Best type of advertising for Domestic work.

[PEM]

Hi,

After some advice as regards what you guys reckon is the best form of advertising for domestic work in terms of new business V's £ spent.

I've listed options below (May not be all):-
1. Local free parish magazine.
2. Local papers.
3. Flyers delivered through doors.
4. Yellow pages.
5. Yell.com
6. Web site.
7. Business cards in shop windows etc.
8. Van signs.

Obviously word of mouth and recommendations come free!

Would be interested to know approximately what % of your gross turnover you spend on advertising.

There's a lot of conflicting advice out there so any advice gratefully received.

I currently use a mix of 1,2,3,4.

 

[Andy78]

I rate flyers if you have a lot of spare time as they cost next to nowt. I bought 5000 for £60 delivered. I pushed out maybe 1000 of them through doors over a year ago. I only stopped due to getting busy. I am still getting calls from them now as people have kept them just in case.
I have had way less than 0.5% enquiry rate from them, but they paid for themselves on the first call.
Flyers also double as shop window ads or in stacks on shop counters, so much more visible than business cards.

Free listings sites are obviously worth doing.. I use yell and freeindex, and there are plenty more.

My local paper is a rip off...look for colour business directories with local circulation and parish magazines, as they can offer quite good deals sometimes.

Also free is social media. Facebook, Google plus and twitter are the ones to bother with. Get a page up and update it with pretty pics of your work. Namedrop your customers if their businesses have social media pages and that can help increase your network

This level does for me as a sole trader, I just got too busy to organise the rest, but a website is really needed. Keep it cheap, keep it simple, if it's not working down the line, then look at spending more.

 

[telectrix]

as above. yellow pages and yell.com, just go for the free entries. facebook and gumtree are also sources of free advertising.

 

[Jaxo]

Google local directory... if someone searches on google in your local area the the google local directory usually shows first before yell etc etc ... and you want to be on there ... Places for Business ? Google

Yell... rubbish imo,.. shows who pays them the most money first rather thaqn the closest...

 

[Octopus]

Not having a website is a huge own goal - especially in the domestic market.

My stats tell me that most people are "direct entry" which means they know the web address so must have seen an advert and want to find out more....

 

[PEG]

Going to give my stock answer here....Do Not advertise...you will only get the people who have no other way of securing a tradesman,not referal,recommendation ,friend or associate. There will be the odd genuine enquiry,but they will inevitably be ringing all the other numbers. Endeavour to build up a customer base from your contacts,both business and personal and THEY will become your advert. I have friends in several unconnected trades who maintain a small running ad and/or web page but don't take ANY new business from those points,unless verified by other means. I know it sounds counter-productive,but if you are relying on that method of generating profit,you are going to have your faith in mankind tested...good luck

 

[SPARTYKUS]

I'm in same boat as PEG - just cut my advertising spend per year down to £60. As 90+% of work for the past two years now has been repeat/ friends of friends / recommendation / other trades.

great if you can get to that point but when you do theres no room for bodgers. Only as good as the last job.

 

[Octopus]

I'm in same boat as PEG - just cut my advertising spend per year down to £60. As 90+% of work for the past two years now has been repeat/ friends of friends / recommendation / other trades.

great if you can get to that point but when you do theres no room for bodgers. Only as good as the last job.

I keep wondering about cutting my advertising but I do like acquiring new clients and what if the phone goes quiet??

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Agreed Murdoch that is the niggle. But I am sucking it and seeing, so to speak. I can ramp back up if needs be

 

[walsall]

Have decent business cards. When you provide your invoice give them 3 cards. Generally they don't get thrown away - just passed on!

 

[PEM]

Guys many thanks for your help and advice.

 

[Octopus]

Guys many thanks for your help and advice.

Out of interest, what have you decided to do?

 

[PEM]

Looking into google and a web site. Since local free magazine has more than doubled its rates it would now cost me over £2,500 a year to advertise in under half the areas I used to. Fortunate at moment that for last 4 months most of my work has been from client recommendations and client further work and been kept busy 6 days a week.
Don't advertise in local papers yet but annual costs would be £3,000 plus!! Too much me thinks.
I've read very mixed reviews about yell.com in the free listings but it generates nothing.
At least for last 12 months I've had work 6 days a week every week so in these hard times mustn't grumble.
Once again many thanks for your help and advice.

 

[Octopus]

I got a call via my website this week and got 1/2 days work from it immediately - which in costs terms is more that the cost to run/support my website for a year.