Billboards were advertising businesses when paint was our only medium, long before printers were even invented and that’s because they work! A big bold and colourful advertisement can’t be missed. If you’ve got spare wall space on the outside of your building, it could be a great opportunity to make your own billboard and attract new customers.
Self Adhesive Vinyl Banners
The simplest way to make your own billboard is to attach a wooden board to the wall using masonry screws. Here’s a guide to screwing into brickwork, but if you have any doubt as to the weight of the wood being supported by your fixings, employ a professional tradesman. Our self-adhesive vinyl banners can then be stuck straight onto the board with minimal fuss. It is advisable to fix the vinyl banner to the board before attaching it to the wall to ensure it is placed accurately.
Where to Place the Board
If your premises is on a corner you may have a completely free wall around the corner from your shop front. This is an ideal spot and allows you to go large! Or if you’re not lucky enough to have this big open space, you may find that there is space above or to the side of your entrance door and front windows. The size and shape of our adhesive vinyl banners are completely customisable so they can fit whatever space you have available. The vinyl material is weather proof material and highly durable so your banner will stay looking fresh long after installation.
Placing your billboard fairly high can have the advantage of drawing in customers from further afield. With a cluttered high street this is a great way to make your shop stand out and if it is well designed, it can add to the character of the street. The Lanes in Brighton for instance are well known for their funky shop exteriors and artistic signage, which has now become a tourist attraction! That’s pretty much the gold standard of signage if people get told about your sign, which is now more likely with the rise of social media.
Designing Your Billboard
Our adhesive banners are printed at 1440dpi so your design will be printed to the finest detail. This means you can use beautiful imagery and photography in your design, which will make your billboard much more eye-catching than text alone. You will probably want to include your logo in the design, but how much of a feature this is depends on the placement of your billboard. If it is on your shop front it will need to complement your existing signage so there is no point copying what is beneath it. Instead try displaying enticing photographs of your products, or your company slogan.
Using Artwork
You don’t need to be limited to depicting your products. Viral internet marketing has taught us that your advert doesn’t need to be 100% related to your products to be successful. If it captures people’s imaginations it will attract customers. You might consider commissioning an artist, illustrator or designer to create a piece of artwork that will bring people to your shop to admire the spectacle. Try finding somebody whose work captures the spirit of your company, whether that be edgy, natural, playful or technological.
Planning Permission
You may need planning permission for an advertisement larger than 0.3 metres, so it is highly advisable that you contact your Local Planning Authority, which can be found here. If you proceed without permission you may be forced to take it down. The Planning Portal advises that outdoor advertisements must comply with five conditions. They must:
- be kept clean and tidy
- be kept in a safe condition
- have the permission of the owner of the site on which they are displayed (this includes the Highway Authority if the sign is to be placed on highway land)
- not obscure, or hinder the interpretation of, official road, rail, waterway or aircraft signs, or otherwise make hazardous the use of these types of transport
- be removed carefully where so required by the planning authority.
There is also a guide for advertisers called Outdoor Advertisements and Signs issued by the government, which is worth consulting.
Take a look at our website for our full range of vinyl banners and other signage options including feather flags, pavement signage and posters. Or give us a call on 01939 291 825 to discuss your needs.