Social Media Best Practices for OOH Companies & Reps (2023)
Social Media has helped businesses in their marketing efforts tremendously. No matter how big or small your marketing budget it, anyone can share their products, services, and ideas with their customers for little to no cost. Billboard companies can use social media as a powerful tool to engage their audience, promote their services, and stay relevant in the digital age.
Research where your audience is talking about you and your industry. Such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. Dig deeper and really listen. If your audience isn’t popular across Facebook, try Twitter (now called X) or Instagram. Business-to-business companies often have more luck on Linkedin. It’s often determined by age group. The point is to not waste your time on networks that your customers don’t follow. Narrow it down to 2 – 3 max and really use that extra time to create quality content and posts.
Quality content is the bedrock of any successful marketing campaign. You need accurate, well-organized, up-to-date content to be successful. We’ve all heard the phrase “viral” before… this simply means the post, content, or video you shared on social media was so great that many people liked and or shared it.
What social media channel is right for your outdoor advertising company?
People trust people over corporations. 60% of people believe a company’s media post, compared to 35% who believe their online advertisements. Publish when you know your audience is online, and not when a random site tells you to. Pay attention to the metrics that matter. What do your customers engage with and what do they ignore?
Facebook Post: Recommends 40 – 80 characters and try not to exceed 120. Facebook also allows hashtags. Add an image to your post and you will likely get 2 to three times more engagement. The ideal video is 2 minutes. or less. The ideal image size is 1200×630 pixels.
Facebook Ads: To boost engagement, keep the paid ad text to around 80 characters, mobile is 25 characters. The ideal image is 1200×630 pixels. Videos will get more engagement than static images.
LinkedIn: Avoid question marks, exclamation points perform better. Keep it 65 words or less. The ideal size is 1200×627 pixels. OOH businesses can connect, relate, and share information about their company with potential advertisers. The key is to connect with local businesses that could advertise with you and agencies that can send you national campaigns.
Pinterest: This is a great place to get your creative billboard ads to the public. The ideal title length is 25 characters or less. And the perfect size of the vertical image is 736×1102 pixels. Never include hashtags, symbol-excessive, prices or promotions, sales information, exaggerating, claims, or implied affliction.
Youtube: It’s best to post Monday-Wednesday 11 am-1 pm PST, Thursday-Friday 9 am-12 pm PST, or Saturday-Sunday 6 am-8 am PST. The usual length for videos is 20 seconds to 3min. The video should include a URL to your website or social media channels. The majority of video views come from mobile devices.
TikTok: The majority of users on TikTok are younger (Ages 16-24) so your potential advertisers may not be on this social media platform. It also takes more effort to post on TikTok for businesses because every post must be a video, slideshow, or dynamic piece of content.
What should billboard companies post about?
For social media purposes, it’s easier to get likes and shares with content that is not directly trying to sell someone something. If you post about an available billboard try to keep the ratio to 1/5. Where non-sales posts are far outweighing your sales posts.
- Billboard Spotlights: Showcase the billboards you have designed and currently have up. Share high-quality images or videos of these billboards, highlighting their creative aspects and the impact they have on the local landscape. Posting your best, clever, funny, memorable ads will help.
- Behind-the-Scenes: Offer a peek behind the curtain by sharing the process of creating and installing billboards. This can include photos or videos of the design team at work, the printing process, or the installation crew setting up a new billboard.
- Client Testimonials: Share success stories from satisfied clients. Testimonials and case studies can provide social proof of your company’s effectiveness in advertising.
- Interactive Content: Run contests, polls, or interactive quizzes related to billboards or outdoor advertising in general. This engages your audience and encourages participation.
- Educational Content: Share informative content about the effectiveness of billboards, the psychology of advertising, and the impact of outdoor advertising on consumer behavior.
- Local Events and Trends: Stay in touch with the local community by sharing content related to local events, holidays, or trends. Tailor your billboard messages to these occasions.
- Community Engagement: Showcase your company’s involvement in the local community. Share photos or stories of community service or sponsorships. Post community event billboard ads like PSAs.
- Industry News: Share updates and news about the outdoor advertising industry, including new technologies, trends, and regulations.
- Video Content: Create engaging videos about your billboards, their impact, or the stories behind specific campaigns. Videos tend to perform well on social media.
- Customer Service: Use social media as a platform for customer service. Respond promptly to inquiries, comments, and concerns from clients and the public.
- User-Generated Content: Encourage customers to share their photos and experiences with your billboards. Repost user-generated content with proper credit.
- Visual Storytelling: Tell compelling stories about the brands and businesses that have benefited from your billboard advertising. Highlight how your billboards have played a role in their success.
- Seasonal Campaigns: Create themed content around seasons, holidays, or special occasions. This can be an opportunity to showcase how your billboards can be adapted to different marketing strategies.
- Metrics and Results: Share data and analytics on the performance of specific billboard campaigns. Demonstrate the return on investment (ROI) that clients can expect.
Remember that the key to successful social media marketing is consistency, engagement, and providing value to your audience. Your social media strategy should align with your company’s branding and marketing goals while also fostering a sense of community and connection with your audience.
