Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

Advise In New Business Starting

Posted by Anonymous on 11/3/2011 at 1:46 PM ET 125 Points
Hello,

Just found this site today and am looking forward to the wisdom other have to help my Business. Thanks in advance!!!!

Need some input in finding advertising clients.

I am starting a new business that helps local small Business owners to advertise to our local area via a community promotion program.

In this program a local Business can advertise on 15,000 8.5 x 11 color glossy flyers. Each flyer would only contain 10-12 NON competing ads, and I have arranged for the flyers to be distributed right into the hands of potential customers. Each flyer also has an insentive on them to keep and save the flyer on the refridgerator,which could keep the advertiser in the potential customers home for an Extended period of time. Each ad would be aprx. the size of a Business Card, and the advertising promotion would last 2-3 months at a cost of $290

Now I need to find advertisers.
The way I see it I have three posibilities.

Cold Call on Business : draw back is hoping to find the decision maker there when I drop in.

Cold Phone Call: Again draw back is hoping to find the decision maker there when I call. And also the idea that everyone hates to recieve sales calls, I know I do.

Letter: Writing a short letter, hand addressed to the owner of the Business explaining our area community promotion program and how it works with a sample flyer included.

If I sent out 50 letters a week, I was hoping to get 10 advertisers a week. Remember there is no more than 10-12 advertisers per a campain.

With 15,000 ads going out, it cost the advertiser .019 per a flyer and if the got a 1% return would be of course 150 new customers. I believe a small Business would be happy with 150 new customers, do you agree?

What plan of action would you recommend and the possible return for that action.

If this works in my area, I would like to expand into other areas .

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RESPONSES

  • Posted by CarolBlaha on 11/3/2011 at 1:56 PM Accepted
    You aren't going to get 10 advertisers a week by mailing 50 letters. You are going to have to sell this one by one, and face to face. Of course you may not find the decision maker first try. What do you think of your chances of your letter getting to the decision maker first try?

    Your challenge is proving your return numbers. Advertisers have heard what you are saying before, it will go to x# of people and you are going to get X% customers in the door. Every advertising venue states what you say. Problem is, the client has tried it and they have spent money with little return.

    You are going to have to do more to convince the client you are different.
  • Posted by Gail@PUBLISIDE on 11/3/2011 at 2:06 PM Accepted
    You may have to prove your return by doing the first mailing comp. Select 5-to-10 businesses with which you'd like to work and diagram the program for them. Tell them you would like to distribute their flier at no cost to them. If they are happy with the results, you will offer them a custom-discount for future packets.

    This offer will also help you get a foot in the doors to meet decision makers.
  • Posted by mgoodman on 11/3/2011 at 4:16 PM Accepted
    Carol and Gail are giving you the right advice. You need to present what you're doing face-to-face, and it may well take multiple visits to close a sale.

    And you're going to have to prove your claims. Every ad sales rep on the planet plays the numbers game -- x% redemption = $yyy sales, etc. But very few can prove that their medium really delivers profitable sales. And the local merchants have heard it all. You need hard data that shows it works. Otherwise you're just begging for money.

    (I've run a small business, and I have clients who are on the receiving end of promises like yours. Don't think you can fool them by multiplying a phantom percentage by some average sales amount to calculate how much money they'll make.)
  • Posted by Peter (henna gaijin) on 11/4/2011 at 12:31 PM Accepted
    I also agree with face to face or cold calling, not direct mail.

    Make sure when you send the first flyer out, you also put information on it on how to advertise on your future fliers.
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