Digital billboards have been popping up everywhere in Connecticut. And everywhere in the country. Well, not everywhere (can you name the four states where billboards are banned?). Let’s say you market a tourist attraction that’s not in one of the four states that value scenery over tourism dollars. How do you know when to use digital billboards? Are they right for your brand?

That all depends on what you’re trying to do. There is a huge price difference between digital and static boards, because the vinyl production and installation of a static billboard requires lots of work and time. Digital boards are easier for outdoor companies to post, and the price is “shared” with a handful of other companies who are also using the digital space. So it’s important to know exactly when to use digital billboards. When is sharing space a good thing? And when is it not the smartest choice? Here’s a quick guide:

When to Use Digital Billboards

• When you’re short on cash. If a static board can’t fit in your marketing budget, a digital board usually costs less than the price of a static board. The catch is: you only get 1/8 of the exposure. So while it’s low-cost overall, it’s not the best value.
• When you run an outdoor attraction. Rain and excessive heat can be your worst enemy, but a digital billboard can help you combat Mother Nature. For instance, if you have indoor space on your grounds, you can have a “rainy day” billboard ready to go whenever a summer storm approaches. Similarly, if Mother Nature is your friend (think ski mountains), you can use digital billboards to advertise your good fortune. Digital billboards can be changed in a very short period of time, so you have the flexibility to update as the rain comes, snow falls, temperature rises, or wind changes.
• When you have multiple temporary exhibits. If you want to promote several different exhibits, digital billboards allow you to post multiple boards and rotate them as often as you like. So let’s say you have a feature exhibit and two secondary exhibits. The outdoor company can program your boards so that the feature exhibit appears more often than your two secondary exhibits, or rotate them all equally, if you decide they all deserve equal weight. It’s completely up to you and costs no extra money.
• When you want some flash at night. If you have a board that looks great lit up against the nighttime sky, digital’s the way to go. In fact, since there is so much flexibility with digital boards, you can have a daytime message and look from dawn to dusk, and a nighttime message and look when the stars come out.

When to Stick with Static

• When you’re looking for value over time. If you have a general branding message or just one exhibit to promote over a month-long period, a static billboard is the way to go. Since you’re not sharing the space with anyone, all eyes will be on your board all the time, in high traffic and low traffic, instead of only 1/8 of the time. More eyes mean more brand awareness.
• When you want to dazzle with an extension. Digital billboards are boxes. Your message and graphics need to fit inside the box. If you want to go outside the box, you need to get a static billboard. Extensions can usually go a certain amount of feet off the top or side of the billboard, and always allow you to get really creative. They also attract more eyes than a regular billboard.
• When you want free extra exposure. Static boards often stay up for a few extra days (or even weeks) beyond what you’ve paid for, depending on how quickly the outdoor company has filled the space for the following month.

Now that you know the pros and cons of both digital and static billboards, you’ll want to know a few rules as you begin to create them. Break these rules at your own peril. And whatever you do, be sure to have fun with all of your outdoor advertising. When you do them right, billboards – whether digital or static – get eyes on your brand and visitors through your gates.