advertising ideas

[adrianfs1]

hi guys,
just wondered if anyone had any good cheap methods of advertising for work,tried local papers but these seem to be so expensive

 

[justlead1]

Hi. Knocking on doors, introducing yourself and service. Armed with business cards etc. Good Luck

 

[WHPES]

Parish magazines - cheap and plenty of people read them.

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

I'm a fan of door to door leaflets, when you've got a day where jobs are scarse get some printed and post them

 

[TradePlumbing]

Aye, handing/sending out flyers is usually the most effective way of getting the word out to large groups of people. Once you've done a few jobs, personal recommendation will do the hard work for you ^^

You could also try the old standby of a business card left in the window of local corner shops/off licenses.

Depends how large your business is and how much you've got set aside for promotions really

Oh and I'm sure you already knew this but avoid directories such as the Yellow Pages like the plague. You want your clients to only see your ad, not two dozen competing ads which they could then ring around for the best deal, which might not turn out to be yours!

 

[plumbitearth]

leaflets in local shop windows are a great way to get known locally, and if you have a local paper they may be willing to let you put a few in to get delivered (possibly for a small fee but saves you a few miles walking).

 

[willing2learn]

I've got a few jobs from dropping off leaflets lately.

 

[justlead1]

Hi. If you go on the knocker, take the trouble to have your name and service printed on paper that the back peels off and can be stuck to almost anything. Suggest to home owner that this is to stuck to the inside of the sink unit door or airing cupboard etc. Your numbers there for life. Good Luck

 

[wnjswozo]

we use a few parish mags ,brill

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

I was in the queue at post office yesterday and to advertise there for a month it was £1! a week was 30p!

I'm going to check my marketing funds and see

I lose more than that amount down the back of my sofa!

 

[willing2learn]

I was in the queue at post office yesterday and to advertise there for a month it was £1! a week was 30p!

I'm going to check my marketing funds and see

I lose more than that amount down the back of my sofa!

Don't blow ya budget by putting all your eggs in one basket though!

 

[WHPES]

Put an ad / fliers in places like your local chippy / indian.

If you are in a small town or rural area, you could sponsor local events such as classes in a show, which gets your ad in the show programme. Someone I know doing solar installations actually had a stand at his local show with a working demonstration solar panel set-up and loads of leaflets. Cost £30 for the stall for the day and he got several jobs from it.

 

[dontknowitall]

I was thinking of having a little stall this year and soldering 15mm pipes and fittings into letters. My house name board is a piece of wood on it with the house name in 15mm copper pipe (glued though cos I couldn't be bothered to solder it!)

 

[P4ULT]

some good advice here may try 1 or 2 myself as times are tough.

 

[balrog92]

Sending out leaflets and flyers seems like the best way of letting your local community know about your business, in terms of cost.

I also like the idea of trying to sponor a stall or a small local event. It might cost a little more but people will see what you are advertising and it helps getting potential consumers talking about your business. A quick google search will help you find companies who can help you find events to sponsor

 

[daz_jenkins]

hi there.have you tried vistaprint..you can make your own business cards on thier and there cheap as chips..put them thru ppls doors,or hand them to ppl wen you knock the door etc

 

[adrianfs1]

already using them for business cards and t shirts was considering web site, they are good but they do keep pestering u with emails

 

[Plum Bob 66]

Hi

Vista print superb. I had 500 qaulity potacards made for me with all my details, on them I decided to highlight some set pice jobs, taps, fill valves syphons etc. So far worked a treat, because unlike flyers people dont tend to discard them as junk mail. They cost £40 for the lot, but the cheeky blighters did add tax and postage.

Have found in this present financial climate people like to have an idea how much a job is going to cost before picking up the phone and budget accordingly.

Print your own flyers and get on shanks pony when nothings doing.

Hope this helps
Plum Bob

 

[daz_jenkins]

another one is getting a sticker put on to your vehicle thats quite good..and if your friends and family dont mind stick some on thiers aswell for maybe a small amout of money each month or somethink..its going to pay for itself anyway really

 

[needhelp]

have always found the yellow pages to be excellent, just go for a basic add in the correct section

 

[moony]

have always found the yellow pages to be excellent, just go for a basic add in the correct section

basic add in yellow pages excellent???

yell.com isnt bad if youve got a website and a freephone number.

 

[daz_jenkins]

end of the day..if your customer service is good,you do a good job,etc etc

word of mouth is the best way.

 

[United]

Do any of you use social media to market yourselves? It's free and a great way to raise awareness of you business.

How about contacting other local trades and teaming up, passing on leads and sharing ideas?

 

[unguided1]

I have never advertised, the reason is you only have to go into a pub for a pint, and strike up a conversation with someone, once its out in the open that yer a plumber, yer nearly always asked can you do this that or the other. I now tell people i,m a lorry driver, unless I want the work.

 

[Leadlotus]

When your doing a job a leaflet in the next door neighbours, and a couple of doors along, you always have the job youve just done as your showroom, because you know neighbours always talk.

 

[dean4drains]

yellow pages works for me, the only thing i get from yell.com is other people trying to sell me something. ive also got a pitch side board at the local junior football team park (£50 per year + cost of board), its good as the normally only play teams from around a 40 mile radius and the ground gets used for boot sales at week end.

 

[Puddle]

Do any of you use social media to market yourselves? It's free and a great way to raise awareness of you business.

How about contacting other local trades and teaming up, passing on leads and sharing ideas?

Do you mean twiter and my face,space book ect,this is a growing media that many neglect,

Have said before think differant local trades getting together to advertise /spread the cost on flyers ect,good idea

Years ago when starting out,I,a electrician,joiner and plaster teamed up and rented a small work shop between us,also local advertising and could take complete jobs on,now you could even share cost of proffesional web site,between the tades it would help increase traffic as well

 

[United]

Do you mean twiter and my face,space book ect,this is a growing media that many neglect,

Have said before think differant local trades getting together to advertise /spread the cost on flyers ect,good idea

Years ago when starting out,I,a electrician,joiner and plaster teamed up and rented a small work shop between us,also local advertising and could take complete jobs on,now you could even share cost of proffesional web site,between the tades it would help increase traffic as well

Yeah mate that's what I mean

Good idea about sharing the cost of flyers