LearningGuide
Digital Billboards: Buying, Creative and Production Basics
- Free
- Beginner
- OAAA
A compact guide to how digital billboards are bought, rotated, updated and prepared for production.
Opens on OAAA's website in a new tab.
- Time to complete
- ~10–15 min
- Level
- Beginner
- Certificate
- No
Overview
OAAA’s Digital Billboards page is a concise practical reference for advertisers evaluating roadside digital inventory. It explains that digital billboards can be purchased as individual locations or as networks, that contracts can range from short periods to several weeks, and that creative can be changed far more frequently than on a static board. The page also covers dynamic-content possibilities and production basics, including the importance of designing to the display’s actual pixel dimensions and confirming specifications with the media owner. It is especially useful for buyers who are new to shared digital rotations and for creative teams that need to understand why a billboard file should be designed for a specific physical screen rather than simply resized from a web ad.
What You'll Learn
- Understand common ways digital billboard inventory is purchased
- Recognize why a digital billboard can support more flexible scheduling than a static board
- Plan multiple creative messages across a campaign
- Understand the basic idea behind dynamic billboard content
- Prepare files around the actual pixel dimensions of a screen
- Know which technical details to confirm with the media owner before production
Highlights
- Combines buying and production basics in one short reference
- Explains the flexibility of changing creative weekly, daily or even hourly
- Useful bridge between media planning and creative production
- Directly addresses practical file-preparation concerns
Who It's For
Best for
- Advertisers buying digital billboards for the first time
- Designers producing roadside DOOH creative
- Teams comparing static and digital billboard options
- Local businesses that want flexible creative scheduling
Before you start
- Basic understanding of what a billboard is
- Access to the media owner’s final technical specifications before launch
Access
- Cost
- Free
- Format
- Guide
- Time to complete
- ~10–15 min
- Certificate
- No
- Hands-on
- Yes — practical/reference
Topics Covered
- Digital Billboards
- Buying
- Creative
- Formats
FAQ
Questions about this resource
5 questions
How are digital billboards commonly purchased?
They may be bought as specific locations or as networks of locations, depending on the media owner and campaign.
Can digital billboard creative change during a campaign?
Yes. One of the format’s advantages is the ability to update or rotate creative much more frequently than a printed static board.
Are there printing or installation costs?
Digital creative does not require vinyl printing or physical installation, although campaign and creative-production fees can still exist.
Should I resize a normal web banner for a billboard?
No. The artwork should be designed for the actual screen dimensions, viewing distance and media-owner specifications.
Does the page cover dynamic content?
Yes. It introduces the idea of reserving areas in a base creative for content that can update from an external data source.
Sources
Sources & Methodology
2 sources
- OAAA - industry associationDigital Billboardsoaaa.org (opens in a new tab)
- OAAA - industry associationMedia Formatsoaaa.org (opens in a new tab)
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