[tonys145]

Hi All,

For the last 6 months I have been marketing using Leaflets, talking to estate agents and the odd carpet shop.
I was thinking about expanding the marketing to the "Paid  For" local paper.
The leaflets are bringing in good work, but do you think the papers are a good second string of advertising.
Currently there are four regular advertisers who all have a box ad 1inch across by 2 inches down or thereabouts.

What are your thoughts on this type of advertising?

Regards

Tony

[Spot On cleaning]

I don't bother with these. I did when i started in 2002, but dropped them after a few months. They were charging £20 a night and there were 3 others in there, one of which was a cheepy with small print. All people used to do is phone all of them, and usually if you were called first and gave a price, then they would get another straight after, and when told that their price was higher than mine, they would do a character assination on me and do the job for the same price.

Also, when they bring out suppliments, they will contact you to advertise in here as well. With leaflets, you are inspiring people to have their carpets cleaned, whereas people who only want their carpets cleaned there and then look in the paper. Todays paper is tomorrows chip wrapper etc.

Another point is:   If you advertise Mon, Wed and Fri, and somebody looks in there on a tuesday, someone else will get the job. Also it is a fact that when people glance through publications, their eyes are always drawn to the right hand pages, whereas some newspapers print their tradesmans adverts on the left. This is a proven fact. Try asking for an advert on a righthand page when going in yellow pages and see what they tell you.

Dave

[Shaun_Ashmore]

do your homework first, ie where does the paper go? council estates and flats are not usually good customers IMHO

what are the other cleaners like? cheap, expensive what do they offer?

don't do the same ad as them or you'll only get the same reponse (a percentage share) go for a well worded ad be bold and different.

Log your response and conversion from these new customers to see if it is worth while but don't expect a windfall of work it's a steady flow all year round except Xmas time.

Shaun

[therapist]

A slightly bigger ad, worked for me for a number of years, but..............the buyers tend to be mainly lower end /price buyers.

If you are happy with, high volume, moderate returns this is an easy way to gain experience and learn the business, but..........you can get used to the phone ringing and not bother to upgrade.

rob m[td][/td]

[tonys145]

Thanks for the replies chaps.

Jury still out - will update later.

Regards

Tony

[HolmansUKLTD]

I advertise in my local papers, in total my ad is in 1million copies a month! but some of the papers are free the other Wimbledon news and surrey comet are paid for ones. It costs arouns £3500 per year but brings in 4times that so i think they are worth it depending on area,

Regards

Nick

[tonys145]

Thanks Nick.

I think as with most advertising it "depends on the area".

The only way i will know i guess it to try it. Might try a run for the spring clean time of year...

[cleaning co]

dont do it,  leaflets will bring in 10 times the jobs compared to newspaper adds !!!!!

[stevegunn]

Not when your ad is as good as this.Phone not stopped ringing

[cleaning co]

u forgot to say u didnt hav to pay for it  :

[benny d]

Looks like the same pose as Hugh Grant all those years ago. 
Only difference is you arnt holding up a LAPD number !  :

[HolmansUKLTD]

Not sure about that wand technique

[BRSL]

Here Steve do you have problems with over wetting lol 

Well ive been on the phone to local rag and been quoted £357 for six weeks half the size of quarter page spread if that makes sense, always agreed with most and thought newspapper was a bad idea but this is a new area and the papper is delivered free, theres 4 adds already in every week small not many in yell or yell pages and less in thompsons so most people look to the papper I guess so im going to give it a go, will keep you posted

James

all the local CC's in rag claim that the carpet wil dry anything from 15mins to 30mins full of C*** apart from one and hes tex therm so ill let him off, I dont want to drop to there level but I just dont think I can help it,

[andrew chrysler]

At least if a local paper advert doesn't work you can stop it, with Yellow pages you are committed to the full year.

By the way, can you really use HWE equipment on a tarmac driveway? Which shampoo do you use?