[mark_roberts]

Ive been offered a good deal on a weekly local free newspaper, colour advert.

I taking it up for testing purposes ie. local market, new ads etc.

Its in the main body of the paper, not in the services sections with the £40 a suite boys.

Any ideas on copy, layout etc.

thanks
Mark

[Jason Hedges]

Hi Mark,

I get most of my new business from local papers. I'm in 5 local papers at the back in the carpet cleaning section along with another 2 or 3 companies.

Basic lineage advert with my website address so people can find out more information if they want to.

Papers always have 'special offers' with big adverts not knowing where you'll be positioned. Get calls every week offering this and that. Used to try them all with no benefit to my regular lineage under the correct heading at the back under services.

In my honest opinion dont waste your money. If someone is looking for a service from their local newspaper they head straight for the back pages.

Once your in the carpet cleaning category under services / carpet cleaning you'll get new enquiries and existing customers that lose your card will be able to find you again easily.

Just my opinion others may disagree!

All the best,
Jason.

[stevegunn]

Free newspapers attracts the wrong type of customer

[Straker Cleaning]

Not interested in customers who would search free papers in the first place  :
Most of my new work from awards run by SW London Guardian (free newspaper) .......found me via web pages on the papers, many do not even read it when it comes through door!!!

If it is a good deal and the amount is something you could write off, then best of luck. I would go online and see what layout is used in posh glossy mags and that may attract top end non priceshoppers.

[spencer davies]

I agree, our re cycling box is near our front door, free newspapers go straight in.


S

[mitch2810]

I advertise in our local Free paper every week in the classified section. The ad cost me £1900 for the year.I would not advise you to take this form of advertising as it does not return enough business to justify the costs. IMO
Phil

[Jason Hedges]

Hi jason do you get the v cheap c cleaners (the suite and carpet all for 50 pounds)in your section advertising with you? cheers clinton..

Hi Clinton,

No luckily enough we havent. All charging fair prices.

[Jason Hedges]

Steve, Chris, Spencer,

Advertising in the back of the local newspaper attracts every type of customer possible, from waste of time price shoppers to well paying domestic & commercial.

The trick is weeding out the customers we dont want.

To say it attracts the wrong type of customer is correct sometimes but its all about selling services for the right price.

I certainly dont convert every enquiry but the ones I do are for the right money.

Shame you all rubbish the concept when many (like myself) earn a fairly good living from it.

All the best,
Jason.

[Spot On cleaning]

Have you tried the local community book route. These magazines seem to be produced everywhere in the country and offer a range of advertising spaces for every budget. For as little as £26 a month in the one, you could have an eigth of an A5 sized page for as little as £20 - £26. Not bad for a full colour advert to appear in 5000 magazines.

The customers like these publications and whilst they are reading through them, your advert can be seen many times over, and unlike the newspapers, these books are kept until the next book arrives. Also in these books, the chances are that you could be the only advertiser in your catergory, so definately a good deal.

Dave

[Straker Cleaning]

Jason ............. i understand all people may respond to these adverts but i prefer to minimise the risk of priceshoppers by going into publications they are less likely to go for........... some people will seek out Skoda and avoid Mercedes ........so i will park my van outside merc showrooms 

[Jason Hedges]

I know what you're saying Chris

However it works for me, I can sniff out a price shopper within 5 seconds. The art is converting them to cheapest isn't always best. I emphasise my experience, equipment, quality of job and offer a money back guarantee on every job.

Some would rather pay a bit more for my services, if they dont they can go elsewhere

I know lots of people who advertise in the same rags as me, the back pages are full of different adverts. They and I wouldnt waste our money if it didnt work.

The key is conversion for the right money.

P.S. I dont think anyone reads the guardian around here, too many long words and not enough pictures

All the best,
Jason.

[lands]

Loving the Pink Floyd night on BBC4

[Jason Hedges]

Dark side of the moon, classic

[lands]

stop trying to be cool Jason, you told me your fave song was total eclipse of hte heart br Bonni Tyler

[stevegunn]

The people who advertise in our free paper aim for the lower end of the market 2 carpets £20 or carpet & suite £35 now there is four of them in there every week.If a customer rings round all of them looking for the cheapest not likely to pay my £120 for a suite are they regardless of how good a salesman you are.I always said it what works for one may not work for another good luck if it does.

[turneylogan]

stop trying to be cool Jason, you told me your fave song was total eclipse of hte heart br Bonni Tyler

Pete,

Will you be changing your avatar to Ray Winstone for the remake?

[Mike Halliday]

Mark look at your free paper and see who advertises  there already, if you can look at some back issues and see if they constantly advertise, might be worth calling the smaller companies and asking them if their advert brings in work.

the problem with asking questions on here is people can only give information that they have , and they tend to believe this information is true of everyone & everywhere.

so Steve's first post says  'Free newspapers attracts the wrong type of customer.   what he mean and later says in a subsuquent post  is; 'his local paper attracts the wrong type of customer

Spencer says; 'our re cycling box is near our front door, free newspapers go straight in'. this is what he does  

you need to suss out whats true for your paper,

also look at what articles are put in it, in mine all the local childrens sport is covered, U12-U13-U14 football, indoor balls, local athletics and the local Polo club is featured, the big paid for paper might give a quick mention of these Events, but the free paper does full page spreads.

who do you think reads these articles? local people, alot of them have money, they are not all price shoppers

[Ian Gourlay]

Like all Newspapers

Free newspapers do readership Surveys some have actual readers of 100k before it hits recycle bin.

Plus why is it for the past 15 years the same companies have been advertising in Free Papers

Unlike Yellow Pages you can turn it on an off.

That said I used to do a display advert for Blinds but most leads came from leaflets

The classified I run some weeks good other weeks bad

i vauguley remember Chris S or his mate saying last year that they get most of their leads from classified adverts

[Straker Cleaning]

Steve Barnett may have used classifieds but i have not ............ only get into my local papers as NEWS  :

[Ian Gourlay]

Chris I forgotten his first name but his second was Holman if it was not you