Using Flags To Attract New Customers To Your Store

Feel like your business isn’t getting the attention it should lately? Looking for something that will make people stop and notice your brand? Look no further because we’ve got just the thing to make your company stand out.

In today’s marketing world, it seems that everyone is talking about going digital. Technology is great, but when you want to get the attention of local consumers, you need something that’s a little different. Have you considered investing in eye-grabbing advertising flags?

Ad flags aren’t the newest gimmick on the market. But, there’s a reason for that. It’s because they’ve been around a little while. And, they’ve been around a little while because they work. In a recent survey, more than half of all small business owners find signage and graphics are an effective way to attract customers. Read on to learn why advertising flags are the easiest way to boost your business!

8 Reasons Why Advertising Flags Attract Customers

You may not hear as much about outdoor advertising in today’s high-tech marketing industry, but it appears that it’s still alive and well. And, it also seems to be often overlooked. Here’s why you don’t want to let this opportunity to attract customers pass you by.

1. Your Customers Live Within 5 Miles of Where You are Located

The United States Small Business Administration reports that 85% of your customers live within a five-mile radius. That means that you can safely bet that 85% of the people you serve are in your area on a regular basis.

2. Typically, Consumers Spend 20+ Hours Per Week in the Car

On top of that, The Arbitron National In-Car Study, 2009 edition, found that Americans spend upward of 20 hours in the car each week. What can we gather from the statistics above?

Well, your potential customers are likely to be spending a substantial amount of time each week on the road. And they are likely to live or work in the same neighbourhood as you.

If you take the same route to work and home each day, and especially if you are forced to sit in traffic during your commute, you’re probably going to notice whatever is sitting on the other side of the window.

3. Bold Graphics Catch the Eye

An email may not catch your customer’s eye. But, a bright, colourful sign with bold lettering is hard to overlook. Clever use bold colours and font in high-contrast signage is bound to get the attention of passing consumers.

4. Consumers Gravitate Towards Familiarity

It’s well-known that consumers tend to go with what they know. If they have never seen your brand or logo before, they obviously won’t feel a familiarity when they see it in your store window. But, if your logo is getting daily exposure, when they pass by your storefront, they are more likely to have already established a subconscious connection, at least on some level.

5. Images Make an Impression on Our Memory

Images make an impression that tends to last longer than written words or messages communicated orally. The mind collects the images surrounding us.

According to research led by Richard Mayer from the University of California, we only retain about 10% of what is communicated to us orally after three days. However, if an image is added, that number goes up to 65% after three days. Studies reveal that it’s possible to recall images with 95% accuracy for days after they are viewed.

This illustrates the importance of providing consumers with images in advertising. Ad flags offer the benefit of creating an image in minds of potential customers, increasing the chances that consumers will remember your message when it is no longer in sight.

6. Locals Are Likely to Share Your Business Ads Through Word of Mouth

Since 2005, word of mouth has been consistently reported by small business owners as the number one way they get customers, according to Small Business Trends. In 2014, 85% of small businesses agreed that word of mouth was the most effective way to attract new customers. It’s been established that locals are likely to notice your ad flags. But, they are also likely to share what they’ve noticed with friends, family, or colleagues.

Perhaps you are advertising a sale on your signs. You can count on it being passed along to friends and neighbours, which widens the audience and boosts the local impact of your ads. Or, maybe your ads are announcing a store opening or closing, or another special event. Whoever spots your ads is likely to spread the message.

Advertising something that benefits customers, such as a sale, highly-sought inventory, or special event, is often effective at stimulating local word of mouth. It’s used by business owners as a double-duty marketing strategy to drive consumer traffic.

7. Outdoor Flags Serve a Landmark to Locals, Grabbing Their ‘Attention by Association’

Outdoor signage passes on your ads in creative ways that you probably haven’t even considered. You may not realize the ‘attention by association’ that flags tend to receive. The ads are shared among the community, getting you noticed by more people. It might be considered unconventional “word of mouth advertising”, but it’s still effective in getting consumers attention.

It’s not as complicated as it may sound. Here’s an example. How many times have you given directions using billboards or signage as a landmark? We might say “turn left at the orange sign”, or “go past by the yellow billboard to the traffic light”, for example. We do it all the time, right?

Locals will begin using your ad flags as a way to let others know where to “veer right” or “go straight”. As people begin sharing directions that rely on your advertising flags as their landmark, they will be spotlighting your business.

8. The Constant Clicking of Digital Ads is Easy to Ignore, Not So With Outdoor Signs

The world has gone digital. We get that. Now it seems that every local and national marketing team in the world is concentrating their efforts on digital advertising, decreasing its effectiveness. We spend hours each week clicking through advertisers’ emails, social media posts, links, and sites. Our lives have become saturated with digitized marketing strategies.

Honestly, how many promotional emails do you really read each day? Many of us delete e-mail ads before even opening them. With so many marketers ignoring the potential of other forms of advertising, it opens the door to unique opportunities for the few that do.

You are more likely to stand out using outdoor signs, especially when everyone else isn’t using the same strategy.

Get Your Business the Attention You Crave!

Ready to get the attention of local consumers? Advertising flags can get your business noticed fast. Contact us today to boost your business with outdoor advertising!