With so many options to reach your community, how in the world do we know which is the best option, or the right option at any given time?
Getting your message to your potential customers can feel like a game… “Choose to see what’s behind Door #1 – Door #2 or Door #3. When you choose the RIGHT Door you will reach the right people for the best price!”
Then the host will show you what you didn’t get behind the other two doors, then show you what you chose. Maybe it was 10,000 door hangers that you now have to deliver yourself hahaha.
Okay, pardon my silliness, but I like to have fun even in serious matters.
Advertising and Marketing are serious matters because no business owner wants to spend their hard-earned cash and have no results. Especially if it’s a big-ticket ad or marketing campaign. I’ve done it myself in the past before I was in the advertising business, and it was very disappointing.
I recently did a test social media ad, one similar to many I’ve done successfully. But this one was for a different product. I got lots of “views” but only 3 or 4 people clicked the link and not one person responded. Luckily it was only a test, and I only spent $21, and now I know what may not work.
I believe a good mix of different types of advertising works best. You as a business owner should track your advertising so you know what is working and what is not. If you would like to know more about tracking ads, feel free to contact me. Maybe I’ll do a future article on that subject.
I’d like to focus on our Flagship product – the 9×12 postcard co-op mailer and why it is such a good deal.
9×12 inches is huge for a piece of mail. It’s larger than magazines and large envelopes, so it always stands out.
The co-op side means we get to share the cost of the printing and mailing. If you were to send out the number of cards we do – usually 5000 or 10,000 cards at a time – you would spend thousands of dollars. But for a few pennies per address, you can reach your local community with a co-op. It’s a no-brainer.
There are many types of advertising media. Here are a few thoughts about some. The rest of this article is geared to brick & mortar businesses as well as those who work locally from home.
TV and Radio:
Depends on the people watching or listening at that particular moment. Very challenging to tell if customers respond unless you have a great offer.
But think about your own listening habits. Most of the time it is in your vehicle. Some people, like myself, when ads come on we use that handy dandy button and switch to another station. You get the idea.
A bonus note about TV and radio ads: Radio, especially, offers 3 times a day for what seems like a great deal. But think about your own listening habits. Most of the time it is in your vehicle. Some people, like myself, when ads come on we use that handy dandy button and switch to another station. You get the idea.
Advertising experts say you should only do radio or TV if you are on a minimum of 15 times per day, and not the overnight hours, and do it for a minimum of 90 days. That’s when you see your best results. You also need deep pockets to sustain that. And of course, your product or service or sheer volume needs to have enough profit that you still make money.
Okay, enough on that…
Billboards are also known as Outside Advertising:
Also, difficult to track and usually takes long-term exposure for people to notice. But they do work. Billboards are great for Events.
This includes traditional billboards you see while driving down the road or highway, as well as park benches, bus stops, trash receptacles, etc. you may see while driving or walking.
Coupon Packs:
We all get those envelopes packed with offers and coupons. Many people never open them, and they often attract bargain hunters rather than those who may become your regular customers or clients.
I have had personal experience with this. And they brought in lots of customers for that one-time, yet most never returned. One was a coupon magazine and the other Groupon which was a total failure. It ended up costing me money.
Internet Marketing:
I’m a big fan of internet marketing if done in the right way. I’ve had many successes and some that just didn’t work out. Here is something to think about…
Internet marketing works for those actively searching for your product or business, yet for every person searching there are many more who would respond if you simply invited them.
Direct Mail:
The perfect way to invite people to interact with your business! Make them an offer and the interaction may increase.
Most people when thinking of direct mail & advertising think of ad fliers (like supermarket circulars), or long-form sales letters, catalogs, coupon packs, etc. Even postcards… but there are different sizes and types of postcards.
The other thing that comes up is the cost. If you are doing it yourself, then it can get pricey. Although for some businesses they get a good ROI (return on investment) with solo postcards.
When you do a co-op mailer of any size, you reduce your printing and postage costs. Let me explain.
Our flagship product, a 9-inch by 12-inch postcard (9×12) with 12 to 18 local businesses on it, splitting the cost, your price is reduced tremendously. This postcard is huge! Bigger than magazines.
The benefits are everyone sees the card, no envelopes to open, no pages to thumb through. People can see all the ads at a glance on both sides of this high-quality card.
Let me ask you… If you had a critically important message to get out to as many people as possible, would you:
- Do a commercial (radio/TV) and hope they saw it?
- Put it in a coupon mailer and hope they opened it?
- Upload it to the internet and hope the surfed over to it?
- Or would you send it directly to those people you want to reach?
That’s why giant postcards work so well. They simply get your message in front of everyone, every single time without fail.
I could write a whole page of ideas and suggestions of a message for you to send to your community and still not cover every industry or scenario. So instead, you can contact us at Postcard Co-Op & Printing and we will help you design the right message for your business.
I will share a few of the benefits for you, the business owner, of participating in a co-op postcard mailer. It’s powerful and it just plain works. Here’s why.
- Co-op buying power: you pay only a fraction of the cost.
- Rapid Response: Instantly reach thousands of local buyers with nearly 100% exposure.
- Brilliant Color: Color sells! Beautiful full-color glossy cardstock that demands attention.
- Trackable ROI: Quickly know who is responding to your ad by using a redeemable offer.
- Fully Exclusive: You won’t have any direct competition, which would diminish your response. Only ONE business per category (1 plumber, 1 mechanic, 1 realtor, etc.)
What are you waiting for? Call now to see when we are offering a co-op mailer in your town or be the catalyst to get one started in your town – and don’t worry, that just means a phone call to me and I take care of the rest.
Discover for yourself how inexpensive co-op postcard mailers really are. A no-obligation Discovery Meeting or even request a quote from the many methods on our contact page. It’s that easy.