The Billboard Mastery Podcast

There are many spots you can place a billboard on – including walls, benches, and telephone poles – but there’ one place that most cities in the U.S. have outlawed: building roofs. What used to be one of the mainstays of billboard placement has been blocked from new construction for decades. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore what happened to roof mounts and why it’s unlikely to ever change.

Most people think of billboards as being big, but sometimes they come in a smaller sizes. When buying or building a billboard, when do you hit a level in which the sign has no economic value? And how do you rent signs that are smaller than their competitors? In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore how to apply science to the issue of smaller signs.

When you are trying to persuade someone, how you express numbers is an extremely important part of your success – and that’s particularly true in the billboard industry. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review the importance of the optics of numbers and how to get what you want by manipulating them.

Gas is expensive and there’s no reason to waste it. And time is even more valuable. In this Billboard Mastery Podcast we’re going to review some methods to cover territory more efficiently and more respectful of your time and money.

One month is too short and a century is too long. So what is the correct lease length for your advertiser? In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review how the length of lease can vary with the type of advertiser and what is required to make the sale.

Some signs have lights and some signs don’t. But a non-lighted sign should not necessarily spell doom for getting it rented to a good-quality advertiser. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to drill down on the topic of non-lighted billboards and offer some productive tips to help you get them rented faster and for more money.

Warren Buffett has long discussed “cigar butt” investing and how it contrasts with his favorite: “value investing”. However, there is much to like about “cigar butt” investing. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review Buffett’s concept and why billboards offer a great entry into that type of high return/low cost investing.

Wooden billboards have been around for over a hundred years, but finding someone to build these time-proven signs grows more difficult every year. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review the different places to find contractors who can build wooden signs including tips on building them properly.

The fundamental law of economics is “supply vs. demand” and that same formula holds true for every aspect of the billboard industry. So how can you apply this metric to every single part of the billboard business to determine what’s of value and what’s not? That’s our topic for this Billboard Mastery Podcast discussion.

Every billboard has a natural advertiser if you can just help them find the sign. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to show you the five easy steps to finding the right advertiser for your billboard as well as explain why they’re so effective.

When you’re trying to lease ground space to build a billboard you occasionally run into the property owner that declares that “money means nothing to them”. How do you counter this argument? In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’ll review some strategies to get these type of personalities to move forward and sign the lease agreement.

Elvis is not someone that you typically consider as a source of wisdom, as his life was kind of screwed up and he died at the age of 42. However, Elvis did have some winning quotes and one in particular serves as a reminder to think outside the box. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to summon our inner Elvis and review one of his best quotes and how it relates to billboards.

I received a call recently concerning an offer that was made to buy a billboard with the seller asking me “should I sell”? In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review the methodology to deciding whether to sell or not. Sometimes knowing when to sell is as important as when to buy, and we’re going to unlock the correct way to do it.

Sometimes you have to craft a custom agreement with the landowner. Or a new advertising lease. Or maybe you need some loan documents reviewed. In each case you hire an attorney and wait in terror for your bill to arrive. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review some simple steps that allows you to stay in control of your legal cost.

“CPM” stands for “cost-per-thousand” exposures. It’s an important metric that many advertisers use to evaluate different advertising options so it’s vital that you understand how it works – as well as the loopholes that nobody talks about. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review how CPM is calculated and everything you need to know about it.

There’s no purpose to renting a billboard if you don’t get paid for it. And sometimes the advertiser’s check doesn’t come in and you start to panic. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review the steps to take and how to solve the situation without losing the advertiser as a good customer.

A billboard is only of value if it makes money for the advertiser, and that requires a good marketing message. But how do you help the advertiser to get “creative” in the correct way to market their product or service? In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review some constructive techniques to create successful ad campaigns.

Radio is under attack when it comes to listening to it in automobiles. AM is no longer offered in electric vehicles and many manufacturers are considering eliminating it altogether to allow for more profitable concepts. What will this do to billboards? That’s the focus of this Billboard Mastery Podcast.

There have been very industries regulated by the U.S. government, and billboards are one of those few groups. But the hatred that many environmental groups have for billboards have actually created a huge amount of the value in the sign industry. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to discuss how being federally regulated – and hated – provides one of the best positions any industry could hope for.

How should you pay the property owner for allowing you to build and operate a billboard on their land? There’s two basic methods: 1) percentage of revenue or 2) flat amount. But how do you select the right option? In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the variables to constructing a fair deal for all parties.

There’s an old adage “think like a person of action and act like a person of thought”. A key part of that theorem is the concept of taking action. But how do you do that responsibly and minimize risk and embarrassment? In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review some strategies to this effectively.

I have built or bought over 300 billboards, but some stand out from the pack. In this Billboard Mastery Podcast we’re going to review the best deals I ever did and look for commonalities that all those deals shared. As you’ll see, there are definite attributes that all great billboard deals share.

High winds and billboards have never been good friends. And as weather events seem to be escalating in the U.S. it’s important that you understand what happens to signs in high-wind events. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review the topic of signs and wind damage and how to mitigate those results.

Risk and reward are the two main attributes of building or buying a billboard. How these two items interplay yields whether you should build or buy that sign structure. In this Billboard Mastery podcast, we will review how to do this type of analysis and why it’s so crucial in evaluating potential opportunities.

Billboards have gone up and down in desirability many times over the past century. It’s always the same cycle: advertisers find the next hot thing and then get burned out on it and return to their roots of delivering ad messages that really work. In this Billboard Mastery podcast, we’re going to review how the cycle has now gone full circle, and billboard demand and occupancy is going up.

Everyone has that moment in which they get fed up. Some people put that mood into action. Audie Murphy was the most decorated soldier in U.S. history and his secret weapon was harnessing his frustration into positive energy. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review what this power is and how to use it to your advantage.

Every billboard lease needs an attachment that shows where the billboard goes. So does every permit application. So how can you best create a winning exhibit to a lease or application – one that gets the job done and helps keep you out of trouble? That’s the focus of this Billboard Mastery Podcast.

There's an old adage that you only live once. As far as we know, that's pretty much true. And we also know that the average human on Earth has a lifespan of roughly around 80 years, based on a lot of issues. And the problem you have in life is you're always racing up against that limitation. And if you don't get what you want in life, well, you pretty much ultimately, your time out, you run out of time.

I’ve built around 150 billboards in all kinds of configurations and sizes. But one thing is consistent in all of them: I dropped a dime down the hole once digging the foundation was completed. Why is that? In this Billboard Mastery podcast I’m going to discuss why there’s 10 cents at the bottom of every billboard I’ve ever built.

There is risk and then there is extreme risk. One is just a regular part of life and the other can make you look like an absolute genius or a complete idiot.

In most states, you are not allowed to increase the sign face size – but what about reducing it? In this Billboard Mastery podcast, we’re going to review when it’s advantageous to reduce the size of a billboard and what the ramifications are. While bigger is normally better for billboards, there are certain moments when the reverse is true.

Billboards are all about visibility. And the enemies of visibility are “obstructions”. In this Billboard Mastery Podcast we’re going to review what to do if your billboard has an obstruction and the techniques required to get that obstacle potentially removed or reduced.

Billboards pay land rent for the right to be on a property. Sometimes that amount is small, based on the projected revenue the sign can produce. But don’t let anyone tell you that even a small sum “is not enough” to warrant their time working with you. In this episode, we’re going to discuss how to sell very rich people on accepting small amounts of money, and why it makes complete sense for a property owner to embrace the incremental benefit of a billboard on their property.

When you build a billboard you naturally have to rent the ad space out – but you don’t always have to wait until the sign is constructed. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to discuss the concept of pre-leasing this advertising space prior to construction. It’s a whole lot easier to get a loan and reduce your stress when you already have a paying customer in your back pocket.

The goal in owning a billboard is to have the income stream go on forever. So what do you do to help make that possible when the lease comes to an end? In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to discuss some strategies to help make your billboard go on making money forever.

Virtually every billboard company in America uses a consistent color for the structure, skirting and shield. So how do you choose these? That’s the focus of this Billboard Mastery podcast.

Some billboards are on wooden poles and some are on steel. But some have no poles at all. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to discuss mounting billboards to buildings or other structures as an alternative to using wooden or steel poles for support.

Sam Walton had some definite fundamental principles on making money, and some of those apply to the billboard business. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to discuss how some of Walton’s thoughts on building Walmart are true for building your billboard portfolio, too.

With rising interest rates, it’s becoming the perfect environment for landowners to start going bankrupt, as it’s harder to carry mortgages on raw land and it’s hard to cover mortgages on developed properties. In addition, it’s hard to sell land for new construction when people factor in the interest cost. So what happens when you have a billboard on a property that goes bankrupt, and what can you do to mitigate that risk? That’s the subject of this Billboard Mastery podcast.

How short is too short and how long is too long? That’s a reasonable question for both potential billboard land owners as well as the billboard company itself. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to drill down on the importance of lease length in every billboard deal.

You can’t build a billboard without drilling a hole first, and this one act is often a source of concern. Don’t let drilling a hole hold you back! In this Billboard Mastery podcast, we’re going to discuss what I’ve learned from drilling hundreds of holes in my career and hopefully help you conquer your fear of putting in billboard foundations.

Successful billboard owners don’t see their mission as making money, but instead as “matchmakers” that fill a need by combining property owners and advertisers to create advertising opportunities. If you approach the industry in this way, you can rarely not succeed. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review the mechanics of “filling a need” and how this focus will help you to be much more successful with billboard investing.

Many lenders may require that you “record” your billboard ground lease. And some operators do this even when their lender does not require it. But what does it mean to “record” a lease and what the pros and cons to doing so? In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to examine the concept and some real-life tips on getting it done.

This is the second of our two-part review on tips to create a better billboard ground lease. More great information that will help you create a more advantageous document or avoid pitfalls.

Life is all about risk, but not all risk is created equal. And some of it can be hedged. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to drill down on the topic of risk and what you can do to mitigate it.

There are many different ways to rent vacant billboard space, and some are more effective than others. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review some of my favorite methods and why. It’s not hard to rent any billboard if you follow all of these methods, but some have more impact than others.

If you want to make faster progress, a lot of it comes down to planning. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review some methods of attaining greater control of your time and how great the net impact can be on the productivity of your billboard portfolio.

It’s one thing to drive by a billboard, but another thing to actually get to it. When you build a sign or change the ads out it’s imperative that people and equipment have the ability to access it. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to focus on the many issues of gaining access to build and operate a billboard sign.

One of the most important moments in my billboard career stemmed not from a lease I successfully signed but one that I failed on. That setback put in motion a whole new perspective regarding the ways to approach the billboard industry, and life in general.