A Complete Guide to Billboard Advertising Costs in Australia

Billboard advertising has the potential to reach a huge audience - over 78% of Australians are exposed to outdoor advertising each month (Single Source Survey, Roy Morgan), with 88% of viewers stating that brands on billboards stand out from the competition (OMA survey).

For businesses factoring billboard advertising into a marketing strategy, maximising the impact of the campaign starts with considering the factors that affect billboard advertising costs.

How Much Does a Billboard Cost in Australia?

The running cost of billboard advertising ranges from $300 to $100,000 per four weeks. For example, the average costs to advertise on a billboard in Brisbane are between $2,000 - $5,000 per four weeks.

Billboard advertising costs are largely influenced by location, billboard size and type, campaign length, and timing. It almost goes without saying, but the more visible the billboard, the higher the advertising costs.

There are also additional setup costs in producing a billboard - including the design and installation.

To better understand the huge variation in billboard costs, it’s important to understand how factors like location and duration affect the advertising investment. 

Factors Affecting Billboard Advertising Costs 

Location

Location is the biggest contributing factor in billboard costs. Billboards located along busy highways and in city centres will experience more visibility than those in a regional area, which translates to a broader market reach.

POA’s outbound and inbound billboards on the Bruce Highway, leading to and from Brisbane, are estimated to reach 163,826 vehicles each day. In contrast, a billboard located in Mackay will have a smaller reach of 3,500 vehicles per day.

While prime locations offer the benefit of higher traffic, they also cost significantly more. Not all businesses need a billboard in a high-traffic location - a billboard can still be effective in regional areas if your target market is within the area. Ultimately, the choice of location for a billboard should be determined by the goals of your overall advertising strategy.  

Traditional vs Digital

Billboards come in both traditional and digital formats. Traditional billboards are static and have physical artwork that is printed on a skin and installed on the board. Digital billboards display a series of brand messages in a rotation (usually in 10 second intervals). 

Assuming that other pricing factors are the same, traditional billboards are generally cheaper than digital billboards, with an average cost difference of about $300-400 per four weeks.

Campaign Duration 

Billboards are usually booked in periods of 4 weeks. Choosing to book a longer-term campaign allows businesses to maximise results. Businesses can lock in a lower rate for longer campaigns between 1-3 years.

Aside from cost, a long-term campaign also tends to be more effective at driving a message and has a better return on investment compared to shorter campaigns. 

Seasonality

Billboard advertising experiences a surge in demand throughout Easter, Christmas, and the months leading up to the end of the financial year. Availability of billboards during this time tend to be limited as there are more people outside and on the road, and more competition among businesses to advertise.

Billboard Design

The size and design of the billboard also factor in the cost - naturally, larger billboards are more expensive. Billboards come in 3 main sizes: 12.66 x 3.35 metres, 8.2 x 2.2 metres, and 6 x 3 metres.

Billboard advertising organisations like POA offer design services for businesses that have yet to create a key visual for the campaign. These design services are an add-on to the total advertising cost but offer the convenience of achieving an attention-grabbing visual in line with the brand. 

Billboards can vary wildly in costs - but with the right balance of location, campaign duration, and design, billboard advertising can be a cost-effective option for reaching your target audience and driving results. If you are considering billboard advertising in Queensland, POA has over 2,000 billboards across the state, from traditional billboards along busy highways to dynamic digital billboards in airports and urban areas.

Get in touch with our team to learn more about our billboard advertising services.