Newbie needs help on advertising

[bwillie]

Hello everyone. This is a great web site for those of us just starting out. I was wondering if anyone could give some suggestions on advertising. I am in the midwest. I have made some flyers and started passing them out door to door. Am I too early? I am also planning on putting a add in the local newspaper around March. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.[]

[Phil Nilsson]

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Put out flyers a little closer to the first "signs" of spring ... maybe early March.

[Scaper-S2k]

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Did you say ways to advertise?





Advertise in the classified.

Advertise with a well designed flier.

Design and distribute a free "how to do it" hand-out related to your industry (e.g. Tips for improving your landscaping).

Explore cross promotion with a non-competing company selling to your target market.


Advertising section of your community newspaper.

Advertise in the Yellow Pages.

Advertise on a grocery buggy.

Approach your prospective customers over the phone.

Approach your prospective customers in person.

Approach your prospective customers through the mail.

Be a guest speaker at seminars and present on your area of expertise.

Be a guest speaker on radio talk shows.

Build and maintain a customer mailing and contact list on database software.

Build your image with well designed letterhead and business cards.

Design a brochure that best explains the benefits of your services.

Design a mail order campaign.

Design a point of purchase display for your product.

Design a telemarketing campaign.

Design an image building logo for your company.

Design and distribute a quarterly newsletter or an industry update announcement.

Design and distribute company calendars, mugs, pens, note pads, or other advertising specialties displaying your company name and logo.



Design buttons, decals and bumper stickers or balloons with your company name, logo or slogan.

Design T-shirts displaying your company name and logo.

Explore the costs of advertising in newspapers, magazines, on radio, television, billboards, bus shelters and benches.

Explore ways to share your advertising costs using cooperative advertising.

Follow up customer purchases with a thank you letter.

Follow up customer purchases with Christmas or birthday cards.

Have your company profiled in a magazine or newspaper that is read by prospective customers.

Hire an advertising agency or public relations firm.

Hold a promotional contest.

Hold a seminar on your service, product or industry.

Include promotional material with your invoices.

Look for prospective customers at trade shows related to your industry.

Look for prospective customers in associations related to your industry.

Look for prospective customers at seminars related to your industry.

Look for prospective customers in magazines and newspapers related to your industry.

Package your brochure, price lists and letter in a folder for your customers.

Place a sidewalk sign outside your store or office.

Place flyers on bulletin boards and car windshields or senior centers.

Place promotional notes on your envelopes, mailing labels.

Place signs or logos on your company vehicle (s).

Prepare a corporate video.

Prepare a list of product features and benefits to help you plan your advertising and promotional campaigns.

Prepare proposals offering solutions to your customers' needs
Provide free samples of your product or service.

Provide public tours of your operation.

Sponsor a charity event.

Sponsor an amateur sports team.

Sponsor a cultural event through a community arts organization.

[bwillie]

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Ok. well thanks..uh..I think. Maybe I should clarify myself. I am a full time firefighter looking to start a part time business. I am on a limited budget, and would like the best bang for my advertising buck. I was just wondering how some of you advertised when you were first starting out.[:0]

[Phil Nilsson]

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S2K has a way of going to extremes ... "compulsive" []... LOL
try this ...

<b>Advertise with a well designed flier.</b>[]

[dancom]

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when i first started out i talked to some of the older people at my church, i got a few jobs from them did a good job and the rest was word of mouth. the only advertising i paid for my first year was magnetic signs for my truck. the second year i took out a yellow pages add.

[Scott]

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Erich you forgot,

"Send out smoke signals"

[AllieLawn]

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lol Scott. I would say Door Flyers.

[Scaper-S2k]

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Best bang for your buck?

Oh, you should have said that![]

You know those funny looking fliers you see around that have like 20 phone numbers written vertically from the bottom of the page that you can rip off?

Yeh, take them to you local senior citizen centers and post a few. You will get calls, and many referrals.

That's the best bang for the buck. We had good luck doing that before I designed my sweeeeeeet flyers.

Good luck.

[Scott]

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well come on Erich,,, show us your sweeeeet flyer,, we'd show you.

[Extreme Lawns]

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yeah scraper, what do you have to lose? You dont even have to post it, just email it to us!

[Scott]

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yeah!!! just change your name to mine and we'll take it from there

[andersc1]

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bwillie,
I can tell you what worked for us starting out. Get a small display ad in your local yellow pages. Whatever you can afford to buy, and they will allow you to pay for it monthly so your not out any big bucks up front.

Second look and see if there are any local websites in your area that offer classifieds. We advertise in one in our area and have had really good luck with it. We were getting a couple of calls a week off it even before the yellow pages came out with our ad.

Door hangers are fairly inexpensive to have printed up. NEBS.com has several different pre-printed ones that you have customized with your company information on at a resonable price. Then just hang them out in areas where you are wanting work.

Then last but not least, run some ads in the local newspaper advertising your company. Always try and use the words FREE, COMPETATIVE, RESONABLE, GUARANTEED, etc. You know something like "Free Estimates" or "Guaranteed service at competative prices". Tends to draw the customers eye to your ad.

Well hope this has helped. Good luck this season.

Curtis

[bwillie]

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Thanks alot guys.[] You have been very helpfull. It's pretty unusual to find people already in the business willing to help someone start a new one. This is great. I am really glad I found this website! Now I just need to decide on a mower to buy. Hopefully I can find a good used one. Thanks again.