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what gets most response - a postcard or community book ad

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Matt1959

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Sep 8, 2006
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going through homeowners letterboxes - what would people here say would get the best response?

eighth of a page display ad in a glossy A5 community booklet delivered once a month to 5000 homes in 4 different areas. Untargeted, just goes through all letterboxes in a sweep of postcode areas. (so thats a total delivered of 20,000 homes in one month)

or

1000 well designed colour postcards through the letterbox of selected homes.

both the above advertising a local trade....

Any thoughts?
 
Hi Matt

I'm not sure it's comparable because of the difference in volume, however if the ad itself is like for like then the mag maybe the choice as its going to be seen by 20X more people.
But if the postcard is targetted so well that the selected 1000 people see it would be relevant to what you are offering then that maybe the way to go.

Just some thoughts

Hope that's useful

Regards

Chris
 
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I would go for the postcard.. well designed..would get my attention... and pinned to the "attention" board in the kitchen by the better half:)

All the booklet bumpff gets binned in our household.

HTH
 
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Postcards - but what ever you do don't put the name of your business e.g. 'John Smith and Son' at the top of the card. Hit me with a big benefit and hit me quick! I'm always amazed at the amount advertising comes through our door with a business name as the title
 
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well, I would agree with postcard as 1) theres a guarentee every card will be seen 2) its stand alone so might be popped on a mantlepiece for future reference etc 3) other people will see it (post two through the door?) 4) much more info on a card than an ad 5) you can target specific homes 6) you can control delivery times/ reliability. In fact can't think of any downside:|Postcards it is then:)
 
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I disagree i would say the handbook, i advertised in one that had a distribution of 10,000 and i pay £250 for a half a5 page for 3 months so thats a total distribution of 30,000 and in total it geneated me 6 £700+ jobs, i also about 2 years ago got the most glossy leaflets i could find and hand delivered myself 5000 this generated me maybe 3 jobs for £50-£100 each, although they were advertising different things but the cost was about the same and the mag was far less effort, why not try them both matt, one after the other and see which gives the best return.

is that your company then saxondale if it is your website takes ages to load and the pictures even longer, you might want to check that out.
 
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G. Lasagne said:
is that your company then saxondale if it is your website takes ages to load and the pictures even longer, you might want to check that out.
Click to expand...


like I said in the post - NO THATS NOT US, LOL



the postcard is supplied customised by the unit manf.


very effective, helps that it`s a saleable product though
 
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G. Lasagne said:
oh sorry io never read this, but i dont believe you, prove it, show us the ad, show us your website, show us your genius, let me guess you wont AGAIN:rolleyes:
Click to expand...



do a quick search of my posts - were based in Sheffield.


hey imagine that 1500 customised postcards for free


can you demand that from your supplier?
 
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must admit when I said 1000 cards, thats self delivered and not counting my time. If it were more than 1000, I'd have to pay someone which would up the cost. I'm basing on the two examples here as the cost is roughly the same.
 
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Matt1959 said:
must admit when I said 1000 cards, thats self delivered and not counting my time. If it were more than 1000, I'd have to pay someone which would up the cost. I'm basing on the two examples here as the cost is roughly the same.
Click to expand...


would you not post the cards via mail?




thats gets attention.
 
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Matt1959 said:
well, I would agree with postcard as 1) theres a guarentee every card will be seen 2) its stand alone so might be popped on a mantlepiece for future reference etc 3) other people will see it (post two through the door?) 4) much more info on a card than an ad 5) you can target specific homes 6) you can control delivery times/ reliability. In fact can't think of any downside:|Postcards it is then:)
Click to expand...

I wouldnt say there's a guarantee that every one will be read, far from it, i threw a load in the bin this morning, all i done was to glance at it, notice it was junk and binned it,also what about those on holiday who come back to a huge pile of junk, do you think they will sit and read through them all, of course not it just goes in the bin.

the feedback i got from the handbook was that people actually read them, so there's much more chance of your ad getting read than a postcard.

plus its 2010 if somebdy needs a service they can find one in 5 seconds flat, via the internet, or by a million other methods, i have zero postcards in my drawer just in case i ever need them,

how many do you have?
 
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G. Lasagne said:
plus its 2010 if somebdy needs a service they can find one in 5 seconds flat, via the internet, or by a million other methods, i have zero postcards in my drawer just in case i ever need them,

how many do you have?
Click to expand...

none:) but I aint necessarily representative of other home owners. I'd also ask the question, how many people avidly read a 12 page mag from cover to cover (apart from old people with too much time on their hands) Much quicker to glance at a card as you lift if off the mat....
 
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saxondale said:
do a quick search of my posts - were based in Sheffield.


hey imagine that 1500 customised postcards for free


can you demand that from your supplier?
Click to expand...


Ha i can get as many as i like, i got over a £1000 in gift vouchers, a laptop, a xbox 360 a camcorder a weekend in rome and a ps3 all this year off boiler manufacturers, and im only a small company, so dont play the big shot because you got 1500 postcards for free:D
 
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Matt1959 said:
none:) but I aint necessarily representative of other home owners. I'd also ask the question, how many people avidly read a 12 page mag from cover to cover (apart from old people with too much time on their hands) Much quicker to glance at a card as you lift if off the mat....
Click to expand...


we work on the -


"oh I was only thinking about that ...... stick it on the fridge"


rather than tearing adverts out of magazines school of thought
 
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G. Lasagne said:
Ha i can get as many as i like, i got over a £1000 in gift vouchers, a laptop, a xbox 360 a camcorder a weekend in rome and a ps3 all this year off boiler manufacturers, and im only a small company, so dont play the big shot because you got 1500 postcards for free:D
Click to expand...



I don`t doubt you are, no ................
 
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Matt1959 said:
none:) but I aint necessarily representative of other home owners. I'd also ask the question, how many people avidly read a 12 page mag from cover to cover (apart from old people with too much time on their hands) Much quicker to glance at a card as you lift if off the mat....
Click to expand...

you will be surprised i personally will read any publication about my local area, because it interests me, plus theres often crosswords and such like in them, i honestly believe that most people wont even register what the average postcard says, unless like saxondale says its delivered in a hand written letter
 
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I think what pasta lover said is spot on.

These days most people get on the internet... old folks know about Google... they find what they are looking for. ( My wife just learnt how to switch on a computer.. 6 weeks ago.. and now she googles alla the time!!)

So.. post cards, flyers etc may be old hat in a short while I reckon...

IMO
 
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Tej said:
I think what pasta lover said is spot on.

These days most people get on the internet... old folks know about Google... they find what they are looking for. ( My wife just learnt how to switch on a computer.. 6 weeks ago.. and now she googles alla the time!!)

So.. post cards, flyers etc may be old hat in a short while I reckon...

IMO
Click to expand...

Exactly my friend:)
 
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people that search google do so because they decide beforehand they have a need. People that react to ads do so cos the ad catches their eye and gets them thinking - two very different audiences, Google can only capture one of em...
 
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Matt1959 said:
people that search google do so because they decide beforehand they have a need. People that react to ads do so cos the ad catches their eye and gets them thinking - two very different audiences, Google can only capture one of em...
Click to expand...

You have a point there Matt... but these days.. they love googling!

No recycling... etc. .. and with most people trying to save their pennies.. guess they "need"... more than "impulse buy" I guess
 
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Take my trade for instance, nobody parts with £2,000 for a new boiler unless they have been thinking about in some capacity, and therefore they have probably done some research by using the internet, calling friends etc etc. maybe if i was advertising a price for a service that was cheaper than the one they normally get then yeah maybe it would work, but i would still have to catch them at the right time, when people want things they find it, when they dont, they dont.

Thats why a book full of trades is more likely to be kept based on the "just in case" theory as its easy and convenient rather than a draw full of postcards, the same reason why people store pictures on a computer rather than having loads of prints, its easier more accessible and convenient. plus people plain and simple dont like junk mail.

Im not saying you wont get success with postcards, im no expert, but i would certainly not rule one out because of figures that forum members claim to have achieved, test it yourself and report back mate.
 
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Matt has a very niche trade. Postcards would work IMO

There are a lot of people with superb old furniture... and they need prodding to restore to perfection.

Go for it Matt... try the postcards and the booklets, as pasta lover says. .. A small investment which you could cover in the first decent job!
 
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theres a lot of people out there who wouldnt have a clue what someone like me does or what can actually be done to their own stuff so they wouldnt know what to search for even if they knew what they wanted.(does this make sense:|:)) So, carefully worded advertising bumph can attract these type of customers as I've found in the past. I'm begining to be not such a staunch supporter of Google now....

but then like Dave says
"Thats why a book full of trades is more likely to be kept based on the "just in case" theory as its easy and convenient rather than a draw full of postcards"

which basically is what Yellow Pages is designed for except that everyone thinks they're rubbish and not used anymore:) sorry couldnt resist that GA;)
 
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Matt1959 said:
theres a lot of people out there who wouldnt have a clue what someone like me does or what can actually be done to their own stuff so they wouldnt know what to search for even if they knew what they wanted.(does this make sense:|:)) So, carefully worded advertising bumph can attract these type of customers as I've found in the past. I'm begining to be not such a staunch supporter of Google now....

but then like Dave says
"Thats why a book full of trades is more likely to be kept based on the "just in case" theory as its easy and convenient rather than a draw full of postcards"

which basically is what Yellow Pages is designed for except that everyone thinks they're rubbish and not used anymore:) sorry couldnt resist that GA;)
Click to expand...


When you put it like that maybe it would work for your trade, but i still think you shoul try both without a doubt, i would try the postcards, then the book and then both at the same time and see what the responses are.
 
Upvote 0
Matt1959 said:
going through homeowners letterboxes - what would people here say would get the best response?

eighth of a page display ad in a glossy A5 community booklet delivered once a month to 5000 homes in 4 different areas. Untargeted, just goes through all letterboxes in a sweep of postcode areas. (so thats a total delivered of 20,000 homes in one month)

or

1000 well designed colour postcards through the letterbox of selected homes.

both the above advertising a local trade....

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
i think u are right in this case!
 
Upvote 0
G. Lasagne said:
Take my trade for instance, nobody parts with £2,000 for a new boiler unless they have been thinking about in some capacity, and therefore they have probably done some research by using the internet, calling friends etc etc. maybe if i was advertising a price for a service that was cheaper than the one they normally get then yeah maybe it would work, but i would still have to catch them at the right time, when people want things they find it, when they dont, they dont.

Thats why a book full of trades is more likely to be kept based on the "just in case" theory as its easy and convenient rather than a draw full of postcards, the same reason why people store pictures on a computer rather than having loads of prints, its easier more accessible and convenient. plus people plain and simple dont like junk mail.

Im not saying you wont get success with postcards, im no expert, but i would certainly not rule one out because of figures that forum members claim to have achieved, test it yourself and report back mate.
Click to expand...

I agree. We advertise in a local trade directory (A5 size) which is delivered by Royal Mail once a month. Across Yorkshire and the North East there are 15 books. We now advertise in 10! These directories work - 40% of our business comes from them.
Personally, any junk goes straight in the recycling without being read.
Directories with useful phone numbers in generally will be kept (IMO)
 
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