Is Any Marketing Working Right Now?

Jake101

I have been in business for 8 years. In that time I have gone from $450,000 to over $10 million in sales. And, all of the marketing that has worked for me over the years to grow my business really isn't profitable to do at this point. And, I can't stop doing everything. I have been trying to rethink my marketing plan, but I can't decide where I want to put my precious advertising dollars. Is there anyone out there that is having success with any particular marketing source?

I'm currently marketing with the following sources:

Internet (which is my most cost effective source)
Direct Mail (in the past was one of my best sources and now it cost 3 to 5 times more in comparison to the amount of revenue it generates)
Builders Shows (have been down all year and don't start again for a few months)
County Fairs (they are cheap advertising, but are only in the summer and fall)
Yellow Pages (one of my cost per lead)
TV (i have never been able to get TV to pay)
Trucks and Signs
Referrals (of course this is what we all want)

I don't want to be negative, but I looking for any thoughts. I know that there are people out there having success with something. I'm just looking for ideas.

SelfContract

We all feel your pain. A 533,000 people were laid off this month (11/08) alone... & still more to come... the end of world has not reached... cheers, pray, and hope

nlgutters

This time of year? Nothing unless it can be wrapped and put under a tree.

silvertree

I'm holding my money till February. But will network and volunteer to give seminars.

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Vote for Pedro
Kitchen, bath, St Paul remodeling
Minneapolis Remodel Blog
203K Loan Consultant Minnesota

rbsremodeling

I am too. I have some select marketing prepaid and about 300 bucks set up for google to keep my name out during the holidays and for people moving here for the new admin but pretty much done till FEB


Christmas cards will go out and lots of follow up phone call and emails from now till FEB

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D.A.S.Anthony

Good advice!

On a side note.....Our Magazine ad saleswomen called today and asked why we pulled out for the January issue. I simply told her it is not the right time and I am waiting till March to use up the ads we already paid for. She then said as a thank-you to us for buying ads for a year that she was going to run our ad in the January issue for free! Point being noone is buying ads. They cannot even fill the magazine this month. Great for me, but I still do not expect anything from it.

Hold on tight fellas/ladies, January/february is going to be tough. Many more layoffs to come.

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Anthony
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www.dasassociates.com Building from Greenwich to Fairfield and Westchester Counties.

MattCoops

It would have been smarter to push your advertising through the summer and early fall so you can be now concentrating on getting your jobs done in time before your next one starts.
Developing a marketing plan right before the end of the year isn't a good time, but at least you'll have a better plan for next year.
But with 10 mil in sales over the years, you must have some assets just sitting around that you could live without. Maybe sell those so you can get your kids something better than a hoola-hoop to put under the tree.

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Matt with Cupan Custom Tile & Paint of Lowell, Massachusetts
Design and installation of ceramic tile and natural stone for floor, wall, and countertops
(978) 601-8774 | cupantile@gmail.com | view tile pictures and more

pcplumber

1) You've seen the post with the 240 marketing ideas. All you have to do is pick the best of the ideas that suit you.

2) Stop listening to people who have not and do not know what to do.

3) Stop listening to people who tell you that something cannot be done.

4). Stop listening to people who tell you something did not work for them.

4. Listen to people who are making things happen and people who are REALLY successful.

5. Choose a marketing campaign and make it happen. Find a way to make it work for you.

There are times when things get slow and we think the world is coming to an end. This is when the successful people do their most aggressive marketing campaigns. It is when things get really bad. Then, when things get better, we continue to pump even more money and effort into our advertising campaigns.

I do not listen to the news. The last time I watched television was when the terrorist hit the buildings on 911. I watched for only 10 minutes. I do not listen to the news about our economy and I do not believe there is a shortage of money. The people I deal with still have the same amount of liquid cash as 10 years ago.

A few weeks ago, I was scared and thought I may get into some trouble. I have 30+ employees and feel obligated to make sure they can live a decent lifestyle. This is my obligation, to my employees, as a business owner.

My efforts paid off. For the last two weeks my company is kicking butt. We are so busy and we are closing so many sales, I can't tell you in this post. It will make people angry.

Make it happen. About once a year, I go to the ocean by myself and I meditate. I sit on the beach until I think of new ways to implement advertising campaigns, and I only leave when I am positive about what I am going to do. I write down my ideas and then I make the ideas work.

Previously, I told you about the three hottest advertising campaigns. You will have to find them in the previous posts.

Number 1) For 35 years almost all of our business is from brochures

Number 2) We send credit cards, with $25 credit, to all our customers. The cards also offer a 10% discount and priority service.

Number 3) We send letters to inspect our old jobs and 80% of the customer we mail to respond. We sell something to about 50% of these customers.

Number 4) We mail and hand-deliver over 200,000 packets with 5 x 7 magnet calendars, ink pens, garden hose washers, and a brochure.

Number 5) We do Home & Garden Shows, set up our 10" x 6 foot candy tube, and we get every person at the show to come to our booth 1 to 3 times. Our sales are always phenomenal and we get maximum exposure. Find the posts about this show.

We will set up a booth at the Home and Garden Show, at the Los Angeles Convention Center, February 21 - 22, next year (2009). I am going to bring two computers and two large televisions. I will spend a few hours, early, each morning, to help contractors with marketing and show how to use the free software programs posted in the File Swap threads. Stop by, visit, and watch the mannerisms and soft-sales approach.

SethHoldren

Also, in case you didn't read this yet, here is another example of marketing that's working now:

http://www.contractortalk.com/f12/update-advertising-49509/

You could hold your marketing back until spring based on the news, and assumptions about what people might not do.

Or, you can find a cheap idea like this and hit people in their homes, during the holidays, while they're sitting around thinking about what to do with their house they can't sell.

Hmmm.

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Website Critiques

The Construction Marketing Blog

pcplumber

I don't buy the fact that people open the envelope, more, because it is hand-addressed. Many professional letters come with labels from attorneys, doctors, bills, etc. I will bet that almost every direct mail piece is opened that we send. Just don't make your envelope look like junk mail and people will open it.

Regardless, of how the envelope is addressed, the customer's information should be put into a database for tracking and repeat mailing. I would rather use my time to increase the size of my mailing list rather than hand-write envelopes.

These people are getting a hand-addressed envelope and nothing inside is addressed to them. When we send bulk mail, to good customers, we use our database to personalize every letter with the customer's full name and address. All it takes is the click of a button.

We used our database and sign with script with black ink. We turned the signature about 5 degrees and it appears that each page was signed by hand. We always print our letters on a color printer and use white paper.

Push a few buttons and we print labels and letters in batches of 500. Then we will print 500 color brochures, while sleeping at night, that are specific for the letters and special offers.

silvertree

One guy doing bulk, one guy doing hand addressed. Both ways work for each guy.
I have a partner vehicle, I could get my partners all to offer something, what an impact!
Wow Kitchens
A team approach to your remodel.
MJ's Contract Appliance is offering 10% on all Wolf appliances---------
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Southside Electric is offering FREE undercabinet lighting up to 5 lights
and so on.
Offer good with all WoW Team remodels.
Call right now and lets get going.
Signed
Paul Lesieur/ Owner of WoW Kitchens

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Vote for Pedro
Kitchen, bath, St Paul remodeling
Minneapolis Remodel Blog
203K Loan Consultant Minnesota

gtmstang

pcplumber you dont have to "buy" the fact that people open a hand addressed envelope more often. I am being told this by the people who are calling right now. One HO asked me how many letters I've done so far. When I told him he was impressed that I hand addressed every letter and appreciated the time it took to do so. He said I must love my company and what I do for a living to have writers cramp for 2 or 3 days after writing so much. After we both laughed about it he told me I was the guy for him and we will hopefully sign by Friday.

Do you think I'm just pulling names out of my butt and writing letters and then throwing them away? Every address is saved on my list and ready to get reapeated letters, postcards and mailers. Every phone call is logged and tracked so I will know what areas are doing what. I rate the areas and the individual homes so I think I'll know what they need or want. All brochures are color and target what I feel will be the best selling point to the bulk of the HO's. I go look at the areas while doing quotes close by so I'm not out a whole day driving around for nothing. Repeat customers get letters from me on all holidays, birthdays and if I get lucky and get the info I send them a gift card for dinner on their anniversaries. I send follow up letters to HO I quoted but didnt get the job just to make sure everything is going as they planned, in case they havent got the work done I'm fresh on their mind again.

One more thing.. the HO's who are calling are telling me its rare for someone to hand address and sign a letter to them. In these days of point, click and print anyone can market to thousands and the HO's know that.

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www.morganconstructionandremodeling.com

Jake101

Thank you for the ideas. I'm just looking to use my budget wisely. I have had a lot of advertising failure lately. And, we all know that when you spend money on advertising and it doesn't work, it is a very bad for profits.

Does anyone have anything else that is currently working?

gtmstang

I feel your pain Jake. I spent my last $350.00 of advertising money on this. As cheesy as it sounds, I also printed up some flyers to hang on boards and hand out, gave cards to at least 5 strangers a day and volunteering for community events just to get my name out there. I never got into advertising until lately. Always worked by referals. That well dried up fast the end of this year.

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www.morganconstructionandremodeling.com

buildpinnacle

What do I do if I am not Omish and do watch TV?

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SethHoldren

If you study copywriting and direct response marketing, you will learn that studies have shown hand addressed envelopes to out-pull print addressed envelopes for open rates for most campaigns.

The real reason why a guy wouldn't hand address is because on large-scale mailers it's very expensive to do and often doesn't make sense on a cost-per-lead basis.

But for less than 500 or 1000 pieces, I believe it can be worth the extra effort if you do it in-house.

Is it absolutely necessary? Usually no.

Don't waste time worrying about it. Just get a mailer out, measure your response rate, and try to improve it on the next mailer.

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rbsremodeling

Do you guys think it would make a difference if I hand wrote the letters in the nude?

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SelfContract

Design/use a robot's hand , train it to hold a pen, replace human hands... for automatic writing letters a.b.c..., other tasks, etc. and pay it with kilowatts (electric), lol... j/k (In far future, 2500-3000 years, maybe technology advances possible??)

will575

probably only if you included a picture of you doing it.

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gtmstang

Just be careful not to drop a peice of paper rbs. That would be a painful paper cut.

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www.morganconstructionandremodeling.com