Two Channels Work Better Than One
Billboard advertising does not have to stand alone. When a St. Louis business pairs a well placed board with a targeted social media push, the two channels reinforce each other and stretch the value of the whole campaign further than either could manage on its own.
Build Anticipation Before the Board Goes Up
Share behind the scenes content of your billboard installation, or post a short video of your design going up along a route like Highway 40 through Clayton. This kind of preview content gets existing followers curious and gives you something worth sharing before the board is even live. Local businesses have found success with simple coming soon posts on Instagram and Facebook, especially when targeting corridors like Interstate 64 through the Central West End.
Design for Interaction
A billboard can nudge people toward your social presence if you plan for it. A memorable hashtag that fits naturally into a caption gives commuters an easy way to reference your board when they post about it. A code linking directly to your page works well for anyone stopped in traffic with a phone in hand. And a design that is simply worth photographing, especially in visually distinctive neighborhoods like The Hill or Soulard, tends to get shared without any extra prompting.
Match the Platform to the Corridor
Different St. Louis routes suit different social approaches. Boards near West County shopping centers pair well with Facebook campaigns aimed at suburban families. Placements through University City tend to work better alongside Instagram content aimed at a younger audience, including students. Downtown boards near the Gateway Arch or the ballpark can lean into local pride, especially around Cardinals game days, when St. Louis sports fans are already primed to share.
Track What Is Actually Working
Watch location based engagement on Instagram and Facebook near your billboard sites, monitor hashtag use once your board goes live, and keep an eye on website traffic that spikes during the campaign window. Checking your business listing for an increase in searches from zip codes along your billboard corridor is another useful signal that the two channels are reinforcing each other.
Cover More Ground Across the Metro
A billboard on Interstate 55 near South County paired with Facebook ads aimed at nearby communities creates broad coverage without needing a board on every corner. The same idea works along Interstate 70 near Earth City, where a billboard can reach daytime drivers while social ads reach the same audience in the evening, when they are off the road but still online.
Stay Locally Rooted
Reference local landmarks, use language that sounds like St. Louis, and tie your content to something happening nearby, whether that is an event at Forest Park or a show at a local theater. That kind of authenticity tends to make both the billboard and the social content more memorable.
Ready to combine billboard and social strategy for your St. Louis business? Request a free quote and let's build a plan that covers both channels.