To get a business off the ground, marketing and advertising go a long way right alongside the old-fashioned hard work. If there was a way to let the advertising do much of the hard work for you, you would be very interested in that, wouldn’t you?
The same could also be said for advertising that works to stay in people’s consciousness for more than a few seconds. We spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars a month putting out newspaper, radio and online ads to try to catch the eye of our audience, and just make enough of an impression in about two to three seconds that will convince the prospect to give a call or visit the website. But with most of that advertising, it has a time limit – the newspaper ad will only be in front of the reader for a couple seconds, a radio ad may play for 30 seconds at a time, and an online ad is only on the screen as long as the viewer can tolerate it.
Because of that limit, businesses often have to pay for multiple exposures, and in order to get that ad in front of a prospect often enough to convince them to make contact, it requires consistent (but not too annoying!) contacts over the course of a day, a week or a month. Just a few seconds at a time. But one of the best ways to advertise your business is through signage, like that at Industrial Sign Installations. Signs are permanent advertising, and they can be even more permanently effective if you spend a little more money and get a lighted sign for your business.
Why a Lighted Sign?
The expense might be large, but the investment could be even larger. Here are four good reasons why you should at least consider lighting your business signage:
Visibility.
A lighted sign helps your sign, and by extension your business, be more visible. Lighted signs stand out not only in darkness but also on overcast days when the sun is not out or in areas where there are a lot of shade or shadows
24-Hour ad.
Think about how many radio spots or print ads you have to pay for to get a certain number of eyes or ears on your business name and location, and think about how many cars pass your business on a busy roadway every day – even at night. If your business is on a major commuting route, then your business will likely be seen by the same eyes at least twice a day – once going to work and once coming home. Will your print ad get two looks or your radio ad get two listen every day? Maybe, but it will cost you each time. A lighted sign can advertise your business at any time of the day or night that a commuter begins or ends a shift. And your sign will advertise every single day – not just Monday through Friday during rush hour or the evening news broadcasts.
Quick Messaging.
You may buy a certain amount of space in a print publication or air time on the radio to talk about your business, but many times the consumer’s attention span does not allow him or her to get though the whole spiel. A sign outside your business, however, can be short and to the point – showing your location, your business name, what you do or provide and a phone number or website. Someone driving by or walking by your property may only take a couple seconds to see your sign, but if you are to the point with your message, it can be more easily remembered than any radio ad that runs 10 times in a single day.
Safety and Security.
Not all businesses are on well-lit or well-traveled roadways. Many businesses can be tucked away from lights or in less-than-friendly neighborhoods. A lighted sign can not only stand out against a dark backdrop like this, it can provide a certain level of safety and security for employees who close up at night and for those who walk past the business after dark. It is well-known that crime is much less likely in an area that is lit, so a bright sign in a dark area can serve as a beacon of safety for those around the business. And who knows –maybe the residual benefit to the community of that light may convince someone who benefits from it to give you a little business later!
David Woodburn has been working in the retail industry for many years and knows that light signage is the best way to attract customers.