In many increasingly competitive markets, advertising can represent a ballooning expense in your budget as a small business owner. Whether you focus your advertising on traditional by mail campaigns or you invest primarily in online advertising, there’s a field that’s available closer to home for a reasonable budget that you might be leaving unattended. Whether you have a street facing property with a sidewalk, or if you have a full parking lot available, this is space you might be able to use to catch the eyes of prospective customers and grow your brand recognition.
Before you can take advantage of your sidewalk for advertising purposes, you’ll need to check on the regulations for your local area. Some city or other local governments place legal restrictions on how businesses can use the sidewalk space in front of their location, and these regulations will need to shape your strategy going forward.
Be Eye Catching
The first rule of sidewalk advertising is that you’ll need to be eye catching. The goal here is to capture the attention of folks who might normally pass by your business on a regular basis without noticing you’re there. This doesn’t need to bind you into a specific style though. Anything from sharp graphics to a creative bit of sidewalk chalk will work. Color choices can run a whole range, while bright colors may have an advantage, contrast is even more crucial. Look around at what other businesses are doing in your area and consider steering away from the norm. If everyone on the block is using the same type of sandwich boards, no matter how high quality your board is, you’re not going to stick out.
Have Personality
Your advertising should communicate the personality of your brand. Something beyond just a basic statement of a special or a particular service that you’re offering. Making use of your logo, pictures of staff members, and humor can all work to give a personality to your advertisement. Social media has changed the way customers interact with businesses, preferring to see businesses as people they’re interacting with, rather than a faceless company. In a way, we’ve returned to a more old fashioned way of doing business, where instead of thinking of a business transaction as working with “The Bank,” customers enjoy interactions where the transaction is with Jo, the friendly bank teller. This translates to your sidewalk advertisement with some of the tactics mentioned above.
Keep Your Sidewalk in Good Repair
Finally, if you’re going to be using your sidewalk as an advertising space, you want to keep it in good repair. Keeping your sidewalk free of cracks and clean is important to giving a professional appearance along with your advertising plan. Our commercial power washing service will ensure your driveway, parking lot, and sidewalks all have the best appearance. Call us today to get you started!