Why Transit Advertising is a Great Way to Advertise your Business!

Today there are so many great ways to advertise your business, but you may be asking, “Why should I choose public transit to advertise?” Here’s why: Because public transportation is being used more & more every year by all kinds of people. Today, public transit is not just for those who can’t afford a vehicle to get around. Public transit is a great way to get more cars off the road, save money, & benefit the environment. Because more & more people are choosing public transit over driving, etc, passengers are now people of all different income levels & statures. Not only do these people see ads on or IN the buses, but they also wait at bus shelters where ads are at eye-level catching their full attention! Why could this benefit your business? The likelihood of someone who is in need of your goods, services, &/or organization is going up all the time. We're talking thousands upon thousands of people seeing your ad either in motion or on a shelter! This type of advertising is good because it will be seen repeatedly by the people who use public transit on a regular basis.

Many transit riders spend an average of 30-40 minutes riding the bus. During that time, your ad is what they are seeing while they travel. Additionally & maybe more importantly, transit riders aren’t the only ones who can see your ads. Putting your "advertising into motion" on the outside of buses brings a whole new opportunity to reach thousands of additional potential customers. Your ad can be seen by hundreds of thousands of drivers, pedestrians, commuters & consumers each month. In 2015, public transit was responsible for more than 72,000 routes in the United States, all of which traveled 43 million passenger miles! Of those routes, transit buses covered just shy of 32,500!










Having an advertisement on the outside of a bus isn’t the only option. There are also ads inside the buses like this one, which gain much attention from thousands of passengers. 

There are bus shelter ads similar to this one that are seen not only by those waiting for a bus, but by those walking by, driving by, etc!






Exterior ads (seen in pictures below) come in all kinds just like those you're trying to reach. Out-of-home advertising via public transit ads include:

• Curb & Street Signs: Located on the sides of transit vehicles. They are the largest of the signs & are full color vinyl signs.

• Tail Signs: Located on the rear of transit vehicles. If you've ever been stuck behind a bus at a traffic light or in a traffic jam, you know what the back of that bus says by the time you start moving again.

• Full, Partial or Tail Wraps: Graphic that covers parts of or the entire bus. These ads are a great way to make an impact visually & really sticks in the mind because it is difficult to ignore, especially if the ad has a clever graphic or says something funny.

According to a study conducted by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) this year, for every $1 spent on outdoor advertising, an average of $5.97 is generated in product sales! This type of advertising raises digital search effectiveness by over 40% & print by over 14%. With a consistent growth in ROI, why would you not want to tap into this avenue of advertising?!





If you’re interested in public transit advertising, call The Mullikin Agency today! We are your exclusive source for advertising on the Ozark Regional Transit (ORT) buses & on the University of Arkansas Transit buses. We would love to help you with all of your advertising endeavors!

Call us today at 479-750-0871 or learn more online at 

transit.mullikinad.com

Developing an Effective Outdoor Marketing Strategy

 

Outdoor advertising can be greatly beneficial to a business. Getting a great, eye-catching design and ensuring that your advertisement is seen in an effective range of locations can deliver a tremendous amount of impressions. The basic options for outdoor advertising are:

• Digital and traditional billboards
• Vehicle wraps
• Signage
• Bus advertising
• Transit Shelter advertising (if your area allows it)

This type of advertising can be a large investment, so make sure you do it correctly. There are a few things to remember when considering content and design.

Keep it simple, very simple. Almost all of the audience will be driving or traveling. You have 3 to 6 seconds to get your message across and make an impact. Your advertising message should be short and to the point. Ensure that any jokes are obvious enough to be understood within a few seconds, because no one will be slowing down to absorb a complex story.

Place it appropriately. Make sure you have your advertisement in a range of locations. Make sure they are strategically placed to ensure that consumers will have multiple exposure. An advertisement seen once by a million people will not be as effective as one seen four times by a quarter of a million people. At the same time, you will want to have a thread running through all your marketing: website, outdoor, TV or print, so that there is a consistent message and branding across all your media.

Use only one point of contact. Your street address, phone number, directions, landmarks, and website are not necessary. In fact, if you have a website and great SEO, you don’t need any contact information. They will seek you out.

Don’t expect immediate response. Outdoor advertising is a long-term strategy. The aim should be to embed a product or your brand in the consumer’s mind through prolonged exposure. Calls to action might not necessarily be the right avenue for your outdoor campaign. Aim instead to build your profile and recognition so that your business is part of your potential audience’s awareness.


Here are a few examples:


Perfect example of NOT keeping it simple. Would you have any idea what you had just seen driving past this?





Perfect. Very creative and entices anyone around.

 

Unique outdoor advertising definitely gets noticed.














Not only does this have type so small you can't read it, the message is all wrong. It's supposed to be about women and there are three men as a visual.





It's critical that an investment like this is done right. Working with an expert company like The Mullikin Agency with a strong record in outdoor campaigns will help your business launch a well-planned and effective outdoor strategy.

 

Call the Mullikin Advertising Agency Today at 479.750.0871

Written by Randy Mullikin 
Founder and President of The Mullikin Advertising Agency