How to Buy a Billboard: A Step-by-Step Guide
Buying a billboard might seem complicated if you’ve never done it before, but the process is actually pretty straightforward. From choosing a location to designing your ad, most local billboard campaigns can be ready to launch within a few weeks.
Here’s how to buy billboard advertising and exactly what to know before getting started.
The process at a glance
Set Your Goal and Budget
Start by deciding what you want your billboard to accomplish. Are you trying to:
Having one primary goal makes it easier to create a billboard message people can understand quickly.
You’ll also want to establish a budget for the full campaign. Printed billboards are typically booked in 4-week periods, while digital billboards can offer more flexibility.
Choose Where You Want to Advertise
Location is one of the most important parts of buying a billboard. Think about where your customers live, work, shop, and drive. For a local business, that might mean major roads near your location or routes customers frequently take to reach you.
When comparing billboard locations, consider:
Choose Printed or Digital Billboards
Next, decide which billboard format makes the most sense.
Printed billboards
Display your advertisement exclusively and are generally purchased in 4-week periods. They require printing and installation before the campaign begins.
Digital billboards
Rotate multiple advertisements on a screen, often displaying each ad for several seconds at a time. No printing, shorter campaign lengths, and easier creative changes.
Neither option is inherently better, as the right choice depends on your goals, budget, market, and available inventory.
Check Availability and Compare Billboard Prices
Billboard pricing varies significantly by market, location, traffic, format, season, and demand.
Source: BillboardsIn marketplace data through September 2026. Pricing can be considerably higher in major markets.
BillboardsIn lets advertisers search available inventory from multiple media owners, compare locations and pricing, and find billboard options in one place.
Reserve Your Billboard
Once you’ve found the right location, you’ll select your campaign dates and reserve the billboard. Before moving forward, confirm:
- Start and end dates
- What’s included in the price
- Payment terms
- Any cancellation policies
Design Your Billboard
Billboard creative needs to communicate quickly. Someone driving past your billboard may only have a few seconds to process it, so simplicity matters.
BillboardsIn provides the exact artwork specifications needed for your placement. You have three options:
Do it yourself
Design the billboard using a template.
Get a review
Request an artwork review at checkout.
Have it made
Let the BillboardsIn design team create it for you.
Launch and Measure Your Campaign
Once everything is approved, your campaign is ready to go live. After launch, measure performance against the goal you established at the beginning. Depending on your campaign, that could include:
How Much Does It Cost to Buy a Billboard?
Billboard costs vary considerably across the country.
Based on 2.7 million media-owner price quotes across 344 U.S. markets on BillboardsIn, January 2025 through September 2026.
Factors that influence billboard advertising costs include:
- Market size and traffic
- Billboard size and format
- Location and visibility
- Season and demand
- Campaign length
- Printed versus digital inventory
Longer campaigns may also qualify for discounted rates.
How Far in Advance Should You Buy a Billboard?
Printed: 2–3+ weeks
Allows time for artwork approval, printing, shipping, and installation.
Digital: less lead time
There’s no physical production process.
High-demand locations and busy advertising periods may book earlier, so planning ahead gives you more inventory to choose from.
Can You Buy a Billboard Without an Advertising Agency?
Advertisers can purchase billboard space without working through an advertising agency. BillboardsIn allows businesses to search billboard locations and compare inventory from different media owners in one marketplace. Agencies also use BillboardsIn, so the platform can support both direct advertisers and professional media buyers.
Ready to Find Your Billboard?
Buying billboard advertising comes down to a few key decisions: set your goal, choose your market, find the right location, compare pricing, reserve your space, and create an ad built to be noticed.
BillboardsIn makes that process easier by bringing billboard inventory, pricing, and campaign support together in one place.
