Outdoor digital billboards continue to be a significant component of modern-day advertising for all types of companies and organizations. They have made the billboard advertising industry more effective and cost-efficient for advertisers who need to change their message more frequently.

They are used as an instrument to connect with new potential customers 24/7.

Think about it; consumers take the same routes to work each day, adding great depth and reach to any digital billboard advertising campaign.

Although similar to the old-style billboards, there are variances in designing for outdoor digital billboards. With that in mind, here is what you need to think about before venturing into the dynamic advertising space of digital outdoor advertising.

Outdoor Digital Billboards – Keep it Simple, Keep it Big, Keep it Clean

A digital billboards’ primary purpose is functionality. Creating an effective design is about making it read well. The best design is worthless if it’s not legible or doesn’t convey the correct message.

Use Bold, Non-Serif Fonts

The text needs to be simple, straightforward, large, and easy to read, so the message is legible.

To achieve this, you use thick, weighty fonts to amplify readability. Using the bold option on your font is a great way to accomplish this. It’s important to know that at 500 feet, thin lines optically fade or break up. This means you should avoid italic or serif fonts.

As a rule, using upper- and lower-case sans serif fonts provide the clearest readability. A 12″ character is the minimum you should consider.

Attempt to use a thin dark stroke around the text to separate it from the background.

One message

Simplify everything, not just the font. Stick to one message or idea.

Remember, your audience is mobile. Consider the one thing you want your audience to do or to recognize. Then make that message the focus.

Be short and sweet

The best digital billboard media reduces a complex message to its essential elements. Although outdoor digital billboards show the ad for 7-10 seconds, the most effective advertisements can be read in three seconds.

Build your message based on this three-second rule.

Avoid spelling out full sentences – don’t use nine words when four will suffice. It would help if you kept the words short for faster comprehension.

Use the Right Files

Only use RGB color files for digital displays because this allows you to take advantage of the outdoor digital billboard’s full-color capabilities.

Avoid White Backgrounds in Outdoor Digital Billboards

White backgrounds wash out and compete with the message or graphics. This color also repels the eye – which isn’t the desired response in advertising.

If white or pastels must be used, the content should only be scheduled for daytime viewing when it won’t be considered offensive or harsh on the eyes.

Use Bright and Bold Colors that Contrast

Being subtle doesn’t work with digital outdoor advertising. Stick with fully saturated web-safe hues. Strong contrasting color combinations work best for creating great outdoor digital billboard advertising.

Don’t use too many colors. Multiple colors confuse the audience and make it more challenging to read.

For best contrast, use tonal contrast as well as color difference. To measure this in digital content, you use grayscale on your content. Is your advertisement still readable? Do all your elements stand out? If so, your content piece has good tonal contrast.

Pick Your Image Wisely

Avoid using landscapes or complex scenes. You should try to have only three or fewer visual elements in total. That means one image, one logo, and one headline.

Test Your Idea for your Outdoor Digital Billboard

A good test is to show the design for five seconds to some who is at a distance. Then ask them a few questions – Did they understand it? Who was the advertiser? What was the message? What was the action that needed to be taken?

Use Countdowns

Countdowns generate hype and excitement within a community. It informs consumers of upcoming events and reminds them to plan accordingly.

Utilize Social Media

You can use dynamic content to update data within a creative template utilizing an RSS feed. You can also connect the digital board to a Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram account. This feature allows you to post images or messages from a live feed.

Multiple Messages Available!

With traditional signage and advertising, you have one chance to convey all the necessary information to customers. Because of rotating ads, outdoor digital billboard advertising can show several messages in a series of rotations, giving advertisers multiple chances to convey the message.

This feature provides a chance to attract the attention of different demographics and promote campaigns using small amounts of text.

The most important thing to remember here is the visual prioritization and hierarchy of the message.

Define the items you want to convey and prioritize each piece. To do this, consider the following truths.

• People read in chunks of information. They scan across, then down, and pick up information in logical sections. The more distinct those sections of information, the faster people interpret the meaning or the purpose of the message.
• Visual and written information that overlaps causes the reader to pause and sort the two apart before understanding the message. Reading this takes time. The time that you don’t have with the three-second rule.

Remember, clean and uncluttered. The intention is to capture the viewer’s attention with an exact, single point of communication and call to action.

With an effective outdoor digital billboard design, you will know that your ad campaign will be a success. Why don’t you discover what digital billboard advertising can do for your business?

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