Another Marketing Question

Y

youngcw

New member
I am new here but have found some great info so far. I am in college now at Auburn and am trying to get some more customers here. I've had plenty at home but I always had parent's friends to spread the word. I made some business cards and have been placing them on higher end cars but haven't had much luck. I made up some fliers and was wondering where you normally put your fliers? I went into a few gas stations and a CVS on the wealthier side of town and all of them told me they do not allow advertising in their stores. So what types of businesses do you usually target for fliers, and are they normally pretty willing to allow you to put them there? Thanks for your help.
 
You can try fliers, but they are usually a big waste of time and paper. Most people simply do not want to be bothered with this type of marketing message. You may land one customer out of a few thousand fliers, if that.
 
I have tons of luck with un-addressed admail. I print z-fold tri-fold flyers, bundle them up and then Canada Post drops them off at all residences in areas that I specify.



When I started my business, that was the sole and only piece of advertising I ever did (have not touched radio or newspaper yet, barely even have a sign at my location), and was booked up solid for weeks.



Now, of course, results from any type of marketing will depend on your physical location. Some areas will yield better results with newspaper ads, or radio ads. It all depends on your local market, competition, etc. What works for me might not work for you. I merely mention un-addressed admail because I've had luck with it, and I wouldn't completely dismiss doing it based on what experience others have had in their own respective market areas.
 
I think WAS's example is good for him, but I didn't find it all that beneficial for me. PLus the cost of bulk mailing like that might be a lot for someone in college.

Although, if $ is not an issue, Vistaprint has a service where you can design a card and chose your mailing demographics and it gives a decent price per card. But the cost is high in my opinion for return.



I designed and printed 1,000 postcards and then walked them around various neighborhoods in my area with my wife. We both wore our polos and placed them in people's doors.



We had some good face time with people but none actually panned into sales. A few referrals did come in that way, but not worth it for us.
 
Yeah, I had looked into the mailers as someone mentioned it in another thread but as a college student that might be a little much at first. I may try putting fliers on doors. Isn't that legal as long as you don't put them in/on the mailbox?
 
youngcw said:
Yeah, I had looked into the mailers as someone mentioned it in another thread but as a college student that might be a little much at first. I may try putting fliers on doors. Isn't that legal as long as you don't put them in/on the mailbox?
Click to expand...

I'd check on the cost....



1200 fliers printed at Staples, double-sided and z-folded on neon orange paper, then mailed through Canada Post cost me ~$300 CDN, that's printing and mailing together.



That said, my city only has ~7000 mailing addresses, so I hit nearly a sixth of the population of my city.
 
the flier thing use to work very well for me. That is how i got started and that is how i received all my work in the beginning. It still does work now days but the level of effectivness has dropped a little or maybe it's just the people here that arn't spending money.



Things are at a slow right now so i'm looking to re-work things and try some new marketing of some sort.



Yellow Pages was a huge waste of money. Had better luck with fliers then i did with the yellow pages.
 
If you have the time, knock your self out with the fliers. I just feel that the last thing people want is more paper advertisements on their doors and in their mailboxes.
 
brwill2005 said:
If you have the time, knock your self out with the fliers. I just feel that the last thing people want is more paper advertisements on their doors and in their mailboxes.
Click to expand...

It's funny because I completely agree with you. However, everyday when I get home and I see flyers in the mailbox, I grab them all and look through each one, usually scanning for deals or sales. My favorite is the Canadian Tire flyer I get weekly.



So true, the perception might be that people hate getting "junk mail" in their mailboxes, but, a lot of people do actually read it.
 
Be carefull with putting things on cars, not allowed where I live (although its done anyway). Try going into some of the large corporate buildings (if you can) and ask if they have a services area. By this I mean, some of the corporate offices in my area have a area set up for employees to get info on such things as dry cleaning, local deli menus, and your ad.
 
WAS said:
It's funny because I completely agree with you. However, everyday when I get home and I see flyers in the mailbox, I grab them all and look through each one, usually scanning for deals or sales. My favorite is the Canadian Tire flyer I get weekly.



So true, the perception might be that people hate getting "junk mail" in their mailboxes, but, a lot of people do actually read it.
Click to expand...



Yea, there still is a small percentage of the population that looks at those types of advertisements. The problem is that there is also a small percentage of people who will purchase Auto Detailing services; this limits the response even more.
 
I've had a good response with door hangers. They are separate from the mail which helps draw attention to it and you don't have to pay postage. Just be sure you look into getting a permit to solicit from your local police department.
 
brwill2005 said:
You can try fliers, but they are usually a big waste of time and paper. Most people simply do not want to be bothered with this type of marketing message. You may land one customer out of a few thousand fliers, if that.
Click to expand...





I agree with this for the most part. Your best bet for advertising is a good website and Google Adwords. Direct mail advertising such as this is good as a supplemental way to reach people and increase awareness of your brand. People are generally inundated with advertising but now more then ever people are looking for bargains and will not spend money unless they are getting something at a discount (don't forget to put a call to action and a special offer on your ads!).



From my own results I am getting better then a 1% action rate with my print/direct mail ads. So for every 1000 door hangers passed out I get ~12 calls and a hand full of jobs. 1000 door hangers costs less then $200 and the permit is $5/month. For me it is well worth the time & investment.



Advertising efforts are rarely a home run. It is the consistent singles and doubles over time that will win out for you in the long run...please excuse my sad attempt at a metaphor!



HTH
 
brwill2005 said:
Yea, there still is a small percentage of the population that looks at those types of advertisements. The problem is that there is also a small percentage of people who will purchase Auto Detailing services; this limits the response even more.
Click to expand...

Yep, true also. Ah advertising, such fun isn't it :getdown
 
You really want customers who LOVE their cars and appreciate what we as detailers provide! mmmmmm, where are those people? Car shows? Yes! Those are the people who will use you frequently... Wealthy people? Yes! Those are the people who have 6 or 7 cars and like to get them done every few weeks or every few months... Who are wealthy people? DRs, lawyers, accountants, entrepenurs, etc.... Those people live in upscale neighborhoods, and are easy to reach via their workplace... Direct mail? Yes! Car shows? Yes! Direct mail is great but pricey! Going to the places where they work is easy, every and any dr office, or corporate building!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top