Have you ever wondered, “How Much Is A Billboard Ad?” Understanding billboard advertising costs can be complex. This guide provides a detailed breakdown of billboard pricing, covering various types of outdoor advertising and the factors influencing their costs, to help you make informed decisions for your advertising campaigns.
Understanding Outdoor Advertising Costs
Outdoor advertising encompasses a wide range of formats, each with its own pricing structure. Here’s a look at the average costs for different types of outdoor ads, based on a four-week campaign:
-
Outdoor Advertising (All Types):
- Average Cost: $500
- Lowest Price: $100
- Median CPM (Cost Per Mille): $6.34
- Median Impressions: 93,341
- Available Ads: 1,291,689
- Outdoor Advertising Companies on AdQuick: 1,763
-
Billboard Advertising:
- Average Cost: $923
- Lowest Price: $100
- Median CPM: $4.73
- Median Impressions: 286,890,425,908.0
- Billboard Ads: 486,449
- Billboard Companies on AdQuick: 561
Billboards are typically situated in high-visibility, high-traffic locations such as highways, main roads, and major intersections. Billboard advertising often involves rotating artwork among various locations to achieve the desired reach, frequency, and CPM for the target audience.
-
Digital Billboard Cost:
- Average Cost: $417
- Lowest Price: $100
- Median CPM: $2.85
- Median Impressions: 99,077,938,412.0
- Digital Billboards: 79,752
- Digital Billboard Companies on AdQuick: 528
Similar to traditional billboards, digital billboards are strategically placed in high-traffic areas. The flexibility of digital billboards allows for dynamic content changes, making them an attractive option for advertisers.
-
Street Furniture Advertising:
- Average Cost: $450
- Lowest Price: $200
- Median CPM: $2.71
- Median Impressions: 2,889,314,962.0
- Street Furniture Ads: 11,288
- Street Furniture Advertising Companies on AdQuick: 4
Street furniture includes ads on bus shelters, benches, kiosks, and newsstands. These ads benefit from longer dwell times, making them effective for call-to-action campaigns targeting commuters.
-
Wallscape Advertising:
- Average Cost: $16,000
- Lowest Price: $100
- Median CPM: $23.80
- Median Impressions: 13,517,411,540.0
- Advertising Ads: 9,676
- Wallscape Companies on AdQuick: 197
Wallscapes are typically attached to prominent buildings and can accommodate various shapes and sizes. They offer high visibility and a strong social media impact, rivaling large billboards.
-
Wildposting Advertising:
- Average Cost: $825
- Lowest Price: $100
- Median CPM: $2.13
- Median Impressions: 73,751,219,559.0
- Wildposting Ads: 7,924
- Wildposting Companies on AdQuick: 71
Wildposting, also known as wheat pasting, involves placing numerous posters in dense urban areas to maximize attention. It’s a cost-effective way for small businesses to boost brand awareness in high-traffic locations.
-
Transit Advertising:
- Average Cost: $13,700
- Lowest Price: $100
- Median CPM: $5.60
- Median Impressions: 618,930,248,310.0
- Transit Ads: 83,984
- Transit Advertising Companies on AdQuick: 236
Transit advertising includes ads on buses, subways, taxis, and in airports. It targets commuters and individuals in high-foot-traffic public areas.
Billboard Pricing Factors to Keep in Mind
Several factors influence billboard advertising costs. Understanding these can help you optimize your budget and strategy.
Location
Location is a primary determinant of billboard costs. Advertising spaces in major metropolitan areas like New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago command higher prices than those in rural, low-traffic areas. The specific location within a market also matters. Factors include visibility, potential obstructions, and competition from other ads.
Format
The format of the billboard impacts the cost. Options range from small junior posters to large digital billboards. Beyond traditional billboards, formats include bus wraps, in-store digital ads, mobile billboards, and wallscapes. Generally, larger formats are more expensive, except for digital ads, where costs depend on platform, production, and campaign maintenance.
Circulation
Circulation refers to the estimated number of people who potentially see your ad. This is based on traffic data from local transportation authorities. While not a guarantee of actual views, it provides an estimate of potential exposure.
Impressions
Impressions measure the likely viewership of your billboard ad, considering both reach and frequency. They are influenced by location, size, and strategic placement. A small billboard near a stoplight may cost more than a larger one on a faster-moving street. Companies like Geopath compile impression analytics, often measured via CPM.
To calculate the projected ad cost, use the formula: (Impressions / 1,000) x CPM. For example, if a billboard earns 100,000 impressions at a $5 CPM, the cost would be (100,000 / 1,000) x $5 = $500.
Demographics
Reaching the right audience is crucial. Enhanced OOH analytics and programmatic digital OOH allow advertisers to target specific demographics, such as age, gender, income, and education level. Ads in affluent neighborhoods with higher disposable income typically cost more.
Design
Design costs depend on brand awareness, the clarity of your vision, and the quality of graphic designers. Complex formats may require specialized designers, increasing costs. Many large brands either hire agencies or build in-house creative teams to manage design and production.
Installation
Installation costs vary with the type of advertising space and how the ad is brought to life. Standard vinyl billboards have different costs than mobile billboards or digital OOH campaigns. Understanding the total cost, including design, production, and installation, is essential before committing to a billboard ad buy.
Estimating Billboard Advertising Costs by City
AdQuick’s Billboard Pricing Tool offers a unique way to estimate OOH media costs in various markets. This tool leverages proprietary data to provide a clear snapshot of common OOH media costs in specific metro areas, cities, or zip codes.
Below is a table of recommended outdoor advertising budgets for several major cities, based on different share of voice (SOV) levels. Share of Voice is calculated by dividing an individual brand’s advertising impressions by the total advertising impressions within a specific market, which helps you understand how much you need to spend to achieve various levels of market presence:
| Market | Median CPM | Budget for entry (10% SOV) | Budget for saturation (25% SOV) | Budget for domination (50% SOV) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City Billboards | $7.52 | $457,837 | $1,144,592 | $2,289,184 |
| Los Angeles Billboards | $4.45 | $231,812 | $579,528 | $1,159,056 |
| Washington, DC Billboards | $9.50 | $188,887 | $472,216 | $944,431 |
| Oakland Billboards | $8.60 | $185,385 | $463,462 | $926,924 |
| San Francisco Billboards | $8.60 | $185,385 | $463,462 | $926,924 |
| San Jose Billboards | $8.60 | $185,385 | $463,462 | $926,924 |
| Boston Billboards | $9.50 | $178,234 | $445,583 | $891,166 |
| Chicago Billboards | $6.51 | $176,568 | $441,418 | $882,836 |
| Houston Billboards | $8.41 | $175,685 | $439,212 | $878,424 |
| Seattle Billboards | $9.58 | $146,005 | $365,011 | $730,021 |
| Philadelphia Billboards | $6.30 | $144,299 | $360,746 | $721,492 |
| Dallas Billboards | $6.26 | $143,573 | $358,932 | $717,863 |
| Fort Worth Billboards | $6.26 | $143,573 | $358,932 | $717,863 |
Reconsidering OOH Advertising
OOH advertising can be a valuable addition to your overall marketing strategy. While larger markets are important, consider exploring smaller, less saturated markets to reach your target consumers effectively. Testing OOH campaigns in these markets allows you to refine your creative approach, identify specific audiences, and experiment with various ad formats before investing in broader, more expensive markets.
Understanding billboard advertising cost is crucial for making informed decisions and maximizing the impact of your OOH campaigns. By considering factors like location, format, demographics, and design, you can optimize your budget and ensure your message reaches the right audience.
