advertising

S

Starlet

Location
Newtown, CT
question for all, how has everyone's luck or success been with advertising in local small papers, not just a blurb but a nice designed ad? i am getting ready to do some new marketing so i was wondering what has worked for you guys in the past? thanks for your input
 
find some smaller publication that is marketed to people with money like a local magazine or events bulletin. it seams to me that the quality of ads in papers has gone down since the days of the internet.
 
The best form of advertising isn't an ad. It's an article about what you do. Maybe look to participate in something for upcoming earth day and arbor day or for spring gardening season. Papers do look for stories to tell that are relevant for their readership. Look in the local section and find the name of a reporter that writes this kind of stuff.
 
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The best form of advertising isn't an ad. It's an article about what you do.

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I agree with Rob.

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... the quality of ads in papers has gone down since the days of the internet.

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I also agree with Michael.

To be effective in a newspaper, I think an article would be best.

Long term advertising in the paper may be effective. But, the ratio for dollars spent to dollars earned will be too high. IMO. Internet advertising is cost effective and rewarding.

As most would know, even major news papers are shutting down printing operations and focusing on online news. Therefore, online ads with the local newspaper may be worth a shot. --I haven't tried that yet.

I suppose, however, if you could ask the local newspaper what their target demographic is and see if that is in favor for you. For example, if they said a mojority of their newspaper customers are dual income upper class people. Well, it may be worth it.

My local newspaper delivers to retired people who are afraid to go on the internet. They also have a fixed income and bargain for the cheapest price. I'm sure you see where I'm going.

I'd save your money and put it elsewhere.
 
I agree with humper but I also am a fan of display ads.

However, and this is a huge caveat, you need to find the right paper serving the right demographic.

We have tried all the small papers in our county and found that only 3 have given us worthwhile returns whilst the others were worse than dismal.

know your market and talk directly to them. That is the sure fire way whether it be in print, audio or personal contact.

Attached is an example of one of our ads. I designed it in house myself using Adobe In Design CS4.

Good Luck!
 

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hey that is a nice ad, as soon as mine is ready i will post it, yes i agree know the paper demographics, etc. i did my research on that one. the ones i have chosen are hopefully good ones i believe they are. i had an article written up on my company last year in the local paper, i got a few hits off of it so yes an article is really good also
 
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I agree with humper but I also am a fan of display ads.

However, and this is a huge caveat, you need to find the right paper serving the right demographic.

We have tried all the small papers in our county and found that only 3 have given us worthwhile returns whilst the others were worse than dismal.

know your market and talk directly to them. That is the sure fire way whether it be in print, audio or personal contact.

Attached is an example of one of our ads. I designed it in house myself using Adobe In Design CS4.

Good Luck!

[/ QUOTE ]

Not sure how to embed your picture, but loved it. What gives companies the right to call themselves experts. The state of NJ can give you that credential by passing its Certified tree expert test. By all means you deserve it, but I see so many Joe Blow companies around here calling themselves experts with sub par work. Just really irks me. Even thinking about starting a post in the rant and rave because of it.
crazy.gif
 
It probably depends. Last summer I ran a business card size ad in our local weekly classified paper. It was a HUGE sucess, it was $117 a month and it pulled in upwards of $20,000 in 4 months from july to oct. Since thanksgiving I've only got a couple calls though.
 
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It probably depends. Last summer I ran a business card size ad in our local weekly classified paper. It was a HUGE sucess, it was $117 a month and it pulled in upwards of $20,000 in 4 months from july to oct. Since thanksgiving I've only got a couple calls though.

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Fayetteville, AR has interesting demographics.
 
Last year I advertised in a local rag, and found that the results were disappointing. I was doing an ad in the body of the paper, and not in the classified sections which are less expensive. As was said already, I put an article in the paper at first, and it saw results, but then they wanted me to advertise with them, so I did, but after going through all my numbers, it was a loss. A few people I know do it, and they all say the same thing... loss.
 
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Nice ad.
What is an ISA Certified Professional?
Is there a new certification that ISA is offering?

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When you want to use a reference to ISA certifications in your promotional material the require you to identify the person with the cert and their cert number.

If you don't or can't do that, say for space or turnover rates, they will allow you to state that ISA Certified Professionals are on staff.

What it means is that you have have people with ISA certifications working for you. Could be just CTW's, CA's or BCMAs or all of the above.
 
The best ad is one that works - plain and simple.

An article "about you" is not neccessarily the best ad. I've had one of those, and it was no better than a well-placed display ad. An "about you" ad comes and goes, fading into the past and the recycling bin.

Display ads repeat weekly or monthly, and repetition can be very beneficial.

I think it just depends on where you live, and how well it will work for you locally. Here, another arborist and I both started our businesses with small display ads in a small local paper, and the ads did excellently. That was in the 80's.

When we moved back to Beaverton 2 years ago from southern Oregon, I ran the same basic ads in the same local paper. Not one project in 10 months that I could say came from the weekly ads. Maybe $1000 down the drain.

But were it another city in Oregon, could be the opposite. I think that not commiting to a contract at first, and running a few weeks at regular price per column inch, is the way to go. Just test it first.
 
Forgot to mention ...

Did one of the coupon clipper papers too. It was good in its time. But I don't like to offer discounts anymore.

Here's from like 1989 - shared ad. Like the mullet and mustache'?

Fowler is a Certified Arborist these days. His "topping" back then, was more or less what we would call crown reduction.

219671-first_ad_large.JPG
 

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