Small business owners find it challenging to advertise because they cannot afford to spend a great deal of money, typically required for advertising in newspapers, television, and even billboards, etc. One of the most popular methods of small business advertising is printed banners that can showcase your business and brand economically. As versatile and cost-effective advertising banners tend to be, you need to be aware of some common designing pitfalls that can result in your time, effort, and money being wasted. Some typical design mistakes to avoid:
Not Factoring In the Location and Size of the Banner
As far as advertising banners go, location is the name of the game. Unless the banners are placed at strategic locations, where they can be easily seen by the target audience, they will not serve their purpose. You will need to decide on the size and the shape of the banners after finding out what locations are available. The best impact of the banners is when they’re highly visible to a large number of potential customers at a location close to your business premises or point of sale. If the horizontal space is limited because of crowding, you can think of using teardrop of feather banners that use more vertical space but have a small footprint.
You can decide on the size of the banner after considering the locational constraints and the distance from which the banners will be seen by your target audience. Further, the size of the banners will need to be such that they can accommodate the business logo, name, and contacts, as well as an interesting visual and the advertising message that can be read easily from a distance. Banners should neither be too small or too large; else they will fail to engage the audience.
Not Using an Arresting Visual
While it can be tempting to showcase all the highlights of your products and services in advertisements, it is important to appreciate the advantages and limitations of the various mediums. Outdoor advertising banners have the responsibility of boosting your brand awareness and drive traffic to the nearest point of sale. Moreover, they are seen by people on the go who are hard-pressed to spare even a glance at it. It is, therefore, vital to use a device like an arresting visual to attract the attention of the audience. While it is tempting to use bold or provocative visuals, you must make sure that it is relevant to your business. Make sure that the image is of very high quality and it does not get blurred or pixilated upon reproduction. According to a Forbes report, successful marketing lies in the ability to use visuals effectively.
Conclusion
Advertising banners are one of the most affordable methods for a small business to raise its profile in the local community and drive traffic towards it. For it to be effective, you need to take into consideration the proper placement and positioning, and ensure that the size of the display as well as that of the font makes it easily readable. Use an attractive visual to attract eyeballs and a compelling slogan as a CTA.
