Where can I advertise for free

[clairemackaness]

Hi,

I'm looking for suggestions of sites I can advertise www.craftmonkeys.co.uk for free. We are only Essex based so I need to be quite specific. Any ideas on parenting groups/pages/forums or free directories would be most appreciated.

I'm spending my marketing budget on leaflets which we will be putting in the bookbags at our local schools so any web marketing we do at present has to be free.

Please post away

Thanks

Claire

[jen]

Hi Claire,

Just replying to your post about craftmonkeys, why don't you check this site, it is aimed at parents with young children and will be rolled out across the uk in due course.

www.theparentingcard.co.uk

All the best

[Tin]

Hi Claire

You could try this technique of sourcing closely suitable sites then try adding your link.
Go to Goole.co.uk and type into the search box the following exactly as I've typed it

"add_url" + "children"

"add_site" + "children"

"add_site" + "kids"

"add_site" + "crafts"

"addurl" + "kids fun"

You'll notice that all you need to do is to swap the search parameters around to come up with plenty of opportunities. Eg;

"add_url" could be changed to "submit_url" or "submit_site" or simply "addurl".
Similarly, the other parameter can be changed according to what you feel useful such as "kids fun" to "kids games", "kids toys" "kids events" "childrens games" and so on.
Using the commas around each parameter forces Google to show the most accurate results to your search.
You then need to spend some time looking at the sites that show up and choose which ones best suit your purposes for a link.

Hope that's some help! :wink:

[click2britain]

Hi Claire,

You can submit to the following directories for FREE:-

The main 2 directories are:-
www.dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/Essex/
uk.dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/United_Kingdom/England/Counties_and_Regions/Essex/

The other local/essex directories:-

www.justessex.co.uk
www.uklocallinks.co.uk
www.ukfreepages.co.uk
www.ukclassifieds.co.uk
www.essexsearch.co.uk
www.essexlocal.co.uk
www.essexweb.co.uk
www.uksmallbusinessdirectory.co.uk/county_details.asp?strCounty=Essex
www.freeindex.co.uk
www.essexsites.co.uk
www.britainexpress.com/great_british_sites/essex.htm
www.harlowtown.com
www.justforessex.co.uk/


I hope this will keep you busy for a while:)

Good luck...

[clairemackaness]

Thats a great site, thanks Jen, I've just signed up for a free supplier membership. What a great scheme, I'm sure other members on here would benefit from it's idea, especially kate from bitsnstuff, hedgehog and Caroline

[FreeLocal]

Hi Claire . . .
If you send a graphic 180 x 40 I'll place it on www.freelocal.co.uk/essex . . . . with your other one.
I did mail the admin at UKBF asking for authority to offer a free graphic link to members. It would be limited to one per county page. Perhaps you might advise me whether this is 'spamming' my site or not.
Regards
keith

[clairemackaness]

Thanks to all of you, I was obviously posting a reply to Jen whilst you where all typing away too.

Keith - It would not be classed as spamming to offer something free as long as you post it once and once only in the offers thread. I'll e-mail you now

Claire

[Real World Hypnotherapy]

Claire

I do a lot of work with children's entertainers and I have found that press releases and getting to peer groups is the way forward. Doing a press release is totally free (bar stamps etc) and they give great returns.

The best thing that I have seen work is giving out a certificate at the end of the party to each child. On the reverse if information about your company and also the dangers of using unlicensed and uninsured people. This is read by the parents and you get a great response from it. Educating people in why you are professional and the dangers to may harm their children if they use a cowboy type company.

I can print you 5k of these certificates for £99 or £125 including the design. This will include delivery and VAT. They are a tried and tested method of when working with children.

Matt, MK Printing 0161 248 5474

[clairemackaness]

Thanks Matt, but I have no budget for printing.

Thanks al of you I've got onto all of the directories you mentioned.

Keep the ideas coming

[Ravenfire]

http://www.juniormagazine.co.uk/
http://www.sitesforparents.com/

[clairemackaness]

Thanks Ravenfire I'll take a look at them later.

Claire

[fridayteam]

I have offered you a listing before on our Event Management site, but you didn't respond.

Let me know if you are interested..

Plus we have some 150px squares available on the Essex page.

[Ravenfire]

Claire

If you offered a reciprocal link page you would be able to find loads of businesses (connected to yours) whereby you could add a link to theirs in exchange for one on your own site.

Toni

[UK2004]

Matt why on earth would the children want some certificate, if they are old enough to read then whatever's on the back would freak them out, dont' want to sound sharp but that just came aross as a blatent tout for business for your printing when she is asking about free advertising.

Claire, my girlfriend has niece and nephew who have party organisers in when they had birthday, they may be interested in this and my bird's sis in law had many friends iwth young children, want me to give her some leaflets to hand out, they all live in Chelmsford, may be of some help if you have some spare leaflets, at least it's free!

[Ravenfire]

Matt does have a point actually.

Being a parent myself with three children I am always impressed if I receive something from a venue assuring your of the safety and security of your child. I personally think something like a certificate for your child with details on the back for the parent is a great idea.

Alternatively, when children are going home maybe you could include something with what they do take home, advertising your parties, as I have received these from venues and always pin them up on my board for future reference and ideas for parties.

[bitsnstuff]

Hi,

If you get permission, put a little poster up at the local libraries, health visitors clinic, doctors, as the NCT to put an ad in their magazine or do an offer for its members, NetMums, ask local pre-schools and nurserys if they would give out leaflets and maybe offer them a commission for any bookings.

Kate :lol:

[clairemackaness]

Some good ideas Kate.

I'm on netmums but I'll get the ball rolling on the others.

[SillyJokes]

You absolutely must include a leaflet for the children to all take home so that their Mum knows about your service and can book it for her own party.

Also, if providing invitations your contact should be on these.

These are going to be the best way you can get more bookings.

However 1000 would be a few too many - at first you'll just have to print out your own.

Offering to do a stall at a school fair/town event is also a good way to show what you do to a large target audience. Think of somewhere where Mum wants to do something else and you offer someting for the kids to do.

It should be no problem getting local newspaper coverage which would be ideal - what about doing something for a children's hospital ward, children's home, special school etc?

It should not be too hard to get the ball rolling.

[clairemackaness]

I'm thinking about setting up with the people who organise pamper evenings in schools. I could run a craft session in another room while they are off enjoying themselves at a charge of say £6 per head.

I have printed off 700 small flyers at work and will be going to the schools in the next few weeks to have them added to the book bags so the kids take them home to mum.

[mattk]

Have you approached your local rag? They are always desperate for stories more interesting than "cat stuck up tree", so will be more than happy to give you some free publicity along with obligatory photo.