of new viewers every hour.
- Indoor Screens: Located inside of everything from grocery stores to doctor’s offices, these billboards offer a more intimate, quieter viewing experience that you can use for more targeted campaigns.
- Urban Panels
- LED truck
Is DOOH worth it?
We’ll let you be the judge. But take a look at these data points from the Advertising Association of America before you make up your mind.
- Out-of-home advertising achieves effectiveness rates ranging from 38% to 86% according to consumer responses. In comparison, digital OOH formats, including digital billboards, demonstrate effectiveness rates between 46% and 84%
- About 71% of American drivers at least glance at billboards while driving About 50% of American drivers say they find billboard advertisements “highly engaging”
- Advertisers see a return of $6 for every $1 spent with DOOH
- Nielsen research tells us that OOH advertising is over twice as efficient as television, radio, newspaper, and magazines at creating online search activations.
- It also says that OOH advertising also beats television, radio, newspaper, and magazines at creating Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram activations.
- With 52% of agencies and advertisers stating that programmatic OOH is important for brand-led campaigns, and 55% stating that it is important for performance-led campaigns, mobile creates the opportunity to enhance these performance metrics. Bringing the two mediums together should be considered for the ultimate multi-channel campaign.
DOOHs and Don’ts:
While it’s true all you really need to publish a DOOH campaign is something to sell and a CTA, we do want to make sure you get the most bang for your buck when you do publish. Here’s a list of best practices to use for DOOH that we wish someone had told us when we were first starting out. Granted, we may not have been smart enough to listen to it but you definitely are. Right?
Design DOOHs and Don’ts
DO Include smiling faces
Who doesn’t love a good smile? I guess dentists since it hurts their profits. But for everyone with a soul, they love a smile. There’s a reason the best brands in the world don’t show off dour faces using their products. It may sound obvious but when it comes to easy clicks, we’ve found that live action photography of humans tends to be the most effective when it comes to first-time ad campaigns. Animations, illustrations and candid shots all have their place in advertising but you can’t go wrong with a smiling photograph.
DO choose the right color
We recommend being deliberate when choosing the colors of your campaign. Ideally, they should line up with the billboard and the environment. For example, a sky blue billboard might stand out in the grey of a major city but might disappear into the sky on a rural highway. Avoid colors that blend in together and make sure the campaign colors are consistent across different mediums. Consider also that almost 5 percent of the world is colorblind – using high contrast color combos and colorblind-friendly visuals to make sure you’re capturing everyone you can with your messaging.
DO use bold sans serif fonts
Look, at the end of the day, most font questions have one answer – use Helvetica. But if you’re confused about which font is best for your campaign, bold and sans-serif fonts are easiest to see from a distance and while in motion. Plus, they create a nice, clean, and simple look that is acceptable just about anywhere.
DO understand size and placement guides
Here is our more in-depth guide to billboard sizes. But in general, different billboard screens are going to have different dimensions. With standard billboard sizes, the things to prioritize are image quality, matching dimensions, and readability. However, there are also non-standard digital billboard screens – such as the famous Nasdaq billboard screen, which is curved and has a grid of black squares peppered across it.
DO incorporate movement
Ads with movement have been shown to perform better. It offers a bit of a dynamic punch to your campaign. If you do choose to go that video route, keep the length of the vid to be 15 seconds or less for general purposes. Longer durations can be supported and may be suitable for stationary audiences and specific venue types such as bars, dentist offices and grocery stores. Keep in mind that if you’re targeting an audience on the go – like commuters or joggers, your video should play at reduced speed to accommodate fast-moving viewers.
DON’T Reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to
We recommend using a basic content structure (headline, subhead and call-to-action) and limiting your count to 8 words or less for static images. This is advertising, after all – save revolutionizing the genre for your rock band.
DON’T use fonts people can’t read
A free, open-access cursive font might look pretty, but is it readable on a rainy day from a fast highway section? Clear communication is key for a billboard. Beginners often overuse videos on digital billboards. If your billboard is in a high-traffic area, most people will only catch a few frames. If your URL is on the last frame, your message might be lost. Cinemagraphs offer a great compromise: a dynamic video up top with static, readable info below. It’s effective and attention-grabbing!
DON’T rely on sound
Be smart when it comes to incorporating sound in your DOOH ads. While it may seem flashy and give your ad an extra edge, many digital screens don’t even offer sound playability. Even for the screens that do, you want to be wary. If it’s an airport screen, consider that most of the time, those places are loud and many people have their headphones in while at the airport. Subtitles are a good way to make sure your message comes across, regardless of sound quality.
DON’T pick low quality images
We’ve yet to see someone upload a blurry photograph of some looseleaf paper onto our platform. While such an ad does admittedly sound hilarious, in general, low-quality images will lead to low-quality results. Blurry and low-resolution images will generally make your ad campaign (and by your extension, your brand) unprofessional. Of course, if you’re a disruptor brand – think Liquid Death – maybe an unprofessional look is exactly the kind of thing to draw eyes on you and shake the industry up.
Copywriting DOOHs and Don’ts
DO be creative & clear
Information alone isn’t persuasive. Creativity for creativity’s sake unfortunately doesn’t usually sell things. It’s combining the two that often results in a nice, grounded ad that moves merchandise and draws eyeballs.
DO embrace simplicity
When in doubt, KISS. That stands for “Keep it simple, silly.” In general, billboards should follow the “seven words” rule – most audiences don’t have the time or patience to read more than seven words on a digital ad. But your word count isn’t the only thing you should keep short and sweet – make sure the message you’re trying to convey is a simple one too.
DO localize your message when you can
You know how crowds go crazy when the Eagles swap the lyrics in “Hotel California” to wherever it is they’re touring that night? “On a dark Florida highway” may sound contrived but it gets the people going. The same thing is true about ads. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with repurposing the same creative across different states or countries. But you may find a more receptive audience if you change your copy to reflect the locale where you’re advertising in.
DON’T forget to put a CTA
What’s a CTA, we hear you ask? Well, if you’re one of our roadtripping buddies from up north, it means the Canadian Trucking Alliance. But for everyone in marketing, it stands for Call To Action. A call to action is what you’re trying to get your audience to do after watching your ad. Do you have a sale you’re promoting? In that case, your CTA might be “Save today.” Maybe you’re trying to get people to donate to a nonprofit? In that case, a good CTA would be “Donate now!”
DON’T just convey information
Tell a story instead. If I were to tell you “I just ate some really good cereal this morning”, you’d be bored. And you’d be well within your rights. That’s a boring story. But if I were to say “there once was some cereal that was so delicious that a gang of ravenous children kept stealing it form an unlucky leprechaun, no matter how many times he used magic to try and keep it safe,” now that’s exciting! Both convey the same information – this cereal tastes good – but one is vastly more entertaining to hear about. Think of your ad in the same way. Information is boring, a story stays with someone. What’s the most exciting way you can convey your brand’s story? And, yes, we love Lucky Charms – please send us a box if you’re feeling generous.
DON’T Use Yes or No Questions
Asking a yes or no question is a common tactic for first-time marketers. Things like “Could you really live in a world without Brand X shampoo?” or “Haven’t you always wanted a sports drink that tastes like cranberries?” Here’s the risk with that – what if the customer’s answer a no? Right away, you’re giving your viewers an option to opt out of your message. Generally, being bold and declarative works better for your campaign than using those questions in your headline.
DON’T communicate more than one idea at a time
If you’re unfamiliar with the advertising term “USP,” it stands for “unique selling proposition.” Basically, what is it about your brand or product that stands out from the crowd. That “unique” part is key. You really do have pick one selling point – even if you could advertise multiple benefits of your brand. If you have a shoe brand that has vivid colors, is built for athletic performance and is lightweight, comfortable, and affordable, that can be a lot to fit into one headline. But if you keep your messaging simple – maybe “the lightest shoe for the lightest price” – that’s easy to build a campaign off of and easy for customers to remember.
DON’T make your copy too long
In general, we recommend following the three second rule, which states that someone should be able to glean all of the information they need from a billboard in three seconds or less. But, this advice goes double for billboards near roads and highways. If people are walking or driving, they don’t have time to read a novel. A good rule for most billboards is keep your headline to seven words or less.
Location Planning DOOHs and Don’ts
DO consider traffic patterns
For ads with a longer or complex message, consider utilizing screen locations that cater towards slow-moving crowds. Locations like highway billboards near heavy traffic jam areas or urban panels on crowded streets are best for those kinds of messages.
DO consider dwell time
Dwell time? The ad world sure loves its confusing terms, huh? “Dwell time” just refers to how long a crowd lingers around your billboard screen. This is the one time in your life where loitering is a good thing because you want to make sure that your audience actually has time to spot your ads. According to our pals at Place Exchange. the average billboard viewing time is 5 seconds Vehicle ads like taxi toppers and LED trucks should be optimized for 8-15 second exposure. On the other side of the coin, if you’re advertising in or near a bar, customers average 2 hours in bars, meaning you have more room to play around with in regards to ad length and repetition.
DO give directions
If your billboard is trying to drive people to a physical location, make sure you let them know in the billboard where that location is. “Visit us in store” is only a good CTA if people know where the store is!
DO research demographics
Where does your target audience hang out? If you’re selling cruiseline tickets, then you probably don’t want to put your ads up near colleges, since most of the people around there are broke, have other summer plans, and aren’t in that target market. Bingo houses and midtown Manhattan though? Now you’re talking!
DO consider all aspects of your location
Consider the best locations for viewers. For example, if you’re looking for Sacramento billboards, the commuter and transport main routes are a good choice, especially to catch rush-hour traffic, however if you need a Hollywood billboard, your brand may benefit more from focused marketing on tourist routes. Some billboard locations are closer to the road and some of them are raised higher into the air. Some are on an interesting landmark feature like halfway up a hill or on the side of an old brick building, and some billboards are poorly placed in areas that are too sunny or too obscured. Always consider the location carefully when choosing a billboard and your billboard size. The location is important not just for the traffic flow, but also for your ability to strategize the location to its greatest potential.
DON’T be afraid to go sequential
Sequential billboards lets you tell a fuller story. The great thing about Blindspot is it lets you utilize all available DOOH screens in a certain location. If you have a longer message you want to convey or you want to get creative with your execution, you can have your billboards play in a series, one after another.
Measuring Effectiveness DOOHs and Don’ts
DO optimize your visibility
It may be affecting your numbers. We’re not talking about how many eyeballs are on your billboard either. We’re talking about whether or not those eyeballs can see what’s on your billboard. Make sure to check where and when it is you’ll be putting your DOOH campaign up on. Fog, rain, debris, and trees can all impact visibility. Make sure your screen is good to go before you upload.
DO consider a variety of metrics
It can seem to be a nebulous task to optimize the way you measure your DOOH campaign’s effectiveness. After all, can you really know the precise amount of people who actually saw your ad? What if one person told five other people about your ad over lunch and two of them checked out your website as a result? How do you measure factors like that? The truth of the matter is, you can’t. That’s why having an aggregate of metric scores is a good way of gauging a campaign’s effectiveness. Things like foot traffic, brand health, conversion figures, and overall impressions should be combined with one another when analyzing your campaign. As luck would have it, Blindspot has complex models that can help you figure out attribution for your DOOH campaign. Refer to our AdoreMe case study here to see that in action.
DON’T change the data to fit your goal
All that being said, trust the data when it’s coming. If you’ve tried three different LED truck campaigns and they just aren’t working as well as your other DOOH platforms, don’t try and finagle the data to justify the LED truck. Instead, adapt to results – why are the trucks not working? Is it the route that needs to change? The messaging? The medium? A/B testing is a fantastic way to test factors like this and see what’s really working.
DO be aware of what may be affecting your campaign
Sometimes, there are factors at play that could be affecting your campaign. If Weeks 1-3 have been fantastic but Week 4’s numbers have dropped, that could be a case of messaging fatigue. But don’t just accept that right off the bat – consider other factors. Did Week 4 fall on a major holiday? Was there a big news story during that time that commanded people’s attention? Did you accidentally schedule your ad on the foggiest week in American history? There are factors beyond your control that could affect results – consider them before deciding whether a bad week is a one-off outlier or a problem.
DON’T get complacent
New measuring tools and AI pop up all the time. They’re like Starbucks locations. Make sure you’re aware of them and don’t shy away from incorporating new ones into your analysis. You staying up to date is the only your advertising can stay up to date too.
Strategy DOOHs and Don’ts
DO be bold
DOOH ads need to capture attention. So, capture it, soldier!. Bold headlines, contrasting colors, stark visuals, unconventional messaging, interesting placement – these are all ways to get your campaign out there and boost your brand or client’s visibility. Better yet – boldness costs nothing. If you can’t outspend your competitors, you can at least outbold them. Is that a word? Who cares – it’s bold to make up your own words.
DO prioritize memorability
Yes, memorability is different from boldness. The most memorable ad campaign isn’t necessarily the best one either. If you go through all the major advertising awards shows every year, you’ll find more than a few entries that look pretty and won all the ribbons but ultimately left no impact on the general public. The worst thing your ad can be is serviceable because there’s a bunch of serviceable ads out there that your ad can bleed into. Make sure you give your audience something to take away from having seen your ad – whether that’s a clever tagline, a funny visual, a great promotion, etc.
DO hack other events
This is a great way to make more out of a limited marketing budget. Parades, sporting events, concerts, festivals, etc. are all good examples of what we’re talking about. These big events (check out our Bitdefender case study for an example) draw heavy foot traffic. While advertising within their facilities can be prohibitively expensive, advertising around them can ease the burden on your wallet and capture a lot of the people entering and exiting those events too.
DO be consistent across a campaign
A campaign is what grounds all of your ads into one cohesive banner. And whether you’re publishing a series of ads or your DOOH is an extension of a TV campaign you’re doing, make sure all your ads match each other across executions. This will ensure that people identify each ad as belonging to your brand and create a consistent brand voice for you. Things that help unify a campaign include a tagline that grounds everything together, brand colors that are always in use, and the same kind of fonts and visuals.
DO consider timing
If you’re a coffee shop, you’d probably want to advertise in the morning. But if you’re a bar, you probably wouldn’t want to advertise chilling with a beer in the morning. The time of day can have a huge impact on your message’s efficacy. Consider your product category and when it’s being seen.
DON’T let your content go stale
Just like mama’s meatloaf sitting out on the counter overnight, advertising, even good advertising, can go stale. Make sure you’re vigilant when it comes to rotating creative. Don’t let your audience get tired of your message – be proactive. Anticipating their reaction and changing it before they get bored with it can yield fantastic results and make your brand look like it’s on top of things.
DON’T display an ad for too long
We’re not talking about letting your ad run for too many months with this one. We’re referring to the actual runtime. If you’re having your ad play 24/7 in a dynamic area, you could risk it letting it blend into the background. Bold messaging and well-designed ads can eliminate this risk but it’s generally better to have your ad cycle through and have it make a splash when it pops up again.
DON’T Forget A Follow Up Campaign
While this isn’t a necessity, it’s certainly not to be discounted either. Not only can follow-up campaigns help revitalize your brand and remind audiences of you but it can also provide invaluable data to you too. Maybe one campaign tagline sells really well all year round. Maybe you find out that summer is the month that yields the best results. Continuing your campaign in the months and years after it debuts is a great way to stay relevant and keep yourself informed of how effective your marketing is.
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