Signage is a part of everyday life — from the billboards you see while driving on the interstate to the banners in store windows, there are a lot of signs competing for your attention. If you want to grab people’s attention among all the noise of every other poster, you must grab their attention and keep it.

In a survey of more than 4,000 people, 60 percent of consumers felt poster advertising was a good way for them to learn about new businesses and sales. The study mainly looked at billboards, but the same type of statistics apply to any signage that captures the attention of passersby. Out of Home (OOH) advertising also drives traffic to online sites, so even if you don’t have a physical location, investing in signage draws attention.

If you want to get the most out of your signage, apply the following nine strategies. You’ll be a step ahead of your competitors and reach fans you never knew existed.

1. Consider Viewing Distance

The first strategy is figuring out the distance from which people view your signage. The height of letters on a billboard is much different than the height of letters on a sale sign after someone enters your brick-and-mortar store. Consider the different distances from which the same sign is viewed as well, such as the legibility of a store sign as a person drives past and also when they pull up in front of a strip mall or walk down a mall concourse.

There are some general rules of thumb when it comes to using a particular text size with a specified viewing distance. For example, from 3/5 of a mile away, such as on a billboard, you’d use 96-inch high letters, but from seven feet away, you’d only use 5/16-inch letters.

2. Present a Mystery

While signage is often informational, you can grab interest and create a buzz by presenting a mystery that needs solving. People love a good mystery, and they’ll discuss signage like this with co-workers gathered around the water cooler and on their social media channels. The buzz a mystery campaign generates may be short-lived, but consumers relish the hunt for answers.

Last summer, a serious of mysterious billboard messages appeared all over Louisville, Kentucky and surrounding areas, which were messages between Jessica and Chris. The notes said things such as “Chris, we’ve reached a new stage in our relationship – Jessica” and “Chris, you’ll need to sit down for this.”

People wondered if Jessica and Chris were a real couple and what the billboards meant. The campaign was for the Louisville Ballet to advertise their upcoming “Season of Love,” including a performance of Romeo and Juliet.

3. Utilize Window Space

Have you ever thought of the window displays on your store as wasted space? Even if you run a service business or sell something intangible, you can still utilize window space for drawing in new customers.

Adding window graphics offers a number of benefits, such as built-in advertising, adding privacy to an office space or improving the appearance of a drab exterior.

4. Keep Branding in Mind

No matter what type of signage you use, it should be instantly recognizable as belonging to your brand. For example, if you have a company color palette, such as the shades used in your logo, store interior and even online assets, use those same colors in your signage. Add your logo in the top corner, so viewers instantly know the signage belongs to your brand. A style guide helps everything retain the same general look and builds consistency into your marketing.

5. Tell a Story

Even though your space on a sign is limited, you can still tell a story and capture the imagination of your viewers. Storytelling is a powerful way to drive brand engagement. Since the beginning of time, humans have told stories to one another.

The story you tell should relate back to your brand, your service or some aspect of your business. Think about the stories of how you’ve helped your customers or how your business began. Even something as simple as “We’re celebrating our 10 years in business with a sale” tells a story to those who read your sign.

Spotify came up with an ad campaign thanking people for a weird year of music. The billboards told the story of random users without outing them by name. For example, one read, “Dear person who played ‘Sorry’ 42 times on Valentine’s Day, What did you do?” Another read, “To the person in NoLita who started listening to holiday music way back in June. You really jingle all the way, huh?”

6. Allow Enough Funding for Signage

Companies worldwide spend around 34.8 percent of their ad budgets on OOH, such as signage. Even though individual signs are budget-friendly, keep in mind that you’ll need a multi-faceted approach to reach the most consumers possible and keep your brand at the forefront of their minds. Set aside enough money in your advertising budget to purchase the signage needed to grab attention. Portion out some for signage for special events and sales.

7. Add Modern Tools

Vinyl signs are a mainstay of your marketing efforts, but don’t overlook the power of adding digital signage to draw in even more foot traffic. While you’ll spend more on a digital sign initially, you can also change the wording to indicate last-minute bargains or fun events. A portable sign works well for pop-up stores or to take along to events and trade shows.

Hjärtat created an animated digital ad campaign of someone coughing. The effect of adding sound and motion drew user attention and brought a lot of exposure to the pharmacy. Adding features no one else local uses is one surefire way to grab the attention of consumers.

8. Choose the Right Placement

Another element of successful signage is the placement of the signs. Consider the approach to your business or trade show booth from all angles and distances to map out a series of signs drawing people into your business. For example, if you’re setting up a trade show booth, you’d want a high-hanging sign with bigger letters and sharp contrast — meant to capture the attention of people from a distance.

As attendees draw closer to the booth, there should be mid-range signage that invites them to come inside, view a demonstration or receive a freebie. Signs within the booth are smaller and more detailed, providing in-depth information, hashtags and website addresses.

For a store, you’d use the same method. Grab them from a distance as they’re driving by, from the parking lot and from right in front of your store. You’ll also want directional signage inside your store and more detailed information on new products and sales.

9. Use Floor Graphics

Walk through any mall in America, and you’ll notice there aren’t a lot of floor graphics to move people toward different establishments. Since this is a little-used area, it’s a way of drawing people into your store when they might otherwise walk right past.

Arrows point the way into your store, and other graphics explain what they’ll find inside your doors. Make sure you have permission to use the space in front of your store and perhaps elsewhere to guide traffic to your business.

Try Different Styles

When it comes to creating signage that grabs attention, try different styles and methods until you find what works best with your target audience. Consider the white space on the sign and how well letters contrast with the background. There is a fine line between beautiful design and unreadable text. When all the elements come together perfectly and drive results, you’ve found your style and can repeat it with future campaigns.

About the Author: Lexie Lu is a freelance designer and writer. She enjoys researching the latest design trends and always has a cup of coffee nearby. She manages Design Roast and can be followed on Twitter @lexieludesigner.