A yard sign or outdoor political sign is a small poster that can be placed in the yard for everyone to see. It is utilized as a form of outdoor advertising, which can significantly increase awareness about a specific candidate and benefit overall campaign strategy. A yard sign may serve a variety of purposes, including but not limited to: increasing name recognition amongst voters, encouraging voter turnout on Election Day, and generating greater support from local businesses. Not only do yard signs have an important role within the context of elections, but they also represent promotional opportunities for companies and individuals alike.
The History behind Yard Sale Signs
During the presidential elections between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas back in 1858 yard signs were referred to as “hand bills”. These early yard signs were essentially campaign advertisements printed on pieces of paper that were then distributed throughout a community. The idea behind yard signs back then was very similar to yard signs today – the main difference being that instead of printing yard signs digitally, hand-printed yard signs were utilized as a cheaper alternative.
It wasn’t until 1916 when political yard signs started gaining traction, with the first permanent yard sign appearing in Philadelphia during this year’s presidential election. This particular yard sign was installed by Charles Brooks, who posted it up in his lawn as a means to support Woodrow Wilson for President. In contrast to previous yard signs which were only used during elections, Charles Brooks actually had this yard sign installed as a form of advertising for his business. This is because he owned a local steel fencing company and used yard signs to promote his business by having people stop in for a quote. In any case, the impact of yard signs during this time was rather negative with many feeling that yard signs were inappropriate due to them being viewed as an interruption within their community.
In the 1930’s yard signs became a more popular form of campaigning, but they still weren’t that effective since most election judges would just take the sign down – claiming that yard signs were “obstructions”. However, there have been some cases where yard signs actually worked especially when it came to getting less-favorable treatment from election judges who would let yard signs remain in place. Eventually throughout the 1940’s political yard signs started becoming more widely utilized with non-commercial yard signs appearing during this time. This was largely due to yard signs being seen as a way of increasing community involvement – with most yard signs supporting people within the community, rather than specific candidates.
The world today is all about marketing and promoting your products and services. If you are not doing it well, you may end up losing out to the competition. This is where yard signs play an important role; they help in drawing attention to your political message or candidate among people who may support them when they see them displayed in their neighborhood. With modern tools like digital printing, this can do easily without much effort on your part.
Here are some benefits of getting these signs printed at a professional printing agency:
- You can change the content of the sign frequently during an ongoing campaign
- Costs less than other forms of advertisements like radio and TV spots
- Yard signs can be created throughout campaign season, but updated content can be changed as frequently as desired
- Yard signs are easy to transport and store when not in use
- Yard signs are portable so they can be moved to targeted areas quickly.
- Yard signs are great for attracting attention of nearby voters at gas stations, intersections, supermarkets etc.
These yard signs are intended to be placed at the door step of every voter in your locality. These yard signs should be erected well before Election Day so that voters get ample time to understand and analyze their candidates well. Yard signs can also act as an effective tool for gathering supporters during a campaign or rally, as people tend to flock towards yard signs due to its location and easy visibility from the road side.
Using yard sign printing is a cost effective way of advertising which is why it has been popularly used by different political parties across the world.
Conclusion:
Yard signs are an effective way of drawing attention towards your yard, garden or business. It is a great way to promote your product or service before the actual advertisement goes on air. Yard signs are cost effective and easy to install since they require very little manpower and time in comparison to other forms of advertising. Yard signs can also be used for community events like street festivals etc. yard signs tend to attract positive attention from passersby who may stop by for more information or request further details about the services you offer.