Advertising

[memetic]

Besides word of mouth, what types of advertising has anyone found helpful? We have had a lot of business come our way by word of mouth, but we want to get even more business than what we got that way.

Thanks

 

[capetrees]

Decent size add in a small, well read local paper works well. Big regional papers like the Globe or Herald are too big. Even papers like the Salen news is too big. You want a small paper read by two or three towns, even a couple of papers and they can actually focus your business area. I advertise every two weeks with what they call a 1/8 page and I get enough bizto keep me way busy every weekend yearround.

 

[TDunk]

Decent size add in a small, well read local paper works well. Big regional papers like the Globe or Herald are too big. Even papers like the Salen news is too big. You want a small paper read by two or three towns, even a couple of papers and they can actually focus your business area. I advertise every two weeks with what they call a 1/8 page and I get enough bizto keep me way busy every weekend yearround.

Shirts with your name and logo on it and signs on your trucks and all your bases are covered

 

[memetic]

We have a couple small local papers that I can place ads in. It's good to hear that it's worth the money.

The shirt idea is a great idea. Not only does it advertise, but then we will look more professional and organized. Right now, we are so random looking. My guys all wear baseball hats too, so maybe we can do hats and shirts. I had mixed feelings about "uniforms" in the past, but I have been leaning more and more towards something like this.

Thanks.

 

[S Mc]

I also agree with the localized newspapers that are specific to the market area you want to address. The T-shirts are also good and in addition to your name and logo you can go to the high viz colors that not only add a safety dimension but draw people's eye (which means they will be reading your name).

Signs on your truck and equipment...that is probably the single best element for us. Work instantly picks up when they see you out and about doing jobs around town.

We also advertise in the local telephone directory.

Sylvia

 

[woodbooga]

Check to see if there's a tree service section in the classified section of the local papers in your service area. Especially any of the free weekly papers. I occasionally buy a paper, but always pick up the freebies and usually make a scan of the classifieds - and I'm not the only one.

Also, ask local general stores if you can post promo flyers, etc. if they have a bulletin board.

 

[Blakesmaster]

I've been running an ad in our local paper all season. For a few weeks it worked great, gotta few $ jobs out of it. It's tapered off now but I'm hoping for the best. We've had shirts for about a year now and they always get people asking about our work. Just this weekend we lettered up our trucks and hopefully that will bring in more. Here's a pic of us pretending to be badazzes in front of the new trucks.

 

[memetic]

"Also, ask local general stores if you can post promo flyers, etc. if they have a bulletin board."

That's what I've been doing all week in my spare time. I think it should work. I mostly noticed only older people looking at those at grocery stores. Maybe we'll rake in a huge clientele base of seniors haha.

I'm going to post some payed for ads once I figure out the best papers to advertise in. I'm definitely going to get shirts and "letter up" the trucks etc, we can do that ourselves. I'm an armature artist, so I can do the trucks and design the ####s. We have a local place that does silk screening for a decent price.

Who do other people do their shirts with? Are there some super cheap shops online?

Thanks

edit: ####s was supposed to be shirts. I must have forgot a letter.

 

[ClimbinArbor]

"Also, ask local general stores if you can post promo flyers, etc. if they have a bulletin board."

That's what I've been doing all week in my spare time. I think it should work. I mostly noticed only older people looking at those at grocery stores. Maybe we'll rake in a huge clientele base of seniors haha.

I'm going to post some payed for ads once I figure out the best papers to advertise in. I'm definitely going to get shirts and "letter up" the trucks etc, we can do that ourselves. I'm an armature artist, so I can do the trucks and design the ####s. We have a local place that does silk screening for a decent price.

Who do other people do their shirts with? Are there some super cheap shops online?

Thanks

i have tryed this, with very limited results. not worth the gas really.....

dont forget signs and billboards!!

 

[memetic]

Billboards! I wonder how much those things cost.

Where do you put up signs? I know I can put them up on job sites, but besides that?

 

[ClimbinArbor]

billboards go from a granf a month and up around here. probably alot more in some places.

put sign on corners. by the stop signs is a good spot

 

[memetic]

Good idea about the signs at corners - how well do those work?

Do you guys who place ads place regular ads or do you put the ad in the classifieds. I guess I want to know if the cheapo classifieds work.

Thanks

 

[ClimbinArbor]

street signs work!!! you can pull alot off of just street signs and paper ads.

i have tryed both the classifieds and regular ads. classifieds seem to work better. but im gonna take out like a half pager sometime and really amp it up with as much HO knowledge as i can and see what happens. will let ya know

 

[memetic]

Cool. I will get to the street corner signs tomorrow. It's also good to know the classifieds work (vs regular ads) - I can save some money until things really take off.

 

[TreeGhost]

I used post cards when I first started. The first batch went to family and friends. The second batch I just randomly sent. I tried treeservice direct for a year. I liked it except for the fact you could not limit your coverage area down to the zip code. You have to specify an entire county. I ended up paying for quotes I would not travel to. Now treeestimate.com allows you specify the zip codes you want to service. I signed up with them 2 months ago and have not recieved a request yet. It appears they don't advertise online as much as TSD. Oh well.

 

[ClimbinArbor]

dont fogret knocking doors. before i had any advertisement, hitting the pavement was 90%-95% of my incoming jobs.

 

[TreeGhost]

I thought about doing that when driving around and I see a dead tree. I always wonder why people leave a dead tree standing. I would assume it has to do with the cost of taking it down.

 

[ClimbinArbor]

i do that too. when im driving and see a dead tree, i make a mental note to go back by next time im around if i cant stop by then.

also you shouldnt knock doors unless you have a flyer in your hand. if theyre not home, you just wasted your time.

 

[juststumps]

Good idea about the signs at corners - how well do those work?

Do you guys who place ads place regular ads or do you put the ad in the classifieds. I guess I want to know if the cheapo classifieds work.

Thanks

i use them all the time.... just set them out along the roads.. always leave one at the job site.. put 10 out at a time....half are gone after a week...but i get $500-600 every time i put them out.. 2 sided , black on white signs 18x24,,and stakes,,, $4.00 each ... try this outfit

http://www.yardsignwholesale.com/YardSigns.html

 

[memetic]

I hit the streets last week and over the weekend w/ my son in one of those baby backpack things (dam what a workout). I left ads at all homes that looked like they could use some work. Definitely the dead tree houses. I cannot believe how many there were in some areas (the houses look nice, must just not have the time to get it done). Hopefully I'll get some callbacks after all that walking.

I finally got one call from an ad I posted in a grocery store. I was beginning to think those would never work.