Self-adhesive car film is like a giant bumper sticker, and it can make you or your small business some money. If you want to sell advertising space on your car to a specialized company or are looking for a new way to advertise your business, read this wikiHow guide to learn how to turn your car into a mobile advertisement.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Cover Your Car for Another Company
Step 1. Determine your eligibility
Now that the secret of using adhesive film has become public knowledge, companies offering this service can be much more selective in choosing which cars to coat. The best candidates are those who drive long distances, crossing crowded areas at rush hour, thus ensuring maximum visibility, and also have more beautiful cars. The best candidates:
- They travel about 1600 km per month.
- They pass through areas of significant importance for the customer's market.
- They can pass a background check.
- They drive cars with a lot of space available for advertising such as SUVs, vans and Volkswagen Beetles.
Step 2. Find the right company
Look for advertising companies in your area, using the internet or the Yellow Pages. Ask what agreements they have with businesses. Read the contract carefully. Most importantly, make sure the company is in good standing to advertise in your area, and that it's not just a scam.
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Spot scams.
Given the economic situation in which we find ourselves, scams are also on the rise in this sector. A fairly common technique used by scammers is to send the prospect a large check and then request that part of the check be returned to them by bank transfer, to cover the cost of covering the car. The trick is that the check is overdraft and will be declined, while your transfer will go through. As a general rule, you shouldn't pay a company - even for a small amount - if the idea is that they are paying you. In other words, if the procedure seems intricate or strange to you, don't trust it.
Step 3. Decide which trim level of your car you prefer
Do you want to completely throw yourself into this new experience? What is right for you is a complete overcoating. Do you prefer to keep some autonomy? In this case it would be more appropriate to have only half of your vehicle covered. Do you prefer to just wet your toe in the water? Aim for a windshield sticker or a modest bumper sticker. Just remember that the more space you offer, the more you will get paid.
Step 4. Negotiate your coating contract
The competition for a contract with major companies is becoming increasingly fierce. If your car or route is not up to their standards, consider going to local businesses who may be interested in your daily journey (for example, if you pass by a university, a bookstore that buys and sells textbooks might be right for you). Place an ad in the newspaper, or online on a classifieds site, where you describe your car, your daily route and monthly mileage, and wait for someone to come forward with an offer.
Method 2 of 2: Cover Your Vehicle to Self-Advertise
Step 1. Decide on an advertising budget
Set a budget ceiling before contacting companies specializing in printing and requesting a quote to carry out your advertising. This way you will avoid overspending by adding too many extras to the initial project. If you can't spend big bucks, start slow with around € 500 micro-perforated film on your rear window. For more complete and higher quality coverage, be prepared to spend as much as $ 3,000 more than cheaper adhesive vinyl letters or magnetic tags.
Step 2. Find your ideal audience
Think about the product you want to advertise and what kind of audience your advertising is best for. Remember that the areas where you pass and the times of passage will be decisive for knowing who will see your advertisement. For example, you could advertise your product to kids if you find yourself passing high school early in the morning on your way to work.
Step 3. Plan a daily path that best fits your market goal
Likewise, if you find yourself passing by a lot of fruit and vegetable stores, family ads may be the ideal solution.
Step 4. Create the advertisement to apply to your car
Consider paying a professional graphic designer if you want to create an advertisement with complex graphics. Most companies that print advertisements should have someone who can help you along this path.
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Indicate the type of company and the products you make.
Make sure that every driver, however little they may see your ad, can understand what kind of product you are advertising. Write in large, bold letters.
Turn a Car Into a Moving Advertisement Step 8 -
Enter a website or phone number.
Very often the occupants of other cars will pass too quickly to be able to read more than the name of a product and a website to visit for more information. Make sure that if they want to search online for your product as soon as they get home, they know what to look for and where to find it. It would also help to have a phone number that is easy to remember, so that potential customers know how to contact you without having to search online or write notes.
Turn a Car Into a Moving Advertisement Step 9 -
Call attention to your car.
Use graphics, colors and / or words that appeal to other drivers. Don't make an advertisement that distracts other drivers enough to cause accidents, but make sure everyone feels the need to look at your car.
Turn a Car Into a Moving Advertisement Step 10 
Turn a Car Into a Moving Advertisement Step 11 Step 5. Get quotes for advertising printing for your car
You will need effective, colorful graphics that attract attention, that make your eyes pop out of their sockets, that communicate to everyone the message or the type of business you want to advertise. If you've researched your path well, the investment will be worth it, as it's much easier to ignore a magnetic tag ad. Make sure you communicate your budget to the printer so that they can consider all possible options without exceeding the spending ceiling.
Advice
- The amount of the investment is a very important factor in determining the quality of the work, but, even more than this, is the completeness of the advertising image. A full wrap is enormously attractive and makes you more believable than a magnetic ad would, but all of this comes at a significant cost!
- Magnetic plates may look low-key, but they will allow you to advertise your business during certain times of the day, allowing you to remove them at other times to protect your privacy. Maybe you don't feel like getting caught campaigning as you pass a part of town where there are a lot of political activists ?!
- Inquire at various local printers before deciding who to entrust a job that will cost a few thousand euros. A good print will likely be expensive, but it could also be more expensive than necessary if it is made by external suppliers. Always rely on companies that have their own printers and expert installers. Ask to see a collection of their previous work!
Warnings
- Advertising applied to your car may attract thieves, due to the greater likelihood that you have something of value in the vehicle.
- Make sure your local print shop or film installer only uses solvent printers and a good protective overcoat, otherwise the prints will be ruined within six months. Ask for guarantees on the quality of work.
- Ask the police about the possibility of using illuminated messages in the dark. In some cases it may be forbidden to use flashing or animated lights. In other cases you may only need to use certain colors, such as red, white or amber, inside a moving vehicle, or you may have restrictions on minimal visibility through the windshield. You can still draw attention to your car by using illuminated signs when you park it, or during shows and exhibitions.
