With digital marketing methods becoming all-pervasive, even small and local businesses are taking to it in ever-increasing numbers. However, many small businesses are discovering that many of their customers are old-school and still prefer to be guided by conventional advertising methods, not their smartphones for fulfilling their needs. Several studies indicate that businesses should adopt a balanced mix of advertising methods for the best impact. Unfortunately, small businesses do not have much leeway with their advertising budgets and often need to rely on low-cost but effective advertising methods suited to their small marketing footprints. According, the humble yard sign has become quite popular. However, it is vital for you to design, print, and erect these signs properly because making mistakes will dilute their impact and not get you the results you want. Some of the top yard sign mistakes; you should be on the alert to avoid:
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Lack of Design Appeal
You have to remember yard signs do not exist in isolation but need to compete with many other distractions, including other advertisements and clutter in the environment for attention. Moreover, potential customers are likely to be multitasking. They may miss seeing your yard signs if they are checking out their phones or talking with their companions. You must design the yard signs so that they catch the attention of the target audience easily. The design elements like images, color scheme, and typography must be such that even engrossed passersby will not fail to spot it and b encouraged to read and understand it. A badly-designed yard sign will not get you the exposure your need, and the ROI will be sub-optimal.
Poor Readability
The yard sign must be legible to the target audience because otherwise, there is no point in putting it up. The readability of yard signs may be affected by many factors. It may be too far away from the target audience, the contrast with its background may be so poor that people fail to spot it, or the design itself may be so messy that people prefer not to waste their effort trying to make sense of it.
Poor Design
Designing wholesale yard signs on the computer is easy and great fun, however, you need to ensure that you are not carried away and make the design too complicated. Complicated designs look good on the computer screen from up close, but when seen from a distance on the yard sign, the effect is messy because nobody can make out the intricacies of the design. It is better to focus on creating a simple design that is easy to make out from a distance. You must have adequate contrast between the content and its background. If the graphic elements and text do not have adequate contrast with the background color of the sign, it will be difficult for people to make them out. Similarly, if there is a lack of contrast between the sign and the background, the sign may be difficult to spot. Though brighter colors are usually easier to spot, gaudy colors may look too brash.
Poor Typography
Poor typeface selection is likely to affect legibility and deter people from reading your yard signs. Fancy typefaces may look good on the computer, but thin and complicated ones are difficult to read on a yard sign. It is better to use typefaces devoid of complications, so people can read them without having to approach them close. According to Forbes, classic typefaces are the best. It is important not to use more than two or three typefaces in a single sign to prevent confusing the reader. You must choose font sizes that are large enough for comfortable reading. Make the headline font the largest and then scale them down for the rest of the content according to its importance. You should also get the spacing between letters and words right to avoid making your signs look odd or unprofessional.
Improper Material
If you are placing your signs outdoor, you must make sure that you use the right material, especially if they are going be there for a long time. If you are using wood, you must make sure it is properly treated and painted before erection. Similarly, if you are using self-adhesive vinyl prints, you must install them properly.
Conclusion
For yard signs to be effective, they need to be put up in areas that witness high traffic of the target audience and the proximity of the business. The main intention of the yard signs is to attract people who are in the area and are likely to find it worthwhile to spare the time to pop into your store. Even the best of signs put up in remote locations are unlikely to get you the results you want. You also need to make sure you install the signs properly. Without proper support, they are likely to tip over preventing anyone from seeing them. If you are using cut letters, check if the words are complete and properly spelled.
