Outdoor signage is equally as important as digital marketing, although most people nowadays in the digital marketing sphere would disagree with that opinion. In the business world, it’s important to be present in as many fields as possible in order to achieve maximal recognition. Some businesses and brands still prefer using outdoor signage for many different purposes, despite having a website or running constant ads on social media.
You can find out about a restaurant on social media but unless they have good outdoor signage placement, you won’t be able to find the spot when you’re out looking for it. Now, this can obviously be avoided by using digital location tracking services, but you get the idea. Some people find out about certain places solely because of the outdoor signs. Needless to say, they are very useful but require the right type of maintenance. And, luckily for you, that’s what we’re going to talk about in today’s article. Let’s take a look.
The maintenance procedure is different for digital and regular signs
Digital signs are slightly more complicated to maintain but it’s not too difficult to learn. They cost more and they’re also more prone to complications due to all the small electronic parts which are included in the build. We’re only saying this just so you know not to use the exact same maintenance protocols.
Make sure to clean the electronic components regularly
Checking and maintaining the smaller electronic components is crucial for the longevity of outdoor signs. Don’t ignore smaller issues such as one LED light breaking or an entire group of them showing strange symptoms such as blinking or not being bright enough compared to the other ones.
It’s not easy to disassemble the sign and clean all these smaller electric parts, but it has to be done. And, remember to set a schedule for this as well. Don’t do it only when you notice that something’s not right.
For digital signs, you want to avoid using high water pressure tools, ammonia, abrasive cloths, or anything in the solvents group that may damage the electronics. In addition to maintenance, investing in professional digital signage design can help ensure that your sign is visually appealing and properly functioning.
Use protective items for things such as hail, rain, or vandalism
Some outdoor signs come pre-built with protective covers. This prevents damage to the display during hailing periods or if someone decides to throw a stone at the sign and vandalize it. Sometimes when heavy vehicles go down the street, smaller pebbles may ricochet and hit the display, which is why these protective covers are much needed. This doesn’t sound like something common but if your sign is placed close to the street it’s definitely a possibility.
Write down anything that looks worn out while inspecting
When doing your regular inspections, even if you don’t notice some part gave out completely, it’s still important to write down the things that seem worn out or in bad condition. This will give you time to plan future purchases, prepare your budget and know exactly what to expect from the upcoming inspections.
If you don’t have the time for this, you can always hire a professional company to take care of the maintenance part for you. This is usually what larger companies do because they have more than a hundred signs across the city and it’s difficult to keep track of them all. Nuerlightning.com for example is a website where you can learn more about this.
Secure the area around your sign by landscaping
It’s not rare to see outdoor signs damaged by land mowers, street cleaners, or even vehicles if they’re placed too close to the street. In order to prevent this from happening it’s important to do some landscaping around the sign itself. This includes adding a bit of grass and some plants around it so that it’s more difficult for someone to reach your sign even if that’s what they want to do on purpose.
By doing this you are not only securing your outdoor signs but you are also making the entire scene look better, presenting your brand in a better light as well. Outdoor signs and billboards need to be attractive to look at, and flowers help a ton with that. A small price to pay for all the great benefits.
While cleaning, avoid rough materials, ammonia, or solvents
You should never be too rough with your cleaning because as durable and sturdy as the outdoor signs may look to you, the electronics inside are prone to pressure damage. And, this doesn’t only apply to you hand-cleaning the insides. Even high-pressured water, which seems to be the most favorable cleaning method for most, will cause damage when used. You obviously won’t be spraying water inside the sign, but even the outer surface can get damaged from such high pressure. Cleaning should be done gently and without the use of solvents. You should also use light and smooth materials for the process.
Maintain larger trees around your signs to prevent damage
Since outdoor signs are usually placed right next to a street, especially billboards, it’s not common to find them being close to larger trees. Modern streets in larger cities for example have entire tree lines spread throughout the entire length. In order to avoid scratches and other types of damage caused by the branches of the trees, it’s best that you maintain the trees as well. Now you can’t do this to trees that aren’t yours, but there are licensed companies that take care of this.
If you have a business that you run from home, and your official registered office is in your home or on a property that you own completely, this is something that you can do and should do in order to prevent damage to your signs.
Conclusion
Maintaining your outdoor signs is not an easy task but with enough effort, you can secure their longevity and make them less prone to damage. In this article, we explained how to do that so feel free to check out the content above. Thank you for reading.
