How Are Billboards Made?

How are billboards made and what does the process look like? The process of making a billboard requires different components and decisions. Some components cover what materials the billboard is made from, which is usually fixed. Those hiring for a new billboard build can select from design options and creativity that coincides with their billboard marketing strategy and campaign. Decisions such as choosing what the billboard will be made out of, what it will convey, what it will look like, how big it will be, how long the billboard contract will last can be decided at the initial start of the campaign.

Edits and updates to a billboard campaign will likely vary for each business, but overall the components to building a new billboard are uniform. We’re reviewing how billboards are made and how they can be enhanced to produce the most effective billboard marketing campaign.

Making a billboard is a process that consists of several key steps and a variety of different choices. Each one of the steps and choices that comprise the process of making a billboard is incredibly important and allows for a successful billboard marketing campaign.

Every billboard is designed to convey a very particular message that leads to a very particular result. Results such as “more website viewers” and “more people calling in”. But, as mentioned, in order for this result to be obtained a billboard must convey a message that entices people to engage with the offer in a way that leads to the desired results.

Once the intended results are known, a message must be formulated, for the billboard, so that those results can be created. Ideally, this message is clear, concise, and easily conveyable using visuals and as few words as possible.

Designing a billboard

Marketing messaging usually determines the mood and setting that the billboard can prove to be most effective. If humor is an underlying theme within the billboard messaging, bright colors might enhance the imagery and, thus, make it stand out a little more. Similarly, if the attempted theme is serious or professional, colors may correlate with these emotions. Hiring an expert graphics team that is experienced in billboard creativity is especially crucial because visual aids are one of the highest priorities. A good billboard makes use of the medium’s visual nature to entice and engage the viewer — who is most likely driving their car — so that they will then engage with what is being offered.

After the billboard has been designed, it must be set-up. Setting up the billboard involves several key choices. Choices such as choosing the material that the billboard will be made of, choosing where your billboard will be displayed, and choosing how long your billboard will be displayed.

Most billboards rely either on paper or vinyl, due to the strength and affordability of those materials. Of course, there are digital billboards and, as mentioned earlier, hand-painted billboards. Both options are also valid, but billboards made of paper or vinyl are far more conventional.

More often than not, a billboard made of those materials will need to measure 48-feet in width, and 14-feet in height. The reason for this is because most billboard frames possess those measurements, due to it being an industry standard. But, there are plenty of billboard frames that have different measurements, which is why it’s important to know where the billboard will be located before printing.

A standard billboard contract lasts for at least one month. If the billboard is doing well, then the contract should be extended, but if it isn’t, then the billboard should be revised or moved somewhere else.

How Do Billboards Work?

To better explain how billboards work, here are the most important factors that make billboards an excellent part of an advertising campaign.

Billboards work by using a giant print to market a particular brand, product, or campaign. Ideally, billboards are placed in high-traffic areas to increase brand awareness.

It is estimated that a person sees about 1,000 advertisements daily, with only 7 that can be remembered. Therefore, if you drive a car every day, you will see many billboard ads.

Now that we have a fair idea of how billboards work, there are vital factors that you need to keep in mind that affect their cost. So here are some tips for creating an eye-catching billboard.

During times of traffic jams and repetitive halts, billboards installed on major roadways keep the audience engaged.
Above all, billboards can reach a large audience compared to other kinds of advertising.
Billboard adverts are excellent options for a marketing package for a company looking to improve regional targeting in marketing.
Billboards are inexpensive and capable of producing low-cost impressions since they target a large audience.
The billboards do not close; they are open 24 hours daily so potential customers can see us. It is a showcase for your business, open all day.
Easy segmentation: with billboards, we can choose where to advertise, segmenting the geographical area and our area of influence.

Billboards generate brand awareness, making your brand great and powerful, gaining positioning and notoriety.

We must be cautious when creating a billboard because not all are good for your brand; several factors make an excellent and coveted billboard.

Visual field.
Position concerning traffic, distance, and orientation.
Traffic concentration of the road on which it is located.
Competition: if the billboard is among many others, it loses prominence.
Location: a billboard at the access to a lower-level area of the city is not the same as a fence at the access to a high-value residential area.

What Are Billboards Made Of?

Every billboard consists of three major facets. The frame that holds the billboard, the billboard itself, and the electrical mechanisms that illuminate the billboard. If one of these facets was missing from a billboard, then the billboard medium would be very different.

How are billboards made and what is the process during the physical build? Most billboards are supported by tall steel poles that hold up a large frame. To support the large frame, the steel poles are designed for durability and longevity, relying on stainless steel to support both the frame and the billboard that it holds.

Right at the top of the steel poles, there’s the frame itself. Within this frame, a billboard can be held, as well as various pieces of lighting and electrical equipment. These components are particularly vital as they allow the billboard to display an ad for longer periods rather than just in daylight.

All across the surface of the frame, there’s a material known as “facing”. Facing allows the art that comprises the billboard to be attached to the frame. Large sheets of paper or vinyl artwork are spread across the frame’s surface.

Most billboards rely on using printed sheets of paper and vinyl, rather than hand-painting the frame of a billboard because it’s much cheaper. But, there are still a variety of hand-painted billboards around, and many of them are quite popular due to the fact that they are hand-painted.

To illuminate the billboard, there are lighting and electrical systems embedded within the frame and right outside of it. Most of these lighting and electrical systems rely on automatic timers because it’s far more convenient than manual activation.

What Does Billboard Maintenance Consist Of?

In answering the question, how are billboards made, you must also account for their continued maintenance.

Print Billboard

Maintaining a print billboard is quite easy, due to the fact that print billboards rely on very few individual components and facets. Most print billboards are made of strong and durable materials that last for a considerable amount of time. Unless a billboard has been displayed for a very long time, it’s unlikely that fresh sheets of paper or vinyl will be needed.

Digital Billboard

Maintaining a digital billboard is far more complex, due to the variety of systems and components that comprise a digital billboard.

How Are Billboards Made: Common Issues

What can be problematic, though, is the lighting systems that billboards rely on. If a bulb goes out, then that bulb must be replaced. If the lighting system is damaged, then it must be repaired. Without the proper lighting, drivers will be unable to see the billboard at night.

Maintaining a digital billboard is quite different from maintaining a print billboard. Digital billboards rely on complex hardware and software, all of which must be maintained on a regular basis. Most of the time, digital billboard maintenance consists of things like making sure the software is up-to-date, that the display is set-up properly, that each cord and cable is connected, and that the billboards are being displayed in the manner intended.