If you’ve read any of our blog posts here on Idea Stream Marketing you may get the feeling that we are on the side of digital marketing. While we completely agree with the benefits, convenience, and impact of digital marketing, we also recognize that outdoor print marketing has many benefits as well.

Outdoor marketing can include billboards, bus stop posters, and other print advertisements that can be found, well, outdoors. One of the main benefits of outdoor marketing is it can easily reach as big of an audience or larger than on a digital marketing platform and while it is restricted to one area, this may be a good thing. When marketing, it is important to consider the geographic location of your target audience and once you have that info placing advertisements in their space is bound to hit the mark. This is especially valuable if your target audience consists of particularly not very tech-savvy people because you’re reaching them while they perform their daily activities such as walking to work. While this would not be very lucrative in an area that is considered rural, urban areas would benefit immensely from enacting outdoor marketing. With a densely populated location, your advertisements have the opportunity to reach a large mass of people.

Another benefit of outdoor marketing comes when you utilize spaces such as bus stop shelters. When people are waiting for a bus our their train there isn’t much to do, maybe they scroll through their phones, but again if your target audience isn’t tech-savvy chances are they’re just twiddling their thumbs avoiding eye contact with other people. Giving this potential batch of consumers something visually appealing to look at and read whilst they have spare time is nothing less of genius and if they do use their smartphones, chances are they will look up your advertisement. Remember, successful advertisements communicate with consumers in a way that doesn’t interrupt their important activities.

Another positive aspect of outdoor marketing is that you can be creative with how you portray your message. Some of the most creative designs I have ever seen have been outdoor marketing pieces, specifically those that are interacting and make a typically mundane task fun. Since the competition for a consumer’s attention is hefty, being creative is essential in catching their eye and reeling them in.

There are some factors to consider when choosing whether to invest your budget into outdoor advertisements or primarily focusing on a digital platform. The primary geographic location of your target audience will be a big influencing factor on where and how you advertise. The age of your target audience, as well as their habits, will also play a role. These are all things to consider before dumping your budget into one or the other, so make an educated choice that will prove to be the most efficient and result driven decision.