A-Frame or Sidewalk Signs

[Misty]

Do any of you out there use A-Frame/Sidewalk signs for TOMA (top of mind awareness) & marketing things like Holiday packages, gift certificates available, etc? I am in the process of ordering one to be made. Seems everyone in the herieforum.xxxe District has em out. As I drive by (and its an area that has a very low speed limit - an historic district), I do read them. Guess I'm just wondering if this kind of thing has been successful for anyone out there.
thanks.
jill/sagetherapist

 

[brandon m]

Jill,

I don't have one, but I wanted you to know that I read them too. And that's the point isn't it? Even if it's not necessarily drawing people in, it is creating TOMA and someone can tell someone can tell someone.

It's like restaurants that put their menus outside for passers by to look at before committing to coming inside. It's creating a safe environment for someone to try to get to know you without feeling committed.

I'd say if you have good (slow) drive by or peds visibility then go for it. You are a usually a marketing brainstorm queen so I can only imagine what you'd put on your sign to bring people in.

 

[Smoked Ham]

I have really wondered about his too. My office is right on main street so it would be highly visible to passerby-ers. Where can you have them made? How much do they roughly cost?

 

[AhManDuh]

i saw one used outside an airport massage salon. it definitely caught my eye.

 

[Richard]

Thanks everyone. To answer one of the questions: I found a sign company registered with the Chamber of Commerce that I just joined (trying to support others, etc). Its called Signarama. All kinds of places like that make them. I was quoted anywhere from $140-$170. This company is doing mine for $140. Other "chains" that I can think of that do them are FastSigns & One Day Signs. Almost everyone said about a 5 day turnaround. Most do their proofs via email these days.
Jill/Sagetherapist

 

[paradoxical.lustre]

A-Boards (Sandwhich board) signs can work great for walking traffic. They are a little bit small for driving traffic. One tip I suggest is that you get one that you can post a different message on daily or weekly. Because your walking traffic will often be the same people every day, and you want to be able to grab their attention over and over again. You can do that by having part of the sign be chalk board, or they make some A-Boards for using pre-made letters. You can use the board to post different specials, educational bits, and more.

 

[Lalala blah blah blah (3)]

You could make your own, couple pieces of plywood with hinges and a chain to keep it from spreading apart, paint it and tape or tack your message to it. Won't work so good in the rain, but I bet a lot of the boards are not out in the rain anyway. OR you could have a sign painter (or do it yourself) paint the message right on the board.

This way you can make it whatever size or shape (within reason) you want.

 

[JannahLee]

Making your own could be a great idea. But if you do, make it look good, and make it last in the weather.

Here is how I have created a beautiful natural wood A-board sign for a massage company with professional lettering and a chalkboard on it.
1. Buy good hardwood plywood. At least 1/2 inch thick, but 3/4 would last longer, and the heavier wood will not blow over as easy.
2. Cut it into an attractive shape - two identical sides.
3. Coat this beautiful wood with exterior Varathane (a plastic based wood coating). The Varathane coating will give dry clear, leaving the beautiful wood, and protecting it from the rain and sun for years.
3. Bind the two pieces at the top with one long hinge, or two smaller ones. USE STAINLESS STEEL hinges, so they do not rust and look bad after a little bit of rain.
4. Screw some big stainless steel wood screws into the bottom edge that the sign sits on (screw them all the way in so just their heads stick out). One for each corner. Drill holes first so you don't split the wood. Your sign will sit on these screw heads. That will keep the wood off the wet ground and make your sign last much longer.
5. Add a chain down low inside the sign between the two sides to keep it from spreading too far (as mentioned above).
6. Figure out what words and numbers you want on it, and go to a sign maker (take your sign), and have them create the words you want on the sign in Vinyl lettering. This generally is very inexpensive. It is the same type of lettering that goes on windows. It will look great on the wood. (Or you could paint your own if you make it look professional).
7. You can also purchase black board paint at a hardware store. Get some masking tape, carefully mask off the area you want to have a chalkboard on, and then paint on the black chalkboard stuff. When it dries you can use the soft color chalks on it (not the hard white stuff) to create changing messages and specials.

Or, you could just pay a sign maker to do all of that for you (or barter for massage!).

 

[trohmaniacs]

standard-signs.com has great options.

Print them at Kinkos - they have weather proof vinyl

 

[Debi]

I am bound by very strict guidelines, since my business is in the Herieforum.xxxe District. It has to be of certain dimensions, and be of weatherproof blah, blah, heavy enough so that the wind won't knock it over, etc. That's what makes it worth the $140. Plus the sign company that did the work can rework or patch or remove the vinyl letters & graphics to start all over for only $70. I am actually a pretty handy-crafter person; pretty good in the woodshop, etc, but this time its just simpler to go to one of the chamber businesses that I pledged to support.

I just picked it up today. It looks beautiful!

I wish I could have made my own though.

I AM going to buy a 6 foot tall nutcracker from Sam's club to stand outside my door at the porch entry with a sign about 'Massage being the gift that fits EVERY BODY'. I can't wait to decorate for the holidays!

Jill/Sagetherapist