Top 5 Yard Sign Display Tips and Tricks

Are Yard Signs Still Effective?

Yes. Yard signs are still very effective at advertising, fundraising, and campaigning. If you would like evidence of their effectiveness, look no further than the U.S. presidential election. During the election, you would be hard-pressed to find a single street corner without yard signs for a political candidate.

The key to success with your yard sign campaign is efficiency. They're cheap to make, easy to store, and quick and easy to place. The 4mm coroplast material makes yard signs lightweight and easy to stack, making them perfect for storage.

Top Reasons to Use Custom Yard Signs

There are a wide variety of people and businesses that could benefit from using custom yard signs for their projects. If you are running for political office, yard signs should be a first choice for spreading your influence and message across your voters' area. If you're a business owner with a new promotion, you could place yard signs all over town to advertise it and get customers excited to come in. Or perhaps you're dealing with a neighborhood nuisance and want to place a friendly reminder sign right where people can see it.

5 Yard Sign Display Tips and Tricks

1. Yard Sign Strategy

You may be tempted, after you make or receive your custom yard signs, to spread them all around town as much as you can. This is commonly the yard-sign-placer's first mistake. Yard signs may be simple, but a little advertising strategy can go a long way. Before you place your signs all around town, take the time to narrow down exactly who you are sending a message to.

If you are a retail business advertising a new summer landscaping promotion, outside upper-class shopping districts would be a good place to start, since people looking to do landscaping are likely middle to upper-class homeowners already picking up equipment and materials nearby.

If you are hosting a local fundraising benefit, a good place to display an invitation would be around public medians, the landscaped areas between roads and highways that often contain walking paths for pedestrians or joggers. These are highly public areas, ideal if you're trying to raise as many funds as you can.

2. Location, Location, Location

Where yard signs are placed is one of the most important factors for attracting the desired outcome. Consider the scenery around the spot where you place your sign. What in the environment would draw your intended audience's eyes to your message?

One thing to keep in mind is what people are doing in the location you place your sign. If you place your yard sign next to an event venue with a lot of nighttime activity and lighting, your sign might need to be illuminated to stand out.

3. State and Federal Laws

There are many situations where you should check your local regulations and statutes regarding where you may place yard signs and what you may display on them. In 2005, the town of Gilbert, AZ adopted a municipal sign ordinance regulating how residents could display signs, including sizing, event signage, and political signage. The city later found itself in a legal dispute after a local church pastor sued, arguing the ordinance violated free speech rights.

In 2015, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiff, largely based on whether the signage regulation was content-based. This landmark case should be a starting guide to placing your yard signs legally, but it is only a starting point, since there are many more laws depending on your state, county, or local ordinances.

To avoid fines or regulatory action, we recommend reviewing your state and town's laws and statutes regarding signage, which typically cover sign size, placement in relation to other buildings, proximity to the road, design standards, and prohibited sign types.

4. Private vs Public Property

There is a major distinction between public and private land, and regulators are eager to enforce that difference, so be diligent about knowing which kind of property your signs are being placed on.

When you place signs on public land, the federal, state, and local laws discussed earlier take effect. Some states regulate the distance your sign can be from the road, and others regulate what and how many colors can be used.

When you place signs on private land, that means you either own the land, have received permission to place signs there, or risk a fine. Even on land you own or have permission to use, there are laws and regulations governing what may be posted, to avoid infringing on the rights of neighbors or passersby.

5. Relocate Your Yard Signs Regularly

In best practice, custom yard signs should be moved regularly to use them to their fullest capabilities. When planning your yard sign advertising strategy, plan for where to move the signs on a two-to-three-month basis.

If you placed a yard sign outside a park in the summer, it may be a good idea to move it after the fall, since fewer people will be out at the park when it isn't warm. A public median could be a good next location, since even if fewer people are walking around during winter months, people will still be driving.

Yard Sign Comparison

Conclusion

Wrapping all of this up, there are plenty of things to keep in mind when displaying your custom yard signs. Whether it's the environment and what people will be doing nearby, or the local ordinances on the colors you can use, there is always something you can do to make your custom yard signs more effective. Let Banners.com print quality yard signs for your next marketing campaign. Submit your own artwork or work with our team of designers to get a custom look made just for you. Contact us directly if you have any further questions.

Sources

Reed v. Town of Gilbert: United States Supreme Court. Reed v. Town of Gilbert. Alliance Defending Freedom. 2015.