# Billboard Sales Email Templates: 10 Cold and Follow-Up Emails

URL: https://gabie.ai/learn/billboard-sales-email-templates
Type: Template · Published: 2026-10-08 · Updated: 2026-10-08 · By: Gabie Research

Short answer: A good billboard sales email is under 75 words. It names one open face, its real traffic count and its rate, then asks one easy question. Below are 10 templates: a first touch, two follow-ups, a renewal, a backfill after a cancellation, a competitor note, an event pitch, a new-business note, a smaller-budget offer and a reply to "send me info."

Key takeaways:
- Keep every email under 75 words, with one easy question.
- No attachments in the first email. Offer the photo and map instead.
- Use the real DOT count and say 'vehicles a day,' not impressions.
- CAN-SPAM covers business email: add your postal address and an opt-out line.
- Two follow-ups are enough. Then stop until you have new dates.

A billboard sales email works when it's short and true. Keep it under 75 words. Name one face, its real traffic count and its rate. Ask one easy question. The 10 templates below follow those rules. They use Riverbend Outdoor, an invented company, so swap in your own faces and numbers.

## Rules for every billboard sales email

1. **Stay under 75 words.** Short emails are easy to read on a phone.
2. **Ask one question.** Make it easy to answer, like "Want the photo?"
3. **No attachments in the first email.** Plain text from a stranger is safer to open. Offer the photo and map instead.
4. **Use the real traffic count.** Say "vehicles a day" and name the source. [TDOT](https://www.tn.gov/tdot/driver-how-do-i/look-at-or-order-state-maps/maps/annual-average-daily-traffic-maps.html) counts cover both directions. They are not impressions, which [Geopath](https://geopath.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/GEOP/pages/2323448064) counts in people.
5. **Use the real rate.** Say the period too, such as "per 4 weeks."
6. **Don't claim what you can't prove.** Skip "your customers see it daily." Name a road only if a photo shows the face from it.
7. **Follow CAN-SPAM.** The [FTC](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business) says it covers business email too. Add your postal address and an opt-out line. Honor opt-outs within 10 business days.
8. **Send from your own inbox, a few at a time.** [Google](https://support.google.com/a/answer/81126) asks every sender to keep spam rates below 0.1%, and never reach 0.3%.

## Which template should you use?

| Situation | Template |
|---|---|
| New lead near an open face | 1, then 2 and 3 |
| A flight ends in 60 to 90 days | 4 |
| A buyer cancels or leaves | 5 |
| A rival of theirs is on your boards | 6 |
| A local event is coming | 7 |
| A business just opened nearby | 8 |
| Price is the worry | 9 |
| They said "send me some info" | 10 |

## The signature block

Every template ends with this block. It isn't counted in the word totals.

> Dana Ortiz, Riverbend Outdoor\
> [Street address], Jackson, TN [ZIP]\
> Not interested? Reply "no" and I won't write again.

## The 10 templates

### 1. First touch: a face near their business

Send it when a business sits close to an open face.

**Subject:** Board near your office

> Hi Dr. Hollis,
>
> Riverbend Outdoor has a bulletin open from November 2 at US-45 Bypass and Madison Ave. It's 1.4 miles from Hollis Family Dental. TDOT counts 21,400 vehicles a day there. The rate is $1,850 per 4 weeks.
>
> Would a photo and map of the face help?
>
> Dana

### 2. Follow-up one

Send it two or three days after the first email.

**Subject:** Re: Board near your office

> Hi Dr. Hollis,
>
> Following up on the bulletin at US-45 Bypass and Madison Ave. It's still open from November 2, at $1,850 per 4 weeks.
>
> Should I send the photo and map?
>
> Dana

### 3. Follow-up two: the last note

Send it a few days after the second email. Then stop.

**Subject:** Closing the loop

> Hi Dr. Hollis,
>
> I haven't heard back, so this is my last note about this face. If a board near the office makes sense later, just reply. I'll check what's open.
>
> Is someone else at the practice the right person to ask?
>
> Dana

### 4. Renewal

Send it 60 to 90 days before the flight ends. Attachments are fine here, since they know you.

**Subject:** Your board ends December 27

> Hi Hank,
>
> Kessler Plumbing's flight on B-114 S ends December 27. I've attached dated photos of your ad on the face. I'd like to keep it for you before I offer it to anyone else. A 13-period renewal is $1,770 per 4 weeks, locked for the year.
>
> Can I send the renewal for you to look over?
>
> Dana

### 5. Backfill after a cancellation

Send it when a face opens up on short notice.

**Subject:** Bulletin open in December

> Hi [First name],
>
> A bulletin at US-45 Bypass and Madison Ave just opened up for December. TDOT counts 21,400 vehicles a day there. The rate is $1,850 per 4 weeks.
>
> It's short notice, so I can hold the face for you until Friday. Want the photo and exact dates?
>
> Dana

### 6. Your competitor is on a board

Send it when a rival of theirs advertises with you, and you have a different face open.

**Subject:** A face on the same road

> Hi [First name],
>
> You may have seen another plumber's ad on US-45 Bypass. We have a poster open on the same road from January 4. It's $650 per 4 weeks. TDOT counts [number] vehicles a day there.
>
> Would you like to see where it sits?
>
> Dana

> Note: Never name the other advertiser or share their rate, terms or results. Check their contract first. Some contracts promise to keep rivals off nearby faces.

### 7. An event is coming

Send it six to eight weeks before a local event. Digital faces suit short flights.

**Subject:** Fair week spots

> Hi [First name],
>
> The [event] runs [dates]. Our digital board D-031 on Hwy 412 West in Milan has spots open those weeks. Your ad plays in a loop of 8 ads, 8 seconds each. Two weeks is $[rate].
>
> Would that fit your plans for the [event]?
>
> Dana

Digital boards change ads every few seconds. [Lamar](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1090425/000109042526000008/lamr-20251231.htm) reports about 6 to 8 seconds for its own boards. Use your board's real spot length and loop size.

### 8. A new business

Send it soon after a business opens near one of your faces.

**Subject:** Welcome to Jackson

> Hi [First name],
>
> Congrats on opening on [street]. Our poster P-019 at US-45 Bypass and Madison Ave is open from January 4. It's [distance] miles from your shop. TDOT counts [number] vehicles a day there. The rate is $650 per 4 weeks.
>
> Would a run around your opening month be worth a look?
>
> Dana

### 9. A smaller budget

Send it when a bulletin is out of reach, or the buyer said price is the issue.

**Subject:** A smaller option

> Hi [First name],
>
> If a bulletin is more than you want to spend, our digital board D-031 sells single spots. Your ad plays in a loop with 7 others, 8 seconds each time. One spot is $[rate] per 4 weeks.
>
> Would one spot fit your budget better?
>
> Dana

### 10. Reply to "send me some info"

Send it when a buyer asks for details. Keep it to one face.

**Subject:** Re: Billboard info

> Hi [First name],
>
> Here are the facts for B-114 N:
>
> - 14 × 48 ft bulletin, lit at night
> - 21,400 vehicles a day (TDOT count, both directions)
> - $1,850 per 4 weeks, plus production
> - Open from November 2
>
> Which start date should I check for you?
>
> Dana

## What should you do after a reply?

Answer within the same day if you can. If they want details, send the photo, map and a one-page proposal. If they ask about price, give the rate and what it covers. If they say no, thank them and stop. If they say "not now," ask when to check back and set a reminder.

> How Gabie handles this: Gabie Scout writes drafts that follow these rules. Each body is under 75 words, with one easy question and no meeting ask. It uses the exact rate and DOT count on record. It checks each claim before you see the draft. A draft that names a road without proof, or calls traffic impressions, is thrown out. In Scout Assist, each email and follow-up waits for your approval, then sends from your Gmail or Outlook. Replies seen in Gmail stop the follow-ups, and opt-outs are always honored. See [Gabie Scout](https://gabie.ai/platform/scout).

## Questions people ask
### How long should a billboard sales email be?
Under 75 words. Name one face, its traffic count and its rate, then ask one easy question.

### Should I attach a rate card or photos to a cold email?
Not in the first email. Offer the photo and map, and send them when the buyer says yes.

### Do billboard sales emails need an unsubscribe link?
CAN-SPAM requires a clear way to opt out and your postal address, even in business email. A reply-to-opt-out line works if you honor it within 10 business days. Gmail also requires one-click unsubscribe from senders of 5,000 or more emails a day.

### Can I say 'impressions' in a billboard sales email?
Only if you have real impression data, such as from Geopath. A DOT traffic count is vehicles, so call it 'vehicles a day.'

### How many follow-up emails should I send?
Two is enough for most leads, a few days apart. Then stop, and write again only when you have a new face or new dates.

## Sources
1. CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business, Federal Trade Commission. https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business (accessed 2026-10-08)
2. Email sender guidelines, Google Workspace Admin Help. https://support.google.com/a/answer/81126 (accessed 2026-10-08)
3. Geopath Circulation, Geopath. https://geopath.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/GEOP/pages/2323448064 (accessed 2026-10-08)
4. Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) Maps, Tennessee Department of Transportation. https://www.tn.gov/tdot/driver-how-do-i/look-at-or-order-state-maps/maps/annual-average-daily-traffic-maps.html (accessed 2026-10-08)
5. Lamar Advertising Company Form 10-K for fiscal year 2025, Lamar Advertising Company, via SEC EDGAR. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1090425/000109042526000008/lamr-20251231.htm (accessed 2026-10-08)