What advertising space can your business sell? A room by room list

Almost any place your customers stand, sit, wait or look can be sold as advertising space to another local business. In practice the best earners are the front window, the counter, tables, waiting areas, mirrors, bathroom walls and any screen you already have. A cafe, gym, salon or clinic typically has three to six of these, and each one can be booked separately.

This guide walks through a business room by room, then lists what suits each kind of business. It is written for the owner of the space.

The front of the business

Front window. The most visible space you own. A poster inside the glass is seen by everybody walking past and every car at the lights. A2 and A1 posters are the common sizes. A full window graphic, printed on vinyl, is bigger and earns more.

Footpath A-frame. If your council allows an A-frame on the footpath, and most do with a permit, it can carry an advertisement on one side and your own message on the other.

Fence or wall facing the road. A fence banner or a sign on a side wall is seen by traffic every day. Common at sports grounds, schools, farms and businesses on main roads.

Where customers pay

Counter. Every paying customer stands at the counter for at least a minute. A small acrylic stand holding an A5 or A6 card is the classic counter advertisement. Low cost to set up and read by nearly everybody.

Card and brochure holders. A business card stand or a DL brochure holder lets an advertiser leave something people can take away. Popular with tradies, real estate agents and anyone whose customers need a phone number later.

Menu boards and screens. If a screen already shows your menu or prices, a slot in the rotation can carry an advertisement without anything new on the wall.

Where customers sit or wait

Tables. Table tents, coasters and bar runners are read by people sitting down, often more than once. Cafes, restaurants, bars and food courts have the most of these.

Waiting areas. A poster or a screen in a waiting room has a captive audience for several minutes. Medical centres, physios, dentists, vets, mechanics, hairdressers and accountants all have one.

Reception. A poster frame beside reception is seen by every visitor while they sign in or wait to be called.

Where customers spend a few private minutes

Bathrooms. A poster on the back of a bathroom door or beside the mirror is one of the most-read places in any business. Bars and restaurants use them most.

Mirrors. Gyms, salons and barbers are full of mirrors people look at for long stretches. A decal on the edge of a mirror is hard to miss.

Changing rooms. At gyms, pools and sports clubs, a poster in the changing room reaches every member, every visit.

On the floor and in the lift

Floor decals. A printed sticker on the floor, at the entrance or in front of the counter. Seen by everybody who comes in, and unusual enough to be noticed.

Lift and stairwell walls. In a building with a lift, a decal or poster inside it is read by everybody riding it.

What suits each kind of business

How to choose the first space to sell

Pick the one that the most people look at for the longest. For most businesses that is the counter or the front window. Selling one space well, with good photos and a clear price, teaches you what local advertisers want, and the second and third are easier.

If you have several of the same thing, like eight table tents or four mirrors, sell them as a set. One advertiser on every table is a better offer than eight advertisers on one table each, and much less work for you.

Choosing who advertises in your business

You do not have to take every advertiser. Before you list, decide:

• Who you will not advertise. Direct competitors, obviously. Possibly alcohol, gambling or anything your customers would not expect from you.
• Who you would like. Businesses your customers would genuinely want to know about. A physio in a gym, a builder in a hardware store, a swim school in a pharmacy. These read as recommendations rather than clutter.
• How long a booking can run. Two weeks is the shortest sensible run, because a poster needs time to be seen. Some businesses prefer a month or more so they change posters less often.

Listing your spaces

On Pritty Ghood, you can list one space or several on the same listing, each with its own size and price, or several together for one price. Listing is free, you set the price, and every booking request comes to you to accept or decline within 72 hours. The advertiser supplies the artwork or orders the printed poster with their booking, and it arrives ready to put up.

Not sure what to charge? See how much to charge for advertising space.