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What do you guys think of magazine advertising? Has anybody here tried it? <!—-> <!—->
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I’ve been having a great year and would like to continue the success. So I am thinking about advertising in a local home and garden magazine, but it is pretty pricey. The magazines demographics are 80% female between 35 and 54 with a $160k household income. Perfect!<!—-> <!—->
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In the past two years the only advertising I have done is local home shows. They have done really well, keeping me busy and making me money, but there is only so many of those a year. <!—-><!—->
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Here are the numbers <!—-><!—->
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Home Show: <!—-> <!—->
100-150 flyers, cards, misc. info handed out w/10-20 appointments 3-5 contracts (additions, bath remodels, basement finishes, etc.) plus small jobs<!—-><!—->
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Cost:<!—-> <!—->
$900 + 40 hours of my time + display and promotional materials (~$600/show)<!—-> <!—->
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Magazine:<!—-> <!—->
21,000 distributed <!—-><!—->
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Cost:<!—-> <!—->
$1095/issue for 1/3pg ad + ad artwork, photography, etc.<!—-><!—->
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Does is seems like the magazine might be the better deal?<!—-> <!—->
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Thanks for your help with this one. And all the others that I read!<!—-> <!—->
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Replies
Try it. Measure your results. Report back.
blue
"...
keep looking for customers who want to hire YOU.. all the rest are looking for commodities.. are you a commodity ?... if you get sucked into "free estimates" and "soliciting bids"... then you are a commodity... if your operation is set up to compete as a commodity, then have at it..... but be prepared to keep your margins low and your overhead high...."
From the best of TauntonU.
The company I work for has a small ad (1/8th page) in several magazines. We get the majority of our work from those ads. They're expensive but without them we'd be struggling for work. Just not enough referrals to keep 15 carpenters busy.
Show
150 flyers...............$1500
40 hrs....................$1600 (SWAG)
per flyer..................$ 20
5 jobs.....................$ 620/job
Response.................3%
Magazine
1 issue......................$1095
Art, etc......................$1500 (WAG)
20 hrs.......................$ 800 (WAG)
total..........................$3395
30,000 views; (SWAG)
per view....................$ 0.11
jobs at 0.5% response..17
cost per job................$200
jobs at 0.1% response..3.5
Cost per job..................$1100
SamT
There are three kinds of people: Predaters, Prey, and Paladins. The really strange thing is that Prey feels safer from Predators by disarming Paladins.
I've been considering an ad in a similar magazine at a similar cost. Trouble is, the gurus say you can't just do it once, you need to do it at least a few times if not five or more. The magazine's readers that you describe sound like desirable clients, so I would be inclined to give it a go. You need A+ photos of your work to do a good magazine ad, or at least I would not run one without a stellar pic in it.
The plan is 4 issues, which would start in June. Three issues in the bimonthly magazine, plus one in their "bonus" kitchens and baths issue.
The people I have talked to here say I shouldn't expect phone calls right away and that it is more of a long term name "branding" concept. So what can I do to supplement the magazine?
Sam T,
So your are you saying the percentage is in my favor? If I were to get just a marginal percentage compared to the home shows it is equal?
Thanks again!
Plug your own SWAGs in and decide for yourself.
The rag should have some numbers for you to play with.
There just isn't enough hard data there for me to decide one way or t'other.SamT
There are three kinds of people: Predaters, Prey, and Paladins. The really strange thing is that Prey feels safer from Predators by disarming Paladins.
My recomendation is neither. Get a good website that will support multiple visits and clearly explains what kind of jobs you like to do, where you like to work and how you handle the builder-client relationship.
Once you have a good strong website up use photo postcards to drive traffic to your site. The post cards are very cheap, and make great mailbox hangers "Pardon our dust, we're building in your neighborhood, if you want us to give you a free estimate while we're here just click on out website or give us a call" and they are easy for h.o.'s to hold on to for future reference.
Office max has self adhesive magnets, post office regulations don't allow you to put post cards in peoples mail boxes but you can stick magnets attached to postcards on the outside of their mail box doors, and they can go from there to the fridge.
Really nice yard signs are also good to drive traffic to a good website. But the key is to have a good website to begin with.
Website cost
Nice digital camera (olympus stylus 710 waterproof) $350
Upgrade memory card 1 gig $70
drive around and shoot photo's of your work $ your time
Steal good idea's from other peoples websites and copy and paste them into MS word for your web dude.
Pay the web dude to make it all look pretty $1800
Domain name and hosting $200 per year
Buy post cards from Modern Postcard $350
Get the cards to the customers, direct mail, insertion in a periodical. Slip them into card rack at local grocery store. $200 to start then on-going always have a fistfull of cards in your truck.
screen the clients $ your time
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"You cannot work hard enough to make up for a sloppy estimate."