Ultimate Guide to Billboard Ads Under $100

With digital billboards, you can now launch campaigns for as low as $20 per day and manage everything yourself using platforms like Blip. Even a $100 daily budget can get you big results with the right strategy.

Here’s how to make the most of your money:

Set clear goals: Focus on brand awareness, local visibility, or event promotion.
Pick high-traffic locations: Use tools to target the right audience at the right time.
Leverage pay-per-play pricing: Only pay for the ads shown.
Schedule smartly: Allocate budgets to peak times like rush hours.
Track performance: Monitor impressions, costs, and audience data to refine your campaign.

Digital billboards are flexible, affordable, and perfect for small businesses. Start small, test, and scale up as you see results.

Digital Billboard Basics

Digital vs Static Billboards

Digital billboards have changed the game compared to traditional static ones. Static billboards stay the same for weeks or months and need manual printing and installation. In contrast, digital billboards use LED screens to rotate multiple ads, which can be updated remotely in just minutes. This makes them a more efficient and flexible option, especially for advertisers looking to make the most of their budgets.

Benefits of Digital Billboards

Digital billboards bring a range of perks, particularly for advertisers working with tight budgets:

Feature	What It Means	Why It Matters
Pay-per-play pricing	Pay only for the ads shown	Keeps costs under control
Real-time bidding	Prices adjust every 10 minutes	Helps secure better rates
Flexible scheduling	Pick specific times and dates	Reaches the right audience
No long-term contracts	Start or stop anytime	Perfect for testing ideas

"Blip works for us. It’s a different medium, and it brings a lot of exposure. It sets us apart from the rest of the [competition], and that’s what I like."

Performance Measurement

Digital billboard campaigns let you track results with key metrics like:

Daily Impressions: Estimates how many people see your ad
Average CPM (Cost Per Thousand Impressions): Compares cost-effectiveness across locations
Viewing Time: Measures how long your ad stays in rotation
Location Performance: Provides insights into traffic patterns and audience demographics

Modern platforms make it easy to choose locations based on these metrics, ensuring even smaller budgets can target high-traffic areas at the best times. This data-driven approach helps advertisers get the most out of their campaigns.

Planning a $100 Daily Campaign

Campaign Goals

Clear objectives are key to making your billboard advertising work. Set specific, measurable goals like these:

Goal Type	Example Target	Measurement Method
Brand Awareness	Reach 50,000 daily impressions	Track impression metrics
Local Visibility	Target 3-mile radius around store	Monitor location performance
Product Launch	2-week campaign across 5 locations	Compare pre/post sales data
Event Promotion	80% venue capacity	Track ticket sales correlation

Location and Time Selection

Choosing the right location ensures every dollar works harder. Blip’s marketplace provides tools to evaluate locations based on:

Traffic Volume: Look for billboards with verified daily impression counts.
Demographics: Align locations with your target audience.
Peak Hours: Focus on rush hours, typically 7-9 AM and 4-7 PM.
Cost Efficiency: Compare CPM rates to find the best value.

With these insights, you can refine your spending strategy and target the right audience at the right time.

Budget Management

Make the most of your $100 daily budget:

Start small by testing locations with $20-$30 budgets. Use 10-minute bidding to secure lower rates during off-peak hours. Rush hours often require higher bids, while mid-day slots can be more affordable.
Plan your spending around peak traffic times. For example, allocate $40 for the morning rush, $25 for lunchtime, and $35 for the evening rush to reach the most viewers.

"Billboards are one of the most impactful ways to advertise, and with Blip, you spend a fraction of what you would end up paying elsewhere." – Ray Bowens, Founder, Hashtag-Vape

How to Use Blip‘s Software for Billboard Advertising

Blip

Billboard Design Guidelines

Once your campaign goals are clear, a strong design can make all the difference.

Design Basics

To grab attention, use high-contrast colors, bold, readable fonts, and high-quality images. Leave enough white space to keep things clean and easy to digest from a distance. Pair light text on dark backgrounds (or the reverse) to make your message pop. Keep your visuals sharp and avoid clutter – your audience only has seconds to take it all in.

Crafting Your Message

Billboard messages need to be short and impactful. Focus on one main point, clearly feature your brand, and include a direct call-to-action. This way, even a quick glance leaves a lasting impression.

Branding Essentials

Consistency is key for brand recognition. Stick to your brand’s color scheme, showcase your logo prominently, and follow your style guide for fonts and spacing. Always test your design from different distances and under various lighting conditions.

For digital billboards, remember that display settings can vary. Check how your design looks in different environments to make sure it works just as well on a screen as it does in print.

Self-Service Platform Tips

When planned and designed well, self-service platforms make running campaigns smoother and more efficient. These platforms have made billboard advertising accessible, even for businesses with smaller budgets.

Platform Features

Self-service platforms offer tools that help you manage campaigns with precision:

Feature	What It Does	Quick Tip
Real-time Bidding	Updates prices every 10 minutes for competitive rates	Start with lower bids during off-peak hours to save money
Interactive Marketplace	Lets you choose locations based on data and metrics	Target high-traffic areas that fit your budget
Flexible Scheduling	Run ads when your audience is most likely to see them	Experiment with different times of day to get the best results
Pay-per-play Model	Pay only when your ad is shown	Set daily budget limits to manage spending easily

Using Analytics Tools

Keep an eye on key metrics like daily impressions, average CPM, peak viewing times, and location performance. Use this data to adjust your budget to focus on locations with better engagement and tweak your schedule to match peak viewing periods. These insights can drive better outcomes, as shown in the example below.

Small Business Example

Small businesses have seen real success by combining advanced bidding tools with real-time data. Take Mr. Charlie’s Chicken Fingers, for instance. Owner Paul Willey shared:

"Working with Blip has given Mr. Charlie’s the momentum to get our new location on the map while accelerating growth for our original location".

Chris Leslie, Founder of Leslie Lightcraft Co, also highlighted the power of billboard advertising:

"It’s not a social media thing that you see on your phone. It’s not word-of-mouth. It’s big and bold and out there in public. I would say this is the first step of looking big and public".

These examples show how self-service platforms allow small businesses to make a big impact while staying within their budgets. Start small, test various strategies, and use analytics to fine-tune your campaigns for the best results.

Conclusion

Key Takeaways

Digital billboard advertising is now accessible to small businesses, delivering big results even on a tight budget. With self-service platforms, you can grab premium billboard spots starting at just $20 per day and maintain full control over your campaigns.

Here’s what drives success: