Water and fire, oil and vinegar, and nails on a chalkboard—these materials clash and historically are unable to work together, resulting in a less than seamless mix.

Social media marketing and out-of-home (OOH) advertising seem worlds separated and can be likened to polar opposites, but they are much more empowered together than apart.

Boosting Your Brand with Social + OOH Marketing

Use the two, and you’ll have a high-powered duo that is capable of unlocking extraordinary reach, increased engagement, and being A-1 in brand recall. A multi-channel approach is oftentimes one of the best things you can do for your message, and it will hit all possible ad bases (refer to The “Well-Rounded Walter” Plan).

A Little Background

Social media marketing encompasses everything online and existing in the digital landscape. This includes channels such as, but not limited to, regular posting on major social media platforms, sponsored ads, and even blog content (like this one).

OOH advertising is grounded in the physical world and can be seen all around whenever you’re out of your home—get it? There is an abundance of formats to choose from, like ads across the side of buses (transit advertising), a kiosk in a major airport (airport advertising), and, of course, attention-commanding billboards (you know this one). 

Push Notifications (On)

Leveraging key social platforms based on your campaign message and goals is vital in any successful social media marketing campaign. The major platform players are LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

Audiences vary between the major three, allowing for professional audiences to be targeted on LinkedIn, younger and more trendy crowds on Instagram, and established familial and community groups on Facebook.

Beginning your ad campaign and message on social media, first and foremost, is a great way to gauge who your audience is and become nuanced with their lifestyles, speech patterns, and interests. This can be done with regular posting based on their most active times.

Mark Your Territory

Now that you’ve gotten a feel for the social media field, it’s time to ramp up your reach and visibility by finding an extremely busy and seen location and setting up shop with an unforgettable and hard-to-miss billboard.

You have the option to pick between all of the various OOH formats, but mainly between the two primary and most used mediums: digital & traditional OOH. Digital OOH (DOOH) allows for bright displays and multiple messages, while traditional OOH is static and constantly displays one message.

You should have a better understanding of who your audience is and where they are most accessibly reached through your social media stakeout, so get ‘em’ where they are with a towering, physical platform.

A Piece of Advice

Multi-channel marketing with social media and OOH has a couple of unspoken rules in order to keep your messaging polished and effective:

1. Always keep your brand messaging consistent across all channels and platforms. This will create a cohesive and united message, ensuring your audiences do not get confused and stay focused on your brand.
2. Ensure your social media marketing is action-oriented, giving viewers the chance to be converted into sales or another performance indicator you are seeking to reach. OOH is great for awareness, but social media is a perfect tool for conversion.
3. Collaborate when you can with major names in your industry, allowing for striking billboard visuals and interesting social content. This will also connect the distance between two different marketing channels, giving you a balanced campaign.