FAQs

1. What is outdoor advertising?

   Download information about outdoor advertising.

2. Why advertise on billboards?

   So why do all the big brands advertise on billboards? Its simple - it works Our busy lifestyles mean we're always on the go and as a result spend more and more time out of the house. That's travelling to and from work, shopping, eating out or just visiting friends. In fact research demonstrates that 86% of the UK population regularly sees outdoor advertising. And guess what? When we're out and about not only are we more receptive to advertising but we're also more likely to be in spending mode. Why not advertise right outside your premises or within your catchment area. Alternatively, why not consider telling a whole new set of potential customers about your business? It’s obvious – advertise in a new area and get new customers! As they say 'seeing is believing' and unlike most other ways of targeting your customers everyone gets to see it for FREE. You don't need a TV license, own a radio or buy the local paper. And its not just there for one moment of one day - but 24 hours a day - and for a standard booking period, a whole two weeks! Put another way - that's 336 hours or 20,160 minutes or....well you get the idea How about advertising on the side of a phone box directing customers to your shop? Or a large billboard on a main road telling everyone you've got a great Sale on? You could even advertise on a bus shelter right outside one of your competitors!

3. What does it cost?

   Once you’ve searched for billboards in your area, click ‘check availability’ to see the price for when you’d like to advertise. Don't forget all the prices you see on Signposter.com are all inclusive - that means it covers the printing, production, delivery and display of your billboard ad - and we'll take care of all the behind the scenes running about to make sure it's displayed only on those billboards you've chosen and only when you've chosen them. We've partnered with PayPal and all the standard credit/debit card providers so checking out and paying for your campaign is as safe and secure as you'd expect. If you're ordering a large campaign you can even apply for credit.

4. How do I search for billboards?

   Enter your postcode, town or area, select whether you’re interested in billboards or buses and hit ‘search’. The first page of your search results will display the 10 cheapest billboards in your area. If you’d like to narrow your results, use the advanced search options. You can save any combination of billboards into your campaign and come back again later or checkout if you’re ready to start advertising.

5. What does 'audience' mean?

   Every billboard is measured by the number of people who see it during every two weeks - not walk or drive past it but those that actually see it. According to POSTAR, the outdoor advertising research body, the standard approach for media audience research is to measure the "opportunity to see", or having "eyes-on", the billboard. Even in areas that you wouldn't think of as particularly busy you'll be amazed at how many that is. Audience figures prefixed with two asterisks (**) are either an Average Audience calculation or an Average Station Footfall calculation. If there are multiple billboards in the same train station in your campaign, each will have the same Average Station Footfall figure. So this does not artificially inflate the Total Campaign Audience figure, when calculating total campaign audience we will only include the Average Station Footfall value for one billboard in each train station on any campaign day.

6. What does 'Cost Per Thousand' (CPT) mean?

   Cost-Per-Thousand (CPT) is a method of evaluating media efficiency. CPT is a ratio based on how much it costs to reach a thousand people. Cost-Per-Thousand is calculated by using the following formula: [Total Campaign Cost] / [Total Campaign Audience in Thousands] For example, if the total campaign cost is £942 and total campaign audience is 330,000, then the calculation is: £942 / 330 = £2.85. The cost per thousand for this campaign is £2.85. If there are multiple billboards in the same train station in your campaign, each site will have the same Average Station Footfall figure. So this does not artificially inflate the cost per thousand (CPT) figure, when calculating CPT we will only include the Average Station Footfall value for one billboard in each train station on any campaign day. Billboards with 'Awaiting Classification' as their Audience figure are not included in the CPT calculation.

7. How do I create my ad?

   Click here to see a short video tutorial about how to create your own ad.

8. How do I create my campaign?

   Click here to see a short video tutorial about how to create your campaign.

9. Can I use my own ad?

   You don't have to design your billboard ad with our unique ad creator. If you already have your own ad, perhaps one that you've used on a leaflet or in the local paper, we can help you turn it into an effective, attention grabbing billboard. All you need to do is upload your existing ad using the upload facility. We can even help you resize your ad if you want to use a variety of different size billboards. All the costs on Signposter.com are inclusive of print and production so it won't cost any more or any less than the price already displayed for the billboard you've chosen to advertise on - it's that simple.

10. What are the different billboard formats?

    Billboards come in many different shapes and sizes and can be used to advertise your business in different ways. Choosing a format can be as creative as designing your billboard ad. Click on a format to help you decide.

    	Phone Box Dimensions: 0.7m (w) x 1.6m (h) Bustling city centres. Highly urbanised locations. Great for directing customers to your business.
    	4 Sheet Dimensions: 1.0m (w) x 1.5m (h) Train stations, bus depots and shopping centres. Use 4 Sheets to target your customers in a specific location.
    	6 Sheet Dimensions: 1.2m (w) x 1.8m (h) Ubiquitous on busy roads and pedestrian areas. Free standing or wall-mounted. Target your customers when they are in spending mode.
    	Bus Shelter Dimensions: 1.2m (w) x 1.8m (h) In every town and city. Target your customers in the car and on foot. Connect with your customers for longer.
    	48 Sheet Dimensions: 6.1m (w) x 3.1m (h) Un-missable on main roads. Give your business maximum standout. Target your customers when they are on the move.
    	96 Sheet Dimensions: 12.2m (w) x 3.5m (h) City centres and major roads. 96 sheets dominate their surroundings. Demand your customer’s attention and create a massive impact.
    	Bus Street Liner Dimensions: 3.1m (w) x 0.5m (h) Get your business seen all over town and cover your local area. Connect with your customers on the high street.
    	Bus Rear Dimensions: 1.2m (w) x 0.5m (h) Highly visible to drivers and their passengers. Extend the time your bus ad is seen and target your customers head-on.

11. Is it cheaper to advertise for longer?

    Billboards are sold in 2 week periods and buses are sold in 4 week periods - and the longer you advertise for the cheaper the price becomes. Why? Well we only need to produce, print and deliver your billboard ad once, so for every consecutive period you select these costs have already been accounted for. You can also tick 'Find the cheapest period!' to highlight the lowest available cost for any billboard.

12. How do I pay for my campaign?

    When you’re happy with your campaign, click on the ‘proceed to checkout’ button, check your details and choose a payment option. We've partnered with PayPal, all the standard credit/debit card providers and we’ve provided you with a telephone payment option so checking out and paying for your campaign is as safe and secure as you'd expect. If you're ordering a large campaign you can even apply for credit. If you’ve chosen PayPal or credit/debit card payment, enter your details to complete the checkout process. If you’ve chosen telephone payment or the credit option, one of our support staff will be in touch with you shortly.

13. What do all the status icons mean?

    We've done our best to make things as simple as possible for you to book your campaign and to do that we've introduced some easy to understand icons. Here's a reminder of what they mean: Description Icon Your campaign order has now been placed Your campaign order is being booked Your campaign has now been confirmed Your campaign has been cancelled Your order on an individual billboard has now been placed Your order on an individual billboard has now been booked Your order can not be placed or completed at this time You may need to select an alternative billboard There's also a message centre to keep you up to date with the progress of your campaign as well as any special offers that might be in your area.

14. Artwork to Follow?

    When booking your campaign you have the option to use the Signposter Ad Creator to create your own agency quality ad or alternatively upload an ad you already have. You can even allocate different creative executions to each booked poster site. If, however, you wish to book the space now and provide artwork nearer the start of your campaign you can check the ‘Artwork to Follow’ box and send artwork by email or ftp upload two weeks prior to the campaign start date. At the time of sending your completed artwork please email support@signposter.com to let us know to look out for it.