Is newspaper inserts a great offline way of marketing?

That is a nice idea and it would defenitely bring you potential clients. Another option in addition to this one can be using some chain restaurants for letting you print some flyers for them with your promotional ads on it also.

You couldn't pay me enough to do any print or direct mail, especially with newspapers.
We are in a digital world with smart phones, tablets and Social Media. You money better spent in Mobile, Social and Search Marketing.

I agree fully that direct mail isn't even close to dead. For people who don't know how to do it it might be a waste of money, but for the select few who do there are still TONS of business out there. A great way to verify that is simply look in your mailbox. I get soooo many postcard style ads its crazy and they're mostly from multi million dollar companies. They clearly know this stuff still works or they wouldn't be dumping all this money on it.

The people who are missing out are the ones who solely rely on digital marketing. There is still a HUGE world out there of people who are not digital yet.

Sean

The first thought came to my mind is to go to car sale companies and give them your coupons and ads. Speak with manager to properly divide your earnings, and you'll get endless supply of fresh clients

Haha for sure as most people here have said, yeah go for it. Print media is not dead. Don't believe the hype. Just make sure you have your deadline, scarcity, irresistible offer and a call to action. And you're set.

That idea is pretty good, actually. A lot of people still read the paper, and a colorful flyer on a page will really stand out among the boring, black and white text of the newspaper.

limited auto insurance...does that mean what it says, that you are limited to sell car/boat insurance but not other coverage like for motorcycles?

Okay, so...then what will you offer potential customer/clients that they can't get anywhere else, especially from a long time, full service agent? How will you stand out and stand apart? What will make you better and stand above the rest? WHY should people do business with you?

For the money...Direct mail/post card marketing is the better solution and overall way to go! You stand a much better chance to get seen directly via a large/over sized post card that doesn't have to be opened and the message is right there in their faces immediately. Don't make people have to SEARCH for you...as you get lost on page 74 in a small tiny ad! STAND OUT and BE SEEN!

Also, join your local Chamber of Commerce and start networking to get known *in the neighborhood* and get referrals. Good luck!

If the target of that business is for grandmas and grandpas it would be ideal, but if you intend to target on teenagers then you're wasting time and money.

I don't recommend it. I received more leads from free craigslist ads than paying for a $250 ad in the paper

Flyer inserts are much different than paying for a display ad or classified ad in a newspaper. I did it once and the cost per flyer was ridiculously low...like $0.03 per person. I would rather have someone fumbling with my flyer when they first open the paper, than hope and pray they actually turn to the page that my tiny ad, attached to the page, is on.

And yes, you can make a cooperative mailer with other companies but I would do it with only 1 other marketer and maybe just by yourself the first time to test the medium. If you get no calls from flyers with just your name on it, then you probably aren't going to get calls on an inserted flyer where 1/4 or 1/10th of the space is devoted to you.

Ask your newspaper if they do it and what their minimum quantity is, if you have to print them up and deliver to the newspaper or if they'll do it, and if you can target by date or zip code. I would also print double-sided as it doesn't cost much more and you can say twice as much...or have your business on one side and another advertiser's on the other. Also, use brightly colored paper to get attention. I used to print black ink on canary or fluorescent yellow/green paper to get noticed.