AGGRESSIVELY!! LOUD! OBNOXIOUS! OFTEN! - Posted by Jim FL
Posted by Jim FL on November 08, 2002 at 22:41:13:
TCR,
If you are getting discouraged because you are not getting as many calls as you’d like, don’t fret.
How long has the ad been running?
It usually takes over 2 months to get a somewhat accurate gauge as to its effectiveness.
Also, don’t count on just one method for marketing.
Have as many lines in the water as you can at once.
Track the results, and use more of which ever one produces the best for you.
For me, well, to be honest, there are some things I do that I will not share at this time. Trade secrets, and trial runs on some things.
But, here are a few we have going at the moment:
1.) Business cards EVERYWHERE! I pass them, my partner does, my wife, my kids, my friends, my family, my associates, anyone I meet, professionals we work with etc.
2.) Flyers, we probably get out about 500-1000 flyers weekly, all over the place.
3.) Signs, keeping some out all the time, and more on weekends.
4.) Vehicle signs. We have four vehicles with signs on them all over the place.
We also have a trailor that is painted up with our logos and gets towed, parked, what ever all over town.
5.) Word of mouth.
6.) Internet ads and website.
7.) Ads on local school television stations, the kids tape these and take them home to study for projects, and it is all produced by the kids. A friends son made me up a nice Power Point animated commercial, and it airs on the school stations and gets taken home to parents daily.
The students have to recruit businesses to advertise on the network as part of their grade, with more points if they produce the spot, which they did for me.
We also have a tape of it coming so we can use it on other local cable stations etc.
Nothing fancy, but it gets the point accross.
8.) Every house we sell also has “We buy” stuff located at it. We get neighbors calling us all the time.
9.) Clothing items. Everyone in my home, my partners home, and several friends all have clothing items with our logo on the front and message on the back. These get worn every where, every day.
We get calls on them, and people even stop and ask about us, getting a business card when it is not me or my partner.
10.) We advertise along with other small businesses. Either by sharing ad space for a small dual ad, or placing marketing materials at their stores, offices and places of business.
11.) Events: Just last weekend my wife who runs her own small business, was hosting a booth as a vendor at a local LARGE motorcycle rally/rodeo/weekend.
There were about 5,000 bikers there, for the whole weekend.
We had marketing materials there at her booth, and scattered around the entire event. Both for our “We Buy” business, and for homes we have for sale.
We got a few calls.
And for anyone who picked up our FREE brochure, bought a raffle ticket from my wifes, business at her booth, we gave away a FREE shot of Applie Pie, some home made holiday drink.
We got a TON of traffic, she did well, and we got some leads, and exposure.
And honestly, that is just a little of what we do.
I market BIG TIME, always have, always will I’d imagine.
Bottom line, you need to market beyond your comfort zone and the calls will come.
Be creative with marketing, and not shy.
Shout your message to the world repeatedly and the calls will come.
Deals follow after.
HTH,
Jim FL