[cleanability]

Has anyone actually taken the YP rep's advice and increased the size of their advert and actually had lot more enquiries?
Against my better judgement I'm going with his annual advice and increasing my ad size and trying a half page advert next year.

Chris

[the red carpet]

I have a colour, quarter page, and its rubbish

I think its more important whats in it than what size or colour it is, a crap ad is a crap ad wether its a small box ad or a full page makes little difference

[Jason Hedges]

Hi Chris,

I was thinking about a yellow pages box ad last year. The rep came round and was telling me that I needed a 1/4 page to compete with other companies in my area at over £2k! I didn't bother. I didn't fancy working a month a year just to pay for the ad.

They are only after commission, the bigger ad they sell you the more they earn. They are salesmen at the end of the day and very good ones at that. They know nothing about ours or anybody elses business they sell space too. Its always go bigger!

If it works good for you, if not it'll be hard working for nothing to pay for that bigger ad.

All the best.
Jason.

[cleanability]

Yeah Jason you're right. I think the same. But what the hell I'll try it just this time. Out of interest its costing me £86 a week for 10 months to have a half page ad in 2 directories which together cover South East Wales. I'm in 2 cos I live on the border between the 2 directories. Also trying ghost numbers to make me look local to everyone 

Chris

[Paul_Ashworth]

Whats a ghost number

[Jason Hedges]

Hi Chris,

Thats cheap! Think I'd consider it for that money as well. The price obviously depends on your location and number of advertisers in your category and the circulation as well. Hope it works out for you.

Also ghost numbers are well worth doing. Local numbers are always a winner.

Paul,

Ghost numbers are when you pay a telephone provider for another number usually with a different dialling code to your own for an area that you cover. Its then diverted to your number.

Kind regards,
Jason.

[Steve Chapman]

don't do it!

customers hate picking someone of a page in a directory.

save the money & spend it on local advertising, leaflets or direct marketing.

regards
steve

[Paul_Ashworth]

Think thats  probably good advice ! Just need a winning leaflet put about 1,500 l/lets out today and not had any response yet.

I intially signed up for x2 area's of the phone book but am going to cancel the out of area one as the first is not really paying..

[Jason Hedges]

Hi Paul,

Different things work for different people in diffent areas.

There's no tried and tested guaranteed method of succeeding in this business otherwise we'd all be doing it!

We all have learnt or are learning by our mistakes. One advert or leaflet might work in one place but not another.

Many experienced cleaners on this forum and others have said they're still learning after decades in the business which isn't only about cleaning procedures bur marketing as well.

The main thing is to budget for the slow periods as well as the good and never over commit yourself to anything. Reps are quick enough to sell you advertising but of it doesn't work out then you're the one paying the installments when you cant afford to and they're away sunning themselves on a tropical beach somewhere exotic on your commission.

Kind regards,
Jason.

[Terry_Burrows]

how true all that is yp for us has been crap bt book not much better
local paper has been ok we went into 8 newspapers one week got 2
calls that went nowhere very hard to know what to try next that will be great

[Ian Gourlay]

Terry,

I do not want to encourage you to throw good money after bad, but you have just said you went in 8 papers for one week.

There is this theory that you need to advertise in a paper over a period of time to get best results.

Problem is it costs to see if it makes a difference.


Personally I think all advertising Reps should offer a Satisfaction Guarantee

[Neil Grainger]

Terry

I pay £80 pounds to go in a free circulation Newspaper, it took a lot of time before it started to pay me back.

People want to see you in there every week otherwise they think you are fly by night and not a proper business. The amount of customers that say to me that I have seen your advert in there every week for the last few months tells it own story.

Trades People as a rule have a bad rep so anything that makes you look like an established business is no bad thing. Costs a lot but over a period of time it does pay off.

Lots of people go in the paper for one week and say they did not get a call and dump it. The types I get from the Free local papers are the Mums at Home and the retired folks that have the time to read them. These peole are creatures of habit so want to see that you are in their all the time.

Cheers

Neil

[Jason Hedges]

Hi Terry,

Ian and Neil have hit the nail on the head as far as local paper advertising is concerned. Be consistent, work out an ad and run it week after week. People like and trust companies they see in there on a regular basis. Thats what I do and its where I get nearly all my new customers from.

Kind regards,
Jason.

[Mike Halliday]

so are people that sad that they read the carpet cleaning section every week even though they don't need a carpet cleaner :

not only do they read the carpet section do they read the plumbing, electrician, Arial erectors, dog walkers etc etc.. just in case they need one of them in the next year or so.

all this 'advertise every week so they see your name constantly and trust you' is I think nonsense

now if you have a feature ad in the same place every week so people see it all the time then that is different, they will ring you not because they constantly see your ad so trust you, but because they need a carpet cleaner and remember that there is a carpet cleaner in the local paper every week.

Mike

[Neil Grainger]

Feature add with editorial in same place every week.

People do read the locals and remember that you were in their a few weeks back so when they need you they no where you are, thats why its worth it. week in week out.

cheers

neil

[Mike Halliday]

Niel that exactly what I'm on about, a feature ad in the same place every week is  the way to advertise in papers

[calmore]

Well, I have found that a free listing in TP works rather well. Over the last two month alone I have probably 6 or so leads.

Not bad when you consider it hasn't cost me a penny.

[www.crawleycarpetc]

TP?

[the red carpet]

I echo Mikes thoughts, i dont belive anyone would be sad enough to read the classified section if they didnt need you.

If any advert dosent at least pay for itself, drop it or change it, in my opinion.

[Ian Gourlay]

Neil,

What size are you getting for £80

Is it a Free Paper distributed to every house, or one of these local Free Mags.