Offline marketing idea!!! READ NOW.

14 years ago

Look at it on the long term... You've just found the beginnings for your own advertising agency

Get a van, and start using it as the aforementioned guy's doing.

After about 10 weeks, the first car'll be paid off and you'll have the cash to buy yourself a second van. Get a driver, and put him in the other car.
I hope you see where i'm going with this

P.s - please check up if your country's laws permit this though. Some road safety laws do not allow the use of Billboards etc, on or beside roads.

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se7en

14 years ago

Seen those lorry trailers with adverts on them parked up in fields alongside the motorway.Never realised the potential before.

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monitorit

14 years ago

yes i have seen these myself just think what them farmers must be making! This is defo worth looking into.

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indexphp

14 years ago

I think the hard part is going to be finding people who will pay that much for that kind of advertising. Just my 2cents

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Randy Smith

14 years ago

Originally Posted by monitorit

Short story here for you.

I recently while driving home come across an old van cab on wheels with an old wooden board on the back advertising a business owned by a person i know. In a conversation i asked the person in question how much he payed and i was shocked to find out the fee was £100 per day so thats £700 per week!

I looked on a used van site and found a van for £2000 and i reckon it will need £1500 spent on it to make it good. If my sums are correct after 5 weeks the van will be payed for. I hear you say what about the artwork for the business well that cost my mate an extra £400!

I think your friend is being ripped off....lol

One of my friends does the same and pays £20 a MONTH for the ad in a field next to a busy road.

So that might take you a little longer to buy a new van

Randy

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Andyhenry

14 years ago

A bit of a dramatic headline - try it and let us know how it goes.

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nothing to see here.

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Dexx 14 years ago

Originally Posted by Andyhenry

A bit of a dramatic headline - try it and let us know how it goes.

Heh, agreed with the headline comment

~Dexx
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duia

14 years ago

Thanks for your sharing.
I am not familiar with offline marketing indeed, so, your idea is really useful to me. Thanks.

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monitorit

14 years ago

lol tell your friend he has a bargain. I have been researching for a few days now and cannot find anything cheaper than a bedford rascal size van for £50 per day plus vat + £300 for the graphics.

For something on the scale im looking at i believe a ball park figure is £100 per day plus vat.

even if i charged £40 for a static van its easy money. Park the van and hey the rest of the day to sell the space.

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jazbo

14 years ago

I think in the current climate you will find it quite tough to find businesses willing to part with that amount of cash for something like that. I cannot think of a single type of business that would get a return for the investment for extremely local advertising.

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monitorit

14 years ago

just think hostgator pay around $100 per sign up and will not get that back untill months later sane kind of principal.

People who would pay:

Event organisers
Tradesmen

The list goes on just think!

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Joachim Larsen

14 years ago

This is a good idea actually! Never thought about it in that way though

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monitorit

14 years ago

maybe but it gets attention. Im used to using good headlines that attract attention and convert!

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JPMaroney 14 years ago

Many moons before I got into the direct response industry, I owned (first) an agency, (second) a weekly newspaper/classified rag, and (third) a chain of magazines.

And... (this should come as no surprise)

I NEVER cease to be amazed at what "Mainstreet Small Business Owners" will BUY under the umbrella of advertising.

I'm not saying the truck idea is a bad idea -- we have 'em running around our town.

Good idea or bad idea ... if you're the one selling it -- you want buyers. I think you'll find 'em.

You could even TIE web to it...

Convince them it's a great way to promote their website, blah blah blah.

OH --

Why not set up your OWN SITE ... www.yourtownrollingads.com and put all your advertisers on their as a valued added -- or even an upsell. Then you put that URL across top or bottom or whatever of all panels on the truck and tell 'em how you're helping them offline and online.

Go back it work ...

Let us know how it goes.

JP Maroney
aka "Mr. Monetizer"
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- klittle 13 years ago
  
  As I read the post one thing keeps coming to my mind.
  
  Is this advertising actually helping the business owner?
  
  I would think not.
  
  What is the return in investment on that advertising?
  There probably isn't one.
  
  When is the last time you called a business from an ad you saw on a vehicle???
  
  Hmmmm Never?
  
  Our objective is to plug the profit leaks.
  
  Advertising that has no ROI is a huge one.
  
  Give them solutions that make a difference and really help them.
  
  Show them list building. Show them how to get referrals.
  
  Start using marketing that we know is proven to work.
  
  If you do this, you will stand out from the crowd as you are offering something to them that no one else is telling them.
  
  Do you think that will make them sit up and take notice?
  
  I would.
  
  Keith
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
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  wbinst2 13 years ago
  
  Not all business types suit the same advertising vehicles. maybe local SEO stuff isnt suited to being advertised on the back of a van. I dont think it would be just as Consulting in general isnt.
  
  General advertising sort of doesnt work real well either. Unless its a 2 step approach and still then, not real well.
  
  Thanks
  
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John Durham

13 years ago

Well it is "Offline Marketing".

We cant be narrow minded , there are ALOT of ideas out there.

For some $3-$400.00 per week is a fulltime paycheck.

Who is gonna pay you that much? I dont know, but it only takes ONE and there are millions of businesses you can ask.

Pretty decent odds that it could be pulled off.

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SergeyZ

13 years ago

I've actually had this idea. I was pondering as to why anyone would want to invest in billboard advertising. After all, they're located on the side of the road and looking at one is distracting if you're driving. And, if you're a passenger, a billboard offers nothing but cheap, meaningless advertising that offers you no value. Plus, most of the time the driver is the one with the wallet while the passengers are kids who have little spending money.

In other words - target the driver. But how can you target the driver if he or she is always looking at the car in front of them? Simple - put an ad on the back of the car!

But what kind of businesses will pay for this service? Simple! Automotive businesses! For example, find a repair shop in your area that specializes in brake repair and sell them on the ad. The text can be simple. For example:

Brakes squealing? 1-800-BRAKE-FIX - $20 off your next repair!

or something like that. May be

Car making funny sounds? 1-800-4-TUNE-UP will make it sing!

In other words you end up with extremely targeted ads that are, literally, staring your target audience in the face!

You can also upsell them by offering to hook them up with an 800 number, a website with an easy to remember URL, possible SEO services, etc. etc. etc.

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WillDL

13 years ago

Actually these kinds of ads are extremely effective.

When your toilet is spewing sewage into your house you don't price shop.

If you lock your keys in your car with your infant child strapped in the car seat you don't care who has the best website.

Most people don't check out Google when thinking "I'm kind of hungry what sounds good?"

Any number of industries thrive not on direct response advertising, but on being the first name you think of when you need their service.

These types of campaigns are not meant to make you call now and are exponentially more difficult to track, but they can return huge dividends. A good billboard (car window, back of a pedicab) just makes you see that business' name everyday. It's all about top of the mind awareness. It's why commercials have jingles.

When your toilet explodes you know Bob's Plumbing has a one hour guarantee.

Child stuck in the backseat? Good thing you have Jim's Autolock jingle stuck in your hear. It has the phone number.

Hungry? That giant cheeseburger you pass everyday sounds really good. You should check that place out.

If I could pay $5,000.00 a person to have them see my business' name and phone number every time they closed their eyes I would in a heartbeat. And once my advertising budget was gone, I'd borrow every penny I could to keep doing it.

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Occasionally Relevant.

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John Durham

13 years ago

Originally Posted by WillDL

Most people don't check out Google when thinking "I'm kind of hungry what sounds good?"

Im thinking a mobile banner on a car would be more effective than a web page in this case.

One thing I dont hear much about anymore, but that is still true is this:

The best markets are ones where people are desperate. For instance I was able to sell 1700 webpages like hot cakes to aspiring glamour models... back when I had a modeling site...

I tried the same advertising strategy on something else and the results werent nearly the same... so specific advertising strategies apply only to their specific market sectors, they arent like "Blanket" solutions.

There are alot of things people dont search for on google. More people are looking at street signs and bumper sticker advertisements when on the road than they are googling for diners on their cell phone.

Your advertising strategies have to make sense, and the elements of them need to be synergistic, conducive to one another and relevant. Always.

In this instance:

Modeling is a desperate market and one where it is customary to constantly be purchasing new exposure related products. They are encouraged to get as much exposure as possible, and they EXPECT it will cost money. You dont have to sell a model on the idea that more exposure is good.

(You also dont have to sell very hard to convince a potential sales agent, "particularly male", that working with models is good

). Most salesman who sell to "models" cant wait to go out prospecting every day!!! lol

Anyway, we are talking about matching an ad strategy with a product...

Models are desperate for ANY chance whatsoever to get their image out there and fight for their one in a million chance... They are a market that routinely pays 5 different vendors for web pages, portfolio updates, videos, they are also usually paid members of 5 different model showcase sites... and are never happy with the amount of exposure they have. More is always better...In that market it is customary to regularly spend money on updating your photo's a few times per year, putting them online, and spreading them out between different websites... for as broad a reach as possible.

So if you place an ad for modeling exposure in a publication where people are seeking jobs in the entertainment industry... you have a match with a desperate market.

Ad strategies have to make common sense.

You might not get so far advertising to them on a laundromat billboard... however you may make a ton of sales if you advertise rent to own washing machines on one with no credit check!

Many times we fail to target markets that make sense with our advertising.

Random ads dont work on google, and they dont work anywhere else...

You have to target your market.

In this case I would say "Brakes Squeling"... or "are you hungry".... would be a much better match than "Do you need a webdesigner..." on the side of a car.

I think it could be effective if you match the advertisement with the URGENT needs opf people who are on the road.

Always gotta be relevant.

Auto advertising works, depending on the offer you are promoting... so does a google ad, so does a free print rag advertisement (if you are marketing to senior citizens...)

But NOTHING works unless its relevant.

With all of that being said... I can believe there are business owners out there who would pay you to put an ad on your car and drive it around.

Thanks
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WillDL

13 years ago

Originally Posted by John Durham

But NOTHING works unless its relevant.

I agree. Of course your advertising needs to be relevant for it to be acted upon. And yes, you definitely have to be advertising where your target market will see it.

But there are businesses where you don't have a market, until you do. Then they call the first person they think of with very little consideration.

What I mean by that is if you (or your client) offers an emergency response type service, anyone can become your target market. And they want their problem solved now. Then they don't need your help until the next emergency.

In that situation having as many people as possible them see your ad every day is advantageous. You want the panic person to have your name float to the top of their mind first.

Would I put an ad in a modeling magazine for an emergency plumbing service? Nope

Would I put up a billboard? Absolutely.

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Occasionally Relevant.

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John Durham

13 years ago

Originally Posted by WillDL

I agree. Of course your advertising needs to be relevant for it to be acted upon. And yes, you definitely have to be advertising where your target market will see it.

But there are businesses where you don't have a market, until you do. Then they call the first person they think of with very little consideration.

What I mean by that is if you (or your client) offers an emergency response type service, anyone can become your target market. And they want their problem solved now. Then they don't need your help until the next emergency.

In that situation having as many people as possible them see your ad every day is advantageous. You want the panic person to have your name float to the top of their mind first.

Would I put an ad in a modeling magazine for an emergency plumbing service? Nope

Would I put up a billboard? Absolutely.

Interesting point... there ARE products and services that apply to ALL!

Thanks
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wbinst2 13 years ago

Oh, i just realised you are not advertising your SEO/offline business on the back of van. But making that a business opportunity in itself.

Bit of a misleading headline there mate.
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Offline marketing idea!!! READ NOW.

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