Subway Advertising
Subways are busy places. People constantly moving through stations and getting on and off trains provides advertisers with a large, captive audience willing to look at ads in a somewhat intimate setting. Although potentially surrounded by people, in this particular environment subway passengers are typically more comfortable looking at ads for the duration of their ride rather than sneaking glances at fellow passengers. As a result, all subway campaigns are high-visibility campaigns.
Why subway riders make a good audience
Subway passengers are often venturing out on the train because they need or want to go shopping. This puts this audience already on their way to making a purchase, which is a great time to consume advertising. Maybe they see your ad and suddenly add a visit to your business to their day of shopping.
For those subway riders who aren’t out for a fun day of commerce, but are rather commuting, they too are an ideal audience because of the repeat views of your ad. Commuters ride the same subway route each day, possibly even getting on the same train. This enables them to see your ad every day and more views can increase the effectiveness of your ad over time.
Benefits to subway advertising
Subway advertising presents a cost-effective option for businesses looking to run awareness campaigns. Due to the nature of the subway audience, advertising within the subway system gives riders a chance to get to know your brand over and over – while they wait for their train and ride to their destination. This high level of exposure can even be controlled by you, the advertiser, based on how much advertising you select to have within the subway. The ability to saturate a location with your advertising is entirely possible should you want to “take over” a subway station or train car by buying up all the available advertising space. This bold statement can help you stay front and center in the minds of consumers while they’re on their way toward making purchases.
How much or how little advertising space to buy within a subway system can be a confusing equation to figure out. Partnering with a company experienced in outdoor and transit advertising media such as Effortless Outdoor Media can be quite beneficial. With extensive experience in outdoor advertising strategies, we can recommend where and how much ad space to buy based on the goals of your campaign.
Selecting the right route
Deciding where to advertising within a subway system can depend on a few factors, including foot traffic and location within the city itself. If the goal of your campaign is to have your ad viewed by as many people as possible, focusing on the busiest subway lines and stations for your advertising may be the best way to go. If your goal is to get people to your business, advertising in the station nearest you, or within the train the goes directly by you could be advantageous.
Regardless of what factors influence where you advertise, it’s important to get outside help when considering your options so that you make the best choices. Ensuring you target your subway advertising strategy to guarantee exposure to the right audience will help your outdoor advertising piece reach its full potential.
The subway is more than just trains
Not only should a subway advertising campaign include advertising on and in trains, but you shouldn’t rule out the advantages of advertising within subway stations too. Especially if the goal of your campaign is brand awareness, putting up ads in actual stations may get you more views than only targeting subway train passengers on a single line since often multiple train lines will converge in a single station. You do have a few options across a subway system for advertising, including:
- Interior train advertising – this includes posters that can go up on the side panels of trains, hitting passengers who are standing upright at eye-level. There are also passenger panels near the ceiling of a train, which are perfect for seated passengers to look at in order to avoid staring at their fellow riders.
- Train wrapping – for trains that move above ground as well as through tunnels, you might want to consider doing an exterior train wrap. This expands your coverage to not only those riding the train as they get on and off but all pedestrians and cars who the train will pass while it’s above ground.
- Train stations – there are numerous spots within a train station where advertisers can attain a high volume of views. Static posters, digital banners, and more are all options within a station, allowing you to extend your advertising to appear along one’s whole commute, from station to station. Train stations are often high-traffic areas and a great place to get a large audience to see your ad.
With so many options to pick from when crafting a strategy for advertising on the subway, it’s important to utilize the experience of a company like Effortless Outdoor Media to help establish the best assortment of transit ads for your business.