8 Unique Strengths of Digital Billboards

Today, digital billboards have become a more cost-effective, dynamic, and responsive form of advertising, while traditional media have declined. Static billboards are still present, but digital can provide timelier and more relevant messaging. Here are some of the unique strengths that make digital billboards the ultimate advertising solution.

How Do Digital Billboards Work?

Instead of a printed or painted message, electronic billboards have LEDs (light-emitting diodes) that can be used to create billions of colors. They can display a single advertisement or rotate several ads which are uploaded and managed using scheduling software. The digital signage market is expected to average 7.7% compound annual growth through 2030 per Grand View Research.

Here are some of the unique strengths that make digital billboards the ultimate advertising solution.

Why Digital Outdoor Makes Advertisers Happy

1.  Digital outdoor is immediate. Multiple advertising messages can be scheduled at once and are easily changed as needed without the production time and expense of traditional billboard advertising. Operators can even give advertisers the ability to upload the artwork to Watchfire’s Ignite OA software to make some copy changes and schedule updates worry-free.
2.  Digital outdoor is relevant. Advertisers can target messages based on the time of day or the day of the week. Retail stores can advertise individual sales throughout the month – and schedule them in advance. Real estate agents can advertise open houses, and make adjustments as inventory changes. Restaurants can promote breakfast menus in the morning and dinner specials in the evening. Digital outdoor provides the ability to be timely and relevant at a moment’s notice.
3.  Digital outdoor is agile. It’s easy to incorporate real-time data feeds into live messages using factors like time, temperature, sports scores, interest rates, or countdowns to special events. Billboard operators can even use Watchfire’s free artwork and data feeds to promote event updates on their Watchfire digital billboard, including real-time score ads for professional football, basketball, soccer, and hockey game as well as international sports, collegiate football and basketball, and national elections.  Just choose the games you want to follow, and we will do the rest. 
4.  Digital outdoor is attention-getting. Unlike static billboards, a digital outdoor sign can show videos, special effects and other movements and animations. Instead of a single image, upload or create a short animation that catches people’s eyes. Or, you can add scrolling text and flashing letters to highlight particularly important messages and alerts. These possibilities increase engagement and leave a memorable impression.
5. Digital outdoor is automatic. Conditional ads can be set to appear when certain environmental requirements are met. Automated campaigns can be created to display iced coffee ads at temperatures above 80 degrees or warm lattes when the temperature dips below 40 degrees. There is no better way to create hyper-local, relevant, and responsive ad campaigns that self-adjust to maximize effectiveness.
6. Digital outdoor is visible. The LED lights used in digital billboard advertising mean the display will shine brightly at night or on cloudy days, giving companies more exposure. And many videoboards now have built-in light sensors that dim the lights when the sun is
   out. This maintains the visual appeal during the day as well, so ads are always being seen.
7.  Digital outdoor is affordable. The cost per thousand impressions (CPM) of digital billboard advertising is less than that of traditional media. Advertisers who want to make the most of their advertising campaigns know that digital outdoor is the best solution to reach their target audience with little wasted exposure. Its average CPM cost is only $2 - $3 compared to the CPM of radio at about $10 - $12, or television, which can top a CPM of $100, depending on the market.
8.  Digital outdoor is programmatic. Watchfire offers operators a Marketplace that provides direct integration for five programmatic companies: Blip, Vistar, Admoni, Hivestack and PlaceExchange. Watchfire Ignite OA is the only billboard operational platform that allows billboard ad space to be sold through these companies in one place, making it easy to let advertisers purchase space online and increase your revenue. Our marketplace partners handle everything from customer acquisition to creative, billing and collections, and scheduling. Your only job is to approve (or reject) an ad before it’s posted to your billboard.

Digital outdoor advertising offers the ultimate solution for every billboard operator who wants to deliver cost-effective advertising that gets results and drives revenue. Ready to put digital out of home to work for your billboard business? Watchfire is here to answer your questions. Contact us at 800-219-0496 to get started.