Reach a Wide Audience With Bus Advertising 

Bus advertising is a great option to consider when planning your outdoor advertising campaign since it allows you to reach a large audience easily. Displaying your advertisement on or inside a bus functions much like a mobile billboard. Buses are one of the most common transit channels in the United States and European countries. That means people may travel on the same route daily and get frequent exposure to advertisements placed on buses, bus stops, stations, etc. Bus advertising is so effective because of its extensive reach aimed to target just about everyone within eyesight. It is a high-frequency medium that is captivating, has immediate impact, and is also very affordable!

Why Advertise On a Bus?

For one simple reason: exposure. Ads on the interior of buses are a great way to advertise with high visibility and a consistent daily audience. External ads are visible to passing cars, pedestrians, and bus riders as they get on and off the bus. In addition, those who are waiting at stop lights, at bus stops, and stuck in traffic ensure maximum exposure. Your ads can be localized and hyper-targeted to a specific demographic or market segment. A bus advertisement is a win in every respect – it’s cost-effective and has high engagement and impression rates. If they are creative enough, they can entice, engage, and accompany your audience during their daily commutes.

How To Select Your Route?

A few factors can contribute to how you pick the bus route you’ll use for advertising. Here are a couple of things to consider when selecting a bus route that will best promote your ad::

Location of your business – If you’re advertising locally to drive people to your business, consider routes that pass by your company or are close by.

Overall traffic – To build local brand awareness, select bus routes that pass through busy, commercial centers or densely populated areas.

By finding the right bus route to reach your target audience, your outdoor advertising piece will achieve its full potential.

Where Can You Place Your Ad On Buses?

When it comes to advertising on a bus, there are many options. Where you place your ad depends on the goal of your ad and who your target audience is, but there are three main categories:

Side: Advertisements can be placed on the sides of buses in several ways, including:

• Super Side Banners are banners placed higher on the side of a bus so that they can be seen above the heads of people on the street. The placement of these ads primarily targets pedestrians in crowded areas.
• T-Side Banners create a natural format for the headline and visual on the side of the bus. Viewers are typically attracted to this type of ad because of its visual appeal.
• Street Liners are smaller ads that fit on the sides of buses at eye level. Ads of this type are more cost-effective since they are smaller and can attract the attention of both drivers and pedestrians closer to the bus, perhaps even those waiting to board.

Rear: These are the ads located on the back of the bus and can be seen by anyone walking along the street or driving behind it. The ads in this area mostly reach drivers who intersect or follow the same route as the bus. Stop-and-go traffic, created naturally along routes with traffic lights and in urban areas, allows people to see rear-bus advertising for a longer period of time, allowing the advertisement to stay in their minds.

Inside: Buses have passenger panels near the roof that advertise directly to passengers. The ads are located so high up on the bus that everyone riding can see them. The location is perfect for heavily-used bus routes, where the target audience is more likely to take public transportation than drive themselves.

Full Exterior Wrap: Those who want to go big can also wrap the entire exterior of the bus. Pepsi Co. is believed to have used this strategy first in 1993 to promote Crystal Pepsi by wrapping a bus. Choosing this option will make a big statement and get your brand noticed.

Summing It Up

It is important to mention that bus advertising doesn’t necessarily mean only advertising on the actual bus. Advertisements are also available on bus shelters, bus stops, and transit benches. Bus advertisements are an efficient and effective way to make a significant, memorable impact. People on public transportation are looking for distractions. Transit audiences are not as fragmented as online audiences; not only do they enjoy transit ads, they respond to them, giving brands an unprecedented opportunity to go viral on social media. You can advertise locally 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and get the exposure you need to amplify your brand message.