Best Practices for Placing Yard Signs in Your Local Community

When deciding which marketing tactics to pursue, be sure to consider signs that can be put up in a yard or on the roadside. With a professional look and a simple call-to-action, these signs can be an effective and non-invasive way to build your brand in your local community. 

As you are respectful to your local public and private properties, you'll find yard signs to be a good way to educate others about your products and services. The most important lesson to follow when it comes to yard signs is to be respectful of where you put them in the ground. If you offend property owners or get in trouble with local law enforcement, your reputation may suffer and it could prevent you from getting the return on investment you need.

Do your homework and follow these best practices for placing yard signs to grow your business with this strategic way of advertising.

Public Property

When it comes to public property, the way to do your homework about when and where to place your yard signs is to look into city, county, state and federal guidelines and laws. Yes, you'll need to know exactly where you can place these mini billboards. But once you are familiar with the rules in your area, you'll be set to begin displaying your business to your potential end consumers.

The state of Connecticut, for example, doesn't require a permit for an advertising sign with a size of six square feet or less (which would apply to yard signs). But they still have laws that need to be followed. Advertisements and signs may not be displayed (1) within 100 feet of any public park, state forest, playground, or cemetery or (2) within 15 feet from the outside line of any highway outside the "thickly settled" or business part of a city or town, except on the walls of a building in which the goods advertised are offered for sale or the business advertised is conducted.

Many locations across the country are going to have similar laws and rules as Connecticut. A quick online search and/or a phone call to your local municipalities will get you headed in the right direction.

One possible strategy is to target areas with high demand for a better service. You could hire some additional help to get them put out in the right locations or you and your existing team could do it yourselves after every sale or installation. You'll know how effective the signs are by getting a call tracking service for the phone number you display on the signs. By keeping track of when and where your signs are placed and checking to see how many phone calls are being generated, you'll be able to identify the highest demand from your local markets.

Private Property

Ask the owner. That pretty much sums up the basis requirement for placing yard signs on private property. If you don't get permission from the owner, don't put out the signs. It's really that simple. 

And the best property owners to ask are the ones that just made a purchase!

When you do get permission, remember to "keep it classy" when putting out your signs. What we mean by that is to train your team how to make a professional display. Take a few minutes to review these pointers with each member of your team:

• Stand Signs Straight Up
  As people drive or walk by, they'll notice if a sign isn't standing up straight from all angles. It seems petty, but it makes a better first impression when the sign isn't leaning at an angle. It also makes the signs easier to read from a distance.
• Spread Them Out
  If the property owner has a small or regular sized yard, one sign neatly placed in a good spot will most likely be sufficient to draw enough attention to their property. If the owner has a large yard or even several acres of land, it's best to be strategic and spread out the yard signs. A good rule of thumb is to place the signs every 600 feet or in highly visible areas, but remember to not make the signs too distracting for drivers. And make sure trees or large bushes aren't blocking the view of passersby. 
• Check with the Neighbors
  When you've sold your product or service to a certain residence, take 10 minutes or so after your appointment to ask the surrounding neighbors if they'd be okay with you placing a sign in their yard for a day or two. Even if they say no, it's still a great conversation starter and, who knows, the neighbors may end up buying from you too! As long as you're respectful, you can't go wrong. Plus, when other neighbors see your sign in their neighbor's yard, it builds a lot of credibility for your business and reputation.
• Simple Call-to-Action
  Design your yard signs with a simple call-to-action. Identify the product or service you're selling, include your phone number or website, add some urgency, create a clean design and let everyone know if it's a new service. And that's all. If you put too many words or too much fluff on the sign, you may end up turning off potential buyers.
• Post It on Social Media
  Snap a picture of a recently placed yard sign and post it on social media! It can be a fun way to promote your business online. Again, ask permission from the property owner and, to be safe, avoid street signs, house numbers or anything else that can identify the location. There's no need to tell everyone exactly where you made the sale or placed the sign.

Keep in mind, most of these pointers should and can also be used when placing signs on public property. Most of all, we hope these tips help you generate some ideas of what to do with yard signs!

Be Consistent

Whatever you do, be consistent with your strategy and give it enough time to determine the effectiveness. Don't ditch the yard signs until you've given them sufficient time to generate results. People are naturally skeptical and sometimes they need to see the yard signs several times before they call your number or visit your website.

But, if you follow these best practices for placing yard signs, your chances of getting more sales may go way up! Many of our authorized retailers have seen a lot of success implementing these types of guidelines in their daily efforts.

Note: This article is not meant to act as legal advice in any way. Please do everything within your control to respect the law and your local community when using yard signs.

To learn more about RS&I and the business opportunities we offer, feel free to check out our website and other blog articles.