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Help with a print ad

by sodomojo
8 replies
I am going to be doing a print ad for a local value pages mailer that goes to 60k homes. With the price that it is, I just need 1-2 sales to justify it. I never see any other web design or SEO company advertising in it, and at the very least, I know the other business owners that are in the magazine will be looking through it to see their ads. Regardless, I figure at $1k for a full page spot it's worth a shot.

So, help me brainstorm a headline. I will be marketing low ($750-$1250) priced web design service with the intention of upselling on the backend for other services.

From my market research, I know that most small business owners are afraid of the following when hiring a web designer:

1) Poor quality
2) Poor communication
3) Not responsive
4) Being ripped off

So, that being said, does anybody have any headline/sub heading ideas?

I get most of my customers because they see that I am an individual consultant, not some big company, they like that I am a small biz owner, supporting his family.

I plan to offer in the ad:
$500 off

Anything else? I see some people offering 'no design fee', which is pretty bogus for the most part.

I want to speak to them, and their pain points, not overwhelm them with mumbo jumbo.

I will have a callfire number to track calls, as well as a new single page website set up citynamedesign.com or something similar that will have a lead capture form and the same callfire number.


Ideas?
#print
  • Profile picture of the author Mr. Subtle
    Originally Posted by sodomojo View Post

    I am going to be doing a print ad for a local value pages mailer that goes to 60k homes. With the price that it is, I just need 1-2 sales to justify it. I never see any other web design or SEO company advertising in it, and at the very least, I know the other business owners that are in the magazine will be looking through it to see their ads. Regardless, I figure at $1k for a full page spot it's worth a shot.
    Why would advertise in a B2C vehicle when your product is B2B? $1k is a HUGE price to pay to catch the eyes of other businesses advertising in the mailer. If that's what you really want to do, then wait for the mailer to come out and then send each business a direct mail piece. It will be a lot less expensive (and more effective).
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    • Profile picture of the author sodomojo
      Originally Posted by Mr. Subtle View Post

      Why would advertise in a B2C vehicle when your product is B2B? $1k is a HUGE price to pay to catch the eyes of other businesses advertising in the mailer. If that's what you really want to do, then wait for the mailer to come out and then send each business a direct mail piece. It will be a lot less expensive (and more effective).
      Why not? You think the only business owners that will read it are those that are in the mailer? Out of the 60k homes that it goes to, you can bet there will be a fair share of business owners. I would guess more business owner eyeballs would get on the ad, then if I only sent a direct mail piece to those that are in the magazine.

      Besides at just $1k, and 1 sale to break even, it seems worth it to test.
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      • Profile picture of the author Mr. Subtle
        Originally Posted by sodomojo View Post

        Besides at just $1k, and 1 sale to break even, it seems worth it to test.
        Betcha dollars to donuts $1k spent in B2B direct mail will result in way more biz than $1k spent in a coupon mailer.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by Mr. Subtle View Post

      Why would advertise in a B2C vehicle when your product is B2B? $1k is a HUGE price to pay to catch the eyes of other businesses advertising in the mailer. If that's what you really want to do, then wait for the mailer to come out and then send each business a direct mail piece. It will be a lot less expensive (and more effective).
      How dare you state the obvious first?

      Far far better to send a direct mail piece to business owners, at their place of business. Far better use of $1,000.

      To the OP. Mr. Subtle and I speak from experience. You'll get at least ten times the value from a direct mail piece sent to the business, that to include a business to business offer in a consumer mailer.

      I know it feels like it should make sense....but you'll lose. Sorry. Every new mailer gets the same idea. Once.
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      • Profile picture of the author sodomojo
        Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

        How dare you state the obvious first?

        Far far better to send a direct mail piece to business owners, at their place of business. Far better use of $1,000.

        To the OP. Mr. Subtle and I speak from experience. You'll get at least ten times the value from a direct mail piece sent to the business, that to include a business to business offer in a consumer mailer.

        I know it feels like it should make sense....but you'll lose. Sorry. Every new mailer gets the same idea. Once.
        So I guess the follow up question would be, how many offliners place ads for their services in the newspaper, possibly via remnant space?
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        • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
          Originally Posted by sodomojo View Post

          So I guess the follow up question would be, how many offliners place ads for their services in the newspaper, possibly via remnant space?
          NOW you're thinking!

          I've tried that at 25% the usual rate..and it still didn't pay.

          Newspaper readers tend to be older and a little better off financially that most...but they are still almost all consumers.

          Only maybe 1% of the readership would be a prospect (meaning they own a business)...Maybe only 1% of them would be thinking about online marketing and are real prospects. And remember, most people don't read every section of the paper. And nobody is looking for your ad.

          So a readership of 100,000 may have 10 real prospects for your offer.

          Believe me, the idea has occurred to me too. So I did it. I spent $600 on a full page newspaper ad in our local paper. The regular page rate was about $2,200. It was for SEO services (more or less)

          Not one call. Nothing. Why? Because I was trying to sell to all the wrong people. But direct mail? You can send your offer to only the right people. And a list of advertisers in a local Yellow Pages, or local shopper...is a list of ideal prospects. I might even staple their ad to the letter when you send it. Not an ad...a sales letter.

          This is the same with radio. And Billboards. You are paying for access to the people guaranteed never to buy from you.

          I know the appeal...believe me.

          But use direct mail, hire a smart copywriter (a few here are great and inexpensive)..and get to it.

          Don't try to prove Mr. Subtle and me wrong. You'll kick yourself.
          I speak from very expensive experience.
          Signature
          One Call Closing book https://www.amazon.com/One-Call-Clos...=1527788418&sr

          What if they're not stars? What if they are holes poked in the top of a container so we can breath?
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          • Profile picture of the author sodomojo
            Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

            NOW you're thinking!

            I've tried that at 25% the usual rate..and it still didn't pay.

            Newspaper readers tend to be older and a little better off financially that most...but they are still almost all consumers.

            Only maybe 1% of the readership would be a prospect (meaning they own a business)...Maybe only 1% of them, would be thinking about online marketing and are real prospects. And remember, most people don't read every section of the paper. And nobody is looking for your ad.

            So a readership of 100,000 may have 10 real prospects for your offer.

            Believe me, the idea has occurred to me too. So I did it. I spent $600 on a full page newspaper ad in our local paper. The regular page rate was about $2,200. It was for SEO services (more or less)

            Not one call. Nothing. Why? Because I was trying to sell to all the wrong people. But direct mail? You can send your offer to only the right people. And a list of advertisers in a local Yellow Pages, or local shopper...is a list of ideal prospects. I might even staple their ad to the letter when you send it. Not an ad...a sales letter.

            This is the same with radio. And Billboards. You are paying for access to the people guaranteed never to buy from you.

            I know the appeal...believe me.

            But use direct mail, hire a smart copywriter (a few here are great and inexpensive)..and get to it.

            Don't try to prove Mr. Subtle and me wrong. You'll kick yourself.
            I speak from very expensive experience.
            Thanks for the great response.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jonwebb
    Trade magazines are a great alternative. you can target a specific demographic. However direct mail is still the best way to go imo.

    Good luck,

    Jonathan Webb
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    "How to value a business or Website for purchase"
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