Add Pricing

[MAD MOWERS]

We went to our one and only local paper today to price a daily classified add.
Using one of Grassmasters idea's I told the girl I wanted to keep it simple, So here is what we got.

The wording below in Bold Heavy Black print:

MAD MOWERS LAWNSERVICE
xxx - ssss

This simple add with name and phone number in bold black will run 26 day's a month and cost $183.67 WOW!

The same add in normal print is $49.95 a month.

Now guy's I know that you have to advertise and I may be a little slow, but My Goodness is this not a little steep?

It looks like I may have to go with the smaller add and see what kind of response I get. I have noticed that one other service runs an add that is about the same all season, so it must pay off.

Tell me what you think. PHILL??????

Thanks

[lw4259]

what if

What if you put your name in the yellow pages i wonder how much that would cost.

[Phil Nilsson]

What is the name of your business?

[GrassMaster]

Hello:

I don't know if it's steep or not, I think my ad was around $3 to $5 a Day 20 years ago... Depends on Circulation Numbers & Area it covers.

I don't know if I would run it every day right now? A little Early even here in Columbus, Georgia?

I think right now I might run on Sundays & maybe what ever the Big day is during the Week, Thursday or Wed, Might try Monday.

If I could get a Regular Customer for Less than a $100 each I was Happy, because most customers will get you at least one more down the road.

But I did Scheduled Year Round Maintenance & it was very good Money. I only had a Couple of accounts that made me $1,500 a Year. Most were up wards of $2,000 a Year Plus.

If you never got a Customer, but they Keep Reading your Name, it will stay with them later on down the Road.

I had People that recommended me that never used me, because They remembered GrassMasters Lawn Service!

[MAD MOWERS]

Phill the name of the business is:

Mad Mowers Lawnservice

Most of the other "cutters" in town advise me that they did not get a lot of response form the yellow pages.

Grassmaster, The no bolding add runs $1.92 per day or $49.92 a month but must be run every day on a 6 months contract.

The bold add like you ran was $183.56 a month for a every day run, or $ 7.06 per day.

Running anything on a day to day basis is higher. Although we ran a 2"x2" add 13 times for $150 that brought in a total of two phone calls. Funny, one of the larger "cutters" in town saw it and we had a good laugh together at a gas station talking about the business. This area seems to be more of a word of mouth type area with referals beating adds.

[Phil Nilsson]

Don't get Mad ... get Glad ...

[tulsa lawn guy]

Originally posted by Phil Nilsson
Don't get Mad ... get Glad ...

Agreed...

I think using the word "mad" could subconsciously give your prospective clients a negative connotation of your biz...

Just my .02

[Lawnshark]

I worked in classified sales for 2 years. With most newspapers you can Barter with the price? Ask them to run the bold print add for the price of the cheaper add and if it works out you will buy 6 months of advertisements. Be creative, it helps if you walk in there and personal talk to the salesman. Try to con the con! I remember this one realestate woman would come in there all babby dolled up flirting with me like crazy! Every month she came in there she claimed i gave her the add cheaper then what she had bought it for. SHe was definetly a hustler and i knew it! She was just too damn pretty for me not to negotiate. My suppervisor didnt mind working the price down cause she was a good customer! Just dont try to degrade the paper with super low offers. Dont give up, just negotiate! If that fails get a hot blond to go there and purchase ur add.

[mikeslawnservice]

Not to nitpick, but it's "ad" not "add".

[CCLS]

Repetition works. Just remember that if every companies ad is repetitious, then yours must stand out in order for it to be worth your time & money.

Don't cut corners on advertising. Advertise smart and get what you have to, to get the customers you need. Don't advertise to save a few bucks for beer money, it will hurt in the long run. Make smart business decisions.

[VALLEYWIDE]

what if you made an ad that said free lawn service to the first 250 people who call will your ad stand out then