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Outdoor Advertising
Billboards can be used as an effective marketing vehicle for a tax firm. Billboards can be rented for as short as one month, and they are usually sold in lots of at least a dozen. The cost per thousand (CPM) billboard readers can approach the efficiency of network TV. However, the impact of a billboard is not comparable to that of a TV commercial. Creating an effective billboard ad is a challenge, but it can be done. The reader will only glance at it from a passing vehicle for one to three seconds. Therefore, the headline must be very concise, ideally just three or four words or less. The illustration must be attention getting and should clearly convey your message and the benefits to be realized. (A picture is worth a Billboards can be used as an effective marketing vehicle for a tax firm. Billboards can be rented for as short as one month, and they are usually sold in lots of at least a dozen. The cost per thousand (CPM) billboard readers can approach the efficiency of network TV. However, the impact of a billboard is not comparable to that of a TV commercial. Creating an effective billboard ad is a challenge, but it can be done. The reader will only glance at it from a passing vehicle for one to three seconds. Therefore, the headline must be very concise, ideally just three or four words or less. The illustration must be attention getting and should clearly convey your message and the benefits to be realized. (The proper picture is worth a thousand words.)
For example, our billboards might contain the “Peoples Income Tax” logo and our slogan, “The Affordable, Professional, Alternative”, accompanied by an illustration or photo portraying affordable, professional service. The illustration might be a professional photograph of a taxpayer being greeted or interviewed by one of our tax professionals.
Outdoor advertising can also be used to direct clients to your office if a strategically located billboard facing the main flow of traffic toward your office is available. A directional billboard would be especially beneficial if your office has poor sign exposure.
Mass Transit Advertising
Mass-transit advertising includes signs on commuter buses and trains and at bus and train stations. Signs on the outside of buses will be seen by drivers and pedestrians, like billboards, for only a few seconds. Like billboards, mass-transit advertising can be used to increase frequency and compliment broadcast advertising. Outdoor advertising can also be purchased for a short time period to coincide with and reinforce an advertising flight on TV.
Signs inside buses and trains (and at stations) can be read by the commuters, who are a captive audience. These inside signs are different than billboards in that they can contain much more information. They can also be outfitted with “take one” add-ons such as tear-off coupons or reply post cards, or attached holders containing your literature. This direct response feature makes precise measurement of ad campaign’s effectiveness feasible. Another advantage of this vehicle is that it almost exclusively reaches working commuters who are all taxpayers.
As with direct mail, it is wise to conduct a limited test before making a major commitment.
