Billboards & Out-of-Home Advertising
Billboard advertising—and other Out-of-Home (OOH) marketing like bus ads, shelter signs, and train terminal displays—uses large-format signage in high-traffic areas to build awareness. These campaigns are designed to reach commuters repeatedly as they travel familiar routes, keeping your school top-of-mind.
OOH ads can be static (a single printed image) or digital (rotating messages that can change as often as you’d like), depending on your vendor and location.
✅ Pros of Billboard Advertising:
High visibility: Reaches thousands of drivers daily, especially in high-traffic areas.
Long lifespan: Static billboards run for 4+ weeks with consistent messaging.
Brand familiarity: Builds name recognition over time through repeated exposure.
Credibility: Being on a billboard signals professionalism and permanence to some families.
🚫 Cons of Billboard Advertising:
Expensive: Typically one of the costlier marketing channels ($1,000–$3,500/month).
Limited targeting: Reaches everyone, not just your ideal audience.
Not action-driven: Billboards are better for awareness than driving immediate sign-ups or applications.
Design constraints: Must be short, clear, and visually simple to be effective—challenging for schools with multiple messages.
🏫 Should Our School Use Billboards?
Billboards may be a good fit if:
You have a large number of vacant seats to fill
You’re a newer or growing school that needs to establish its presence in the community.
You're located within a few miles of a busy road or transit system with a high volume of daily traffic.
You have room in your marketing budget for awareness-based channels.
You can pair it with a broader campaign (social media, direct mail, digital ads) to reinforce the message.
Billboards are likely not the best fit if:
You’re working with a limited marketing budget and need to generate leads quickly.
Your school is in a low-traffic area or has no clear commuter routes nearby.
Your enrollment goals are small and can likely be met through lower-cost, more targeted efforts like digital ads or direct outreach.
🛠️ Getting Started with Billboards:
Choose Billboard Locations:
Look for high-traffic areas near your school.
Prioritize routes and transit methods used by target families during commutes or school runs.
Contact Vendors:
Reach out to local billboard companies by Googling "Billboards in [Your City]". Common vendors include Lamar, Outfront, and Clear Channel.
Ask about available locations, daily traffic estimates (impressions), and pricing.
Select the vendor that works best with your desired budget and location.
Design Your Billboard:
Submit a Marketing Request for the Concept Schools Design Team, including any spec sheets from your vendor.
- When requesting specific text and design elements, understand that we'll be following Billboard Best Practices with our designs: minimal copy (7-10 words) and large, high-contrast visuals.
Launch and Monitor:
Drive by your billboard to confirm placement.
Provide Concept Schools with launch and run dates of billboard so we can monitor for any increases in website traffic tied to the campaign.
💸 Budget Considerations:
Recommended Allocation: ~20–30% of your traditional media budget.
Typical Cost: $1,000–$3,500/month depending on location and vendor.
Additional Costs to Watch for: Some vendors may include production (i.e. printing your billboard) in the total cost, and others may charge separately. Make sure to confirm this before you sign your contract.
📈 How to Measure Success:
Track increase in average website traffic for your school while billboards are running (Concept Schools can help with this).
Ask new inquiries how they heard about your school.
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid:
Too much text or unclear visuals.
Low-contrast colors that are hard to read from a distance.
Placing ads too far from your school's neighborhood.
📝 Workspace & Notes:
Set a clear objective
What are you hoping to achieve with this campaign?
_______________________________________________________________________
Identify high-traffic locations
List 2–3 target areas:
_______________________________________________________________________
Contact vendors and collect quotes
Who did you contact? What were the estimated costs?
_______________________________________________________________________
Select a vendor and confirm run dates
Vendor info and go-live date:
_______________________________________________________________________
Submit a design request to Concept Schools
Date submitted:
_______________________________________________________________________
Approve final design and specs
Any notes:
_______________________________________________________________________
Launch campaign and monitor performance
Website traffic increase? Yes / No
Inquiries mentioning billboard? Yes / No