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Marketing
Now you’re ready to get out there and market your service, sell your product, so go out there, and knock them dead. How? Where can you advertise to reach people, and tell them what your company is about? Well, I have NINE ideas. These are "tried and true" methods that have worked for a some time. I have them listed pretty much in the order of their age. They are: Word Of Mouth, Flyers, Door-to-Door, Newspaper Ads, the Yellow Pages, Electronic Media, Direct Marketing, Telemarketing, and On-line. |
Word Of Mouth
This is probably oldest way to advertise. I’m sure that it started somewhere along the lines of, "Aladdin, Omir charges you too many shekels of that wine. My friend Thaddus will give you a much better wine for less." This is the only method of advertising that Milton Hershey would allow his chocolate company to use. You can’t say it didn't work for him. Tell everyone you know about your business, and ask them to tell their friends. Tell everyone you don’t know too. |
Flyers
Place them anywhere and everywhere you can. P. T. Barnum knew that big signs, and bright colors would attract people to read them, at least. Any public bulletin board is a good place to start. Many Laundromats have a place for flyers. Many restaurants use door flyers. These are hung on doorknobs. This might be something you would like to try. If you own a computer, you could make up your own. Then distribute them yourself. Remember to keep the receipts for the materials that you use to make up these flyers, as part of your business expenses. Just make sure that they are legal in your area. (Hint: If restaurants use them in your area, you can too.) |
Door-to-Door
This is an inexpensive, and simple thing to do. Many people walk around their neighborhood, telling anybody who answers the door, about their product. While you, as a web master do not have a product in hand, you could "do a survey" about the family's on-line activities. (i.e. Number of people in household. Number of computers. Service Provider Used. [AOL?] Uses for On-Line. (Shop, Information, Games and Chat, Freebies). Do you have a web site? If a person says that they never shop on-line ask why not? (no trust in company? no trust with credit card information on-line? Don't have a credit card?) Leave your business card with the person you talk to. This information could be used later for other Targeted Ads. (Flyer, Direct Mail, Telemarketing) It will give you an idea of things that you need to address in future Targeted Ads. |
Newspaper Ads
These are relatively inexpensive, and simple to do. The cost, of course, depends on the size of the ad you want. Classifieds to full page ads, these can fit into about any budget. Let's not forget magazines and trade publications. You can use one ad for several publications. |
Telephone Book
You can place an ad in these resources for FREE. This is, of course, just one small line. If you can afford more, then go for it. Many companies place three or four ads in one book. You will find plenty of, "See our ad on page" such and such, throughout many yellow page directories. Are these ads really worth the price? Just look at the size of your own yellow page directories, then decide for yourself. You have to admit, though. The value is far greater than the cost--when the cost is nothing. This is where a well chosen company's name can be important. The first three letters in the alphabet will pay off the most. If you choose a good name from the beginning, you will have fewer regrets later. Remember the symbols mentioned earlier. Alphabetically, M nothing, (M*A*S*H) would come before MA (MASH). This is true for some search engines also. However, the symbol may prove a problem with your domaine name. For more information on this subject click Here. You also can place your business number in the white pages. Remember, you want people to know all about you, with as few words as possible. |
Electronic Media
By this I mean TV and Radio. I have heard that a Cable T. V. ad is about the same price as a newspaper ad. Radio ads in my area price at about $100.00 per 30 second ad. A bit rich for my blood. Many companies are now cutting the cost of their advertising by double ads. "I buy Best Brand Dog Food at my local Favorite Store!" This type of ad splits the cost between the two companies. (Best Brand and Favorite Store) Still a bit high for many just starting, but researching this option in your area won't cost you more than phone change. You can always file it away for future reference. |
Direct Marketing
This is a fairly new form of advertising. To most of us, this is known as "junk mail", and the idea may not appeal to you, but just think a minute. If it didn't work at all, would you be getting so much junk mail? You can start with your address book. I believe that there is about a one percent return on this type of advertising. I may be wrong on this, but I believe that was the figure I was told. That means out of every 100 letters you send out; only one person will actually buy. That may not sound like much, but you may want to give it a try. If you don’t care for this rate of return, well, now you know ahead of time. The coat for mailing a business post card is about $0.19. Do the math. $19.00 per 100. If one sale from that mailing makes you $10.00, you won't see a profit. If, on the other hand, that one sale earns you $30.00, then you are ahead. This is something you must decide. |
Telemarketing
This is another type of marketing that doesn't appeal to many people. They do not like being called, and know others do not like it much either. First let me say this. There are two basic types here. One is the actually selling of the product. The other is "appointment setting". This is when someone schedules a time for the salesman to come, and sell the product. If you want to try this, I would suggest the latter. Many people have now chosen to have their names removed from telemarketing phone list. That is why I would just call people that I know. Or at most, a friend of a friend. |
On-line
This has become the new fangled version of the old fashioned "Hanging a Shingle." Inn keeper hung signs up, painted on a spare roof shingle. Many people in medieval Europe could not read. Doctors would hang a red pole, so that people would know where he lived. If he was also a dentist, he would add a white stripe. A blue stripe meant that he was also a barber. This evolved into the red, white and blue candy stripe barber poles that we still have to this day. Pawnbrokers hung three gold balls. This is say to represent the bags of gold the Saint Nicholas gave as a dowry to a pawnbroker's three daughters. Well, a web page has become the new "shingle." How can you place it where people will notice your services? |
