The Value of Signage as a Marketing Tool
Signage should be a crucial part of your marketing strategy. An effective signage campaign allows you to efficiently communicate your brand identity, get messages across, increase brand awareness, promote new product launches, and a lot more.
Regardless of the industry you operate in, if you’re not using signage, you’re missing out. Here is the value of signs as a marketing tool.
1. Work 24/7 Unlike Other Marketing Tools
Signage works for you non-stop. You may be investing in traditional advertising methods, like radio ads, TV commercials, and newspaper advertisements.
However, all of those marketing tools are limited. A radio or TV commercial only works for you while it is running; if people tune in just a few seconds after it runs, they won’t hear your message. Even newspaper advertisements must be republished with every edition; otherwise, people will no longer see your ad.
Signage works for you 24/7. Whether it’s a sign in the front of your shop, a billboard on the main street of town, or flyers posted on signposts, signage works for you all the time. It helps you get seen by the maximum number of people possible. Regardless of what time people drive by your store, they will see your eye-catching sign.
What other type of physical advertising works for you non-stop? There aren’t many. Plus, signage on your storefront or in your parking lot is free! It won’t cost you extra, so make sure you are getting the most out of it as possible.
2. Improve Brand Awareness
Signage is one of the most effective ways to improve brand awareness. Compare signage to other forms of marketing.
When you run a TV ad, you only reach people who view television regularly. Many people no longer own a TV at all! According to the Pew Research Center, the percentage of people with cable or satellite TV in the US has plunged over the past few years, down from over 75% in 2015 to a little over half in 2021.
With platforms like Netflix and Hulu offering low-cost subscriptions with tons of content to watch, cord-cutting is on the rise. The same goes for the radio. Many people no longer listen to the radio for news, relying on social media instead. On the other hand, people who listen to the radio may not be active on social media. The takeaway here is that each marketing channel only reaches a certain segment of the population. If you want to reach your entire target audience, an omnichannel approach is often the most effective.
Signage stands out in that everyone sees it (barring hermits who never leave their homes). People need to commute to work, visit the doctor, go to the grocery to buy food, get a haircut, and so on. Most people are on the street at some point or another, making signage one of the most efficient ways to reach all segments of the general population.
3. Communicate Brand Identity and Message
Signage allows you to get your brand identity and message across. There is a lot you can convey in a sign, as you can use text, imagery, and other graphics to catch the eye. You can use a certain tone of voice – humorous, professional, educational, etc. People learn a lot from signs. Whether it’s a massive billboard on the highway or cute little signs in your establishment, signage allows people to get a “feel” for your brand identity. You can communicate your mission, goals, and vision.
4. Directly Communicate Any Message You Want
There are a lot of types of signage. Promotional signage is just one of them, and it allows you to let viewers know about promotions, sales, product releases, and a lot more. However, signage is a lot more than that. You can use signage to direct people to your place of business. Directional signage can be placed on the streets in your neighborhood to tell people that there is a shop, restaurant, gas station, or whatever your business offers just a few blocks away.
Directional signage also helps people find specific rooms in your building. People might be looking for the main office, waiting room, exit, etc. In the case of a mall, signage can help people find specific stores, the cinema, the bathrooms, and more. You can use signage to indicate that additional seating is available on your restaurant’s rooftop, or you can indicate which products are located where.
Safety signage helps people know what to do in case of an emergency and what not to do to stay safe. Instructional signage helps customers understand how to order, use a self-checkout machine, play a game in your arcade, etc. As you can see, there is a lot you can communicate through signage. You can get any message across, to anyone.
5. Help You Reach the Right Audience
While signage helps you reach broad segments of the population, that doesn’t mean it can’t be targeted. You can put up signage in specific areas, where your target audience lives, to reach the right people who will take notice. Even if you run a national or global company, you can strategically use digital and regular signage in specific cities where your target audience resides. For example, a crypto company might do well by advertising in Times Square in New York City.
If you are advertising music tutoring lessons, you can put up flyers around local schools. There are a lot of ways to target specific demographics, regardless of your niche or audience. Digital signage is similar to regular signage, but it uses technology like screens and projectors to create engaging, animated signage. You can run a live ad on a screen in a place like Times Square, or you can project your signage onto your building. While both forms of signage are efficient, digital signage can be more eye-catching. You can incorporate images, videos, GIFs, audio, and more. With the right technology, you can even incorporate a live element.
6. Give You a Competitive Advantage
Signage gives you a competitive advantage. To increase brand awareness, try to put up signage in as many strategic locations as possible. If you have multiple store branches, that would be ideal – people all over the city would see you. Otherwise, you can purchase signage space in strategic locations so that as many people see you as possible. Don’t underestimate the competitive advantage that gives you. People may or may not purchase something right after seeing one of your signs. However, they will notice you – consciously or subconsciously.
The next time they see one of your ads, they will be more likely to buy. And, when they do a Google search, they will be more likely to click on your website than those of your competitors’ – yours will be more familiar to them. Physical signage can actually increase your SEO rankings! Furthermore, you can collaborate with other local businesses to put up signage in each other's locales. That kind of collaboration can extend to the realm of digital marketing in the form of local backlinks.
Signage doesn’t even have to be limited to a specific location. Mobile signage is a real thing. If you have delivery vans making deliveries around town, utilize them for their signage potential. Put up ads, stickers, and magnets on the vehicles, either for general brand awareness or to announce special discounts.
You can also consider car advertising. Car advertising is a type of advertising that involves putting vinyl wraps, stickers, and other signage on private cars. Usually, you’ll pay a small amount, such as $100-300/month, to each driver who puts your signage on their private vehicle. The exact amount will depend on the city, the type of signage, how many miles the person drives every day, where they go, and more.
7. Open Up to More Potential Conversions
Finally, signage can lead to more conversions and sales. It can help you increase your bottom line. Customers are more likely to purchase from a business they are already familiar with. The effects of signage are not always instant, which is why it is crucial to be patient and continue with your signage campaigns even if you don’t see a sudden influx of sales. Instead, the effects are often gradual but long-lasting.
Commit to being in it for the long run. You’ll get a lot better results for less, as the cost to reach a thousand people through signage is less than what you would pay when running radio, TV, or other ads. Signage has a pretty high return on investment!
Final Thoughts
Signage is an affordable advertising method that brings excellent results. Often, it’s entirely free. Of course, always be aware of local laws regarding signage on commercial and public property.
If you have not yet started to focus on signage, now is the time. Benefits include improved brand awareness, more sales, more social media followers, increased SEO rankings, and a lot more. Stick to your signage campaign for the long-term, and the results will be long-lasting.
